An Answer to Disenfranchised Students: High School Credit-Recovery and Acceleration Programs Increasing Graduation Rates for Disenfranchised, Disengaged, and At-risk Students at Nontraditional Alternative High Schools

by Sharon D. Jones Deloach

Overview

Many school districts across this great nation are facing serious patterns of underachievement of students who do not fit well in a mainstream educational environment. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of graduates from a credit-recovery nontraditional alternative high school that influenced his or her graduation. Nationally, many high school students are not earning sufficient credits to remain on grade level with their freshman level cohort. These at-risk students need options with stronger incentives to obtain high school credits and meet graduation requirements. Credit-recovery nontraditional alternative high schools involve an at-risk student population who are at a greater risk of academic, social, and emotional struggles. These students benefit from additional support that a nontraditional setting offers. This study involved interviewing 12 high school graduates who attended and graduated from a credit-recovery nontraditional alternative high school. There was a diversified group by age and other demographics representing five graduating classes. With this research study, the investigator determined graduates' perceptions of credit recovery in their nontraditional alternative high school were overwhelmingly positive. The lived experiences explored in this study may help school leaders, policy makers, teachers, staff, parents, and community partners understand the unique needs of this population.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612334462
Publisher:	Dissertation.Com
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Pages:	118
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Dr. Sharon Deloach is a notable Instructional Executive Leader. For the past 25 years, she has strategically made herself available to lead cross-functional teams and model the role of an innovator. She holds a Doctor of Education degree, EC-12 superintendent, principal, and teacher certifications. She also holds counseling certificates, a non-profit certification, and is a Future Achievement International (FAI), certified Personal Leadership Effectiveness (PLE), Trainer/Coach. She has served in roles of Education Director, Analyst, Consultant, High School Principal, Assistant Principal, At-Risk Facilitator, Post-secondary Education Counselor, Teacher, and Social Service Administrator. A native of central Texas, Dr. Sharon has worked with thousands of educators, students, parents, legislators, industry leaders, and inspiration congregations, to inspire life-long learning. She has conducted specialized training, conference empowerment seminars, staff development workshops, and convocations across the country and abroad.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
Nature of the Problem 1
Statement of the Problem 2
Purpose of the Study 4
Research Design and Method 4
Background of the Problem 5
Evidence of the Problem 5
Setting/Organizational Profile 6
Research Question 9
Theoretical Framework 9
Maslow's Hierarchy of Need 10
The Scaffolding Theory 10
Self-Determination Theory 11
Bandura's Theory of Self-Efficacy 11
Significance of the Study 11
Definition of Terms 12
Scope of Study 13
Limitations 13
Delimitations 14
Assumptions 14
Summary 15
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 16
Documentation 17
Historical Overview 18
High School Dropout Statistics 18
Student and Family Characteristics 20
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 24
Theoretical Framework 25
Scaffolding Theory 25
Self-Determination Theory 26
Bandura's Theory of Self-Efficacy 27
Current Findings 29
Alternative Education as Graduation Support 29
Nontraditional Alternative Education 31
Social Declaration 33
The Role of the Nontraditional Alternative School 34
Characteristics of the Nontraditional Alternative School 35
Barriers of Nontraditional Alternative Education 36
Cultural Awareness 37
Culturally Relevant Leadership 39
Credit-Recovery Programs 40
Variations in Credit-Recovery Program Types 41
Characteristics of Effective Credit-Recovery Programs 44

Conclusion 45
Summary 46
CHAPTER 3: METHOD 50
Research Method, Purpose, and Design 50
Participants Profile 52
Setting and Organizational Profile 53
Population Demographics 55
Participant Selection Method 55
Research Instrument 57
Pilot Study 57
Procedures for Data Collection 58
Procedures for Data Analysis 59
Summary 62
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS of DATA 65
Research Question 66
Demographic Characteristics of Participants 67
Pilot Study Findings 68
Findings 70
Primary Theme 1: Graduate Future 74
Secondary theme 1: Second chances 75
Secondary theme 2: Engagement 76
Secondary theme 3: Urgency 78
Primary Theme 2: Relationships 79
Secondary theme 4: Teacher and administration influence 82
Secondary theme 5: Parent influence 84
Secondary theme 6: Peer and community influence 86
Primary Theme 3: Academic Structure 88
Secondary theme 7: Learning styles 91
Secondary theme 8: Size 93
Secondary theme 9: Pace and speed 94
Summary 95
CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS and IMPLICATIONS 98
Summary of the Study 98
Recommendations 104
Future Research 113
Summary and Conclusions 114
REFERENCES 118