By a 1978 legislation, the State of Florida legislated to commit itself to the alternative education concept. Having recognized that the regular school program was not satisfying the academic needs of certain students, thereby leading to apathy, disruptiveness, truancy, poor scholarship, failure and delinquency, the Legislature urged that school districts establish alternative education programs as positive educational remedies. / This study proposed to provide an empirical assessment of the outcome of Florida's experiment with alternative education. / To avoid bias in findings associated with the use of aggregate data alone, two levels of measurement were performed. At the macro-level, statewide education data were examined. At the micro-level, case study and participant observation were conducted at a North Florida alternative school. Other schools were visited, and interviews conducted with school authorities, legislators and state agency personnel. Questionnaires were administered to students at the alternative school. / The analysis of the statewide data showed general program ineffectiveness. The alternative school study showed appreciable improvements in student affective and behavioral growth, in attitude toward school and in scholarship, and high academic and occupational aspirations, despite low standard-test performance. / Methodologically, the study showed that aggregate data obliterate differences between programs, fail to identify successful programs, and the reasons for success or failure. Substantively, it showed that school districts may have inadequately implemented the program, although individual programs, committed to the alternative education philosophy and praxis, may have been successful in its implementation and outcome. These findings suggest that efforts to reform institutions without changing the system are unlikely to succeed, and that evaluators should be sensitive to the dynamics and complexities of policy development and implementation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-03, Section: A, page: 0751. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76062 |
| Contributors | EKPENYONG, ROSELINE AFIONG., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 657 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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