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Benefits of
The Northwest
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Alternative Schools: Approaches for Students at RiskThe Northwest Sampler - Montana
Location Contact Established in 1990, EAGLE High School serves students in grades 9-12 who have fallen behind in credits, dropped out, or are not having success at the district's traditional high school. What began as little more than adolescent day care for students with drug problems has become a well-structured program that serves a diverse group, holds students accountable for their actions, and receives generally positive press in the community. The school's mission is to prepare students for adult daily living skills in an encouraging and safe environment. Initially, the goal for these students was re-entry into the local mainstream high school, but only two to four students a year have actually taken this route to graduation.
Students come to EAGLE through choice or by referral. The school enrolls about 60 students, with another five in an independent study program. To be placed on the waiting list, students must go through an interview process. Each student has a success plan detailing his or her goals in terms of the number and types of credits that need to be earned for graduation and a plan of action.
EAGLE has five teachers and a closed campus where students take four 1.5 hour classes a day in a low-key, family-type atmosphere. Teaching methods blend cooperative learning, small group counseling, tutoring, and computer-assisted instruction. Classes are taught in mixed-age groups of 12 to 21 students. The day begins with an advisory period during which teachers and students address issues affecting students, such as conflicts, AIDS, or a death in the family. During this time teachers also review the progress of those students who are in school on a contract basis because of a behavior problem.
Life skills, job-related competencies, vocational placement and experience, career education, self-esteem, conflict resolution, and decisionmaking are important components of the courses at EAGLE High School. In cooperation with the Montana Department of Labor and Industries' Jobs for Montana Graduates—a school-to-work program—Eagle High School teaches 37 life- and work-related competencies. Each student has a spreadsheet with all the competencies, and different teachers sign off on these as the student attains them. Students can also earn up to two elective credits for hours worked.
School attendance at EAGLE is treated like going to a job. When students do not attend, they lose increments of their final grade just as they would lose pay at a job. The school's daily attendance rate is about 89 percent. The principal feels the attendance policy differentiates the school from a GED program; it makes a difference to employers and the military that the diploma is attendance based.
With the concentrated block schedule, a new quarter begins every 22 days. The principal finds this schedule reinforces accountability, breaks work into smaller, less intimidating pieces, allows students to see credits accumulate without waiting until the end of the semester, and gives students who have not done well another fresh start. EAGLE does not give any passing grades lower than a C.
Students unable to attend classes at EAGLE can earn a limited number of credits through independent study. These are often older students who are working or students who are planning to return to the mainstream high school at the semester and want to earn some credits in the mean time.
The school has opportunities for informal interactions between students and teachers such as talking in the halls during the mid-class breaks, playing volleyball together in the gym, and other activities. In surveys, EAGLE students cited having an adult advocate at the school as being of primary importance in helping them change their lives and achieve their goals.
For funding reasons, EAGLE was established as a separate school from Columbia Falls High School and is located in a rural, mountainous area outside the city limits. In terms of meeting accreditation standards, having the program affiliated would be simpler. However, having their own school with its own identity, school colors, co-curricular activities, and graduation ceremony gives students pride in the school. The principal's goal is to have the school grow to become a community learning center with night school and other services, eventually relocating in Columbia Falls.
Observed Outcome
Keys to Success
Location Contact Founded in 1977, PAL—Project for Alternative Learning, a program of Helena Public Schools, focuses on dropout prevention for grades 10 through 12. Freshmen students are not encouraged to apply until they have given high school a try and attempted a fresh start. The staff finds that older students seem more aware of their educational needs and the learning styles necessary for school success. Students from the two Helena high schools may self-refer to PAL or be referred by parents, teachers, and/or a counselor. PAL's selection committee reviews applications monthly and prioritizes them for acceptance; the committee looks at individuals but also considers gender balance, group dynamics, and other factors in making selections. Some PAL students continue with classes at their home high school, some re-enter a mainstream high school later; the program is flexible. Most who enter remain in the program until graduation.
The program has eight staff members, some of whom teach at Helena High School as well, and 60 students. About 10 students at any one time are pregnant or transitioning into parenting. About one-third of the students are in an onsite therapeutic day treatment program to work through personal and emotional issues. A new interagency agreement is being negotiated with the Montana managed care mental health provider to manage this program. It is likely that the new program will only be able to provide services to 12 such students.
PAL uses a positive peer culture model that stresses individual student accountability. Students can make recommendations on program policies and can serve on a peer review board to assist students who are having difficulties achieving success. All new students must take a three-week class called PAL 101 which introduces them to the philosophy, rules and requirements, rights and responsibilities, expectations, staff, and curriculum at PAL. A daily advisory period helps establish a positive relationship with a caring adult and to assist with transitions.
The PAL curriculum is structured around thematic units that are integrated across the disciplines using an experiential approach to learning. Some three-week thematic units have an outdoor education component which has attracted students who have failed in other programs. In fall 1997, the program is moving to a seven-period day in order to give staff a daily period for collaborative planning while still allowing students to take six classes.
There is no homework at PAL, making class attendance all the more important. If students have more than two absences from a class during a three-week block they will lose credit for that class. They must pass four classes during every three-week block to remain in good standing. Students are eligible for summer school if they have failed a course, but not if they have failed because of lack of attendance. Unlike some alternative schools, PAL has an open campus at the lunch hour.
Observed Outcomes
Keys to Success
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