The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which alternative schools add value to the college readiness of their students, as well as to measure the capacity of alternative school students to successfully complete dual credit courses while enrolled at the alternative school. This mixed methods study utilized an exploratory approach with a descriptive research design to explore the extent to which alternative schools produce college-ready students. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment was used to measure participants' academic readiness levels in mathematics, reading, and writing. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to provide their own perspectives on their college readiness levels through a student survey and semi-structured face-to-face interview. The results of this study reveal that the college readiness levels of alternative high school students varied across academic areas. Of the tested participants, 41.1% were college ready in reading, 52.1% in writing, and 16.7% in mathematics. Additionally, the findings reveal that dual credit course participation was not a viable option because of course prerequisites and the amount of time needed to complete dual credit courses. Results of this study expand on the literature to provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of alternative school programs, the college readiness levels of alternative high school students, and the capacity of alternative high school students to successfully complete college coursework while in high school.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1062810 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Bradley, Jeffrey James |
| Contributors | Brackett, David A. (Educator), van Tassell, Frances, Paufler, Noelle, Gallagher, Judith |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | viii, 82 pages, Text |
| Coverage | United States - Texas |
| Rights | Public, Bradley, Jeffrey James, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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