Alternative Schools
There are many children who struggle in a traditional school setting. Alternative schools focus on meeting the education needs of at risk students, and are generally provided by the local school district (although they may be run by outside entities under contract). Some charter schools have been designed to serve this group of students as well. Students who struggle with truancy, disruptive behavior, poor grades, or who are pregnant, and likely to withdraw from school, may be candidates for this option.
According to a report from National Center for Education Statistics, there were alternative schools in 64 percent of school districts nationwide, as of 2008. Most of the programs were geared toward students in grades 9 through 12. About half of those districts also offered programs for grades 6 through 8, while only about 18 percent offered alternative education to grades 1 through 5 (Tice, 2010).
There are many people who feel that the national mandate to provide a quality education for every child, is not being fulfilled if our children are not receiving at least a 12th grade education. While it is impossible to keep a student from dropping out, the opportunity to receive that education in a more flexible environment could prevent many students from making that decision (National Dropout Prevention Center, 2013).
References
National Dropout Prevention Center. (2013). Alternative Schooling. Retrieved from Clemson University: https://www.dropoutprevention.org/effective-strategies/alternative-schooling
Tice, P. (2010). Alternative Schools and Programs for Public School Students At Risk of Educational Failure: 2007–08 . Retrieved from Department of Education: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010026.pdf
Read more about Alternative Education...
https://www.ncee.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/OverviewAltEd.pdf
https://education-portal.com/articles/Alternative_High_Schools_Pros_and_Cons.html