Alternative Schools and Programs of Choice
Purpose
Alternative schools and programs of choice must meet the same standards for curriculum, instruction, and student performance as traditional schools, but they meet these objectives by offering a different structure, learning philosophy, or academic emphasis. This enables them to accommodate different student needs, interests and learning styles, and foster student engagement and achievement. As authorized by Education Code (EC) sections 58500–58512, alternative schools and programs of choice are voluntary for districts, teachers, students, and their parents/guardians.
Program/Services
The premise behind alternative schools of choice is that “one size doesn’t fit all”— in other words, not all students will thrive or reach their full potential in the traditional comprehensive school. Alternative schools and programs of choice are often characterized by responsiveness to instructional style differences, the positive consequences of being a school of choice, and small unit size. The effective use of such instructional strategies as independent study, community-based education, focused or thematic education, and flexible scheduling enhances attendance and improves performance.
The authorizing 1976 legislation provides that districts may establish alternative schools and programs of choice, designed to meet the following objectives:
- Maximize the opportunity for students to develop the positive values of self-reliance, initiative, kindness, spontaneity, resourcefulness, courage, creativity, responsibility, and joy.
- Recognize that the best learning takes place when the student learns because of his or her desire to learn.
- Maintain a learning situation in which maximum use is made of student self-motivation and in which students are encouraged to use their own time to follow their own interests. These interests may be conceived totally and independently by the student or as a result of a presentation by the student's teacher(s) of choice.
- Maximize the opportunity for teachers, parents/guardians, and students to develop the learning process and its subject matter. This opportunity shall be a continuous, permanent process.
- Maximize the opportunity for students, teachers, and parents/guardians to react continuously to the changing world, including, but not limited to, the community in which the school is located.
EC Section 58509 authorizes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI), upon application of a school district, to waive virtually any part of the EC “to maximize the opportunity for improvement of the general school curriculum by innovative methods and ideas developed within the alternative school operation and to improve the general level of education in the state of California.”
Outcomes
- System outcome:
- We do not currently have a clear idea of the number of alternative schools and programs of choice, or the number of students served by them (districts are not required to report this information, and schools established under these EC sections may change over time without informing the California Department of Education). This is complicated by the fact that not all schools that fit the basic description are in fact established under these EC sections.
- We are in the process of developing a directory of alternative schools and programs of choice with the data reported through the California Basic Education Data System (CBEDS) as our starting point. On this basis, approximately 205 alternative schools and programs of choice are currently operating in California, serving approximately 44,500 students.
- Student outcomes: Although we do not have comprehensive data on student outcomes, research indicates that student engagement and academic performance increase in relation to the “fit” between a student’s needs, interests and learning styles, and his or her school or educational program. We would expect, therefore, to find that increases in educational choice for students and families results in higher levels of student academic performance.
Funding
General Fund apportionment based on average daily attendance.
Students Served
Alternative schools and programs of choice serve primarily students who learn best in non-traditional settings that match their needs, interests, and preferred ways of learning by offering a different structure, learning philosophy, or academic emphasis. We are in the process of developing a more accurate estimate of the number of students served in alternative schools and programs of choice; our starting point is CBEDS reporting of approximately 44,500 students enrolled in “alternative schools.”
Results
See comments under Outcomes.
Contact Information
The Alternative Schools and Programs of Choice is administered by:
California Department of Education
Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Leadership Division
Educational Options Office
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814
Mary M. Jones
Education Programs Consultant
916-323-5034
mjones@cde.ca.gov
