Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Alternative education is not a new form of education, nonetheless it is not widely known, in part because of its many definitions and manifestations. It is commonly associated with Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, among other methodologies, and inspired by one of its most popular examples - the Summerhill School. Alternative education has evolved from a modality of education available to wealthy families to become a tool for social inclusion for the youth of disadvantaged communities. Examples of this include Barbiana School and Democratic Schools. As documented in several countries, alternative education has become a popular method of providing remedial education to at-risk youth since it may be designed to accommodate educational, behavioral and/or medical needs of youth, which cannot or are not addressed in a traditional school environment. However, there are multiple modalities, some of which are considered as a model for adolescent education since they highlight social and interpersonal skills as well as authentic student participation in the school community. Alternative education is a concept, a modality, as well as a teaching and learning strategy, which contemplates the essence of a learning community and integrated curriculum in a setting that promotes values of peace, civic engagement, and social justice, outside of the regular school system. In this paper, we trace the history of alternative education and focus on the common strategies of this model as well as explore the results and impact on student retention, graduation, and performance.