Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Alternative Schools

“Kid-Powered”: Turning a County-Owned Farm into an Earth School

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:10:17 -0600

Concerned that young people were increasingly disconnected from the real (read: natural) world, actress and teacher Barbara Sarbin turned a county farm into a hands-on Earth School. Here’s a look at how she did it.

Extending Learning: Will We Ever Get it Right?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:10:25 -0500

I had a few hours to read, so I pulled out the folder into which I cram all of the things that catch my eye and might make good material for a column. Here’s what I read recently:

Whatever it Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:49:03 -0500

America is in the midst of a "drop-out" crisis. Nationally, only about two-thirds of all students who enter 9th grade graduate with regular high school diplomas four years later. Rates vary widely across states, but on average, 72 percent of female students and 64 percent of male students graduated in 2001; the numbers for African American students is as low as 50 percent.

An Overview of Alternative Education: Helping Disconnect Youth Succeed

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:15:42 -0600

2006 estimates put the number of youth who are not in school, do not have a diploma, and not working at 3.8 million. For these young people, labor market prospects are often gloomy. This Urban Institu

Real Expertise on Virtual Schools

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:58:30 -0500

The rapid growth of virtual schools is seen by some as the beginning of a fundamental change in the relationship between schools and students. We spoke to Tom Clark, author of Virtual Schools: Status and Trends and co-editor of a new book, Virtual Schools: Planning for Success, for some insight into this new educational frontier.

Year-Round Education: A Merry-Go-Round for Teachers & Families?

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:48:57 -0500

Over the past seven years, a handful of schools in Fairfax County, Virginia have served as test cases for modified school year calendars. What are the pros and cons for teachers, students and parents? Rob Capriccioso reports.

A Natural Learning Environment

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:54:27 -0500

For students at Minnesota's School of Environmental Studies, it's all happening at the zoo. Andrea Grazzini Walstrom looks at an unusual high school that makes the most of its unique location at the Minnesota Zoo.

School Choice: Official Definitions

Mon, 30 May 2005 23:02:44 -0500

What are the choices under No Child Left Behind and other federal legislation? The U.S. Department of Education has the basics.

Remaking Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:56:37 -0500

Basic questions about career and technical education are a big part of the policy debate on how to reform K-12 education, particularly high schools. This Jobs for the Future report summarizes what we know (and don't know) about the value of high school career-focused education—and it proposes a reform agenda for high school career and technical education. (Free registration required).

School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:54:00 -0500

Significant racial and ethnic disparities in student reading, writing, science, and math performance exist today. Most interventions focus on school-age students—but gaps appear to exist even as children enter kindergarten. The newest issue of The Future of Children looks at children's pre-school lives, with articles examining parenting and early child care, controversial school-entry testing, and the effects that health, genetic differences and birth weight may have on school readiness. The article, Can Family Socioeconomic Resources Account for Racial and Ethnic Test Score Gaps? concludes that boosting the family incomes of preschool children may help reduce school readiness gaps, but more research is needed—and policies that directly target children may be the most efficient approach.

Ending Social Promotion: Results from Summer Bridge

Sun, 05 Dec 2004 12:03:20 -0600

Summer programs that provide students with extra instructional time and remedial support can improve their performance, even those with the most to gain, according to this evaluation of Chicago's Summer Bridge program.

The Essence of an Improving School

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 15:15:27 -0600

What lies behind the steadily climbing test scores at New York City�s I.S. 311, the Essence School? Simple things that aren�t easy to put together: a dedicated principal, teachers who feel supported, a clear vision and a small student body. Gary Stern takes a look at this rising star in Brooklyn.

Can This Partnership Be Saved?

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 15:14:58 -0600

Ten years ago, the Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs & Co. entered into an unusual partnership with the New York City public school system, helping to develop and fund an alternative high school. Gary Stern reports on how changes in leadership and other issues are affecting the relationship.

Brookings' Brown Education Report

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 11:20:44 -0600

Charter schools in four of the ten states analyzed in Brookings 2002 Education report scored significantly below similar local public schools on achievement tests. The researchers note, however, that the analysis cannot determine whether these results reflect poor performance on the part of the charter schools or a pre-selection of low-performing students whose parents choose to send them to charter schools. Across all schools, 17-year-olds' arithmetic scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests have fallen precipitously since 1990-largely attributable to poor performance

Evaluation Handbook � Kellog Foundation

Sun, 02 Jan 2005 16:45:10 -0600

The popular Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook with step-by-step guidelines for using evaluation to improve youth programs is now online (but be patient because it takes time to download).