A modified ethnographic study of two exemplary public Iowa alternative schools

Abstract

Although the schools had different philosophies and objectives, many of the newly developed alternatives had a common bond-they believed that students learn in numerous ways at different stages of their lives, and some students learn better in different environments, whether open, formal, informal, competitive, or non-competitive (Case, 1981). Many scholars in education contend that the present thrust of alternative education can be traced to the civil rights movement of the 1960s (Fantini, 1973; Deal and Nolan, 1978). They believe that desegregation gained momentum because parents and community leaders boycotted public schools and collaborated to continue the education of children in Freedom Schools. The purpose of these schools was to provide an educational experience for students that would make it possible for them to challenge the realities of learning and the myths of our society (Wolf et al., 1974). For many blacks and whites alike, the Freedom Schools, as they were called, provided a glimpse of alternative programs tailored to students' needs. They included curriculum geared specifically to the selfdetermined concerns of students and sympathetic adults working with children (Barr et al., 1977). To ensure that educational concerns were not overlooked, teachers established a flexible procedure that expanded the boundaries of schooling to include the community and its resources. Smaller educational units were created to humanize the experience (Case, 1981). These ingredients are still present in the current alternative school movement. The continued growth of alternative schools was 8 further stimulated by the growing critique of education and the increased pressures on schools to better serve each student. Declining test scores, coupled with a decline in public confidence in schools, increased the pressure on schools to do better jobs. Many educators saw the alternative education movement as a means of tailoring educational program content, approach, structure, and climate to the specific needs of different groups. Another social trend that contributed to the alternative school was the counter culture movement. The participants in this movement saw public schools as dehumanizing, cold, and irrelevant institutions. Many thought that educational institutions were authorative, reflecting bad values of a rich, dominating society (Raywid, 1981). The backing of John Dewey also contributed to the primary concept that led to alternative education-"learn by doing." This concept gave to the learner more freedom to maximize his/her talents. Other scholars (Graubard, 1973; Dennison, 1969) all supported the concept of individual freedom, believing that if a child is innately curious and realistic and left to himself/herself, that child will develop as far as he/she is capable of developing. Bloom also emphasized his beliefs on learning styles. He believed that each child can achieve, if given the time to master learning skills (Bloom, 1976). In other words, educators must realize that different students learn at differe...

An examination of rural Iowa secondary school principals' self-efficacy and other related factors for meeting the needs of students at risk of school failure

“…A study conducted by Jackson (1984) on the effectiveness of two exemplary public Iowa alternative schools revealed remarkable influence principals had on teachers in their schools. Jackson reported the following information in her study.…”

“…Failure by the principal to emphasize high expectations for all students will, without doubt, cause negative sentiments of students to occur. The philosophy of the principal should be to take students from where they are to as far as they can go (Jackson, 1984). Principals must believe all students are important and play a vital role in providing a quality education for them to succeed.…”