Every student deserves the opportunity to achieve their academic goals and aspirations, but cookie-cutter approaches to educational attainment often leave behind far too many students. For secondary students who experience challenges in the traditional education system, alternative high schools are one avenue toward attainment. These public and private institutions have large diversity in form and function — from schools specializing in specific academic areas to schools that support students with non-traditional learning needs. They also support students who may thrive in traditional schools; students in jeopardy of not graduating because of high absentee rates, insufficient completed courses, and not enough high school credits.

The largest falloff for students on the educational attainment pathway is the transition from high school to college. Students attending alternative high schools are often the first in their families to go to college. Moreover, continuation high school students (among the seven types of alternative education schools) are more likely to leave school early without earning a high school diploma.

[However,] initial clarity around college courses, majors, and career choice ensures a greater likelihood of long-term retention and success. What’s more, stronger partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions have been shown to curtail this falloff and increase postsecondary attainment in part through aligning academic expectations with curriculum and support services.

Read the full article by Elisha Smith-Arrillaga, Alina Varona and Georgia Kioukis about community college partnerships from Medium