Behavior-Focused Alternative Schools: Impact on Student Outcomes

Abstract

Behavior-focused alternative schools serve students who have been unsuccessful in other school settings due to low academic achievement coupled with significant behavior challenges. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of secondary behavior-focused alternative schools on four different student outcome variables: (a) school attendance, (b) credits earned, (c) number of office referrals, and (d) number of suspensions. Using longitudinal data from a large urban school district and propensity score matching, we examined the extent to which outcomes of secondary students attending behavior-focused alternative schools differed compared to a matched sample of students attending traditional secondary schools. Findings from Poisson regression analyses indicate that enrollment in a behavior-focused alternative school significantly predicts earning fewer credits in one semester, lower attendance, and a lower number of office referrals. Implications for policy, practice, and further research relative to these findings are discussed.

Effects of single‐case reading interventions for students with and at‐risk of emotional and behavioral disorders in grades K–12: A quantitative synthesis

“…Only 53% of intervention data points showed improvement compared with baseline. An accumulation of findings from research brings to light concerns regarding the academic performance of students who are educated in substantially separate schools (J. McKenna & Ciullo, ; Wilkerson, Afacan, Perzigian, Justin, & Lequia, ). Students who attend substantially separate schools tend to receive instruction in these setting for 1–3 years and then move on to less restrictive settings (Gagnon & Leone, ).…”

A Comparison of School Climate Ratings in Urban Alternative and Traditional High Schools

“…Despite having a presence in numerous urban school districts, alternative schools, evidence suggests, show little-to-mixed effectiveness. For example, students attending behavior-focused alternative schools experienced fewer suspensions and office discipline referrals but earned fewer credits and attended fewer school days than a matched comparison group who remained in traditional schools (Wilkerson et al, 2016a). Similarly, students enrolled in academic remediation-focused alternative schools earned more credits but experienced more suspensions and attended fewer school days than students attending traditional schools (Wilkerson et al, 2016b).…”

The Effectiveness of Behavior-Focused Alternative Middle Schools for Students With Disabilities

“…Drame (2010) reported that students with and without disabilities' reading and math performance did not differ significantly and even decreased after attending alternative schools after one school year. Wilkerson, Afacan, Perzigian, Justin, and Lequia (2016) examined the impact of behavior-focused alternative high schools on students' outcomes. They reported that students attending behaviorfocused alternative high schools had significantly lower secondary school attendance, earned significantly fewer credits, but experienced significantly fewer ODRs compared with a matched sample of students who remained in traditional schools.…”

“…They reported that students attending behaviorfocused alternative high schools had significantly lower secondary school attendance, earned significantly fewer credits, but experienced significantly fewer ODRs compared with a matched sample of students who remained in traditional schools. Existing evidence suggests differential outcomes for matched (e.g., Wilkerson, Afacan, Perzigian, et al, 2016) and unmatched (e.g., Chiang & Gill, 2010) groups of students who attend alternative versus traditional high schools. The current examination extends this research by examining outcomes for students who have similar characteristics (i.e., matched samples) but received their middle school instruction either in a behavior-focused alternative middle school or a traditional middle school.…”