IALA

In a stunning development, the Community College Baccalaureate Association fosters the conferring of a traditionally earned four year degree from community colleges, which traditionally offer a two year degree.

They say: "The baccalaureate degree is an important entry requirement for the better jobs and a better lifestyle. Therefore, every person should have an opportunity to pursue the baccalaureate degree at a place that is convenient, accessible and affordable. We will ... share information and develop ways to promote the community college baccalaureate degree to governors, state legislatures, national policy boards, and other appropriate persons and organizations."

Such is the state of innovation and competition in today's world. Now, imagine coupling the early college movement with the community college baccalaureate degree. A student could theoretically complete a college education a year after what would have been the high school graduation at little personal expense!

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the newest stars in the education constellation is combining secondary education with college and it has taken off dramatically. In just one major program this year, 159 schools in 24 states operate with an expected 100,000 students served at 250 sites within the next few years. What are early college programs?

Early college schools are partnerships between public secondary schools and higher education institutions. These small schools are designed so that students accumulate high school and college credit simultaneously. Going beyond typical dual enrollment programs, the early college curriculum is a coherent unit, with high school and college-level work blended into a single academic program that positions students to leave high school with one to two years of college credit. This initiative funded by conventional revenues but augmented by numerous foundations aims at breakthroughs with youth underrepresented in college enrollments.

A stunning example of using almost every progressive reform idea is that of the Empowering Students program of the Georgia state colleges. It begins in the 7th grade with schools on college campuses, uses students as resources, involves community volunteers, integrates curriculum and impressively raises student aspirations.

This astonishing movement is a striking example of an institutional bypass! A major initiative is coordinated by the Early College High School program of Jobs for the Future. There are others as has been noted on this weblog earlier.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A national opinion poll conducted in March, 2008 of 800 registered voters found that 81% of parents support having more public school options for their children. The poll conducted by The Glover Park Group for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools also found 60% support for charter schools.

This finding affirms the mission of IALA: to lead, promote and support learning alternatives in education.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many have noted the near impossibility of changing district schools. Many have tried. Billions (literally) have been spent on the effort. Despite small and temporary changes, there is virtually nothing to show for the exertion in the past 100 years. That's why alternatives, charters, vouchers and other choice programs have arisen--or an institutional bypass, if you will.

Now, Boston with $400,000 of foundation support will expand their Pilot Schools program by reducing regulations on another series of schools. Schools will be freer to make program changes, alter staffing configuration, control staffing and determine budget allocations. This move long known in the trade as site based decision making often ends up as a tepid non-event because central offices (and often unions) will not support delegation of authority to that degree.

The only hope for new kinds of schools lies with alternatives of various kinds. However, a full blown program of the type Boston proposes has possibilities of bringing reform into a school district. Time will tell whether the bureaucracy smothers another reform.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new study School Choice: Evidence and Recommendations by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is a set of papers by leading scholars on the topic including the most recent information on:

-Philosophical frameworks
-Legislation
-Litigation
-Policy
-Funding of advocacy
-Working conditions
-Innovations
-Race, class and achievement
-Impact on traditional education

A good summary of the topics. The study provides hope for the future of alternatives but raises cautions.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2001 “District Survey of Alternative Schools and Programs,” conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics is the first national study of public alternative schools and programs to provide data on topics related to the availability of public alternative schools and programs, enrollment, staffing, and services. There are 10,900 public alternative schools serving at-risk students in the U.S. during 2000-2001, the latest year with available data.

The focus of the study is on alternative schools and programs that serve students who are at risk of educational failure, as indicated by poor grades, truancy, disruptive behavior, suspension, pregnancy, or similar factors associated with early withdrawal from school. The study presents a snapshot of alternative schools and programs for at-risk students during the 2000–01 school year.

Remember, this is for labeled at-risk students. There are other types of alternative schools. Furthermore, we question the emphasis on the "deficits" of the student and ought to raise questions on the deficits of a system that did not adequately respond to student needs and turned to separating students into programs serving at-risk youth.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark your calendar for any of the following conferences about alternatives of interest to you or colleagues.

The National Charter Schools Conference will be June 22-25, 2008 in New Orleans.

The Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) will hold its 5th annual conference June 26-29, 2008 in Troy, NY.

The International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) will hold its annual conference August 11-18, 2008 in Vancouver, Canada.

The Washington Association for Learning Alternatives will hold its fall conference Nov.13-15, 2008 in Pasco, WA.

The Community Day School Network (California) will hold its annual conference Jan. 11-13, 2009 in Fresno, CA.

The Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs will hold its annual conference Feb. 18-20, 2009 in Rochester, MN.

The 31st annual Connecticut State Alternative Education conference will be March 25, 2009 in New Britain, CT.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many students identified as at-risk become dropouts from school. Most of the discussion about dropouts focuses on characteristics of the students with little examination of the policies and practices of schools that contribute to student failure. Those policies and practices represent the second side of the story about why so many students dropout or give up. Revision of school policies can contribute greatly to student success.

The Iowa Dept. of Education and the Iowa Association of Alternative Education created the Inventory of Policies & Practices Related to Student Failure and Dropping Out defining over 50 policies and practices that contribute to student failure. This powerful tool helps in the review of school policies and in creating new policies to increase student success. This carefully developed inventory is free and can be modified to fit local needs. Also included is a student questionnaire for their views.

Dr. Ray Morley on a recent webcast (see below) reported on this excellent tool on crucial factors impacting student dropouts and what unfortunately may result in "push outs."

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ray Morley, long time educator on alternatives and at-risk and IALA board member presented an informative webcast March 25, 3:30-4:30 EST on Solutions to the Dropout Crisis, Policies and Practices Related to Student Failure and Dropping Out: Tools and Resources. The program was sponsored by National Dropout Prevention Center/Network at Clemson University and Penn Foster.The program was archived in its entirety on the Web site and is available in case you missed the March 25 broadcast.

Information about participating in dropout professional development opportunities is at www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast. If you have further questions, feel free to contact the National Dropout Prevention Center or 864•656•2580. Participation in their monthly webcasts is free and no registration is required.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marion Brady writes in "Cover the Material--Or Teach Students to Think?" that schools overwhelmingly teach factual material and recall, among the most primitive areas of learning. Textbooks and the conventional curricula fail in the important tasks of helping children and adults cope with complexities of modern life. Brady provides an inspiring list of how schools can use their immediate environments and issues for developing problem solving and critical, creative thinking skills, and in the process learn much of the conventional subject matter.

Brady is one of the most thoughtful and clear educators writing today. His article appeared in Educational Leadership (Feb., 2008, pp 54-67). The issue contains other thoughtful articles calling for schools to ramp up thinking skills--in my view, a terrific objective but unlikely to be achieved in today's environment.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reassessing the Achievement Gap: Fully Measuring What Students Should Be Taught in School by Richard Rothstein, Rebecca Jacobsen and Tamara Wilder finds that important accepted goals for schools are not only not measured but students fall well short of expectations.

Of the ten major goals of schooling (basic academic skills, critical thinking and problem solving, social skills and work ethic, readiness for citizenship and community responsibility, foundation for lifelong physical and emotional health, appreciation of the arts and literature, and preparation for work) only two or three areas are systematically assessed. We're left to guess about the rest with considerable doubt about their achievement. In addition, national measures, such as they are, show the familar gap between black and white students.

This thought-provoking double-spaced 27 page report will be a foundation for an upcoming book.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dave Lehman, former IALA board member and long-time former alternative school administrator recommends, Choices for the High School Graduate: A Survival Guide for the Information Age by Bryna Fireside. The present universal call for all students to prepare for and attend college obviously doesn't work for all students. The book helpfully and honestly points out a variety of choices students may make as part of their high school education and the options beyond high school.

It describes Earthwatch, travel, overseas, military service, special academic programs, apprenticeships, internships, volunteer work, online and distance learning, deferred admission, part-time work, trades–-a partial list of what is available in this excellent resource, which is based extensively on interviews with young people, college administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, parent/caregivers, demographers, and career specialists.

See the complete book review below.

Continue reading "Options for the High School Student" »

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most attempts to judge schools depend on test scores. Few reports cover the personal impact on students. The Iowa Association of Alternative Education has updated their Iowa Success Stories of Alternative Schools and Students which tells the moving personal stories of dozens of students. This evidence of the power of alternative educational programs to turn around the lives of students provides important data for policy makers and evaluators. The report also has other research data and statistics plus references. This valuable report is available for all to use on the IALA website which contains much other useful reports and data.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"A school ought to be a magical place where you are queen or king, and where what you get to do is to focus on your intellect, and on what you can accomplish as a human being, and you come to understand what your life can be. That’s what school should be for children. Not a place where you go to study for a standardized test. Not a place where you go where you hear every day about the problems that you are. Not a place where you go where people tell you that you are underperforming. Not a place where you go where people tell you that you are part of some pathology.

That’s not what a school is supposed to be. School is supposed to be full of hope, and it’s a place where you go to find out how magical your mind is and how terrific it will be when you develop your mind to its full potential."

This quote by Ruth Simmons begins the report Student-Centered High Schools: Helping Schools Adapt to the Learning Needs of Adolescents. It states that schools must serve student needs for: voice, belonging, choice, freedom, imagination and success. A fine, readable 12 page report from Brown University with excellent references.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Center for Education Reform has produced a handy 4 page flyer, Charter Schools: Quality Educational Options that Improve All Schools, to explain charter schools in brief, straight forward language. It describes the role of authorizers, the difference between strong and weak charter statutes, the constitutionality of charter school laws, the rationale and accountability of charter schools and more.

Their website contains a host of other information including state by state ranking of charter school laws and other general education reform news and policy information.

Posted by Wayne Jennings at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)