Alternative Education

Options, 2014-15

Education Committee

January 8, 2014

Student Support Services

Overview

• Provide an overview of current alternative

education programming in Pittsburgh Public

Schools (PPS)

• Address Clayton contract expiration and share

program options and recommendations for the

14-15 school year

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Alternative Education

“A program approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) that is designed to support a school’s efforts to provide a temporary placement for disruptive students in grades 6 through 12. Students enrolled in a program will continue to make academic progress and work to remedy disruptive behavior through counseling and other behavioral interventions.”

-Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013-15 Alternative

Education for Disruptive Youth Program Guidelines

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Alternative Education

What comes to mind when you think of

alternative education?

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Alternative Education Programming within

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Student Achievement Center (located in Homewood)

• Overage 6th-8th Grade program

• Credit Recovery (high school)

• Special 12 Credit Recovery program

• Drug violations of the PPS Student Code of Conduct (Rule 7)

• Assault violations of the PPS Student Code of Conduct for students

receiving special education services (Rule 4)

• Weapon violations of the PPS Student Code of Conduct for students

receiving special education services (Rule 6)

Clayton Academy (located on the Northside)

• Pattern of disruptive behavior

• Severe truancy/ absenteeism

• Assault violations of the PPS Student Code of Conduct (Rule 4)

• Weapon violations of the PPS Student Code of Conduct (Rule 6) 5

Referrals to Alternative Education

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SAC Clayton

Overage 6th-8th Grade (Regular & Special Ed) X

Credit Recovery (Regular & Special Ed) X

Special 12 (Regular & Special Ed) X

Pattern of Disruptive Behavior (Regular Ed) X

Severe Truancy/ Absenteeism (Regular Ed) X

Specific Code Violations:

Assaults (Regular Ed) X

Weapons (Regular Ed) X

Assaults (Special Ed) X

Drugs (Regular and Special Ed) X

Weapons (Special Ed) X

Capacity

Student Achievement Center

• As of January 3, 2014, there are 198 students enrolled

(staffed for a maximum of 275 students for the 13-14 school

year)

Clayton Academy

• As of January 3, 2014, there are 227 students enrolled

(contracted for a maximum of 250 students for the 13-14

school year)

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Benefits of Current Model

• Uninterrupted District curriculum

• Full-day programming at the SAC for all long-term

suspensions (4-10 days).

• A full day and comprehensive school program

• Prosecution of disorderly conduct for minor infractions

are minimized due to Code of Conduct changes

• All students are not concentrated into one school

• Able to offer expanded options for credit recovery

• Students are reintegrating back into their schools

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Opportunities to Improve

• Minimize classroom disruptions without excessive

removals from class or loss of instruction.

• Assure school-wide behavior plans and strong

classroom management model

• Better utilize PPS Safety and City of Pittsburgh police to

reduce criminalizing school misbehavior

• Seek external resources for enhancing social, emotional,

and mental health supports provided at the school level

• Institute the use of restorative justice and restorative

practices at the school level and within alternative

education programming

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Develop a Comprehensive Work Plan

Develop a comprehensive work plan for

alternative education to capitalize on what is

working well within the District and to explore

opportunities to strengthen our alternative

education programming.

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2014-15 Alternative Education Options

• Option 1: Maintain Current Model and Provider

• Clayton, operated by SESI

• The SAC, operated by PPS

• Option 2: PPS Operation of Clayton and the SAC

• Option 3: PPS Operation of SAC Expansion

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Option 1: Maintain Current Model & Provider

Pro’s Con’s

• There is a demand for two schools:

currently at 81% capacity

• Under SESI, Clayton has improved

outcomes: attendance has increased

and there is a low recidivism rate of

10%- the majority of students that

reintegrate back in their respective

schools don’t return to Clayton

• Flexibility in Clayton staffing model to

adjust as the population fluctuates

• Principals appear to be pleased with

the Clayton program and the results:

referrals are up and the majority of

students reintegrate back to their

schools

• Perception that an outside provider

model is more costly to operate

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Option 2: PPS Operation of Clayton and the

SAC

Pro’s Con’s

• Continuity of the location, whereby

existing equipment exists, routes are

mapped out, etc.

• Students are not concentrated in one

school

• We’ve invested in the building with

sizable physical plant improvements

• Possible challenges to attracting staff

who have a passion for this student

population and who want to teach at

the school

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Option 3: PPS Operation of SAC Expansion

Pro’s Con’s

• There’s a past history of having

served all code of conduct violations

• There are cost savings from operating

within an existing program

• Students would be concentrated in

one school

• An expansion to accept all code

violators would likely mean that we

would need to reduce credit recovery

programs (overage 8th grade, high

school, & Special 12)

• Facility investments in the SAC

(Baxter Building) would be necessary

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2014-15 Recommendation

Option 1: Maintain our current model and provider for the 2014-15 school year

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Timeline of Next Steps

1. Provide you the opportunity to tour Clayton and the

Student Achievement Center

2. Provide you additional specific information on the

current Clayton program and its track record

3. February 26, 2014: Board vote on the SESI contract

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Alternative Education and

Whole Child Whole Community

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Your Thoughts &

Perspectives…

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