Students with emotional and behavioral disorders who display disruptive behaviors in general education settings are increasingly being educated in alternative education settings. Alternative education settings can vary widely, but they typically have smaller classroom sizes and educational staff who are trained to teach students who were not successful in their previous educational settings. This Current Topics column provides (a) an introduction to how students are placed in those settings, (b) a description of common alternative educational settings, and (c) an overview of effective educational, behavioral, and mental health services available to children and youth in alternative educational settings.
AtkinsT.BartuskaJ. (2010). Considerations for the placement of youth with EBD in alternative education programs. Beyond Behavior, 19, 14–20.
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Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.
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FlowerA.McDanielS. C.JolivetteK. (2011). A literature review of research quality and effective practices in alternative education settings. Education and Treatment of Children, 34, 489–510.
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GravesL. (2018). The impact of refusal of accommodations by high school students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, or other health impairment on their attendance and discipline referral rates [Doctoral dissertation]. Liberty University.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).
KoyamaP. R. (2012). The status of education in pre-trial juvenile detention. Journal of Correctional Education, 63, 35–68.
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MathurS. R.ClarkH. G. (2014). Community engagement for reentry success of youth from juvenile justice: Challenges and opportunities. Education and Treatment of Children, 37, 713–734.
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McDanielS. C.WilkinsonS.SimonsenB. (2018). Positive behavioral interventions and supports in alternative educational placements. In LandrumT. J.CookB. G.TankersleyM. (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities: Emerging issues and research in behavioral disabilities (Vol. 30, pp. 113–130). Emerald Publishing.
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National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Selected statistics from the public elementary and secondary education universe: School year 2014-15. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2016/2016076/index.asp
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OchoaT. A. (2016). Improving transition support for juvenile offenders with disabilities through a collaborative approach. Intervention in School and Clinic, 52, 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451216630291
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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2016, May). National report series: Juvenile in residential placement, 2013. https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/249507.pdf
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SimonsenB.SugaiG. (2013). PBIS in alternative education settings: Positive support for youth with high-risk behavior. Education and Treatment of Children, 36, 3–14.
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SlatenC. D.IrbyD. J.TateK.RiveraR. (2015). Towards a critically conscious approach to social and emotional learning in urban alternative education: School staff members’ perspectives. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 7, 41–62.
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SpanC.RiversI. D. (2012). Reassessing the achievement gap: An intergenerational comparison of African American student achievement before and after compensatory education and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Teachers College Record, 114, 1–6.
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WalkerJ. D.HottB. L. (2015). Navigating the manifestation determination process: A teacher’s perspective. Beyond Behavior, 24, 38–48.
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WilkinsonS.KummS.McDanielS. C. (in press). Moving from an alternative education setting to the traditional school: A transition process for students with EBD. Intervention in School and Clinic, 56(1).
