This study reports similarities and differences in perceptions of adolescent students toward selected conditions that characterize the curriculum of sampled alternative schools. Data were collected from students who were disconnected from alternative school environments and from students who were involved and productive in these settings. The perceptions of 1,692 students from thirty-one alternative schools in six Eastern states toward eleven variables were reported. Twenty-two percent (353) of the students were identified as marginal to their learning environments. Black students were found more likely to be marginal, as were lower class students, males, and students with below average verbal ability. By highlighting differences between the perceptions of marginal and other learners, the research findings also show that specific aspects of alternative school environment contribute, in part, to the persistent problems of students who are forced to the margins of their schools. (Author)