Barrier Breakers: Non-Traditional Options for Non-Traditional Students
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Cobb Horizon High School/Cobb County School District
First Presenter’s Email Address
jeanne.walker@cobbk12.org
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Jeanne Walker is an Atlanta native and currently lives in Smyrna, Georgia. She serves as principal at Cobb Horizon High School and Cobb Online Learning Academy. She graduated from Berry College with a B.A. in Spanish and continued her studies at the University of Kentucky, where she received a Master’s degree in Spanish Language & Literature. Her career with Cobb County School District began at Oakwood High School in 1996, where she taught Spanish for over 8 years. She became an Assistant Principal at Sprayberry High School in 2004 and served for 8 years. In 2012, she was named principal of Tapp Middle School in Powder Springs, Georgia. She completed her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2012. Dr. Walker also served as the principal of Campbell High School from 2015 until 2022. In 2014 she was named an outstanding principal by Georgia PTA and named Citizen of the Year by the city of Smyrna in 2022.
Second Presenter's Institution
Cobb Horizon High School/Cobb County School District
Second Presenter’s Email Address
sherri.gilliam@cobbk12.org
Second Presenter's Brief Biography
Sherri Gilliam has been an educator for 24 years in Georgia with experience in both middle and high school. After spending 17 years working with students with disabilities as a special education teacher, she changed course and started her journey as a local school administrator. Ms. Gilliam served as a special education administrator for three years before taking her current position as Assistant Principal for Cobb Horizon High School. She has earned a master's degree in Special Education from the University of West Georgia and an Education Specialist degree in Administration from Berry College.
Third Presenter's Institution
Cobb Horizon High School/Cobb County School District
Third Presenter’s Email Address
kristin.willisadams@cobbk12.org
Third Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Kristin Willis Adams has been an educator for 16 years and currently serves as a Services and Support Administrator for Cobb County School District, located in the metro-area of Atlanta, Georgia. Kristin is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, and earned her bachelor’s degree in English-Liberal Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2003. She taught Special Education in Louisiana, primarily math and English in the inter-related resource level, before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 2007. While earning her Master’s Degree in Behavior and Learning Disabilities from Georgia State University in 2008, Kristin continued her teaching career in Special Education in Cobb County School District. In 2014, Kristin accepted a position as a Special Education Program Specialist for Cobb County School District, and then served as an assistant principal at Campbell High School. In 2018, she earned her Specialist Degree and then her Doctorate Degree in 2019, both in Educational Leadership, from Georgia State University. Throughout her various roles and positions within the educational sector, Kristin has spent her career educating and advocating for some of our most vulnerable and at-risk learners.
Submitter
I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)
Location
Scarbrough 5
Strand #1
Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership
Strand #2
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
The field of education has, traditionally, been slow to evolve in meeting the diverse needs of a modern generation of students. Traditional schools are still a powerful, driving force of producing skilled learners within our society; however, traditional models should no longer be viewed as the sole option for students.
Non-traditional educational options have increasingly become necessary to meet the needs of today's learners. Not all students desire to attend dances or sporting events or participate in clubs or various other traditional high school experiences. Many students simply desire to obtain the necessary elements for receiving their high school diploma so they can proceed into a chosen post-secondary option. Strong leadership is needed to help guide a new generation of educators into viable options for a new generation of students.
Additionally, the social and emotional supports necessary to assist non-traditional students in navigating their often-challenging life circumstances can become a tremendous barrier if specifically targeted resources are not given appropriate consideration. Such supports could include focus groups for difficult personal issues, strategies for reducing anxiety, home-school balance, teen parenting resources, just to name a few. Strong leadership is also necessary to advocate for non-traditional social and emotional resources and elements of support that are often not specified within a traditional school setting.
Brief Program Description
Participants in this session will discover non-traditional options for non-traditional students do exist, and such options can be creatively implemented within any district. Expected outcomes include a proven framework for working with non-traditional students, as well as practical examples and strategies to incorporate non-traditional models into a school or district.
Summary
How should a school, or a school district, address its least motivated and often overlooked learners? The need for the field of education to evolve alongside today’s learners has become progressively imperative, which is why non-traditional education models are becoming increasingly crucial. A successful non-traditional model should provide support for the academic, social/emotional, and physical needs of students, while allowing them to achieve the basic requirements needed for graduation. In addressing these specific issues, we have found an enormously successful formula to reach potential dropouts. In addition, we have discovered that initiating an individualized plan for post-secondary options with each student prior to exiting our school has provided another layer of stability and support for our students. Our population of students consists of general education students, special education students, English language learners, and students with 504 plans, and our success rate for all students has steadily increased. When viable options for many of these students have traditionally been scarce, our goal has been to break barriers to help these students cross the graduation finish line.
Evidence
•Amitay, G., & Rahav, G. (2018). Attachment and pedagogical relevant practices as elements of a successful alternative school through the narratives of its students. Psychology in Schools, 55, 1239-1258.
•Becken, J. A., Williams, J., Combs, J. P., & Slate, J. R. (2009). At-risk students at traditional and academic alternative school settings: Differences in math and English performance indicators. Florida Journal of Educational Administration Policy, 3(1), 49-61. •D’Angelo, F., & Zemanick, R. (2009). The twilight academy: An alternative education program that works. Preventing School Failure, 53(4), 211-218. •Nichols, J. D., & Utesch, W. E. (1998). An alternative learning program: Effects on student motivation and self-esteem. Journal of Educational Research, 91(5), 272-278. •Raywid, M. A. (1983). Alternative schools as a model for public education. Theory Into Practice, 22(3), 190-197. •Steinberg, A., & Almeida, C. A. (2010). Expanding the pathway to postsecondary success: How recuperative back-on-track schools are making a difference. New Directions for Youth Development, 127, 87-100.
Learning Objective 1
Discover non-traditional options for non-traditional students do exist.
Learning Objective 2
Receive a proven framework for working with non-traditional students.
Learning Objective 3
Obtain practical examples and strategies to incorporate non-traditional models into a school or district.
Keyword Descriptors
Non-traditional education, non-traditional students, alternative education, alternative education models
Presentation Year
2025
Start Date
3-4-2025 10:15 AM
Recommended Citation
Walker, Jeanne; Gilliam, Sherri; and Willis Adams, Kristin, "Barrier Breakers: Non-Traditional Options for Non-Traditional Students" (2025). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 39.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2025/2025/39
Barrier Breakers: Non-Traditional Options for Non-Traditional Students
Scarbrough 5
Participants in this session will discover non-traditional options for non-traditional students do exist, and such options can be creatively implemented within any district. Expected outcomes include a proven framework for working with non-traditional students, as well as practical examples and strategies to incorporate non-traditional models into a school or district.