Proving It’s Possible: Increasing the Impact of Alternative Schools

Beth Anderson, Founder and CEOPhoenix Charter Academy Network

Best Practices in Alternative Education

“Many “Best Practices” have become well established in Alternative

Education.

But what’s missing?

Current “Best Practices” do not address the rigorous academic curriculum required to create

economically viable graduates.

Current Best Practices Include*:• Low adult-student ratios• Flexible schedule to accommodate family and work obligations• Personalized curriculum permitting accelerated advancement• Significant teacher autonomy• Credit recovery• Vocational training• Non-academic support services, including social workers, childcare, and legal support

*From The Rennie Center’s “Alternative Education: Exploring Innovations in Learning”

Getting By Is Not Enough

Setting the right academic bar

Defining social-emotional supports to include high behavioral expectations

“Many of the existing options for alternative education pre-date the imperative for students to obtain higher level of skills in an increasingly global economy.”

-Jobs For the Future, 2010

Defining Academic Expectations

Some post-secondary certification is a key driver of economic viability; our students must be prepared to succeed academically after high school.

National Alternative Education Association (NAEA) provides 16 recommendations for Curriculum and Instruction: None of them include any mention of rigor or academic preparedness for a

post-secondary world.

“The average high school non-graduate in MA imposes a net fiscal burden of nearly $122,000 over the course of his or her lifetime, realized through cash assistance and other benefits. In comparison, the average high school graduate will contribute $344,700 more in taxes than received federal and state aid. The result is a gap of approximately $467,000.”

- Rennie Center, 2012

Grit and Resilience

• Wraparound social supports (social workers, child care, linkages to outside service agencies) are now the gold standard in Alternative Education

• However, there is little agreement on how to teach the behavioral and social skills necessary for success in the 21st Century

Most Alternative Education students have overcome tremendous life obstacles. They already do have grit and resilience. How do we

leverage these potential strengths in order to promote academic and behavioral growth?

Accountability should not only be WELCOMED,

but DRIVEN by those of us that know the

true potential of our young people.

Costs of No Accountability

How do we know what works if we don’t share transparent results?Risk of further marginalizing students who have been routinely failed by societal institutionsMakes it significantly more difficult for larger systems to derive solutions that we have found by working with students “on the margins”.

Current Threats to Alternative Education

No Agreement on Outcome ComparisonsNo Common Understanding of MeasurementNo State-to-State Aligned AssessmentsLack of Philosophical Alignment Across SchoolsNo clear understanding of the unique accountability measures that Alternative Schools may require

DIFFERENT PICTURE SENIOR

POSTER– pushing harder

MissionThe Phoenix Charter Academy Network operates schools that challenges disconnected students with rigorous academics and relentless support so they recast themselves as resilient, self-sufficient adults in order to succeed in high school, college and beyond.

Phoenix Students

Model

Advanced Placement ClassesHigh-Dosage TutoringHeterogeneously Mixed ClassesCategorized Class StructureCollege Prep Dual Enrollment in College Courses Independent Lab-Based Learning

Student Support Team On-Site Little Scholars CenterAttendance Transformation Team Multi-Quarter EnrollmentIndividualized College Planning CenterS.C.H.O.L.A.R. Feather Merit System

Rigorous Academics Relentless Support

Academic Growth(2012 – 2014)

Results: MCAS

Results: College

• 80 % of eligible Phoenix graduates enroll in college

•75% of Phoenix students who enroll in college persist for two semesters

•National average is 62% and 45% for low-income students.

Phoenix 2014 Graduate Jazzmin Hernandez in front of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Science (class of 2018).