Alternative school

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An alternative school, sometimes referred to as a minischool, or remedial school, is any public or private school having a special curriculum, especially an elementary or secondary school offering a more flexible program of study than a traditional school. Many such schools were founded in the 1970's as an alternative to traditional classroom structure.^[1] A wide range of philosophies and teaching methods are offered by alternative schools; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientations, while others are more ad-hoc assemblies of teachers and students dissatisfied with some aspect of traditional education.

Generally an alternative school serves as an extension to a larger traditional privately or publicly-run elementary or secondary school, although similar programs exist in higher education settings that serve adults returning to school. They generally function as stand-alone schools, or in the case of minischools, as a "school within a school", where they physically operate within the walls of the larger school.

Sometimes, particularly in the United States, the phrase alternative school can refer to a school which practices alternative education. This is a much broader use of the term, covering all forms of non-traditional educational methods and philosophies, including school choice, independent school, homeschooling, and alternative school. However, even the narrower usage of the term may refer to a range of school type such as a school with an innovative and flexible cirriculum aimed at bright, self-motivated students; a school intended to accomodate students with behavioral problems; or a school with special remedial programs.^[2]

Contents 1 See also 2 References 3 External links 4 Further reading 5 Resources

See also

• Alternative education
• Education
• Free school
• Gifted education
• k12 Inc.
• Private school
• Public school
• Special education
• Special school
• Unschooling

References

1. ^ "Alternative Schools Adapt," by Fannie Weinstein. The New York Times, June 8, 1986, section A page 14.
2. ^ "Changing Perspectives on Alternative Schooling for Children and Adolescents With Challenging Behavior," Robert A. Gable et al. Preventing School Failure, Fall 2006. Volume 51, Issue 1, page 5.

External links

• Iowa Association of Alternative Education
• International Association for Learning Alternatives

Further reading

• Claire V. Korn, Alternative American Schools: Ideals in Action (Ithaca: SUNY Press, 1991).

Resources

Schools

By age group: Primary school / Elementary school • Junior high school / Middle school • Secondary school / High school By funding: Free education • Private school • Public school • Independent school • Independent school (UK) • Grammar school • Charter school By style of education: Day school • Free school • Alternative school • Parochial school • Boarding school • Magnet school • Cyberschool • K-12 By scope: Compulsory education • Comprehensive school • Vocational school • University-preparatory school • University