Students served in alternative and segregated settings tend to receive educational services that are not on par with their public school peers. To develop a better understanding of the problem, the authors conducted a national study of secondary psychiatric schools in the United States. Specifically, the authors administered a survey to…

A lack of sense of school belonging can be a destabilising aspect in disaffected students' lives, so much so that they will often seek an alternative sense of belonging outside of the school arena. Gaining out-of-school acceptance within the non-conforming, graffiti subculture is dependent upon proving one's worth through willing engagement in…

Many journal articles provide success stories of initiatives or programs. However, few outline the lessons learned in the building of those programs that may be beneficial to any reader who is interested in duplicating a similar initiative. Thus, the purpose of this article is threefold. The first section will provide the reader with history of…

Students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) require pervasive supports that are typically addressed through behavior intervention plans. This article illustrates one student's ("Mark") journey from the general education high school campus, to an alternative discipline campus, and subsequent placement at a juvenile corrections setting. Also,…

New Directions Alternative Education Center, Prince William County Public School's (PWCS) alternative high school, serves approximately 1000 students on a rolling-enrollment basis each year. The 2009-2010 school year marks the sixth year of operation for the center. The school program continues to develop and grow in exciting and "new directions".…

Education Resource Centers (ERCs) were established by the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) as a means of providing economic opportunities and life choices for youth considered at risk through focused programs and initiatives with public school partners. In the current academic year there are 21 ERCs operating primarily in Simon Property Group (SPG)…

Father Bruce Wellems didn't know the dropout statistics when he came to Back of the Yards in 1990 to serve as a parish priest. Born and raised in New Mexico, Wellems initially had only vague notions of what an inner-city ministry might look like and little commitment to the neighborhood's struggling youth. But after some prodding from a local park…

Alternative education programmes, in the form of vocational education and flexible or personalised curricula, are rapidly becoming established as a main plank in both mainstream and special schools' responses to pupil disaffection. In this paper, "alternative curriculum" will be used as an umbrella term to include all forms of curricula which are…

Tasmania is the southernmost state of Australia. Separated from mainland Australia by a 240 km stretch of water, Bass Strait, it has a population of almost 500,000 people. The state Department of Education provides compulsory education through the delivery of educational services to almost 70,000 students in 218 schools and colleges across the…

Young offenders present many challenges to the juvenile justice system, the school system and the labor system as they transfer from residential commitment to their home communities. The challenges can be overwhelming, potentially creating a sense of hopelessness for the community and for the youth. In response to the need for appropriate academic…

The American "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001 (NCLB) mandates that by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, all public school teachers teaching core subjects will hold at least a bachelor's degree, be fully licensed by the state and demonstrate knowledge in the subjects they are teaching in order that students have the maximum opportunity to…

After being expelled from her mainstream girls' school, Bilikus, whose parents are Turkish and African, spent a year at Daniel House Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), a small alternative high school. At the end of her year there, she took seven GCSEs, which are intensive exams taken at the end of compulsory schooling and a prerequisite for college.…

The author has worked in education for almost 30 years in the UK and internationally. Since 1987 when she cofounded an international theatre company called CETTIE (Cultural Exchange Through Theatre In Education), the author has worked as an arts practitioner and arts education consultant in parallel with her teaching career. She has consistently…

The students quoted in this paper attend New Rush Hall Pupil Referral Unit, an alternative high school for disaffected students in Redbridge, east London. Rose is 16 and in her final year of high school. Her previous school records document numerous instances of challenging/violent behaviour, spitting, screaming and shouting. She has been arrested…