ALS Lesson Plan in Ekonomiks

ALS in the Philippines: A Reaction Paper

ALS IN THE PHILIPPINES AS COMPARED TO OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES: A REACTION PAPER[1]

Adeline C. Mendoza[2]

            The government’s vision for nonformal education is revitalized and epitomized through an Executive Order No. 358 S. 2004, renaming and reinventing of the Bureau of Nonformal Education to Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) whose vision is to view the Philippines as a nation where all the citizens, especially the marginalized individual or group of learners who could not equitably gain access to formal education because of unwanted conditions, be given equal access to quality education by taking an alternative learning system that will enable them to become productive workforce and members of the land.

            The Jomtien Declaration of 1990 was a landmark because it stated that initial basic education was an absolute priority in order to ensure equity for all, and that this was impossible without expanding nonformal approaches to education. It stressed that complementary policies were needed to take into account adult learning, basic education for children and school leavers. Basic Education for All means that people, whatever their age, have an opportunity, individually and collectively, to realize their potential. It is not only a right; it is also a duty and a responsibility both to others and to society as a whole. It is essential that the recognition of the right to education throughout life should be accompanied by measures to create the conditions required to exercise this right.

            Researches on citizenship and democracy are pointing that contemporary society cannot function effectively without adult basic education. The informed and effective participation of men and women in every sphere of life is needed if humanity is to survive and to meet the challenges of the future. Adult education thus becomes more than a right; it is a key to the twenty-first century. It is both a consequence of active citizenship and a condition for full participation in society" (Hamburg Declaration: 1-2)

            In the Asian region, initial attempts in adult education were primarily focussed on imparting basic literacy skills. Basic literacy is a foundational part of lifelong learning. Literacy is seen as a tool for self-empowerment and a step in lifelong learning.  Lifelong learning is not an abstract concept but the daily practice of ordinary people. It is context and culture specific, and relevant not only to rich countries but also to developing and least developed countries of the South.       

            There are commitments in several Asian countries to re-organize their educational systems from the perspective of lifelong learning and to systematize the learning which is already reflected in traditions, knowledge, experience and personal fulfillment that are rooted in the daily lives of the ordinary men and women. Alternative learning systems are being set up in every country. Non-formal education to continue post primary and post-secondary education is being offered to out-of-school and disadvantaged youth and adults who have been deprived of access to the formal system for various socio-economic reasons. Programmes have been established to focus on improving access to education for women, cultural minorities, rural and remote communities, the ageing population, street children, and persons living in conflict areas and in poverty conditions.

There is also a shift to a creation of literate societies and networks of lifelong learning in which many factors other than school come into play, such as the practice of writing integrated into the daily living and working environments, celebration of oral traditions in print media, and reflection of community life in newsletters. The focus is on making learning more relevant, maintaining an ongoing relationship with learning content and life experience, revitalizing local cultures and learning in the mother tongue and giving special attention to community participation.

All Asian countries, including the Philippines is putting education as their priority. Their goal is to eradicate illiteracy and make each citizen literate functional and productive. In this regard, they came up with alternative learning systems to address the educational needs of the citizens especially to those who cannot afford education due to their condition.

The Philippines has been targeting the Education for All. This goal of the government in terms of the education of the Filipinos cannot be addressed alone by the  formal systems of education, those who cannot afford to go to formal schools are addressed to by the Alternative Learning Systems and Programs implemented by the Department of Education. The ALS has been of great help in the literacy program of Dep.Ed. Those drop-outs from formal schools were accepted in the ALS and were mainstreamed to the formal schools, while others were qualified to work as a result of their trainings provided by the ALS programs. At present, the ALS in our country is not yet successful in the attainment of it’s’ goals. To compare it to other ALS in other Asian countries, I would say they are at the same wavelength. The ALS programs of the Asian countries may have helped in addressing the educational needs of the less privileged citizens but still there are more citizens who were not able to avail of the education provided by the formal schools or even the alternative learning systems. Much effort has still to be done. The formal schools should tie up with the alternative learning systems to fully address the needs of all the citizens of each country.

Moreover, it may be true that the ALS of the Philippines as well as other Asian countries have been of great help, but the education that they offer to the learners cannot suffice the educational needs for them to qualify for higher education and even to land in good and decent jobs. The students may have acquired the basic literacy but that is not enough for them to qualify for pursuing higher education especially if they go back to formal schools. The quality education is at risk. They may have learned the basics of education but then again, in our current society wherein it is very competitive, the need for higher education is the demand to qualify for jobs.

It was also noted that more male students drop out from schools, be it in the formal schools or in the alternative schools. The cited reason why more male learners drop out from school than female is due to poverty. More male students are asked to look for jobs that would contribute to the income of the family. This has to be addressed, or else time will come when more male will not be qualified to work due to being uneducated or worst being illiterate.

In summary, most of the regions in our country have performance classified as “falling further behind” or with performance getting lower each year. While substantial investments have been poured into the establishment of basic education facilities, these were not enough to ensure that those who finish the ALS programs in elementary and secondary levels complete basic education with satisfactory achievement level. The basic education system should be responsive to the differentiated needs of learners where a “one-size-fit all” or conventional interventions are not enough or will no longer work.

For the country to achieve its target in 2015, the various basic education stakeholders should focus their efforts and resources in assisting the regions, divisions, schools or groups of learners who are lagging behind. In addition, the following are highly recommended as policy of actions and programs:

ü  Operationalize the Joint Circular on establishing local literacy coordinating councils and literacy implementing units.

ü  Fast track the introduction of methodologies to incorporate basic and functional literacy skills development in existing community development programs of various partners.

ü  Increase DepEd’s budget for the Bureau of Alternative Learning System to enable it to continuously undertake policy/standard setting, national coordination and quality assurance (providing technical support and monitoring and evaluation.)

ü  Redesign the ALS program viz. Ladderized Technical and Vocational Skills Program of TESDA.)

ü  Intensify the Parent or Adult Education program to develop parents’ functional literacy and to advocate the value of being “educated.”

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[1] A reaction paper submitted to Mrs. Glynnis K. Ngeteg in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Educ. 230 – Alternative Learning System, Summer 2011

[2] Graduate Student, MA - ED

ALS….MORE THAN JUST A 3-LETTERED WORD

ALS….MORE THAN JUST A 3-LETTERED WORD[1]

Adeline Cariño Mendoza[2]

“ALS is expected to provide solutions in areas of conflict, critical thinking, in indigenous people communities, reaching out to the un-reached and undeserved groups of learners and in some areas where literacy is most wanting and most needed.” – Jesli Lapus, Former Secretary of Department of Education.

The Alternative Learning System or commonly known as ALS is an offshoot of Executive Order No. 356 restructuring and renaming the Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE) to Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS). This is to respond to the need of a more systematic and flexible approach in reaching to all types of learners outside the formal system. As such, it carries a redefined mandate which strengthens the bureau’s function to ensure that all learning needs of marginalized learners are addressed for them to function effectively as citizens. In other words, ALS is designed to provide education that is meaningful as it is rooted in the community life and experience of the people; because learning takes place in this context as well as in the way they understand the stages of their cycle.

Along the course of the implementation of ALS, there were various problems encountered as it was introduced and implemented in the different areas and communities in the Philippines. The following were identified as common problems encountered in the implementation of ALS:

Ø    Very limited budget for ALS (less than 1% of the total budget given to DepEd.) With this budget, it is impossible for ALS to address the need of it’s’ implementation. Any program or project for that matter, if funds are insufficient will not be effective and efficient.

Ø    The difficulty of encouraging and motivating of ALS clienteles to attend their classes and sessions. The low participation rate in the Alternative Learning Programs as confirmed where the least attended alternative learning system programs for 15 years old and above were Basic Literacy Classes (2.2%), Functional Literacy (4.6%) and Basic Vocational Training Programs (6.2%). Livelihood Training was most attended with 43.2% implying priority for meeting basic economic needs.

Ø    Not all those who enrolled in the ALS program were able to finish studying the modules. At the national level, the average completion rate of Literacy Service Contracting Scheme Learners from 2000 – 2005 was 82.6% only. Their absenteeism and dropping out from the ALS programs is due to their other concerns like their work and household chores. Others do not have the means to go to the ALS center because their places are very far while others choose to spend their time working so that they could have money. In other words, poverty is still one of the prevalent reasons for not finishing the ALS programs.

Ø    The scarce human and financial resources of the District Department of Education, which resulted in limited program campaign, inadequate support for the contextualization of learning modules, and insufficient training programs for community members.

Ø    The strong influence of the Islamic religious groups, which supports only a purely culture-based program management. It was noted that in Islamic regions especially those in Mindanao have very poor participation in the ALS programs because they think that whatever is taught to the learners may be contradictory to their Islamic doctrine and culture.

Ø    The District Department of Education’s ill-prepared turnover of the ALS programs to the municipal governments, which resulted in the latter’s limited technical and financial assistance to the program.

Ø    The passing rate of the Accreditation and Equivalency test is far from desirable. The passing rate ranges from 13-24% at the elementary level and 13-19% at the secondary level. This means that less than 2 in every 10 A&E test takers actually pass the exam. Moreover, many of those who pass the exams are “walk-in” test takers, not necessarily the learners who underwent the A&E programs. These walk-in test takers are sometimes drop-outs from formal basic education who take the A&E test to gain an educational qualification comparable to that of the formal system. They also have easy access to the testing centers and who reside in urban areas. They have greater exposure to mass media as source of knowledge and information compared to those who fail in the A&E test who have less exposure to mass media and come from far-flung areas.

Ø    The very limited coverage of alternative learning programs and the issue on the quality of these programs. The ALS programs do not satisfy the need to provide illiterate Filipinos with basic learning needs. And those who pass the A&E test do not have sufficient knowledge to really qualify them for higher education.

            To address these problems in the implementation of ALS, the following should be taken into consideration:

ü    Increase DepEd’s budget for the Bureau of Alternative Learning System to enable it to continuously undertake policy/standard setting, national coordination and quality assurance (providing technical support, monitoring and evaluation.) There should also be alternative financing schemes like partnership between local governments and private sectors to cover the costs of ALS teacher programs, instructional materials, ALS centers and facilities. The government should also engage NGOs in the implementation of community-based literacy programs outside the formal school system.

            DepEd should actively participate in advocating for efficient tax revenue collection. Moreover, mobilization of resources from local governments, private sectors and other partners who will also help the country finance the increasing budgetary requirements in the implementation of ALS as part of EFA (Education for All). In line with this, there should also be an institutionalization of local initiatives for fund sourcing and human resource augmentation to ensure program.

ü    The DepEd should fast-track the introduction of methodologies that will incorporate basic and functional literacy programs in the community development initiatives of other government agencies such as the DA, DENR, DAR, DH and DSWD. Moreover, alternative learning system-related efforts of local government and NGOs should be strengthened and intensified to help address the illiteracy of Filipino youths and adults.

ü    Redesign the Alternative Learning System program viz. Ladderized Technical and Vocational skills program of TESDA.

ü    Intensify the Parent Education Program to develop parents’ functional literacy skills and to advocate the value of being “educated” to their children.

ü    Harmony of program operation policies and strategies with the cultural beliefs and practices of the community.

ü    Assumption of roles by the stakeholders, based on their individual interests and capacities.

ü    Enhancement of stakeholders’ skills to ensure effective and efficient performance of their roles in the program.

ü    Establishment of participation conditions that will stir up program implementation and

ü    BALS should tap volunteer committed teachers to help in the implementation of the ALS programs.

                Thus, ALS is more than just a 3-lettered word. It was designed and crafted beautifully to help in the attainment of EFA. But more than just the design is the challenge of those in the BALS to properly implement the ALS programs so that it will be effective and efficient in addressing the educational needs of the depressed, underprivileged, marginalized and the poor Filipinos. It is also a challenge on my part as an educator in the formal system to do all ways and means to help educate the young Filipinos. ALS is more than just the discussions and reporting that we had in our ALS class but the challenge is also for me to improve my teaching strategies and come up with alternative ways to address the educational needs of my students.

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[1] A paper submitted to Mrs. Glynnis K. Ngeteg in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Educ. 230 – Alternative Learning System, Summer 2011

[2] Graduate Student, MA-ED

School For At-Risk in Taal High School: An Expository Paper

SCHOOL FOR AT-RISK IN TAAL HIGH SCHOOL: AN EXPOSITORY PAPER[1]

Adeline C. Mendoza[2]

            In a class, only 10% are regular attendees, 40% are truants, 30% are low achievers, 10% are seasonal and 10% are failures. This is the normal class situation in our school, Taal High School.

            The 40% truants are not attending their classes regularly because they prefer to stay in computer shops, they spend most of their time with their peers in their “tambayan” drinking liquor, smoking, or they simply stay there to pass their time. Others spend their time in basketball courts, while others spend their time practicing their dance steps. Some of them are inside the classrooms but they are unruly, or they simply don’t care what is going on inside the classrooms. When they enter their classes the following day, they do not have accomplished assignments, projects or even their bags are empty, they only have their combs, cologne or perfumes, cellphones or their make-up kits for the ladies.

            The 30% low achievers are by nature slow learners and have difficulty of coping or complying with their tasks and requirements in their respective classes. Some of them are non-readers and non-numeric. In short, they have not mastered the basic skills that should have been acquired in the elementary level.

            The 10% seasonal are the students who only appear during periodical examinations and the like. After the tests, they are not anymore visible in school.

            The 10% failures are those who drop-out from school and others are those who have enrolled but have not presented themselves in school.

            These are the kind of students that we deal with in our school. For three years that I had been in the school, there were various measures taken and implemented to solve this problem but it seems that the problem is the attitude of most students and so with some parents and a few teachers. Now, I think to remedy or even to solve this problem is to come up with a school for these at-risk students.

            An alternative school for the young designed to meet the needs of the truant students, the low achievers, the students who cannot regularly attend their classes due to lack of finances and students who become uninterested to learn due to the unkind and inconsiderate parents, teachers and classmates and students who are influenced by peers and as a result they get hooked into vices and even prohibited drugs.

            The Career Academy would be beneficial for most of them, especially so that most of our students only aim for a high school diploma and only a few would pursue their college or even technical or vocational courses. After high school, they will look for a job to help support their families. In this case, the career academy is a good alternative for our students at-risk. They can choose a certain career in which their skill or interest is suited. They will be trained to develop their skills so that after their training and education in the career academy, they will be able to land in a job or even to start with a small business using the skills and expertise they have mastered. In this case, the student will not be a liability to his family and the community but is a contributor to the development of his family and the community.

            The Talent Development for High Schools can also be a good alternative learning system for our students. This school aims to tap and develop the potential talents of students. Many of our students who are unruly in class are talented. They are good in dancing, in acting and even singing. Some of them are members of dance troops while others are band members. So if this alternative can be aligned or integrated in our school, I believe many of our students will be in the school. They will not only learn the regular subjects taught inside the classrooms but they will also be excited to share and develop their talents during their Talent Classes. As I have observed and experienced, most of the unruly students if given the chance to show and share where their talent is and they are appreciated, they also work on their academics. Actually, from their exposure to programs and activities showcasing their talents, they were able to qualify to join in competitions in National Televisions.

            If only our traditional public schools are well-funded and well-facilitated, we can incorporate or align schools for at-risk students such as Career Academies and Talent Development for High Schools. If this happens, there will be more students in school, very few if not, no student will drop out from school.

            Aside from the alternative learning systems mentioned, I would also like to recommend other alternative programs designed to help students in their educational needs.

1.    Night and Weekend School. This school can cater to the needs of working students and also with the out-of-school-youths to go back to school. This school can also help the adults who have left school and would like to go back to school and finish their education.

2.    Teen Parents School. This school is good for the teen-agers who get involved in relationships and get pregnant. In most cases, early pregnancy is unplanned and in this case, unexpected changes can cause disruption in the teenager’s education. Teen parents school should provide prenatal and child care services and should emphasize on the well-being of parents and children.

3.    Substance Abuse Programs. This program will cater to the needs of our students who are drug addicts, heavy drinkers and smokers. This program can help them by providing medical services and other needs which are not provided by traditional schools. Education will be provided in a manner that suits the needs of the students.

These are other alternatives to address the needs of our students who are at risk and they are in need of special care and attention.

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[1]  A report submitted to Mrs. Glynnis K. Ngeteg for presentation and discussion in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Education 230 – Alternative Learning Sytems, Summer 2011

[2] Graduate Student, MA-ED

starting with this thing called blog: Enjoying myself blogging

starting with this thing called blog: Enjoying myself blogging

Enjoying myself blogging

It's really interesting to blog, I am enjoying it now.... It's costs a lot especially that I do not have my own computer. But anyways, thanks a lot to ALS, I learned how to make my blog account. I hope I can meet more friends here so I could share with them my views and I too can learn from their views, as well as experiences.

General Types of Alternative Learning Systems

GENERAL TYPES OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEMS[1]

Adeline C. Mendoza, Alex C. Kingi, Rosemarie T. Bangsail, Leonalyn A. Mangliwan,

Navey W. Catawe, Irene Marie P. Songuitan, Gina P. Tao-ey[2]

I. HOME SCHOOLS

Homeschooling or home school (also called home education or home learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community, homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to private schools outside the home or educational institutions operated by civil governments.

Homeschooling is a legal option for parents in some countries to provide their children with a learning environment as an alternative to public or private schools outside the home. Parents cite numerous reasons as motivations to home school, including better academic test results, poor public school environment, religious reasons, improved character/morality development, the expense of private education, and objections to what is taught locally in public school. It may be a factor in the choice of parenting style. Homeschooling is also an alternative for families living in isolated rural locations or living temporarily abroad.

In 1980, Holt said, "I want to make it clear that I don't see homeschooling as some kind of answer to badness of schools. I think that the home is the proper base for the exploration of the world which we call learning or education. Home would be the best base no matter how good the schools were. Holt later wrote a book about homeschooling, Teach Your Own, in 1981. One common theme in the home school philosophies of both Holt and the Moores is that home education should not be an attempt to bring the school construct into the home, or a view of education as an academic preliminary to life. They viewed it as a natural, experiential aspect of life that occurs as the members of the family are involved with one another in daily living.

Their primary assertion was that the bonds and emotional development made at home with parents during these years produced critical long term results that were cut short by enrollment in schools, and could neither be replaced nor afterward corrected in an institutional setting. Recognizing a necessity for early out-of-home care for some children – particularly special needs and starkly impoverished children, and children from exceptionally inferior homes– they maintained that the vast majority of children are far better situated at home, even with mediocre parents, than with the most gifted and motivated teachers in a school setting (assuming that the child has a gifted and motivated teacher). They described the difference as follows: "This is like saying, if you can help a child by taking him off the cold street and housing him in a warm tent, then warm tents should be provided for all children – when obviously most children already have even more secure housing.

 

A.    METHODOLOGY OF HOME SCHOOLS

                        Home schools use a wide variety of methods and materials. There are different paradigms, or educational philosophies, that families adopt including unit studies, Classical education (including Trivium, Quadrivium), Charlotte Mason education, Montessori method, Theory of multiple intelligences, Unschooling, Radical Unschooling, Waldorf education, School-at-home, A Thomas Jefferson Education, and many others. Some of these approaches, particularly unit studies, Montessori, and Waldorf, are also available in private or public school settings. It is not uncommon for the student to experience more than one approach as the family discovers what works best for them. Many families do choose an eclectic (mixed) approach.

            The unit study approach incorporates several subjects, such as art, history, math, science, geography and other curriculum subjects, around the context of one topical theme, like water, animals, American slavery, or ancient Rome. For example, a unit study of Native Americans could combine age-appropriate lessons in: social studies, how different tribes lived prior to colonization vs. today; art, making Native American clothing; history (of Native Americans in the U.S.); reading from a special reading list; and the science of plants used by Native Americans.

Unit studies are particularly helpful for teaching multiple grade levels simultaneously, as the topic can easily be adjusted (i.e. from an 8th grader detailing and labeling a spider's anatomy to an elementary student drawing a picture of a spider on its web). As it is generally the case that in a given "home school" very few students are spread out among the grade levels, the unit study approach is an attractive option. Unit study advocates assert that children retain 45% more information following this approach.

            "All-in-one" curricula, sometimes called a "school in a box", are comprehensive packages covering many subjects; usually an entire year's worth. They contain all needed books and materials, including pencils and writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools, libraries and shops. Typically, these materials recreate the school environment in the home and are based on the same subject-area expectations as publicly run schools, allowing an easy transition into school. They are among the more expensive options, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation. The guides are usually extensive, with step-by-step instructions. These programs may include standardized tests and remote examinations to yield an accredited school diploma.

            Student-paced learning is similar to All-in-one curricula are learner-paced curriculum packages. These workbooks allow the student to progress at their own speed.

            Online resources for homeschooling include courses of study, curricula, educational games, online tests, online tutoring, and occupational training. Online learning potentially allows students and families access to specialized teachers and materials and greater flexibility in scheduling. Parents can be with their children during an online tutoring session. Finally, online tutoring is useful for students who are disabled or otherwise limited in their ability to travel. Several well-known programs for gifted children, who need differentiation in their curricular choices, are available: the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth and Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth both provide challenging materials to students, including both self-paced courses with tutor support and online classroom-based courses.

            Unschooling and natural learning is used to describe all methods of education that are not based in a school. "Natural learning" refers to a type of learning-on-demand where children pursue knowledge based on their interests and parents take an active part in facilitating activities and experiences conducive to learning but do not rely heavily on textbooks or spend much time "teaching", looking instead for "learning moments" throughout their daily activities. Parents see their role as that of affirming through positive feedback and modeling the necessary skills, and the child's role as being responsible for asking and learning.

The term "unschooling" as coined by John Holt describes an approach in which parents do not authoritatively direct the child's education, but interact with the child following the child's own interests, leaving them free to explore and learn as their interests lead. "Unschooling" does not indicate that the child is not being educated, but that the child is not being "schooled", or educated in a rigid school-type manner. Holt asserted that children learn through the experiences of life, and he encouraged parents to live their lives with their child. Also known as interest-led or child-led learning, unschooling attempts to follow opportunities as they arise in real life, through which a child will learn without coercion. An unschooled child may utilize texts or classroom instruction, but these are not considered central to education. Holt asserted that there is no specific body of knowledge that is, or should be, required of a child.

"Unschooling" should not be confused with "deschooling," which may be used to indicate an anti-"institutional school" philosophy, or a period or form of deprogramming for children or parents who have previously been schooled.

B. Community Resources

Homeschoolers often take advantage of educational opportunities at museums, community centers, athletic clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources. Secondary school level students may take classes at community colleges, which typically have open admission policies. In many communities, homeschooling parents and students participate in community theater, dance, band, symphony, and choral opportunities.

Groups of homeschooling families often join together to create home school co-ops. These groups typically meet once a week and provide a classroom environment. These are family-centered support groups whose members seek to pool their talents and resources in a collective effort to broaden the scope of their children's education. They provide a classroom environment where students can do hands-on and group learning such as performing, science experiments, art projects, foreign language study, spelling bees, discussions, etc. Parents whose children take classes serve in volunteer roles to keep costs low and make the program a success.

Certain states, such as Maine, Florida and New Mexico, have laws that permit homeschooling families to take advantage of public school resources. In such cases, children can be members of sports teams, be members of the school band, can take art classes, and utilize services such as speech therapy while maintaining their home school lifestyle.

Homeschooling families usually have to absorb the total costs of their child's education.

C. Homeschooling and college admissions

Parents choose to use standardized test scores to aid colleges in evaluating students. The College Board suggests that homeschooled students keep detailed records and portfolios.

In the last several decades, US colleges and universities have become increasingly open to accepting students from diverse backgrounds, including home-schooled students. According to one source, homeschoolers have now matriculated at over 900 different colleges and universities, including institutions with highly selective standards of admission such as the US military academies, Rice University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University.

A growing number of homeschooled students are choosing dual enrollment, earning college credit by taking community college classes while in high school. Others choose to earn college credits through standardized tests such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

 

B.   HOMESCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Ø  Angelicum College (Quezon City, Private)

Ø  Marist School (Marikina, Private)

Ø  Colegio de San Juan de Letran (Manila, Private)

Ø  St. Francis School (Las Piñas, Private)

Ø  Ann Arbor School  (Parañaque, Private)

Ø  Batasan High School (Commonwealth Avenue, Public)

II. CHARTER SCHOOLS

              Charter schools are independent public schools (most are nonprofit organizations) designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs, and others. They are authorized/ chartered by local or state education agencies or organizations that monitor their quality and effectiveness, but allow them to operate somewhat outside of the regimented practices of traditional schools. They are not required to follow all the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to normal public schools. Charter schools write their own philosophy and mission statement, setting their own curriculum and policies under government supervision.

              The idea of charter schools first appeared in the 1980s.  Charter schools are often founded by educators or groups of parents who are dissatisfied with surrounding public schools. Nonprofit organizations, universities, and even public school districts can also start charter schools. Occasionally, for- profit charter schools are even founded by corporations if the school district allows it.

A.   PURPOSE OF A CHARTER SCHOOL

            Some charter schools emphasize a certain aspect of education in their curriculum, such as mathematics, science, or the arts. Others simply aim to provide a better general education than the surrounding public schools.

            A charter school should be secular, and cannot discriminate on the basis of race, creed, economic class, gender, or origin. It integrates teaching methods and educational philosophy which are sometimes different than those of the public school under the supervision of a school board. Charter schools offer an opportunity to test out innovative pedagogy, and parents with the resources can choose whether or not to send their children to a charter school.

            Typically, a charter school has a focus, such as providing services to at-risk youth, offering college preparatory classes, or focusing on technology, the sciences, or the arts. The school signs a charter or contract with the district, usually for a term of three to five years. In exchange for public funding and less supervision, the charter school is expected to provide a superior education to its students. Results are measured using a variety of means, although there is often a heavy focus on standardized testing.

B.   ONLINE CHARTER SCHOOLS

        An online charter school is a school conducted over the Internet. It differs from the many private schools that operate online classes because payments to the school for its services come from the government sources. There are many charter schools that are online. Their growth is occurring and though these remain less popular alternatives for kids and their parents, they are certainly become a viable alternative to educate children.

C.   ACCOUNTABILITY OF CHARTER SCHOOLS

              Each charter school operates based on the charter that it has written under state government rules. The charter specifies what types of results it will produce, and in exchange for a little leniency from the state, it becomes accountable for achieving the goals as written in the charter. If schools fail to live up to the charters, they usually shut down.

D.   TEACHERS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS

              It is not an absolute requirement that every teacher in a charter school hold a valid teaching license. However, in compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), 70% of all charter school staffs must be “highly qualified” as defined by the state in which the school is located. Depending on the state, “highly qualified” indeed may be defined as holding a valid teaching license. In most states, one may obtain a teaching position without being licensed; however, chances of employment are much greater if one holds a permanent license in the state which the school is located.

III. PRIVATE/ INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

         Private schools, also known as independent schools or non state schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public (government) funding.

                        An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the investment yield of an endowment. It is governed by a board of directors that is elected by an independent means and a system of governance that ensures its independent operation. It may receive government funds. However, its board must be independent.

            In the Philippines, the private sector has been a major provider of educational services, accounting for about 7.5% of primary enrollment, 32% of secondary enrollment and about 80% of tertiary enrollment. Private schools have proven to be efficient in resource utilization. Per unit costs in private schools are generally lower when compared to public schools. This situation is more evident at the tertiary level. Government regulations have given private education more flexibility and autonomy in recent years, notably by lifting the moratorium on applications for new courses, new schools and conversions, by liberalizing tuition fee policy for private schools, by replacing values education for third and fourth years with English, mathematics and natural science at the option of the school, and by issuing the revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools in August 1992.

A.           TYPES OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Ø  Independent or nonprofit. Schools are accountable to a board of directors or some other private overseeing body.

Ø  Proprietary Schools. They are for profit. The school’s directors are not subject to ruling by a governing body or board. It has the highest tuition rates of all.

Ø  Parochial Schools. Schools which are funded by a church or religious group, and are often managed by an affiliated board or by the religious institution to which they belong.

B.           BENEFITS OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS

One of the primary benefits of private schools is often thought to be the superior education they offer compared to public schools. According to the results of the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a test required for private and public school students, private school students scored higher on average across all subjects. This trend starts on the first round of NAEP testing, which begins in the fourth grade, and continues through tests that take place in eighth and 12th grades. Students in private schools score higher on this assessment in all subjects tested, including reading, math and science.

Private school students statistically perform better on the SAT college entrance exam than public school students. Not only do private school students score higher than public school students on the SAT exam, they're also more likely to graduate from college across all socioeconomic levels. Both of these effects may be attributed to higher academic standards at private schools, evidenced by a higher number of classes required across all subjects to fulfill the school's curriculum.

            Another area where private schools shine is in parent and teacher satisfaction levels. According to the Council for Private Education (CAPE), parents of private school children are generally more satisfied with all aspects of their child's education than parents of public school children. Teachers and administrators report higher levels of satisfaction; they're also more likely to feel that their contributions are recognized and their opinions are heard.

C.           FINANCIAL AID FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Financial aid for private schools come in a variety of forms. Many schools offer need-based grants, as well as merit-based academic or athletic scholarship.

Once a school has decided to accept the student, it may offer financial assistance to those who need in order to attend. This may include offering additional aid or off-setting expenses for students who bring strong academic or leadership skills.

Some private schools work hard to build their endowment or hold fund raisers to increase the amount of aid available.

D.           PRIVATE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Private school curriculum is set by the individual school charter, unlike public schools, which are subject to strict curriculum guidelines developed by the state. Though the majority of private schools are free to teach the curriculum of their choosing, they're still subject to basic educational requirements determined by their local Department of Education. These requirements vary widely from state to state, but they generally include health and safety measures to protect the well-being of students, such as regulations on transportation, food handling, employee conduct and record-keeping. The requirements may or may not address the curriculum, but if they do, the standards are more flexible than those that govern public schools.

This curriculum flexibility allows private schools to focus their teachings on areas they deem important, or on subjects that meet the school's basic philosophy. For example, religious schools are permitted to teach faith-based classes that use the Bible or other religious texts, all of which are banned in the majority of public schools. One of the biggest debates over this topic lies in the teaching of creationism vs. evolution in science classes. While most public schools are required by law to teach evolution only, private schools are free to teach either or both of these theories.

Many private schools, particularly at the high school level, offer students the chance to participate in programs not found at most public schools. For instance, at arts-based private high schools, students may spend half the day on regular academic studies and the other half of the day pursuing vocal or dance training. Other curriculums focus on athletics, honors disciplines or even special-needs programs for students who require additional academic guidance or help with study skills. At the majority of public schools, these types of special programs are often under-funded or nonexistent. For instance, many public school students in highly populated urban areas may take part in art, music or gym classes only once a week due to budget constraints.

E.           PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

            Depending on the school, applicants may be required to fill out forms or write essays, while others may require formal interviews or observation sessions. Performing arts schools often require an audition, either live or prerecorded, and all schools will ask for transcripts and other scholastic performance records.

            At the elementary school level, the student will typically be asked to visit for an assessment with teachers and administrators, who will study the child's academic skills as well as his or her social interactions with others.

            Though private schools are largely conflicted on the issue of standardized testing, many schools require students to take one of two entrance tests. These include the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) and Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), both of which test a variety of subjects and academic skills.

            Admission preference is also often given to legacies, donors or to children who have siblings already attending the school.

F.            DISCIPLINE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Ø  Rules of the school are clearly laid out.

Ø  School insists parents’ involvement.

Ø  The code of conduct spells out serious consequences.

Ø  The code of conduct is enforced.

G.           PRIVATE SCHOOL RATING

            What makes a "good" private school, anyway? While the answer is different for everyone, quality schools generally share some basic characteristics. They tend to have solid test scores, or some other satisfactory measure of student education performance. They offer programs suitable to your child's needs, whether your child needs extra help with class work or more of a challenge. The best private schools encourage teachers to pursue specialized training or further their education, and many seek teachers with advanced degrees in their fields. The school should have a high success rate for getting students accepted into college; it should also be capable of preparing students to take college entrance exams like the SAT.

            For some, factors like diversity are a major influence on school quality, while others may consider this less important than the school's academic offerings. Another good way to compare private school ratings is through student, parent and teacher satisfaction levels. Check with current students, or ask the school for testimonials. It can also help to ask friends and neighbors about their experiences with specific schools.

Above all, don't consider that the "best" school in your area is automatically the right school for your child. Look for a school that will allow your child to perform at his or her highest level, while building self-esteem and qualities like leadership and a self-motivated attitude toward learning.

IV. BOARDING SCHOOLS

            Boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals. Some boarding schools also have day students who attend the institution by day and return off-campus to their families in the evenings.

            Many independent (private) schools in the Commonwealth of Nations are boarding schools. Boarding school pupils (a.k.a. "boarders") normally return home during the school holidays and, often, weekends, but in some cultures may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their families. In the United States, boarding schools comprise various grades, most commonly grades seven or nine through grade twelve - the high school years. Some also feature military training, though this is generally offered only at specialized military schools. Some American boarding schools offer a post-graduate year of study in order to help students prepare for college entrance, most commonly to assimilate foreign students to American culture and academics before college.

A.           HISTORY OF BOARDING SCHOOL

            The practice of sending children to other families or to schools so that they could learn together is of very long standing, recorded in classical literature and in UK records going back over a thousand years. In Europe, a practice developed by early mediaeval times of sending boys to be taught by literate clergymen, either in monasteries or as pages in great households. The school often considered the world's oldest boarding school, The King’s School, Canterbury, counts the development of the monastery school in around 597 AD to be the date of the school's founding.

            Boarding schools in England started before medieval times, when boys were sent to be educated at a monastery or noble household, where a lone literate cleric could be found. In the 12th century, the Pope ordered all Benedictine monasteries such as Westminster to provide charity schools, and many public schools started when such schools attracted paying pupils. These public schools reflected the collegiate universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as in many ways they still do, and were accordingly staffed almost entirely by clergymen until the 19th century.

B.           EXAMPLE OF BOARDING SCHOOL

            Boarding house of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, Australia. A typical modern fee-charging boarding school has several separate residential houses, either within the school grounds or in the surrounding area. Pupils generally need permission to go outside defined school bounds; they may be allowed to travel off-campus at certain times.

A number of senior teaching staff are appointed as housemasters, housemistresses, dorm parents, or residential advisors, each of whom takes quasi-parental responsibility for perhaps 50 students resident in their house at all times but particularly outside school hours. Each may be assisted in the domestic management of the house by a housekeeper often known as matron, and by a house tutor for academic matters, often providing staff of each sex. In the US, boarding schools typically have a resident family that lives in the dorm, known as dorm parents. They also have janitorial staff for maintenance and housekeeping, but typically do not have tutors associated with an individual dorm. Nevertheless, older pupils are often unsupervised by staff, and a system of monitors or prefects gives limited authority to senior pupils. Houses readily develop distinctive characters, and a healthy rivalry between houses is often encouraged in sport. See also House system.

Houses or dorms usually include study-bedrooms or dormitories, a dining room or refectory where pupils take meals at fixed times, and a library, hall or cubicles where pupils can do their homework. Houses may also have common rooms for television and relaxation and kitchens for snacks, and, occasionally, storage facilities for bicycles or other sports equipment. Some facilities may be shared between several houses or dorms.

 

C.           BOARDING SCHOOLS IN ACROSS SOCIETIES

In the United States, boarding schools for students below the age of 13 are called junior boarding schools, and are not as common and not as encouraged as in the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan. The oldest junior boarding school in the United States is the Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts. Other boarding schools are intended for high school age students, generally of ages 14–18. Boarding schools for this age group are often referred to as prep schools. Some notable examples are Phillips Academy Andover, Milton Academy, Deerfield Academy, Shenandoah Valley Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall, Woodberry Forest School, The Hotchkiss School, Kent School, Westtown School, Miss Porter's School, West Ridge Academy, Blair Academy, The Hill School, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Phillips Exeter Academy, The Lawrenceville School, The Emma Willard Schooland Canterbury School, the state's first Catholic Boarding School. St. Grottlesex is the colloquial name of an additional group of five geographically grouped schools: St. Paul's School, St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA, Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth RI, St. George's School in Newport RI, The Groton School in Groton, MA, The Middlesex School in Concord, MA, and Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hall School in Waltham.

In Canada, the largest independent boarding school is Columbia International College, with an enrollment of 1,300 students from all over the world. Robert Land Academy in Wellandport, Ontario is Canada's only private military style boarding school for boys in Grades six through 12.

 

D.         BOARDING SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Ø  Brent International School. It was started by Ret. Rev. Charles Henry Brent, the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines in Baguio City in 1909, the year when Baguio turned into a city. The main purpose of this is to provide the educational needs of American children, Europeans and Asians as well.

Ø  Faith Academy, Makati City. This school started in 1994 in one room within the College Communication’s Building with 4-6 children with 1 teacher. At present, it has more than 300 pupils. It’s goals are to provide each attending child with quality education in a Christian environment and to provide an atmosphere in which a child has opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior and encourage the child to live out his relationship with Jesus Christ.

V. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

            An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the country the school is located in. More specifically, at a conference in Italy in 2009 the International Association of School Librarianship came up with a list criteria for describing an international school. They are as follows:

a. Transferability of the students’ education across international schools.

b. A moving population (higher than in state schools).

c. Multinational and multilingual student body

d. An international curriculum.( eg. IB - DP, MYP, PYP)

e. International accreditation (e.g. CIS, IBO, North Eastern ASC, Weston Ass. of Schools and colleges were mentioned by the group).

f. A transient and multinational teacher population.

g. Non-selective student enrollment.

h. Usually English or bi-lingual as the language of instruction

            These schools cater mainly to students who are not nationals of the host country, such as the children of the staff of international businesses, international organizations, foreign embassies, missions, or missionary programs. Many local students attend these schools to learn the language of the international school and to obtain qualifications for employment or higher education in a foreign country.

A.           ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

The first International schools were founded in the latter half of the 19th century in countries such as Japan, Switzerland and Turkey. Early International schools were set up for those who are constantly on the move, like children of personnel of international companies, international organizations, NGOs, embassy staff with the help of nations having large interests in the hosting nation: for instance, American diplomats and missionaries often set up schools to educate their children; children of American military and army families often attended Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS); French diplomats and business families founded similar schools based on the French curriculum. Over time globalization has proven that education no longer can exist solely on a national level. “In a global economy, it is no longer improvement by national standards alone. The best performing education systems internationally provide the benchmark for success,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría launching the annual ‘education at a glance’ report in Paris. Increased movement of people around the globe has created a generation of children growing up and residing in foreign countries, creating and expanding this market for international schools that can cater for their educational needs.

B.           CURRICULUM OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Curriculum International schools typically use curricula based on the school's country of origin. The most common international schools represent Education in the United Kingdom or Education in the United States. Many international schools use curricula specially designed for international school such as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education or the IB Diploma Programme that are all predominantly committed to the notion of internationalism and the global citizen and providing an environment for optimal learning and teaching in an international setting that fosters understanding, independence, interdependence, and cooperation. The United Nations International School (UNIS) was established in 1947 by a group of United Nations Parents to promote an international education for their children, while preserving their diverse cultural heritages. This was the very first school offering the International Baccalaureate program . The school promotes the appreciation of the diversity of persons and cultures, provides an optimal environment for learning and teaching, and offers a global curriculum that inspires in its students the spirit and ideals of the United Nations Charter. Like other schools, international schools teach the subjects such as language arts, mathematics, the sciences, humanities, the arts, physical education, information technology, and design technology. More recent developments specifically for primary school include the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the fast growing International Primary Curriculum (IPC). The International Preschool Curriculum (IPC) is increasingly being adopted by early year departments of international schools and international preschools. There are currently 3063 schools offering the international baccalaureate curriculum in the world.

C.           FACULTY

Faculty at International Schools are usually from or certified by the standards of their country of origin. However there are many exceptions. The most common exception is when the international school requires a teacher trained specifically for an international syllabus or for teaching a foreign language rare to the international school's country of origin.

Hiring is frequently done at large international job fairs, such as the ones held by the Council of International Schools (CIS), where schools can interview and hire several teachers at once. There are also a handful of agencies which specialize in recruiting international teachers. Over the years it has become harder to recruit young international teachers, partly because of international security fears, partly because the compensation packages are not as attractive as they used to be. In some countries such as South Korea, recent visa changes have also made it more difficult to obtain both qualified and unqualified teachers.

D.         CRITICISMS

            It has been noted that international schools only cater for the wealthy and privileged. There is also criticism suggesting that international schools are purely a way of commercializing education.

Because of the higher fees charged, the actual existence of international schools will widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

VI. CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/ RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS

            Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. Currently, the Church operates as the world's largest non-governmental school system.  Catholic schools participate in the evangelizing mission of the Church, integrating Religious Education as the core subject within its curriculum.

            The Religious Education as a core subject is a vital element of the curriculum where individuals are to develop themselves: “intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and of course, spiritually.” The education also involves: “the distinct but complementary aspect of the school's religious dimension of liturgical and prayer life of the school community.” In Catholic schools, teachers teach a Religious Education Program provided by the Bishop. Both teacher and Bishop therefore, contribute to the planning and teaching Religious Education Lessons.

A.           PURPOSE

Catholic schools are very distinctive from their public school counterparts in that they aim to focus on the development of individuals as practitioners of the Catholic faith. The leaders, teachers and students are required to focus on four fundamental rules initiated by the Church and school. This includes the Catholic identity of the school, education in regards to life and faith, celebration of life and faith, and action and social justice.

The Catholic vision of education promotes the dignity and freedom of every person as created in the image and likeness of God. This vision inspires and encourages the beliefs and values which are lived out in the daily life of the Catholic school. Within this vision, religious education is very much a journey of formation involving every member of the school community, together with a pupil’s family and parish community. It is in this context that the three elements of religious education, catechesis and evangelization, co-exist, providing mutual support and reinforcement.

The outcome of religious education is religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.

B.       OBJECTIVES OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Ø  To develop knowledge and understanding of the mystery of God and of Jesus Christ, of the Church, and of the central beliefs which Catholics hold.

Ø  To develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its’ impact on personal and social behavior and of the vital relationship between faith and life, life and faith.

Ø  To encourage study, investigation and reflection by the pupils.

Ø  To develop appropriate skills.

Ø  To foster appropriate attitudes.

C.       BACKGROUND

Traditionally, Catholic schools originated as single sex schools. Catholic schools were previously required to depend on school fees and endowments. This ceased and prevented students from enrolling into Catholic schools due to the inability of paying expensive fees.

Irish immigration provides the most fundamental contribution to the increase of the development of numerous Catholic communities across the globe. The Irish immigration established the revival of Catholicism through movement and choosing to reside in countries across Europe, United Kingdom and Australia. At present, these nations currently consist of dominant Catholic schools development. Historically, the establishment of Catholic schools in Europe encountered various struggles following the creation of the Church of England in the Elizabethan Religious settlements of 1558-63. This period raised anti-Catholicism, forcing Catholic devotees to create modern Catholic education systems to preserve their Catholic traditions. The Relief Acts of 1782 and the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 later increased the possibility to openly practice Catholicism in England and to create charitable institutions by the Church. This led to the development of numerous native religious congregations which established schools, hospitals, orphanages, reformatories, and workhouses.

D.           CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS

Catholic schools engage in an ongoing process of evaluation, certification, and accreditation of both teachers and programs. Their accountability guarantees the maintenance of Catholic school’s traditionally high standards.

The catholic school curriculum meets all state regulations and guidelines. In addition, diocesan guidelines require a strong religious education curriculum.

Catholic school faculty members are fully qualified professionals committed to bringing out the best in their students as they grow in knowledge, skills and values.

Catholic schools are committed to the development of the whole student. Extra-curricular activities are regarded as important part of total learning experience. A variety of choices is offered to reflect the uniqueness of each student, to generate a healthy sense of competition, to create a spirit of cooperation, and to foster both leadership and creativity.

E.           FUNDING OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Catholic schools collect tuition fees from their students. Tuition cost is also supplemented by the parish, so the Catholic community shares the cost of education.

 

VII. SCHOOLS FOR AT-RISK AND DROP-OUT PREVENTION

            Alternative schools are designed to meet the needs of at-risk students. They serve children who have not achieved satisfactory grades in a traditional setting or are likely to drop out of school due to poor attendance, habitual truancy, academic lags and the like. They also cater to the needs of students who experience socioeconomic factors such as drug addiction, early pregnancy and incarceration.

Most alternative schools for at-risk students share several common traits. The teacher/student ratio is usually 1:15 or less. Problem students require more individualized attention. Further, the student body itself is smaller than most public schools, allowing everyone to get to know everyone fairly well. The faculty must know how to teach, but they also need to feel. They are both educators and social workers. Teachers focus on a student's needs and develop a curriculum that fits his expectations and learning style. An alternative school teacher must have total commitment for all of her students to succeed.

Alternative schools vary in size, location, schedule and purpose. They include programs within existing schools, last-chance schools for disruptive students, and others that are run in partnership with community organizations. Further, some are publicly funded; others are completely private. Some schools combine vocational training with academics to make students employable without a college degree. Others focus on behavioral intervention for students who have difficulty adjusting to the social structure of a classroom.

Some popular alternative teaching methods include Waldorf education, in which teachers emphasize the role of the imagination in education and fostering a creative as well as an analytic component to learning. The Montessori method emphasizes self-directed activity on the part of the child in which the teacher facilitates teachable moments rather than administering a defined curriculum. Democratic schools let both students and staff vote in how the institution should be run. Though the notion may seem anarchic, the responsibilities also can make children feel more empowered and invested in their education.

Today’s large problem-plagued high schools should look at the successful alternative high schools for a model for better meeting the needs of today's youth. The learning community formed in those schools is key. Common-bond learning communities can be the central idea around which can be developed the complex balance of environment and forces needed to really meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's emerging generations.

A.   CAUSES OF DROP-OUTS

Increasing stress in school, at work, and at home has caused many students to drop out of school to escape their problems.

With this increasing amount of stress and work, some students have become very frustrated and depressed. Students then drop out of school and take the easy way out to eliminate some of that stress.

Students who are most likely to drop out of school are those who do not have a great interest in school, or students that have many adult responsibilities placed upon them. These problems can force some students into the work force. They do this both to provide money for themselves and to fill the gap that was once school.

Students in high school do not have to deal with these problems alone. There are guidance counsellors to talk to, as well as close friends and teachers to prevent certain students from dropping out of school.

Most students that have dropped out of school usually regret it after awhile. Margaret D., a student at G.V.C., regrets that she ever dropped out of school. Although she enjoyed being out of school, she realized she would regret it for the rest of her life. Margaret D. says, "I wasted a year of my life".

Dealing with the stress and staying in school is generally worth it later on in life.

B.           IMPACT OF DROPPING OUT FROM SCHOOL

Ø  Impact on the Student. Drop outs have a more difficult time finding a job, and a greater tendency for unemployment and chronic and cyclical unemployment. Because of significantly lower earning potential, they have a higher incidence of living in poverty than graduates. They may live in poor neighborhoods, neighborhoods with poor schools, with high crime rates, and a lower quality of housing. They may have less medical and dental care. Those who drop out may also tend to have children who have less aspiration for education, or drop out themselves.

Ø  Impact on the Community . The community is also negatively affected by drop outs, especially when the rates are high. Such a community sees higher crime rates, especially delinquency and drug related crime. They may experience other high risk behaviors such as alcohol abuse, drug use, and sexual activity. Specific communities may also see a decrease in property values, which can ultimately lead to homes which are poorly maintained, urban blight, and a transient neighborhood.

Ø  Impact on Business Businesses need skilled workers. If drop outs are unprepared for the demands of 21st century jobs, businesses lose their most important resource – skilled labor. Businesses have to invest additional money for training or for replacement costs due to high attrition, and even higher property tax rates in these areas to compensate for decreasing home values. These businesses may have higher costs, suffer lower profit margins, and ultimately relocate outside that region – denying an important job resource to that community.

C.           POSSIBLE PREVENTION OF DROP-OUTS

Ø  Check & Connect.  This alternative is a dropout prevention model that was developed in Minnesota through a partnership with the University of Minnesota, the local public schools and community service organizations. It was used in the Minneapolis public schools, specifically focusing in on students with learning, emotional and behavioral disabilities. It is a dropout prevention strategy that relies on close monitoring of school performance, as well as mentoring, case management, and other supports. The program has two main components: “Check” and “Connect.” The Check component is designed to continually assess student engagement through close monitoring of student performance and progress indicators. The Connect component involves program staff giving individualized attention to students, in partnership with school personnel, family members, and community service providers. Students enrolled in Check & Connect are assigned a “monitor” who regularly reviews their performance (in particular, whether students are having attendance, behavior, or academic problems) and intervenes when problems are identified. The monitor also advocates for students, coordinates services, provides ongoing feedback and encouragement, and emphasizes the importance of staying in school.

Ø  Career academies are small, personalized learning communities within a high school that select a subset of students and teachers for a two-, three-, or four-year span. Students enter the academy through a voluntary process; they must apply and be accepted with parental knowledge and support.

A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together as a team.

Staff teams, who often share common planning time, work together to implement the key features of the model and provide students with exposure to the career field. Students are grouped together for several periods every day with a core group of teachers. This promotes a family-like atmosphere and results in close student-teacher ties.

A career academy includes the following essential elements:

• A small learning community
• A college-prep curriculum with a career theme
• Partnerships with employers, the community, and higher education

By design, these three central elements of a career academy lead to a school that is rigorous, relevant, and relational. As such, career academies are an excellent example of a reform model for Florida's policymakers and practitioners to consider in high school reform.

Ø  Talent Development High Schools is a comprehensive reform model for high schools that face serious challenges with student attendance, discipline, achievement scores and dropout rates. The model‘s comprehensive approach to positive change addresses many of the obstacles that keep teachers and students from being successful. At the forefront of these obstacles are anonymity and apathy -- two characteristics students find all too common in traditional high schools.

Talent Development’s research-based model features small learning communities, a strong ninth-grade intervention, curriculum that meets students where they are and takes them where they need to be, teams of teachers and students who know and respect each other and professional development that helps teachers where they need it the most – in their classrooms.

Specific features include the extended class period, a ninth-grade academy, upper-grade career academies, peer coaches for English and math teachers, a Freshman Seminar course and teacher teams.

Talent Development High Schools began in 1994 as a partnership of the Center for Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University and Patterson High School in Baltimore and has expanded to more than 125 high schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Some these schools use the full model of organizations, curricular, instructional and professional development reforms; others use parts of the model or only curriculum.

Talent Development High Schools intend to affect partner high schools in the following positive ways:

• Enhancing the quality of relationships and overall school climate
• Raising levels of energy, morale, engagement, and attendance among all students and staff
• Deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of their own talents
• Strengthening staff capacity for reflection and continuous improvement
• Increasing the number of students who perform on, or above, grade level in literacy, mathematics and other core academic subjects
• Increasing student mastery of higher order competencies and passing rates in college preparatory courses and proficiency exams
• Increasing the percentage of students graduating with a diploma, prepared for college, career and civic life.

D.   OTHER ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS AT-RISK

Ø  Night and Weekend School

Any number of factors can prevent teenagers from participating in the normal school day. Teens that fall into this category might have unstable home environments or work to support or provide for a family. This places a teen at risk of receiving basic education. A student in this situation can contact her local school board to enroll in alternative schools, which offer classes at night or on weekends.

Ø  Correctional Education

Teenagers that become involved in illegal activity are at risk of incarceration or face time in juvenile detention centers. This places greater risk on obtaining a high school level education. Correctional education programs specialize in providing the emotional, social and academic support at-risk teens require. In addition to school learning, a teenager receives integration and probation counseling designed to help him overcome the challenges and circumstances that led him to crime.

Ø  GED Study Programs

Obtaining a General Equivalency Diploma is an option for teens that can't commit to attending traditional high school or have aged beyond compulsory education requirements. GED programs allow these at-risk teens to obtain a GED using a variety of preparation formats including night and weekend courses, day programs and online study programs. Some GED prep programs imitate traditional high school while others are less rigid. GED preparation programs provided by your local Department of Education are always free.

Ø  Teen Parent Schools

The risk of pregnancy exists for any female teen who is sexually active. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 82 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned. The unexpected life change can cause a disruption in a young woman's education. Teenagers facing this challenge can enroll in schools that are optimized for young women. In addition to academic schooling, teen parent schools provide prenatal and child-care services. Social workers within these schools help young women access parenting services and place added emphasis on the well-being of mothers and children.

Ø  Substance Abuse Programs

Schools such as the Phoenix House exist across the nation to serve the needs of at-risk youth struggling with addiction and substance abuse related problems. Teens facing drug addiction require a specific set of medical services such as detoxification, enclosed living spaces free of alcohol and drugs and mental health treatment and facilities. Substance abuse schools bundle these services with traditional education services, offering a uniquely suited collection of support and counseling systems.

VIII. OPEN UNIVERSITIES/ OPEN COLLEGES

             Open universities are universities that have a less formal structure than traditional universities. They are also known for open-door entry policies, where no particular academic qualifications are needed for entry into degree granting or other academic enrichment programs.

Therefore, open universities attract and are ideal for students who are older or who wish to achieve advanced degrees while continuing their careers. They are ideal for continuing education that is either desired or required to advance within a profession or specialty.

Programs offered by open universities include distance or online learning, correspondence courses, a combination of on-site lectures and distance learning, as well as degree programs which grant credit for life experience including work experience.

Open universities are found throughout the world, and programs offered range from technical training to advanced degrees in commerce, finance and even law. While open universities are usually private institutions, they offer instruction at prices that tend to be far lower than those of even some public institutions which offer similar courses. Degrees granted by open universities are often well respected in the workplace because they show the graduate’s commitment to obtaining further knowledge and training while remaining committed to his or her career.

Open college is any college with an open admissions policy - in other words, anyone can apply and get accepted for a course, irrespective of the qualifications they hold. However, a truly open admissions policy can lead to horrendous costs of teaching, very high levels of student drop-out and severe dissatisfaction from students, parents, employers and government - thus in practice some restrictions are imposed.

In practice, the term "open college" is applied mainly to those colleges who teach mostly at a distance and have a more or less open admissions policy (some much more open than others).

Open College independent study is a program designed for individuals who are not free to come to our campuses MDC on a regular basis and offers the opportunity for students to pursue an education within their own time frame and beyond the walls of a traditional classroom. Through study guides, audio and video tapes, computer interaction and multimedia technology, Open College makes college level courses available to students who wish to earn credits with a minimum of campus visits. In the Open College textbooks, study guides, audio-visual materials and exam sessions are provided at three Miami Dade College campuses: Wolfson, North, and Kendall. Written assignments which can be mailed, E-mailed, or hand-delivered are graded and returned promptly. On-Campus review sessions, scheduled one week prior to the midterm and final exams are held at the Wolfson Campus, and also provide the opportunity for students to interact with faculty. Telephone conferences with individual faculty members provide academic support or students can come to a campus to communicate or ask questions as they need to. Open College courses are fully accredited and recorded on student transcripts just as all other Miami Dade credit courses.

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[1] A report submitted to Mrs. Glynnis K. Ngeteg for presentation and discussion in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Education 230 – Alternative Learning Systems, Summer 2011

[2] Graduate Students, MA-ED