An "alternative school" is a nontraditional place of education. Alternative schools have a curriculum that's much different than the ones offered at public schools, with many alternative schools teaching deeply rooted philosophical, political or scholarly beliefs.
One function of nontraditional forms of education is to offer what's missing from a public school--namely individualized attention and the ability to deviate from state-mandated requirements. Some alternative schools oppose the strict requirements of public schools. Waldorf schools are private institutions based on the philosophy of teaching the whole child--the head, heart and hands--through hands-on learning. Students are engrossed in the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, who stressed the importance of creativity. Montessori is a method of supporting the natural development of children by using creativity and time-management skills and was created by Maria Montessori.
Types of alternative schools include optional schools, career-themed or vocational schools, charter schools and home schools. Optional schools focus on a certain type of student, like at-risk students or those who are intellectually gifted. Vocational schools allow students to complete high schools requirements while also gaining experience in a specific career. Many vocational students split half a day between traditional classes and doing career field work, like brick laying or graphic design. Charter schools receive public funds and are allowed to forgo certain rules if they show some standards of accountability. Home schools can consist of loosely-knit groups of children or a single family and are run completely independently. Free schools are grassroots open-structured schools that allow people to share skills with one another. Another option is to combine regular high school with college courses--this is often called "middle college." There are even area learning centers, which aim to help adults get their diploma or GED.
All students have different needs and alternative schools are focused to meet these specific needs. According to the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N), nontraditional forms of education are success in reducing truancy, reducing behavioral problems, improving attitudes toward school and accumulating high school credits. As popularity increases and more people are willing to deviate from the traditional method, more school options will be offered.
According to the NDPC/N, an alternative school should have a clear mission and have a low student-to-teacher ratio to be successful. The school should have a flexible schedule and be closely tied to the community.