What are Alternative High Schools?
The Arizona Department of Education’s definition of “alternative high school” is a school whose sole and clearly-stated mission is to serve specific populations of at-risk students. This is a broad definition, and, because of that, alternative high school status must be applied for and approved by the Department of Education.
Common features of many alternative high schools include smaller class sizes, more flexible scheduling options, and an overall more personalized educational experience.
1. Smaller Class Sizes
Smaller classes allow teachers to give students more individual attention and make it easier to tailor lessons to specific student needs. Fewer students mean less distraction and disciplinary issues compared to a large group of peers, and students are more likely to participate, as it’s more difficult to blend into the crowd.
2. More Flexible Scheduling Options
Rather than a set start and end time that applies to every student in the school, alternative high schools often offer more flexibility in a student’s daily academic schedule. This flexibility allows students to more easily work outside of school, catch up on material, or get ahead. This scheduling flexibility applies all the way to graduation, for those hoping to earn their diploma according to their own timeline.
3. Personalization
At an alternative high school, personalization doesn’t stop at scheduling. Focus on the individual student expands all the way to curriculum and credit recovery. Students have more say as to what classes they take and when. This allows students to focus on a particular passion, as well as design their educational experience according to their current needs and goals.
At the Rose Academies free charter schools, we offer smaller class sizes and designated workstations for each student. Three session times are offered throughout the day with morning, afternoon, and evening sessions; and our knowledgeable staff will work with you to discover the classes most needed to achieve graduation on your own time.
Our curriculum is self-paced, but not self-taught, and we are always enrolling. Discover what an alternative l high school education could look like for you by continuing to explore our website.
