Alternative Education Programs for High School Age Students in Chile

Abstract

The provision of “alternative” education is increasingly common in the countries of the world, but highly varied in its forms and coverage. In its commitment to provide education for all to age 18, Chile recently expanded its system of schools for teenage dropouts and has funded research on how best to educate these youth. This article, based on data from a national sample of 18 recently established Second Opportunity Centers, describes student characteristics, their ambitions for their education and future, and their evaluation of their experience to date. Using a review of principally North American research findings as a guide, the study analyzes factors linked with grade repetition and withdrawal from school to suggest strategies that may be effective in increasing retention of students. This article concludes that, given multiple causes of school failure, reintegration into the education system requires multiple strategies.

Classification of Dropouts to Improve Student Re-Engagement: The Case of Chilean Secondary Opportunity Centers

“…The risk of early withdrawal has been shown to be related to race, gender and income, and higher in urban centers (Murnane, 2013). Similar groupings are reported in studies carried out in Europe (Cabus & De Witte, 2016; De Witte et al, 2013), India (Gouda & Sekher, 2014), South Africa (Mkwananzi & De Wet, 2014) and Latin America (Adelman & Székely, 2017; Espinoza et al, 2020a). The primary focus of these studies was the immediate cause for expulsion or withdrawal from school.…”

“…Although the non-completion rate of 10 per cent is relatively low compared to other countries, a progressive government seeking greater social and economic equality sought ways to increase the completion rate. Up to that point in time only a portion of early school leavers have taken advantage of existing programs designed to “re-engage” dropouts (Espinoza et al,2020a).…”

Factores determinantes de la deserción escolar y expectativas de estudiantes que asisten a escuelas alternativas

“…Los alumnos procedentes de hogares en los que existen buenas relaciones interpersonales y pocos problemas económicos podrían ser capaces de mencionar ambiciones u objetivos deseados. Al contrario, aquellos que provienen de hogares más turbulentos tienden a abarcar más, porque no están seguros de lo que quieren o de cuáles de sus objetivos pueden ser alcanzados (Espinoza et al, 2019b).…”

“…Un factor crítico aquí es la adecuación que debe existir entre la oferta de los programas y las características de la población estudiantil que concurre a ellos. En la actualidad hacen falta nuevos estudios que permitan caracterizar a los estudiantes de estas escuelas, con el objetivo de establecer sus rasgos distintivos y relevar los factores determinantes que pueden ayudar a retener a estos adolescentes y jóvenes, y así evitar otro fracaso escolar (Espinoza et al, 2019b).…”

Second chance schools: background, training and current instructional practices of teachers

“…The students enrolled in the Second Opportunity Centers are quite diverse in terms of their traits and characteristics (Alvarado et al , 2013; Dussaillant, 2017; Espinoza et al , 2020; Santos, 2009). Teachers just beginning their career start with a set of pedagogical skills based on a limited exposure to students and teaching.…”