According to Conley, in "Alternative Schools: A Reference Handbook," after school programs offer additional educational sessions in evening classes and Saturday School. These are offered by private education firms such as Sylvan Learning Centers, as well as community organizations such as the YMCA. After school programs offer tuition from preschool up to college levels. These sessions can take the form of interdisciplinary teaching, which bridges the boundaries between separate subject teaching in the traditional education system, helping students to understand the links between what they are learning, and how this relates their understanding of societies and ideologies.
These are fully established schools that offer an entire education curriculum, rather than being a supplementary to the student's week at a traditional school. There are thousands of these in the UK, and can be searched for individually on the Education Revolution website. In-house alternative schools seek to provide education to "underrepresented communities" based on race, disability and the social demographic that they belong to. They promote "community-powered learning environments" that connect the student with their local environment. The tuition is delivered in conjunction with a background of social justice and a balanced moral outlook, so that the students gain a philosophical and political grounding.
Blue Ribbon Schools do not strictly fall under the "alternative schools" rubric, but according to Conley, they share the same vision and goal, and practice the same administration and management strategies. Blue Ribbon Schools enter into competition annually to be selected by the U.S Department of Education. Curriculum change is often started at these schools, and their ethos is that both teachers and students should be empowered. They function in the community as a bridge between traditional schools and alternative schools which define their stance as being entirely separate from traditional schools.
Charter Schools are public schools that are publicly funded, but can operate in a way that is alternative to traditional school regulations. The charter school movement was established in 1991 to advocate for students, teachers and families. Their focus is on facilitating alternative education that includes the needs and input of students, parents and guardians, and teachers. Their continuation depends on their success in raising student achievement and fulfilling the school's role in achieving good academic performance.