Proving It’s Possible: Increasing the Impact of Alternative Schools Beth Anderson, Founder and CEO Phoenix Charter Academy Network

Best Practices in Alternative Education “Many “Best Practices” have become well established in Alternative Education. But what’s missing? Current “Best Practices” do not address the rigorous academic curriculum required to create economically viable graduates. Current Best Practices Include*: Low adult-student ratios Flexible schedule to accommodate family and work obligations Personalized curriculum permitting accelerated advancement Significant teacher autonomy Credit recovery Vocational training Non-academic support services, including social workers, childcare, and legal support *From The Rennie Center’s “Alternative Education: Exploring Innovations in Learning”

Getting By Is Not Enough Setting the right academic bar Defining social-emotional supports to include high behavioral expectations “Many of the existing options for alternative education pre-date the imperative for students to obtain higher level of skills in an increasingly global economy.” -Jobs For the Future, 2010

Defining Academic Expectations Some post-secondary certification is a key driver of economic viability; our students must be prepared to succeed academically after high school. National Alternative Education Association (NAEA) provides 16 recommendations for Curriculum and Instruction: None of them include any mention of rigor or academic preparedness for a post-secondary world. “The average high school non- graduate in MA imposes a net fiscal burden of nearly $122,000 over the course of his or her lifetime, realized through cash assistance and other benefits. In comparison, the average high school graduate will contribute $344,700 more in taxes than received federal and state aid. The result is a gap of approximately $467,000.” - Rennie Center, 2012

Grit and Resilience Wraparound social supports (social workers, child care, linkages to outside service agencies) are now the gold standard in Alternative Education However, there is little agreement on how to teach the behavioral and social skills necessary for success in the 21 st Century Most Alternative Education students have overcome tremendous life obstacles. They already do have grit and resilience. How do we leverage these potential strengths in order to promote academic and behavioral growth?

Accountability should not only be WELCOMED, but DRIVEN by those of us that know the true potential of our young people.

Costs of No Accountability How do we know what works if we don’t share transparent results? Risk of further marginalizing students who have been routinely failed by societal institutions Makes it significantly more difficult for larger systems to derive solutions that we have found by working with students “on the margins”.

Current Threats to Alternative Education No Agreement on Outcome Comparisons No Common Understanding of Measurement No State-to-State Aligned Assessments Lack of Philosophical Alignment Across Schools No clear understanding of the unique accountability measures that Alternative Schools may require

DIFFERENT PICTURE SENIOR POSTER– pushing harder

Mission The Phoenix Charter Academy Network operates schools that challenges disconnected students with rigorous academics and relentless support so they recast themselves as resilient, self-sufficient adults in order to succeed in high school, college and beyond.

Phoenix Students

Model Advanced Placement Classes High-Dosage Tutoring Heterogeneously Mixed Classes Categorized Class Structure College Prep Dual Enrollment in College Courses Independent Lab-Based Learning Student Support Team On-Site Little Scholars Center Attendance Transformation Team Multi-Quarter Enrollment Individualized College Planning Center S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Feather Merit System Rigorous Academics Relentless Support

Academic Growth (2012 – 2014)

Results: MCAS

Results: College 80 % of eligible Phoenix graduates enroll in college 75% of Phoenix students who enroll in college persist for two semesters National average is 62% and 45% for low-income students.

Phoenix 2014 Graduate Jazzmin Hernandez in front of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Science (class of 2018).