Education Commons^™

Managing Student Misbehavior Through A Restorative Approach: A Phenomenological Study, Michael Preston Christie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of alternative education teachers in utilizing a restorative approach to managing student behaviors at a small, rural school district in north Florida. Gordon’s (1981) theory on Teacher Effectiveness Training (TET) steered this study in investigating the research questions central to this study: (1) What are the experiences of alternative education teachers in using a restorative approach for addressing student behaviors? (2) How have these experiences shaped the teacher-student relationship? (3) What are the professional development needs of alternative education teachers to improve the restorative practices experience? Through …

Why American Parents Choose Homeschooling, Kimberly Mcfall

Elementary & Secondary Education Faculty Research

This study explored factors that impact parents’ decisions to homeschool their children and examined the relationship between selected demographic factors and families that homeschool using an online survey snowball sample. Past research has focused on four main constructs: religious reasons, school safety, academic instruction, and a child’s special needs. This study elaborated on these four constructs and expanded to include other reasons parents might homeschool such as a need for family time, family travel, distance to school, financial reasons, or wanting to take a nontraditional approach to student learning. Findings suggest that academic instruction, family time and the desire to …

Addressing The Need For An Alternative Education Collaborative In Nonmetropolitan School Districts, Trina Pettit

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Through both federal and state educational legislation, there have been efforts to increase the accountability of schools in meeting the educational needs of all students and increasing the nation's graduation rates. States and districts across the nation have responded differently to these laws. As one pattern, there has been a rise in alternative schools and programs developed to address the educational needs of students who have not been having success with the traditional school model. Even as alternative schooling becomes more common, there is limited guidance in establishing these programs and limited professional development designed specifically for those teaching or …

Mentor And Mentee Ratings: Are They The Same Or Different?, Brooke Zarotny

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Mentoring is the pairing of two people where the mentor is meant to be a role model and companion for the mentee in the mentee’s area of struggle or deficit. These relationships are meant to be support systems that encourage positive outcomes in youth through frequent meetings between youth and older volunteers. Participants in this project were undergraduate students (i.e., mentors) and middle-school students (i.e., mentees) attending an alternative school in the east south-central region of the United States. The purpose of this school-based case study was to examine the experiences of five mentor and mentee pairs through weekly survey …

And Still They Rise: Lessons From Students In New York City's Alternative Transfer High Schools, Mica Baum-Tuccillo, Varnica Arora, Alison Holstein, Michelle Fine

Publications and Research

And Still They Rise is the first systematic analysis of alternative transfer schools in New York City – alternative educational spaces that keep their doors open to a range of students who seek an education despite past academic struggles. The report blends a qualitative and quantitative review of 842 students’ responses to a participatory survey that asked about goals, desires, obstacles, and what they found at transfer schools. In this report we present the stories and the statistics across schools, elevating silenced stories that lay behind the misnomer “at risk." We review data that shows how deeply students appreciate their …

Teacherless: The Futures Of Design Education, Andrew Hladkyj

Publications and Scholarship

With the ever-growing disruption of education by technology and the trend toward self-directed and autonomous learning, how might we reimagine legacy postsecondary design education in a “teacherless” society? Through a human-centred examination of today’s educational environment, this Major Research Project (MRP) derives 20 aspirational motivations at the heart of an independent

learning model. It reframes the disconnect between design academia and industry using an ’80s computer game and a Greek myth as fresh paradigms to uncover the value of strategic partnership, addictive learning, and platform-agnostic foundational training in preparing post-secondary design education for the future. This research offers four alternative …

Social Competence In Urban Alternative Schools, Aaron B. Perzigian

Woodring Scholarship on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

This exploratory grounded theory study examined teacher perspectives of social competence in urban alternative high schools. Research questions elicited teachers’ conceptualizations of social competence and descriptions of how their views on students’ social-emotional behaviors influence pedagogy. The specific school context was behavior-focused alternative schools, which serve a disproportionate number of Black students and students with disabilities. Findings indicated urban alternative high school teachers highly value and prioritize within their classrooms the learning and application of specific social competencies perceived to influence post-high school employability. Implications are discussed.

Narrating Neoliberalism: Alternative Education Teachers’ Conceptions Of Their Changing Roles, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The signifier ‘alternative’ in education has largely shifted from progressive or humanizing pedagogies to deficit framings requiring alternate graduation criteria. This development is part of broader neoliberal educational reform efforts that disrupt longstanding conceptions of teachers’ roles. This study serves to investigate long-term teachers’ understandings of their shifting roles in one secondary-level alternative education program in New York City. Specifically, this narrative analysis study explores participating teachers’ meanings around agency and their ability to form the relationships that they argue are central to meaningful pedagogies. Findings demonstrate a sense of loss regarding teacher agency and relationships, and a belief that …

Low German Mennonite Experiences In Alternative Education Programs In Southwestern Ontario, Cameron Brubacher

Social Justice and Community Engagement

Low German Speaking (LGS) Mennonites have had a tumultuous relationship with Canadian educational institutions in the past, resulting in many from the community migrating to Mexico in the 1920s. Since the 1950s, LGS Mennonites from Mexico and South America have been migrating back to Canada, with over 40,000 making their homes in Ontario. Many in Ontario, however, still have misgivings about public education. With such a large presence in Ontario, Ontario schools need to make sure that they are inclusive places for this minority group. This MRP utilizes open-ended interviews to hear the experiences and views of Low German Speaking …

Usaid Eccn Policy Issues Brief: Accelerated Education For Out-Of-School Children And Youth In The Drc, Ash Hartwell

Education in Crisis and Conflict Network

This policy brief draws from the findings of USAID Education in Crisis and Conflict Network’s recent study on alternative education in the Democratic Repub­lic of the Congo in order to raise vital policy issues linked to achieving national and global goals for education. That study, after a careful review of relevant literature, involved fieldwork in North Kivu as well as interviews in Kinshasa with key informants from government ministries, UN agencies, the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, bilat­eral donor agencies, and international NGOs.

This brief is intended to serve as a catalyst for government, donor, and NGO dialogue …

Evaluation Of A Temporary, Immersive Learning Community Based On Worldschooling, Aimee Ferraro

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Learning communities are a proven method for engaging groups of people who share common goals for personal growth and knowledge acquisition (Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews, & Smith, 1990; Taylor, Moore, MacGregor, & Lindblad, 2003). However, little is known about the usefulness of this approach in the context of alternative education. This article describes the evaluation of a temporary, immersive learning community for self-directed teen learners, Project World School (PWS), which was based on a new, pedagogical approach to learning called worldschooling. Findings indicate that regardless of demographic characteristics and personal interests, PWS attendees experienced learning and progress in three main areas: …

Not So “Black And White” An Examination Of The Theoretical Perspectives And Empirical Research Of The Afrocentric School Debate, Emma Rose Bonanno

2015 Undergraduate Awards

This paper explores the public debate of "Afrocentric Schools", as an alternative education system. In an attempt to explain the relative underachievement of African-American students, various theoretical perspectives concerning the black-white achievement gap are presented. Furthermore, the author examines existing empirical evidence concerning the achievement/underachievement of African-American students, offering either support or disapproval for Afrocentric Schools. In addition, The Africentric Alternative School in Toronto is utilized as a case study to examine the efficacy of Afrocentric Schools. The examined empirical evidence illustrates that the Afrocentric School debate is not so "black and white". Rather, the black-white achievement gap depends on …

The Learningweb Revolution And The Transformation Of The School By Leonard J. Waks, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

On examination of the book’s cover, I believed the images and title would be leading me into reading surface level facts about how technology can be used to support education. I was very wrong. This book was designed to deliver a strong message to all stakeholders in education. Leonard Waks has written this book to present a new type of educational organization as an alternative to the high school system that is in place in the North America today. He clearly states that his ideas do not attempt to fix the broken model, but he strongly advocates for a completely …

Alternative Schooling Strategy Brief, Emily Moss, Jenna Strawhun, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Although there is little overall research on alternative schooling due in part to the widely disparate types of alternative school programs, there is program evaluation and anecdotal support for their effectiveness for some students. These programs are commonplace, and must be considered a part of the effort to keep students, particularly students with behavioral needs in school. There is anecdotal evidence that these programs can be beneficial to students who would otherwise not participate and complete a school program.

Teacher Nonverbal Immediacy: A Study Of Its Effect On Student Academic Progress And End Of Course Test Performance In A Rural Alternative High School, Jan Singletary

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Meeting the needs of all students is a continuing challenge for educators. Schools across the nation are designing programs to foster student achievement and graduation. Alternative education programs are gaining in popularity among students who have not succeeded in traditional schools and would previously have dropped out of school. It is essential that teachers connect with students so that students believe teachers care about them and their education. In this quantitative study, a significant correlation was found between students' perception of teacher immediacy, determined with the Nonverbal Immediacy Scale - Observer Report (NIS-O), and their rate of academic progress as …

Characteristics Of Contemporary U.S. Progressive Middle Schools, Jan Ware Russell

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Progressive education has a long history within the American K-12 education system dating back to the late 1800s. During this period, two very distinct ideologies represented progressive education: 1) administrative progressives supporting standardization as a means of efficiency and 2) pedagogical progressives supporting child-centered learning based upon a well-rounded education. This study looks at 82 contemporary pedagogical progressive schools to identify common characteristics. Child-centered learning, community integration, and democratic decision-making were the three overarching philosophies covered in this study. Data was collected through an online survey of school leaders. The majority of research surrounding progressive education is qualitative and focuses …

The Relationship Between Classroom Interactions And Exclusionary Discipline As A Social Practice: A Critical Microethnography, Debra M. Pane Phd

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exclusionary school discipline results in students being removed from classrooms as a consequence of their disruptive behavior and may lead to subsequent suspension and/or expulsion. Literature documents that nondominant students, particularly Black males, are disproportionately impacted by exclusionary discipline, to the point that researchers from a variety of critical perspectives consider exclusionary school discipline an oppressive educational practice and condition. Little or no research examines specific teacher-student social interactions within classrooms that influence teachers’ decisions to use or not use exclusionary discipline. Therefore, this study set forth the central research question: In relation to classroom interactions in alternative education settings, …

Alternative Education: A Continued Examination Of How States Are Addressing Alternative Education In Their Schools, Les Carnine, Joshua H. Barnett

Arkansas Education Reports

In an attempt to understand the current preparation level of Arkansas for the Leave No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, the current project conducts a preliminary literature and web search to record what other states have done and are doing to prepare for NCLB. A brief synopsis of the history of alternative policies is also included. Results indicate that of the twelve states examined, most states are following a similar pattern with regard to preparing for their “at risk” students and passing similar alternative education policies. Three common characteristics found across the states: defining what alternative education is …

Alternative Education Responding To Complex Needs, Kay Hyatt

General University of Maine Publications

The growth of alternative education programs reflects both an increasing population of students having difficulty learning and adjusting in traditional school settings and the escalating pressure on public schools to meet the diverse academic, social and personal needs of all children, according to a University of Maine study.

Abenaki Experimental College, Course Catalog, Spring, 1973, University Of Maine

General University of Maine Publications

A document that provides a brief explanation of a University of Maine student-organized effort known as the Abenaki experimental college. Students and members of the surrounding community were invited to teach courses on a volunteer basis in a program with no tuition costs. This catalog provides descriptions for courses offered in the spring of 1973.

Abenaki Experimental College, Course Catalog, Autumn, 1972, University Of Maine

General University of Maine Publications

A document that provides a brief update on the progress of a University of Maine student-organized effort known as the Abenaki experimental college. Students and members of the surrounding community were invited to teach courses on a volunteer basis in a program with no tuition costs. This catalog provides descriptions for courses offered in the fall of 1972.

Abenaki Experimental College, Course Catalog, Spring, 1972, University Of Maine

General University of Maine Publications

A document that provides a brief summary of a University of Maine student-organized effort known as the Abenaki experimental college. Students and members of the surrounding community were invited to teach courses on a volunteer basis in a program with no tuition costs. This catalog provides a photograph of a large crowd of students waiting in line at the first registration on February 3, 1971, and descriptions for courses offered in the spring of 1972.

Abenaki Experimental College, Course Catalog, Autumn, 1971, University Of Maine

General University of Maine Publications

A document that provides a brief history of a University of Maine student-organized effort known as the Abenaki experimental college. Students and members of the surrounding community were invited to teach courses on a volunteer basis in a program with no tuition costs. This catalog provides descriptions for courses offered in the fall of 1971.