| Alternative schools have been an educational innovation designed to address the needs of at-risk youth. The literature review on this subject, although rife with anecdotal accounts of alternative education schools, revealed a lack of scientific data regarding the impact of alternative schools on their students. This study was designed to investigate components of alternative education programs by exploring student perceptions of these components.;This study examined the perceptions of students enrolled in alternative high schools regarding their schools' organization and structure, curriculum and instruction, and school climate. To produce comparative data, traditional students as well as alternative students were given a survey developed for this study by the researcher.;Key findings indicated that students enrolled in alternative schools had a positive perception of all three of the components that were the focus of the study---organization, curriculum, and climate. Students responded to a four point scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (4). Alternative education students averaged three (agree) in all three areas.;There was a statistically significant difference between the responses of alternative and traditional students. Whereas alternative students averaged a score of 3 on the four-point scale, traditional students scored their school at a 2.5, placing their average score at the mid-point of the scale.;This study demonstrated that there was a difference between the scores of male and female alternative education students regarding the curriculum and instruction in their schools, with the females scoring slightly higher than males. However, there was no significant difference between the perceptions of males and females regarding organization or school climate.;A surprising finding was that there was no significant difference between the perceptions of Caucasian and minority alternative education students regarding organization, curriculum, or climate. This study showed a positive correlation among the perceptions of alternative education students regarding all three areas.;The results of this study may be utilized by educators who support the addition of educational options for the diverse needs of their at-risk student population. Further study in this area is strongly encouraged by the researcher. Recommendations for further study in the areas of alternative school evaluation, charter school evaluation, and replication studies, among others, are outlined. |
