Alternative Education

Alternative Education

For Disruptive Youth

2004/2005

Annual Report

For Public Schools

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Bureau of Community and Student Services

October 2006

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Edward G. Rendell, Governor

Department of Education

Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Diane Castelbuono, Deputy Secretary

Bureau of Community and Student Services

Mary I. Ramirez, Director

Division of Student and Safe Schools Services

Myrna Delgado, Chief

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices, based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ancestry, union membership, or any other legally protected category. Announcement of this policy is in accordance with State Law including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and with Federal law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

If you have any questions about this publication or for additional copies, contact:

Pennsylvania Department of EducationVoice: (717) 783-3755

Bureau of Community & Student ServicesFax: (717) 783-6617

Office of Safe SchoolsTTY: (717) 783-8445

333 Market Street, 5th FloorInternet:

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

All Media Requests/Inquiries: Contact the Office of Press & Communications at (717) 783-9802.

The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Complaints regarding discrimination in schools:

Human Relations Representative

Intake Division

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

Harrisburg Regional Office (717) 787-9784

Pittsburgh Regional Office (412) 565-5395

Philadelphia Regional Office (215) 560-2496

Complaints against a Pennsylvania Department of Education employee:

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Equal Employment Opportunity Representative

Bureau of Human Resources

11th Floor, 333 Market Street

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Voice Telephone: (717) 787-4417

Fax: (717) 783-9348

Text Telephone TTY: (717) 783-8445

General questions regarding educational law or issues:

Pennsylvania Department of Education

School Services Unit

5th Floor, 333 Market Street

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Voice Telephone: (717) 783-3750

Fax: (717) 783-6802

Text Telephone TTY: (717) 783-8445

Table of Contents

Introduction......

Executive Summary......

Minimum Program Requirements......

Cost Analysis and Comparison Funding......

Statistical Data for the 2004/05 Academic Year......

Public Schools Overview......

Public Schools with Approved Programs......

Approved Program Types......

Trends in Utilizing Additional Services......

Staff Profiles and Behavior Monitoring......

Student Data Follow-Up......

Student Report Data......

Student Totals by Program Type......

Gender and Race/Ethnicity......

Enrollment by Grade Level......

Students Served and Primary Reasons for Placement......

Types and Delivery Methods for Counseling Provided......

Special Education Identification......

Student Success and Progress Overview......

Program Evaluation Criteria Used......

Private Provider Data......

Services Provided......

Types of Instruction Provided......

Additional Program Features/Components......

Students as Reported by Private Providers......

Ongoing and Future Activities......

In Closing......

Introduction

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) mission is to enable each individual to grow into an inspired, productive, and fulfilled lifelong learner. Not all students are equipped emotionally or behaviorally to succeed. Alternative Education Programs can prepare students who face these kinds of challenges for a productive and effective learning experience.

Students, who exhibit behavioral problems (i.e. starting a fight with peers, bringing marijuana to school, or skipping school on a regular basis), may be removed from the regular classroom and placed into an Alternative Education Programs. Alternative Education Programs provide counseling designed to modify specific and disruptive behavior(s) and use individualized instruction to help modify the behavior(s). Ultimately, Alternative Education Programs strive to successfully return students to the regular classroom setting with skills to help them make better decisions and respond more positively to triggering stressors.

The online reporting system ( enables you to see data and make comparisons by creating reports for programs by county, intermediate unit, and statewide. The information, generated by these comparison reports, is available in this end-of-year final report for your review. The 2004/2005 school data is divided into sections and groups for easier access and review of the data. It should be noted much more data was collected this year (in comparison to previous years) to assist Alternative Education in the review and analysis of its programs. The statistical data reports are available in the appendix of this document.

If you have questions and/or concerns about the data or reports, please contact the Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth program:

Daniel Iser

ActingState Coordinator

Phone: (717) 787-6406

Fax: (717) 783-6617

Email:

Executive Summary

Violence, abuse, poverty, crime, alcohol and drug use, disrupted relationships, mental health issues, bullying, despair, depression, and feelings of alienation are just some of the forces that demoralize students. These forces can cause disruption in classrooms, academic failure, and violence at school.

Alternative Education Programs are designed to provide services, both academic and behavioral, to help meet the special needs of students and return them to the regular classroom with the tools needed to succeed there.

Article XIX, Section 1903-C (Act 30) entrusts the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to evaluate the effectiveness of Alternative Education Programs and include an annual report to the Education Committee of both the state Senate and House of Representatives. This report represents a response to that requirement.

As part of the School Safety initiatives of 1995, local Alternative Education Programs were created. Most Alternative Education Programs have been in existence for six years or more. The Alternative Education Programs are designed to remove disruptive students from the regular classroom and place them in an alternative setting where they are provided with an individualized academic curriculum and counseling to help modify their disruptive behavior(s).

Alternative Education continues to evolve from its 1995 conception. Its basic belief is that not all students learn in the same, structured way. Each student has individual strengths, talents, and interests which can be further developed. There are many methods which can be used to educate, as well as several different environments in which education may occur successfully. The majority of the students enrolled in Alternative Education fail in the regular classroom environment, become frustrated, act out in a disruptive manner, or are truant. The Alternative Education Programs build trust with students through a safe, structured, and more nurturing environment. The teachers and staff work with the students individually. Counseling and other social tools are provided to help the students work through their anger and anxiety so they can succeed when returned to the regular classroom. Core to this work is the belief that all students, given appropriate support, can achieve at high levels.

Despite the emphasis placed on returning students to the regular school setting, some students graduate directly from Alternative Education Programs. These students would have likely dropped out of school if the program did not exist.

Alternative Education Programs have proven to be successful in the following areas:

Increasing the attendance of students;

Increasing academic achievement and engagement in learning;

Eliminating and/or reducing negative behaviors; and

Achieving treatment goals and exhibiting respect for education, the school setting, teachers and staff, and peers.

Minimum Program Requirements

Under Act 30, students served in Alternative Education Programs are enrolled in middle school, junior-high school, senior-high school, or a vocational-technical school. Any public school (i.e. school district, intermediate unit, area vocational-technical school, charter school, or special program jointure) may apply. Eligible students exhibit any or all of the following behaviors:

(1)Disregard for school authority, including persistent violation of school policy and rules;

(2)Display or use of controlled substances on school property or during school-affiliated activities;

(3)Violent or threatening behavior on school property or during school-related activities;

(4)Possession of a weapon on school property, as defined under 18, Pa. C.S. Section 912 (relating to possession of weapon on school property);

(5)Commission of a criminal act on school property;

(6)Misconduct that would merit suspension or expulsion under school policy; and

(7)Habitual truancy.

In addition, students returning from placements and students who have been adjudicated delinquent or have committed a crime under an adult criminal proceeding are eligible for the program.

Minimum requirements for program approval and/or funding include all of the following (exceptions occur when contracting with an approved private provider):

(1)Develop the program in consultation with the faculty and administrative staff of the school and parents and members of the community;

(2)Establish policies which identify those students eligible for placement in the program and placement only when other established methods of discipline have been utilized;

(3)Provide participating students with a course of instruction, which recognizes their special needs and prepares them for successful return to a regular school curriculum and/or completion of the requirements for graduation;

(4)Permit students to make normal academic progress and achieve requirements for graduation as defined by either the home or host district;

(5)Operate five days per week;

(6)Offer either 20 hours of instruction per week or offer a minimum of 15 hours of instruction per week covering at least four of the following curricular areas:

Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health or Life Skills and show that normal academic progress may be achieved in fewer than 20 hours of weekly instruction;

(7)Provide a counseling component to help modify the disruptive behavior and enable the student to return to the regular classroom;

(8)Provide a periodic review of each student’s achievement in the program for return to the regular classroom at least at the end of every semester; and

(9)Ensure the school personnel assigned to the program for which funding is sought possess a Level I or Level II Pennsylvania Professional Teaching Certificate.

Cost Analysis and Comparison Funding

The following chart shows a breakdown of pertinent fiscal information since 1999/2000. As the state appropriation increased in the early years of the program, so did the number of applicants and students being served by the program. Beginning in the 2003/04 school year, however, the state appropriation was reduced and the funding per student was also, subsequently, reduced due to the increase in projected enrollments. However, the numbers of new applications continue to rise (The 2004/05 year shows an increase of 9 applications); therefore, displaying a sustained need for the Alternative Education Programs to continue to assist students in the Commonwealth.

Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Historical Chart

1999/2000 / 2000/2001 / 2001/2002 / 2002/2003 / 2003/2004 / 2004/2005
Appropriation / $10.0* / $25.0* / $26.2* / $26.2* / $20.6* / $20.6*
Amount Awarded / $9,970,908 / $24,746,784 / $25,896,000 / 26,256,000 / $20,652,666 / $20,652,666
Funding Per Student / $920.16 / $1,990.63+ / $1,840.00 / $1,665.00 / $1,024.00 / $1,076.00
No. of Applications / 306 / 379 / 469 / 546 / 632 / 641
Projected Enrollments / 10,848 / 16,018 / 17,396 / 17,595 / 27,982 / 20,895
Actual Students Served / 16,681** / 22,225 / 23,522 / 38,901 / 40,741 / 27,534
Funding Per Student/Per Week / $25.56 / $55.30 / $51.12 / $46.25 / $28.45 / $29.89

* Dollars are in millions

Despite the figures above, it should be noted Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth’s programs continue to promote successful outcomes for students. In the upcoming section called “Student Outcomes,” over 55% of the students enrolled in Alternative Education programs improved their attendance and increased their GPA. The following data illustrates the student success of Alternative Education programs. Despite the reductions in appropriations, Alternative Education continues to strive for excellence for its students with positive results.

Statistical Data for the 2004/05 Academic Year

Public Schools Overview

The 2004/05 End-of-Year Report was designed to be completed, online, for the very first time. The data in this report represents 100% reporting by the public schools that had approved programs and received grant funding.

In 2004/05, the Department of Education received 641 applications for Alternative Education Programs and awarded approximately $20.6 million in grants to public schools which served eligible students. The annual reimbursement per student enrolled in the program was $1,076.

There is a variety of operational models across the state which include school district run programs that serve only their students on-site, public school consortia that provide a program for several schools, school districts that provide a program serving county prisons and detention centers; intermediate units that administer programs for their area school districts, area vocational-technical school programs, special program jointures, and charter schools. In addition, any of these programs can be offered through a contract with a private alternative education institution (private provider). Programs range in size from one or two students to the largest program which serves over 1,850 students.

Initial funding is calculated in August of each year based on the projected enrollment data submitted by the public schools. Adjustments are made to maintain individual school district caps, or maximum limits, as required by the statute. (School districts are capped at 2% of their average daily memberships for students in grades 7-12.) Adjustments are made throughout the school year for enrollments that were over-projected and for those enrollments that were under-projected but not at the maximum limit.

The following chart provides a breakdown of basic information for the 2004/05 school year. The number the students served is based on the reported number of students participating in Alternative Education Programs. Funding was not provided to all students served due to individual school district caps, under-reported enrollments, and a few programs that were approved but did not make funding deadlines.

Appropriation / Funding per Student / Number of Applications / Students Served
$20.6 million / $1,076.00 / 641 / 27,534

Public Schools with Approved Programs

In the 2004/05 academic year, 534 public programs reported, and over half (55.4%) of the public schools have been in existence for more than 6 years. Schools contracting with private providers totaled 185 (34.6%). The state average approximate cost for serving one student per week was $3,298.

Approved Program Types

Alternative Education Programs and services provided were delivered in various locations and methods. The 419 entities which operated Alternative Education Programs included: 311 public school districts, 24 intermediate units, 7 area vocational-technical schools, 8 charter schools, 38 cooperative learning programs, 5 detention centers, 24 prisons, and 2 special program jointures.

AVTS / 7
Cooperative Learning / 38
Charter Schools / 8
Intermediate Units / 23
Prisons / 24
Special Program Jointures / 2
Public Schools / 311

Trends in Utilizing Additional Services

For the 2004/05 academic year, Mental Health, Community Service, Juvenile Justice, Human Services, and Family Support Services were the most widely used additional services or programs provided. Many other services were, also, utilized (See chart below) which provided a diverse consortium of resources, assisting in the overall successful outcomes for students with varying needs.

Most all the schools (504, 90.3%) reported they utilized technology (computers) in their programs, and the average number of computer hours per week per student was reported as 5.14 hours. Technology-based instruction consisted mainly of: Word Processing, Research Only, Curriculum-based, and Presentation Software; however, many other types of software were also utilized to provide students with a multitude of skills. These skills can be transferred back to the regular classroom setting and/or to future employment opportunities, providing “cutting edge” and competitive skills in a fast-paced and highly technological world.

The types of software used were:

Presentation Software (217)
Word Processing (468)
Databases (116)
Spreadsheets (182)
Interactive Lab (128)
Research Only (399)
Curriculum-based (252)
Other** (59)

Staff Profiles and Behavior Monitoring

Alternative Education Programs employ several different types of professional and paraprofessional staff. As reported, 6,094 staff members were employed in the 2004/05 academic year and 2,383 instructional staff members were employed full-time, followed by support staff of 1,967. Next, certified/licensed counselors totaled 941, and the remaining staff reported was part-time (803) instructional staff. A reported 4,425 of the total staff previously mentioned received professional development and training.

Student behavior was measured in several different ways. As reported, direct observation was the most widely used form of behavior measurement followed by staff rating, student rating, and “other.” 

In response to how often behavior was measured, 474 programs reported most of the behaviors were measured daily. Some schools reported weekly measurements (92), while 55 schools reported monthly measurements. Lastly, 24 schools reported behavior measurement as “other.”

Student Data Follow-Up

The following chart depicts the numbers and percentages of schools which collected student data after the students exited the program:

Student Data Collected After Exiting the Program
YES / NO
220 (39.4%) / 304 (54.5%)

Of the data collected, 128 schools reported utilizing telephone follow-ups, 99 schools used some “other” data collection, and 71 schools collected data via post-graduation surveys.

Exit data was collected primarily in the first 6 months by 148 schools. Schools that collected data one year after totaled 55 and 13 schools reported collecting data 2 or more years later after the students exited the program.

Student Report Data

Student Totals by Program Type

Public schools (17,087) reported the most students enrolled in Alternative Education Programs while intermediate units reported the next highest enrollment total of 5,994 students. Consortia programs reported 2,731 students participated in Alternative Education Programs. The remaining breakdown is shown below: