Restructuring of a Priority Alernative School: A Case Study Examining Alternative School Change
Format
Individual Presentation
Location
Ballroom D
Strand #1
Academic Achievement & School Leadership
Strand #2
Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
Academic Achievement and School Leadership: Beginning with a backwards design ALP was able to collectively and collaboratively deploy clear actions steps outlined in the school improvement planning process. As a Priority School Site relevance to federal standards and Indistar reporting system were followed and outlined throughout the transformation process. Social and Emotional Skills: In addition to having tiered interventions at three levels, the program also emphasizes a systems approach to support. These systems include supporting staff behavior, social competence and academic achievement, supporting decision making, and supporting student behavior known as PBIS. In addition to tiered intervention the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) model was used to define school wide preventative, secondary, and tertiary programming for students as well as defined staff roles.
Brief Program Description
The components of a successful alternative school continuum are discussed including Positive Behavior Intervention and Support and the American School Counseling Association Model. Restructuring an alternative education continuum in one school district is analyzed by reflecting on the collaboration of district level and site level administration through the use of the decision analysis tool known as Tregoe (Tregoe, 2003). A continuous improvement model formatted throughPrioritySchoolindicators and school improvement planning outlines the case study approach to reflect on this alternative school’s journey toward restructuring. The researcher provides insight into the leadership process of alternative school change through the lens of the RPTIM model (Wood, Thompson, & Russell, 1981).
Summary
In the spring of 2011, the board of education called for a restructuring of the two alternative schools. The overall mission of the committee was to increase the effectiveness and access of programming to meet the expanding needs of the students in Iredell County. The two school sites were revamped to provide a tiered intervention approach based on student need. Monticello would serve as the first tier of alternative learning and Pressly school would serve as the second tier for students exhibiting the need for a more restrictive setting. Since 2011, programming has grown to nine additional schooling options for students established across two campuses. Monticello campus linked technology devices to allow increased student access to education and provide unique scheduling opportunities to our most at-risk students. A flexible as well as an extended school day option was implemented as part of a choice program for students who could complete their graduation requirements within one school year. Digital content allowed students to self-pace their educational pathway, complete credit recovery, and meet NC graduation requirements. Technology was also paired within the long term program through a more traditional classroom setting. Students used individual data tracking folders (PDSA) to measure their goals both academically and behaviorally. Blended learning was instrumental in allowing staff to differentiate instruction to assist students in meeting their goals. The assertions extrapolated included: 1. What is the process in changing an alternative learning program (ALP)? 2. What is the experience as a school administrator while restructuring an ALP and incurring change? 3. What district leadership actions support change at the school level?
Evidence
Progress of the initiative was tracked by four leading indicators 1) number of students served increased from 197 in 2011 to 287 in 2014; 2) attendance rate increased from 83% in 2011 to 88.5% in 2014; 3) office discipline referrals decreased from 392 in 2011 to 293 in 2014; and 4) graduation rate increased from 52.6% in 2011 to 84.5% in 2014. Additionally, the number of graduates increased from 38 in 2011 to 102 in 2014.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Bradley started her educational career as a school counselor. She has since received her doctorate in Education Leadership and is currently serving as a Title I alternative high school principal.
Richard Armstrong has been in education for over 30 years spanning his career from a classroom teacher to his current role as an assistant superintendent for Iredell-Statesville Schools.
Keyword Descriptors
Alternative Learning Program, Alternative School, Continuum of Education, Priority School, Restructuring
Presentation Year
2015
Start Date
3-4-2015 11:15 AM
End Date
3-4-2015 12:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Bradley, Beth and Armstrong, Richard, "Restructuring of a Priority Alernative School: A Case Study Examining Alternative School Change" (2015). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 110.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2015/2015/110
Restructuring of a Priority Alernative School: A Case Study Examining Alternative School Change
Ballroom D
The components of a successful alternative school continuum are discussed including Positive Behavior Intervention and Support and the American School Counseling Association Model. Restructuring an alternative education continuum in one school district is analyzed by reflecting on the collaboration of district level and site level administration through the use of the decision analysis tool known as Tregoe (Tregoe, 2003). A continuous improvement model formatted throughPrioritySchoolindicators and school improvement planning outlines the case study approach to reflect on this alternative school’s journey toward restructuring. The researcher provides insight into the leadership process of alternative school change through the lens of the RPTIM model (Wood, Thompson, & Russell, 1981).
