Some communities, especially those with more progressive public education systems, may offer specialized magnet schools for teenagers. These schools can emphasize in preparatory functions related to art, music, drama, science, engineering or mathematics. To be accepted into these schools, parents must advocate and apply for their child in addition to the usage of auditions or test scores. These schools may also offer alternative education practices for their specialized services, including an emphasis on experiential education, field trips and the combination of specialized electives in addition to the standard curriculum.
Certain schools, whether based in the community or in a wilderness therapy context, are designed for helping to improve behavior management for behaviorally challenged students. These schools may also offer specialized therapy sessions, life-skills courses and the use of a variety of trained professionals to help facilitate personal and interpersonal growth for teenagers. Schools set in a wilderness context can also feed into more traditional boarding schools.
Prep academies typically have an extremely high graduation rate and college placement in many of the more prestigious institutions of higher learning. Many of these schools offer standardized testing preparation, lower student-to-teacher ratios and a more rigorous academic experience than traditional high schools. Some academies offer boarding while others do not. Those programs that do offer boarding typically host a diverse student body with students coming from a variety of regions nationally and, in some cases, internationally.
Alternative schools typically have voluntary participation in terms of the teachers, students and parents, providing a more positive learning community. This can allow teachers to have a higher investment in their teaching as well as their student relationships. These schools also offer a greater degree of curriculum customization and personalized instruction for students with specialized needs, whether behavioral, academic or developmental.