New York offers alternative schools for troubled teens.
Nationally, a million of the 4 million teenagers who enroll in high school each year drop out before graduation. As of 2008, nearly 30 percent of New York high school students do not graduate. Not all teenagers can succeed in traditional high schools due to behavioral or legal issues and for some of those students, alternative schools may provide an option for receiving a high school education. New York offers alternative schools for troubled teens.
Hyde Leadership Charter School
Founder Joseph Gauld, who began the Hyde School in Maine in 1966, considers Hyde to be an alternative school for students needing more support than public schools offer. Hyde Schools are also located in Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and New York City in the Bronx and Brooklyn. New York teens can attend the Hyde School in the Bronx up until the tenth grade. Starting in 2012, 11th and 12th grades will also be offered. Students at Hyde are expected to build character as much as perform academically and they are graded on effort, not simply on results. The Character Development Program encourages students to address negative attitudes and poor decisions that inhibit their growth and academic achievement. Family growth is also encouraged and parents or guardians are required to attend "Family Days" events twice a year. Among the extracurricular activities are athletics, student groups and participation in the Roberta Flack School of Music, which offers rigorous training in music performance and education.
The Family Foundation School
The Family Foundation School is a therapeutic boarding school in Hancock in southern New York, north of the Pennsylvania border. It is for teenagers in ninth through 12th grades. Teens with a variety of mental health diagnoses are accepted, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, depression, eating disorders and substance abuse disorders. Residents of the school are required to stay at least three semesters and the average length of stay is two years. The principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps Program are integrated into the therapeutic element of the school and applied to all types of issues, not just substance abuse. The school does encourage spiritual growth, although it does not affiliate with any specific religion. The Family Foundation offers a full college preparatory curriculum, including coursework in math, science and foreign languages. The average class size is 12 students. Extracurricular activities, such as performing arts and athletics, are available.
John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School
This charter school is in New York City with a campus in the Bronx for freshmen and sophomores; the campus for juniors and seniors is in Manhattan. The school serves students ages 15 through 21 who have dropped out of traditional high school. Many of the students have had legal or behavioral issues that have interfered with their academics;however, the school encourages students to believe that past problems should not prevent them from graduating from high school. Students have the opportunity to participate in internships to promote career development, including a program that provides internships in the food and restaurant industry and teaches culinary skills. The school also offers extracurricular activities such as athletics and a school radio station.
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