New York State
Alternative Education Association

Introduction
This paper was written to present New York State Alternative Education Association’s (NYSAEA) function and position on issues regarding at-risk students and the public programs that serve them in New York State.

Alternative Education Today
New York State public alternative education includes any non-traditional environment that provides a comprehensive elementary, middle, or secondary curriculum. Mastery of learning standards and attainment of a high school or GED diploma are achieved through a learner-centered program structure, multiple learning opportunities, frequent student performance review and feedback, and innovative use of community and school resources to support youth development. According to the 2002 Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) report, approximately 100,000 students were receiving educational services in alternative education programs.
The percentage of students earning Regents diplomas has increased significantly since higher standards were adopted in 1996. Almost 68% of all students (general and special education) who entered 9th grade in 2000 had graduated with a Regents or local diploma after four years. However, that leaves 32% of students that are not ‘successful’ within our state’s system, though many of these complete their education in alternative GED programs. Alternative programs serve this population of at-risk students that need value-added programs to help them graduate.

Our Vision
NYSAEA is a professional association that furthers and supports multi-faceted instructional approaches and means of assessing learning for all students, particularly those in non-traditional environments.

Our Mission
NYSAEA’s mission is to link various individuals and organizations to influence regional and state policies that will help at-risk students succeed. This is accomplished by quarterly meetings, our web site (nysaea.org), newsletter, annual conference, and regional meetings.

Defining Characteristics
New York State has officially recognized alternative education programs since 1971. Some defining characteristics of alternative education sites are:

1. an awareness that success in school goes beyond academics
2. a student-centered environment that is conducive to learning, including smaller classes and a climate that fosters innovation
3. instructional methods that include an individually-paced curriculum and content that has personal relevance to students
4. the building of mentor relationships with staff within a democratic community
5. an asset-driven model that values and builds on the strengths of students
6. programs and services that support youth’s academic and personal development, including counseling, community work, and one-on-one tutoring
7. teaching and administrative staff that recognizes the potential of students and are committed to bringing out the best in each person

Five Year Vision
Over the last 15 years, many school districts have created their own alternative programs on the site that offer smaller classes, individualized instruction, and other value-added programs that support students. This is both a testament to the success of alternative education in New York State and to schools that are striving to meet the needs of all students. NYSAEA will continue to serve alternative education providers by offering a networking resource for sharing best practices and facilitating communication between alternative programs and the State Education Department. In addition, NYSAEA will continue to be a leader in serving New York State’s at-risk students. Over the next five years, NYSAEA will focus on the following goals:

Alternative Education sites have been tremendously successful implementing value added programs that promote youth development. We will continue to share best practices at a yearly state conference and regional meetings open to all professionals working with at-risk youth.

To increase our capacity to provide support for students, NYSAEA will be collaborating with post-secondary institutions to advocate for teacher training programs that prepare teachers to work with at-risk students.

To be a true association for organizations serving at-risk students, NYSAEA will increase its scope to include charter schools, other alternative schools, and community-based organizations in order to better represent all the professionals in alternative education.

Historically, alternative schools have been successful at improving attendance rates with poor-attending students. Because so many students struggle to make the transition from middle to high school, they need more time to meet the graduation requirements. NYSAEA would like New York State to adopt a higher standard and assist school districts by allowing a 5th year for students with high needs to graduate. Data?

NYSAEA would like schools to have more flexibility in designing programs to meet needs of students regarding staffing and in creating programs that reach out to reclaim youth under 22 years of age that are no longer enrolled in school.

Alternative education should have its own funding stream similar to special education. At-risk students should be recognized as high need students and funded appropriately and alternative Education should be a mandated opportunity for both classified and non-classified students. In order to provide alternative education as an opportunity to students, NYSAEA would like a reinstatement of former funding sources (Youth at Risk Grant, Workforce Development, , Pregnant and Parenting Teens) as well as new funding sources for mental health, substance abuse, and job placement.

Summary
The greatest obstacles facing districts in their efforts to serve at-risk students are high dropout rates, poor attendance, and incidents of violence in schools. Alternative education has long been in the vanguard of education reform, and has long employed practices that alleviate precisely these problems, including a democratic school climate, small classes in small schools, and relationship-based instruction. These practices are part of an overall approach that attempts to give students a vested interest in the success of their schools. NYSAEA stands ready to contribute the expertise of alternative education to the larger community of educators across New York State.