by Lucinda M. Dugger

As education experts consider how to provide viable alternatives for struggling high school students, youth are making sure their concerns are not overlooked.  At a February gathering of representatives from the Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) in Philadelphia, 13 youth from high schools around the country provided their insight into discussions on alternative education and public perception.

Each of the youth represented one of the organizations in the AHSI network, which comprises 10 youth development and education organizations.  The network members spent four days examining issues of sustainability for innovative high school designs and the city-level policies that help or hinder the replication of such designs.

What is Alternative Education?
?Alternative education means learning to learn differently,? said one student from the YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, when asked for a definition of the term. ?It has changed my perspective on life.?

Another student from Atlanta representing Communities in Schools of Georgia explained that the public has certain misconceptions about students who attend alternative high schools. 

?Stop the generalizations,? he said.  ?Not all students attend alternative high schools because they are ?bad.?? 

He implored the public to understand that not all students in alternative schools are high school dropouts or have a criminal record.  Youth often have a number of reasons to attend alternative high schools, including individualized attention in smaller classrooms or the flexibility to learn in non-traditional ways.

The purpose of these school models is to enable students to complete high school (or earn an equivalent credential) and prepare them to pursue postsecondary education.  These schools create learning environments that foster both personal and academic growth and help reduce obstacles that may prevent students from earning a high school diploma.

Reducing Barriers By Examining Local Policies
Because these schools use non-traditional approaches to help students graduate ? such as offering classes in both English and Spanish, working with students over the age of 20, providing opportunities for students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously and integrating real-world work options into the high school day ? they often face barriers as a result of local-level policies.

Such local-level policies that the group wrestled with include the need to coordinate academic calendars, classes and funding between high schools and community colleges, as well as the ability to balance high standards with options for academic flexibility.

The AHSI group concluded its discussion by focusing on the importance of partnerships between schools, community groups and local governments to strategically use available resources and create city environments that are conducive to alternative high schools.

Details: To learn more about the efforts of NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families  on alternative high school options, contact Lucinda M. Dugger at (202) 626-3052 or dugger@nlc.org.

The Alternative High School Initiative

Attendees of this conference were members of the Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI), a network of youth development organizations committed to creating educational opportunities for young people for whom traditional school settings have not been successful.

AHSI member organizations include The Big Picture Company, NLC, Black Alliance for Educational Options, Communities in Schools of Georgia, Commonwealth Corporation/Diploma Plus, EdVisions, Gateway to College, Good Shepard Services, National Association of Street Schools, SeeForever Maya Angelou, and YouthBuild USA.

NLC collaborates with the network as a liaison between network schools and municipal leaders in helping lead the network?s growth.

For information about AHSI, visit www.ahsi.info.