ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION: ADMINISTRATOR PERCEPTIONS OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION AND AT-RISK YOUTH

Abstract

Successful attainment of a high school diploma is essential in today's society. For some students, however, internal and external pressures present significant barriers to school completion. Disengagement from school by these at-risk students is not only detrimental to the individual students, but to the school community and society as a whole. For some students, Alternative Education placements may be a way to reengage them and aid them in school completion. This case study examined the Park Run School District, a pseudonym for the school district, to discover the perceptions of Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) placements by school officials responsible for making the decision to place students as well as other key educators who work directly with at-risk youth. Interviews were used to seek to determine the needs of at-risk students, why administrators choose to refer (or not to refer) students to placement, and if current programming was sufficient. The findings were categorized into three themes, people, placement, and practice. The first theme, people, looked at the concept of risk, the reasons students drop out of school, and they role key individuals play in the lives of at-risk youth. The second theme, placement, looked at the non-traditional nature of alternative education settings, the referral process itself, and the factors administrators consider prior to student outplacement. Finally, the third theme, practice, focused on the nexus of the first two, looking at the most common reasons for referral, the perceived inhibitors to student placement, and the need for additional settings to meet student need.