Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

Independent Research Project: Literature Review on Alternative Education Success Factors

David Hollatz University of New England EDU 600 August 22, 2012

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

In the last decade research indicates that up to 1/3 of school students have some form of disability (Unruh, Bullis, Tuodis, Waintrup, & Atkins 2004 cited in Atkins and Bartuska, 2010). This number of individuals is a shocking and alarming amount of students that have the potential to cause a variety of disruptions to all of the students in a traditional classroom setting. Because of this increase in student behaviours so has the number of schools that have opened to try and find a solution to this social and emotional problem. (Kleiner, Porch, & Farris 2002 cited in Foley, & Pang, 2010) state that upwards of 11,000 alternative schools or specialized programs exist to offer these social or emotional youth another opportunity to avoid failing a class or dropping out completely. If these at risk students are to stay in school, there needs to be three fundamental components available to help educators, students, and their parents. There needs to be clear criteria to best select students to enter into alternative education or non-traditional school, the school must have programs and curriculum in place that are committed to offer best practices to work and learn and finally- but most importantly- there must be effective and proven teaching strategies available to give teachers the opportunity to connect with these troubled youth before it becomes too late.

Entrance Criteria Youth that are continuing to struggle in a traditional high school classroom of 30 or more students and that are routinely sent to the office have another option: being selected to enter into an alternative education program. High school teachers, administrators and counselors meet to select those students who identify as the best possible candidates for another chance at their education. Two studies that support selection of youth aged 12 to 21 years (Foley & Pang, 2006) and 14 to 20 years (DAngelo & Zemanick, 2009) state that because of social-emotional problems, drugs, truancy, and difficulties with the law those persons have the option of receiving

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

their education via individualized education programs. These specialized programs can offer a separate learning environment which is tailored and supportive to a smaller number of challenged youth. It is important to stress, that if the new alternative classroom is voluntary and not directed by educational or legal authorities, then all family and educators must try to find the school programs that are going to give the at risk youth the very best experience possible (Atkins and Bartuska, 2010). Our school district uses collaborated and specialized approach to identify and best place those students at risk. This group is called the called the School Based Team, (SBT). The school based team is group of administrators, educators, and various support staff that get together and meet every week that school is in session to develop and plan the best possible placements where students can go and get the experienced support they need ("District support services," 2006). Salmon Am Secondary offers the APEX or Alternative Placement Experience to those students that have been identified through SBT meetings as being best placement candidates. This program offers three of the most important structural and educational components that both (Franklin, 1992 and Lange & Sletten, 2002, cited in Foley & Pang, 2006) states are necessary for a non-traditional school to succeed: small student enrollment (APEX max 30 students), individual instruction (APEX has one math/science and one humanities teacher), and supportive teacher- student relationship building experiences, which as one educator has stated is the first and fundamental most important skill (Richard, 2012) for all concerned.

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

Best Practices Alternative education programs must be organized and delivered to best meet the needs of the student, if at the very least educators are serious about keeping youth from dropping out of school forever. In todays global economy it is extremely important that youth attain at least a high school diploma, because there is a growing realization that flexible and socially inclusive education services area necessary component of engaging those young people who face the most challenges in fulfilling the learning or earning agenda of the current educational climate (Wilson, Stemp & McGinty, 2011, p. 34). In order to best meet the learners needs in APEX or other alternative education systems DAngelo & Pang (2009) suggest three factors should be in place to help students progress away from dropping out and towards graduation. First, have in place a curriculum that is not the same for every student everyday but rather, tailored to each student. Second, incorporating computers and software programs that help allows students to work at their own pace and the learning meaningful to them and finally, getting teachers and students to make meaningful real world connections to the course material being taught. One such example of making connections is students awareness around television and its connection to popular culture would be to do a science unit on a pretend crime scene, such as a car accident or theft similar to those portrayed on evening television shows (Angier, 2009 cited in Guzzetti, 2009). Within this unit students could use computers to research factors that are important to the crime or location such as tire characteristics, blood patterns, or components of the robbery. By connecting what is seen or heard on the internet or other media choices to learning in the classroom, educators can try and keep up to date with what is important to youth DAngelo & Pang (2009).

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

Educators must reach out to these marginalized youth by broadening their curriculum and content because for too long, it has been the narrow focus of textbooks, worksheets, and unit tests that has forced at risk students towards fitting into conditions that have made them unsuccessful and developing low self-esteem. Other researchers, besides DAngelo and Pang have made advancements in what it takes to turn around the students perception of themselves and help all realize that their second chance is meaningful and important. Wilson et al. (2011) has cited Leadbeater (2008), Spielhofer (2005) & Lange and Sletten (2002) as all being valuable in the contribution of designing and implementing the best practices for the day to day activities to help marginal youth stay in school and these include: less direct involvement with the principal or office, building stronger connections to outside agencies, promoting learning that is not like a regular classroom, and finally, making every class meaningful to their personal life experiences, something that most traditional classroom teachers may not do in their delivery of lessons, notes or lectures to the one size fits all view of classroom teaching. Teaching Strategies After students have been identified as needing extra help and when they have been given the opportunity to develop individualized and meaningful second chances, they also need to have teachers that are willing to go above and beyond what is expected of others and teach using techniques that are best suited to complicated social and emotional conditions. One fundamental personal philosophy that this researcher believes all teachers and especially alternative education teachers need to believe in is kids dont care to know until they know that you care (author unknown). How are the at risk youth going to do well in school when a teacher is simply grinding through the provincial or state mandated learning outcomes? Who do these marginalized youth look up to in their lives? The simple answer is their teachers. Teachers that

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

ask for high expectations of their students yet give a balance of trust, empathy and constant positive feedback are those most thought by at risk youth to be most caring (Murray & Pianta 2007). Above all else, in all of the journals that have been reviewed for this synthesis assignment alternative education teachers appear to share the belief that they all have in common a strong desire to help kids in need, and the flexibility to tailor the programs they offer their students to help them succeed (BCAEA, 2012). It is the teacher believing in the student when perhaps the student does not believe in themselves anymore that matters most and that when repeated to this student over and over again, then the student will stop listening to the negatives and start listening to the positives. Conclusion Students that are in non-traditional schools have the ability to get the one on one education that they need to stay motivated in school, because they have experienced a combination of the best possible alternative education curriculum and programs available, while they also have had the most effective teaching (learning) strategies modeled to them. All of these best practices will culminate on the ultimate goal: high school graduation. Perhaps, one area that Canadian educators might look into taking alternative schools in the future is to incorporate wraparound services that would include a community level approach to socialemotional behaviours of all family members (Foley & Pang, 2006). The reason for this holistic approach is for a more responsive and comprehensive educational support system for all involved. With these three identified educational concepts, and future ideas to be considered, it is hoped that an increasing number of adolescence can achieve educational and personal success.

Three Success Factors for At Risk Youth

References

Atkins, T., & Bartuska, J. (2010). Considerations for the placement of youth with effective behavior disorders in alternative education programs. Beyond Behavior, 19(2), 14-20. D'Angelo, F., & Zemanick, R. (2009). The twilight academy: An alternative education program that works. Preventing School Failure, 53(4), 211-218. District support services resource manual. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.sd28.bc.ca/district/departments/studentservices/manual/index.htm Foley, R. M., & Pang, L. (2006). Alternative education programs: Program and student characteristics. High School Journal, 89(3), 10-21. Guzzetti, B. (2009). Thinking like a forensic scientist: Learning with academic and everyday texts. Journal ofAdolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), 192-203. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.53.3.1 Richard, G. (2012, August 16). Interview by D. Hollatz [Personal Interview]. Salmon Arm, BC. Murray, C., & Pianta, R. C. (2007). The importance of teacher-student relationships for adolescents with high incidence disabilities. Theory Into Practice, 46(2), 105-112. What is alternative education? (2012, August 22). Retrieved from http://www.bctf.ca/bcaea/about.html Wilson, K., Stemp, K., & McGinty, S. (2011). Re-engaging young people with education and training: What are the alternatives? Youth Studies Australia, 30(4), 32-39.