One Size Doesn't Fit All - alternative schools and education programmes

School Administrator, May, 2001 by Mark A. Edwards, Vicki B. Wilson

Henrico County's alternative programs pave new paths for even its youngest lost souls

Marcus, an 8-year-old, is a sure bet to cause a disruption in his 3rd-grade classroom every day. Despite the usual interventions, such as timeouts and appointments with the school counselor, his behavior has changed little.

As a rising 6th grader, Christine never has liked school and has a low self-image. Learning is difficult for her. Consequently, she spends most days at home complaining of headaches.

Angelica is a single, teen-age mother who must work to help her own single mother make ends meet for their household of six. She is not sure if she will ever be able to complete high school.

In school systems across the nation, students with serious needs, such as Marcus, Christine and Angelica, have increased dramatically. The challenge is to reach beyond the traditional schooling approach and find ways to help these students. Attendance problems, discipline issues and lack of motivation prevent students of all ages from having positive academic experiences.

The development of alternative programs and alternative schools provide different pathways for students who need a vastly different approach. These alternatives are becoming more promising and widespread than ever. Initially, their purpose was dropout prevention at the secondary level. Now these second-chance options are fast becoming the lifeline for elementary and middle school students, as well.

Redirected Energies

Henrico County, a large system with urban and suburban characteristics outside Richmond, Va., has seen early successes in its alternative schools. As the 42,000-student body grew more diverse in recent years, so did their special educational needs. It became apparent we would need to expand the pathways leading to graduation to serve more challenging students.

From an administrative standpoint, intervention helps the students receiving the specialized service, but it also helps traditional school staffs so they can then redirect their energies on students who are well adjusted in a traditional school setting.

With support from the school board, the district introduced an array of alternative programs to promote success among students who seemed to be losing their bearings on the traditional education path.

While each program is different in scope, they share common elements.

Each program is highly structured and emphasizes high standards for behavior, attendance and achievement. Low pupil-teacher ratios foster individualized attention and warm, accepting relationships. Expectations are clear, fair and consistent. Students learn to accept personal responsibility for their grades, attendance and behavior.

The curriculum in these programs centers on basic skills, and teachers emphasize how these skills apply to real-life experiences. A strong parental involvement component includes a commitment by program staff to communicate weekly about student progress.

While Henrico County's alternative high school has been in place for more than 20 years, it was apparent that options were needed for younger students needing early intervention. The district opened an alternative school for middle school students, Mount Vernon, in 1995. New Bridge Elementary, serving 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, joined Henrico's lineup of alternative programs last fall. In addition, specialized opportunities, including an evening school, have been developed to help students obtain a high school diploma.

Elementary Alternative

Even though some in the community questioned the need for an alternative school for such young students, nobody could disagree that children like Marcus needed more focused attention. The time teachers spent addressing disruptive behavior was valuable time lost to instruction.

When a neighborhood church became available for sale, we identified local and state funding to purchase the site and then renovate it to include classrooms, cafeteria and gymnasium. Now in its second year, New Bridge Elementary School offers 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes with about 12 students in each. Students enter New Bridge through a referral process, initiated by the principal of the traditional school, a teacher or parent with input from the counselor.

Careful attention was paid to staffing New Bridge. The staff members include a lead teacher/administrator, three classroom teachers, a half-time counselor, two instructional assistants, a secretary and itinerant resource teachers who come to the school weekly for art, music and physical education instruction.

Lessons are individualized and student-centered and mentoring is in place as a strong reinforcement. Reading instruction is a focus area for all students. Each New Bridge student is working directly with a University of Richmond graduate student twice a week as their individual mentor who helps the student with social skills, self-discipline and academic skills.

Teachers already report improvements in class performance, especially attendance and behavior. Academic performance will be analyzed following statewide assessments this spring to gauge the success of the two-year-old program.