BEST PRACTICES IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

1. BEST PRACTICES IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

2. YOU can expect… • Overview of the KCSS • Alternative Education Research Overview • Alternative Education Standards and Indicators Approach • Kentucky Models

3. Assessing the need… • Statewide coordination of effort • EKU, UK, KSBA, MSU • Umbrella agency to facilitate communication and drive research • Collaborating with KSP, KDE, KCCRB and many others • Money • $10 allocated initially

4. Focusing on research… 1-3% of Students INTENSIVE INTERVENTION Individualized Attention 7-9% of Students TARGETED INTERVENTION Individual and Small Group Strategies 90% of Students UNIVERSAL INTERVENTION School-Wide Systems of Support

5. Creating a workplan… • Evaluate/Identify Best Practice and Successful programs • Encourage and support law enforcement in schools • Prepare and disseminate information on Best Practice and Successful programs • Provide/coorindate Teacher and Education Administrator preparation and training • Provide annual status reports to the Commonwealth. • Establish a Clearinghouse of Information and Materials • Administer Safe Schools funding to local districts • Provide/coordinate training, technical assistance and program development for schools, justice and law enforcement and communities • Collect, analyze and report data which meets the mandates state and federal statues.

6. KCSS and Alt Ed • 83% of funding used for Alt Ed • Provides research to drive practice • Supports Alt Ed Conferences and Keynotes • Annual “Safe Schools, Successful Students Conference” • Facilitates Technical Assistance directed at Best Practice

7. What research says… • Alternative education pays back every penny it costs…and then some (AFT study) • Most students in alternative education are haptic/kinesthetic learners (Greek haptikos: to grasp/touch) • Student centered culture is the key to success • Good alternative teachers want to be in that placement, and we want them to be the most creative teachers • Good practice requires ongoing, quality professional development for all staff

8. Student-Centered Standards for Teaching and Learning INCREASE Student Ownership and responsibility by: Helping students choose their own topics and goals for improvement Teaching students to review their own processes and progress Learning of grammar and mechanics in context, at the editing stage and as needed Writing for real audiences, publishing for the class and for wider audiences. Active exchange and valuing of student ideas and thoughts Conferences and peer critiquing that gives responsibility to authors rather than teachers DECREASE Teacher control of decision-making Teacher deciding all writing topics Suggestions for improvement dictated by teacher Learning objectives determined by the teacher alone Devaluation of student ideas and input Students viewed as deficient in knowledge and ability Sense of class as competing individual Marking all papers heavily for all errors, making teacher a bottleneck Teacher editing paper after completed, rather than encouraging student-led improvement Grading seen as punitive, focused on errors and not growth Source:Daniels, Hyde, Zemelman. “Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools.” Heinemann, 1993.

9. A new definition… ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION IS: • A change of educational environment • New opportunities for academic, social or behavioral success • Focuses on the whole student

10. Setting the standards… • Structured and Supportive Classrooms • Appropriate Curriculum • Quality, Engaging Instruction • Multiple and Continuous Assessment • Positive, Individualized Approach to Discipline • High Quality Professional Development • School & District Support • Family and Community Involvement • Clearly Identified Student Outcomes

11. Structured and Supportive Classrooms • Low student-teacher ratio • Positive reinforcement • High academic goals • Qualified and dedicated staff • Universal/predictable structure for behavior and discipline

12. Appropriate and Equitable Curriculum Aligned with: • District curriculum • State core content • State program of studies • Includes focus on social, life and/or character education

13. High Quality, Engaging Instruction • Utilizing a variety of instructional strategies • Reflects differences in student learning styles • Hands-on activities • Instruction is experiential and relevant to student goals

14. Multiple and Continuous Assessment • Authentic assessment • Student-led projects • Portfolios • Other non-traditional forms of assessment

15. Positive Approach to Discipline • Universal school policy (clearly and consistently applied) visually displayed throughout site • Predictable and logical consequences • Direct teaching of rules and expectations • Multiple levels of support

16. Professional Development • Mandatory to all staff • Research-based trainings on: • Curriculum • Instructional strategies • Behavior Management • Service Learning and community engagement • Ongoing and plenty of it

17. School/District Support • Promotion throughout district to create positive status • Financial resources • Transportation resources • Guidance/counseling resources • Family Service/Youth Resource Centers • Extended School Services • Food Services • Career planning/preparation

18. Partner Involvement • Multi-agency • Parent-Guardian • Community

19. Program Evaluation • Needs assessment—always begin with the end in mind…a systems approach • Well-defined programmatic goals • Demographics and student success standards • Work plan which includes activities, responsible parties and completion dates • Universal behavior management policy • Measurable student outcomes • Pre- and Post- academic and behavior data • GPAs • Attendance

20. Kentucky Models • Tri-County Alternative Education Center’s Four-Mile Creek Outdoor Classroom • Daviess County Comprehensive and Universal approach • Boone County Alternative Center’s High-tech/High touch approach

21. Tri-County Center • Outdoor classroom allows for integrated curriculum and engaging, student-centered instruction • Strong service learning component • Native America Pow-Wow and houses (wigwa) • Butterfly garden • Greenhouse horticulture with gravity-fed irrigation system • Birdwatching screened area • Marked nature trails • Strong district and community support from/for three counties • Prosocial skills connected to project-based curriculum provides teachable moments

22. Beacon Central • Multi-level emphasis • Elementary (less than 1% continued as alt ed students) • Middle (strong behavior and reward system • High School (high level of community involvement • Guiding Principles Contract signed by staff, student, parent • Strong service learning connections to content throughout curriculum • Discovery program six “P’s” • Consistent and comprehensive data collection for student and program evaluation

23. Boone Alternative Center • Non-traditional Compter-based but Human-mediated instruction • Student-Staff ratio of 5:1 (max 10:1) • Student-centered lifeskills training involving parents, staff and outside agencies • Comprehensive behavior and academic assessment/goal setting • Family Nurturing Center • Collaborative assessment of achievement by staff, employer, parent and student

24. Tips…or where do we start? Why alternative education? • Kentucky law mandates all students achieve at high levels, attaining proficiency according to KERA standards by 1014. No Child Left Behind emphasizes the same ideal. • It is in your community’s best interests to ensure a high level of educational competency, at least a high school equivalency. How do we recognize a good alternative education program? • Based on current research for effective programs • Student-centered learning emphasis • Focus is on student goal-setting and creative learning environment Where do we go to create or evaluate a research-based alternative education program? • Start with a district-wide needs assessment • Review current research to learn what is effective with similar populations • Create well-defined goals for the program • Focus on measurable outcomes with quantitative and qualitative pre/post measures Who should be involved? • Referring school personnel (teachers, staff and administration) should understand the focus and capabilities of the alternative school • District personnel should build a positive identity for the alternative settings • School Board members should visit the alternative school at least once each year, and have students and staff report to them at meetings about school data.

25. Next steps… For every 100 men chopping at the branches of evil, there is one man chopping at the root. Henry David Thoreau

26. KENTUCKY CENTER FOR SCHOOL SAFETY 877-805-4277 www.kysafeschools.org Doris Settles Kerri Schelling Clearinghouse Coordinator Training Coordinator 250 TEB, University of Kentucky 260 Democrat Drive Lexington, KY 40506-0001 Frankfort, KY 40601 doris.settles@uky.edukschelling@ksba.org