No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to make a detailed study and analysis of a selected number of alternative schools or programs. The institutions were studied in terms of their development, their offerings, and their successes or failures.The population of the study consisted of 156 program directors who returned usable questionnaires and five program directors whose programs were visited and studied by the investigator. Two instruments were used to secure the data for the study. Each of the two instruments contained thirty-two items with basically the same information. The first instrument was a questionnaire which was mailed to 200 program directors. One hundred fifty-six of the 200 program directors surveyed returned usable responses. The second instrument used to secure data from the directors of five programs identified for on-site visits was an interview guide. Selected findings derived from the questionnaire data included the following: 1. The majority of the 156 alternative programs whose directors responded reported that their 2 programs were for problem students mainly dropouts, potential dropouts, truants or pregnant girls. 2. Most programs whose directors responded were initially and currently funded by school districts in which they are located. 3. Forty-five and five-tenths percent had less than 99 students while 7.1 percent had more than 500 students in each. 4. Among some of the problems cited by directors were: absenteeism, students' lack of sense of direction, students' lack of future plans, lack of program funds, and lack of adequate facilities. Some of the findings derived from on-site data were summarized as follows: The five programs were controlled by the public school systems in which they were situated. In each of the five programs teachers and directors were in charge of the programs' daily governance. The five programs studied had a mixture of conventional and alternative education course offerings. 4. Directors reported an improved rate of school attendance among students. Some of the conclusions developed from the study included the following: Alternative schools or programs are a result of a need to provide options for students and parents. 2. Alternative education provides opportunities to students who cannot be accommodated by conventional public schools.3. Lack of adequate funds seems to be a common problem among alternative school programs. 4. Most chief administrators of alternative programs are responsible for hiring teaching staff members. Following are some of the recommendations made for further research in the area of alternative education: 1. There is need for further research in the area of program longevity to determine specifically why many programs are defunct after being in existence for less than five years. 2. Further research is needed to determine the unique qualities that an alternative program teacher should possess. 3. There is a need for further research in the area of alternative program success. 4. There is a need for further research regarding the desirable qualities of an effective alternative program director.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-94). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR29618

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Teacher Education, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-177). Also issued in print.

No description available.

The Alternative Education movement in American public education emerged in the 1970s as an outgrowth of the social criticism and political activism of the 1960s. Alternative Schools represented the pragmatic adoption of the least objectionable proposals which were popularized by radical school reform advocates. What began as a movement of alternatives to conventional schooling became a movement of widening options within public school systems.This study is an anaylsis of the historical roots and evolution of Alternative Education. A broad perspective is structured first by a theoretical discussion of public schooling and social reform which includes a historiographical interpretation of New Left revisionism. Next a description of selected parts of the radical movement of the 1960s is related to the political and intellectual context of school reform. This part of the study focuses on the social and intellectual origins of young radicals and the structure and ideology of SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) as illustrations.A discussion of the rhetoric of radical school reform is the next part of the evolutionary framework structured in this study. The central themes of selected spokesmen of the radical critique of public schooling, including Paul Goodman and John Holt, are briefly examined. Then the relationship between the rhetoric of radical school reform and the development of private free schools is described in the context of the political activism and intellectual radicalism of the 1960s. The progression is completed with a broad assessment of the Alternative Education movement which examines its origins in the 1960s, its popularization in the 1970s, and its evolution from radical reform to political pragmatism.Finally, a case study of an Alternative school-within-a-school, Learning Unlimited at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, illustrates the conclusions of this study and demonstrates the theoretical problems. The description of Learning Unlimited is based on observations, interviews with participants, documents, and involvement in program evaluation. The emphasis is on the role of Learning Unlimited as a model-program designed to demonstrate and encourage educational innovation.York

No description available.

In response to an increase of school shootings, America has seen public outcry for safer schools and the implementation of get-tough discipline policies that remove students who pose threats of violence to the safe school environment. One response to the increased rate of violence was the implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA). Criticism of these policies grew, unintended outcomes undermined their implementation, and research data supporting their effectiveness were lacking. The legislature sought to address issues relating to discretion in implementation, due process rights, mandatory expulsion language, and alternative education placement. This study sought to trace the evolution of GFSA legislation in Virginia. Selected sponsors of GFSA and patrons were identified and interviewed to learn their perceptions of goals and outcomes of legislation prohibiting the possession of weapons on school grounds. Interview questions sought to identify key factors that were considered throughout the legislative process. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Interview data were analyzed using QSR NVIVO 9, data analysis software. The research design incorporated the collection and analysis of extant information, as well as the use of open-ended interviews with selected policymakers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Emerging themes were described, categorized, and analyzed within the structure of a historical timeline of the GFSA legislation. Non-legislative documents were analyzed to add support to the interview findings and legislative analysis. Twelve themes emerged, which were supported in the review of non-legislative documents and in legislative documents. The legislative intent was reinforced in the literature and in the interviews. A review of these data led this researcher to conclude that the General Assembly came full circle and virtually reversed the initial requirements for zero-tolerance discipline policies. Continued study is recommended to trace how the General Assembly ameliorates racial inequity, increased drop-out rates, increased criminalization, and other harsh and unintended consequences of GFSA legislation in the Commonwealth. / Ed. D.