| The focus of this study was to examine the characteristics of alternative programs in the state of Missouri and to determine whether a statistical difference in the persistence to graduation rate existed between the two variations of programs. When identifying the characteristics, several commonalities emerged. These commonalities could be the focus of future studies to determine a list of best-practices among alternative programs. When focusing on the statistical element of this study, the two programs in question were revolving door and one-way programs. For the purpose of this study, a revolving door style program was defined as one that assesses and addresses student needs within an alternative setting. Once they record significant progress, these students return to the regular classroom setting. A one-way program style assigns students to an educational setting once they prove that the regular classroom setting is not an appropriate situation. The at-risk students in this program will either graduate from the alternative school or choose not to complete high school. According to the findings of this study, there was no statistically significant difference between and among the persistence to graduation rate midst the revolving door and one-way styles of alternative programs. |
