Washington Association for Learning Alternatives

WALA

"Alternative education is a perspective, not a procedure or program. It is based upon the belief that there are many ways to become educated, as well as many types of environments and structures within which this may occur. Further, it recognizes that all people can be educated and that it is in society's interest to ensure that all are educated to at least...[a] general high school... level. To accomplish this requires that we provide a variety of structures and environments such that each person can find one that is sufficiently comfortable to facilitate progress." (Morley, 1991) 

Alternative education began in Washington in 1935 in Spokane.  Since then it has grown to include over 335 schools and programs enrolling over 42,000 students. 

The Washington Association for Learning Alternatives was incorporated in 1975 as 501(c)(3) non-profit.  As such, it is the oldest continuously operating organization for alternative education in the United States.

WALA's primary mission is to support alternative school students, parents, and communities by providing leadership to school districts, supporting student and staff activities, providing scholarships to secondary alternative school graduates, and grants to alternative schools and programs to develop better instructional models.

WALA holds eight one-day Fall workshops.  To help minimize travel for attendees, the workshops are held at locations throughout the state.  The purpose of the workshops is to provide updated information, the latest in best practices, and areas of local interest.

WALA also holds one conference each academic year in early spring.  The purpose of the conferences is to provide a network for sharing what is working, mentoring, discussions involving compliance issues with state and federal guidelines, school governance, program development.  The majority of each conference sessions are conducted by practitioners, but specialists from State and local agencies are invited to share their expertise.

Each year WALA honors outstanding alternative education teachers and administrators.  WALA is devoted to assisting alternative education students reach their full potential.  To this end the Secondary Scholarship Committee selects outstanding applicants for grants and scholarships to attend post high school institutions including colleges, technical schools, and apprenticeship programs,  In 2008, WALA received more than forty applications and could only fund ten.  To support the scholarship program the WALA Board of Directors hosts several fund raising events each year, including; auctions and raffles at the conferences, golf tournaments, and other events.

Washington is divided into six regions.  Each region has two representatives elected by the membership from that region to serve on the WALA Board of Directors.  In addition to the two annual conferences, WALA Board members hold scheduled staff in-service meetings and student activities in their respective regions.

The WALA STARS Leadership Program works with high school students to develop leadership and personal growth skills.  Each year WALA sponsors WALA Legislative day at the Capitol in Olympia where students meet with their individual legislators to discuss issues relevant to alternative education.  Two conferences are help each year with student from alternative high schools planning and attending.

Types and Descriptions of Alternative Programs in Washington State

Alternative High Schools – At Risk Programs      

Alternative high schools that work primarily with at-risk youth typically enroll students 16-20 years old who are two to three years or more behind their cohort in Carnegie units.  Often this group of students is also three or more years behind in academic skills; reading, writing, and math.

Secondly, many of these students need personal, social and study skills.  Drug and alcohol addiction is common.  Many have a history with the judicial system. 

These students enter the alternative school after having been failed by the comprehensive schools.  To expect them to acquire the academic skills required to graduate with their cohort is unrealistic.

The format is varied.  Most are part-day programs that expect the students to complete work away from the school setting and are funded under WAC 392-121-182.  Typically the students spend between 12 and 20 per week at the school with the balance away from the site.

 Alternative high schools for at-risk students offer day care for student’s children and parenting classes.  Many offer an after-hours option for working students operating until 9:00 pm two or three nights per week.  This is especially true for ELL programs working with migrant students. 

Most alternative high schools are small (less than 150 students) and have five or fewer certificated staff.  Because of this, course offerings are limited.  Most do not have a wide variety of elective courses and upper level courses in math, science and languages are not offered.  The majority of courses are either remedial or credit recovery.

Special education may or may not be available at many alternative high schools.  In cases where IEP services are not available, these services are provided by the district through the comprehensive high school.

Alternative High Schools – Choice Enrollment Programs           

These schools work primarily with students, ages 14-20, who have struggled in their previous schools and could be considered “at-risk” for dropping out if left in that environment.  Some of these students may be up to three years behind their cohort in Carnegie Units.  Often these students are behind in their academic skills. With a goal to graduate from high school, they need to be able to achieve this within their own time line, and not according to the traditional system.

Other students are looking for a different type of education, with more one-to-one instruction. These programs, based on choice, are characterized by individualization, small size, close relationships within a family-like atmosphere, shared decision-making, and caring yet demanding teachers. The major purpose is not to prepare students to return to the mainstream but instead to prepare for graduation and life after high school.

The format of these schools is varied. Most are part-time day programs that expect students to complete work away from the school setting and are funded under WAC 392-121-182. Typically the students spend between 12-20 hours per week at the school. Many hold part-time to full time jobs. Many alternative high schools offer daycare for students’ children while they attend school. Many offer an after -hours option for working students, such as ELL migrant students.

Many choice alternative high schools are small, less than 150 students.  These small schools have few highly qualified certificated staff and limited resources.  As such, most do not have a wide variety of elective courses (such as foreign language) and can’t offer upper level courses in math and the laboratory sciences.  Due to the variety of student needs, courses can range from academically challenging to remedial.

Specialty Schools

Those schools that have entrance requirements, (reading at grade level, algebra completed, etc.) or are designed for instruction in specific areas, (dance, theater, music, engineering, etc.), are typically BEA funded and the students spend all of their academic time at the schools.  These programs also offer AP courses and other college prep programs.  They are alternative schools because instruction does not follow the typical comprehensive school model. 

These schools may use community members as instructors under the direction of a certificated teacher and use experiential and project based learning as the instruction model.. 

Most of these schools are designed to provide a transition from high school to the university.  Course work it designed to meet rigorous standards and the students are expected to enroll in a four year college or university following graduation.

Alternative High School Programs

Programs are typically a part of a comprehensive high school.  The students “attend” the alternative program for part of the day and spend the rest of the day with the general population.  These are BEA funded and the students spend all of their academic time at the school.

This model is most common in smaller districts with 15 or fewer students involved in the alternative program.  It is also the model some districts have employed when they closed their alternative high school – the students are assimilated back into the comprehensive high school and a part-day program was initiated.

Alternative Middle Schools and Middle School Programs

The models are similar to the high school programs with both ALE and BEA funding models.  The at-risk population is typically two to three years behind academically and has deficiencies in personal, social, and academic skills.

Alternative Elementary Schools

Again, the models are similar to the middle and high school format.  Some schools are ALE, some are BEA.  The major difference is parent involvement.  Most require the parent to be on-site a certain number of hours per month to work as tutors or aides.

Parent Partnership Programs  (P³)

This model is often referred to as ”home schooling” by both parents and school staff.  This should not be confused with “home based instruction” where the student is not involved with the school district.  Although the vernacular term “home schooling” is often used by the public to refer to “hone based instruction”, the two are not connected nor are they the same program

The P³ is unique to Washington State.  Although some are only K-8 programs, the majority are K-12.  This model is funded by ALE.  Typically the parent is the primary instructor and the certificated teacher who manages the Written Student Learning Plan acts as a consultant.  The district either furnishes the instructional materials or reimburses the parent for instructional materials they purchase.  Instructional materials are provided in accordance with RCW 28A.320.230

Parents choose this option for educating their children for a variety of reasons.  The most common is the belief that the comprehensive school is not meeting their child’s needs.  Students in these programs are commonly not “at-risk”.  Many parents choose this model so their children can receive accelerated learning opportunities not available in regular classrooms.  In many programs, the 11^th and 12^th grades are typically spent in Running Start programs.

The student and/or parent meet with the consulting teacher weekly to review work, take and grade tests, and decide on the next week’s assignments.  The weekly meetings usually last 60 minutes or less.  The balance of the required instruction time is completed away from the school.

Many of these programs offer classes taught by certificated teachers, parents, or community volunteers.  In many cases the non-district employee instructional staff are treated and paid as contractors under the provisions detailed in WAC 392-121-188 and RCW 28A.150.305.

The local school board supervises these programs through board policy and procedures.  In most, the day-to-day operations are managed by a head-teacher.  Many of these programs have a parent advisory panel that assists with program design and planning.

It should be noted that the format for students in the secondary grades is often closer to the contract study model than the P³ model.  Often the parent provides little or no direct instruction.  The student completes the work as prescribed by the consulting teacher without a lot of parent involvement.  The older the student the more this is prevalent.

Contract Studies

This is a secondary model funded by ALE.  The student and teacher enter into a contract.  The contract may be a course syllabus or other document that defines the course expectations and requirements.  When the student completes the course requirements credit is granted.  The course may be Pass/Fail or graded.

The student meets with the teacher weekly to assess work completed, provide instruction, and plan the next weeks work.

The district furnishes all instructional materials.  The student may be full-time or part-time.  When the student is part-time they often take two or three contract courses and the rest of the day is spent at the comprehensive secondary school.

As this model requires the student to be self-motivated and able to complete work without direct supervision, the model’s scope is limited.  Although an “at-risk” student may be enrolled in this model, their academic skill s must be sufficient to complete the self study successfully.

This model is often used with home-bound and hospice students. 

Where services are available vocational courses involving project and experiential learning use this model.

Adjudicated Youth

This group includes both long term facilities (Green Hill) and short term facilities (county juvenile detention facilities).

Currently these programs are fragmented.  Students entering a facility may or may not receive instruction using the same instructional materials and courses they had been receiving at their resident school.  The same situation exists when they leave the facility to return to their resident school.

This has resulted in students receiving less than a semester’s credit for academic work, (i.e., .12 math credits or .05 English credits).  While in the facility the student performs at a level of expectation as determined by the facility – it may or may not be the same as their resident district.

Efforts are under way to utilize the resources of the Digital Learning Commons so students can take their work with them when they leave the facility and complete the course for full credit in their resident district.

Digital Learning Programs

Digital or Distance Learning is authorized by WAC 392-121-182.  These schools offer instruction via electronic means, usually the internet.  Of the twenty-four schools offering this model, sixteen offer on-line instruction statewide. 

Some allow part-time enrollment, some require full-time enrollment.  For those enrolling students outside their district borders,  all are required to obtain a release from the student’s resident district before enrollment. 

(3) (g) State funded public schools or public school programs whose primary purpose is to provide alternative learning experiences using digital or on-line means shall be accredited through the state accreditation program or through the regional accreditation program.

Digital programs may enroll and provide instruction to students located outside the district boundaries.  Often these students never physically attend the digital school – all communication is electronic.

Although the majority of digital programs are for secondary students, three offer instruction in grades K-12.

Although the Digital Learning Commons does provide instruction materials to all member districts, the vast majority of these programs have contracted with a commercial provider to supply on-line instruction.  In one case, the contractor supplies the teachers and all materials.  In others, the local district uses its certificated staff to supervise and provide the instruction.