We Choose Not To "Shut Up and Dribble": Listening to Student Voices in an Alternative Learning School

Abstract

The purpose of the PAR study was to use students' experiences in an alternative learning school to better understand and strengthen African American male student learning. Because the students had academic setbacks, failed classes, and lost credits necessary for high school graduation, they were "pushed out" of the traditional high school to the district's alternative school where they are enrolled in an online credit recovery program. For students to succeed academically and graduate with a high school diploma, I used improvement science and community learning exchange processes to conduct a qualitative study to understand how we could better support students as they navigated the alternative setting. By listening to student experiences and ideas, we countered the perception that students in alternative education do not care about learning. Students wanted caring teachers who were highly trained to meet their academic needs and in-person learning with classes customized for small groups of students. As a result of the project and study, (1) students identified multiple benefits of the alternative setting and two major challenges -- online learning and instructional practices; (2) teachers were more strategic in meeting the needs of students; and (3) teachers changed how they thought about students as learners and selected instructional strategies identified by students to support them academically. As a result, the teachers and administrators were more effective. Incorporating student voice in decision-making is critical, particularly for students who are marginalized because they do not respond well to traditional school practices (O'Connor, 1997; Cook-Sather, 2002; 2018). The practices students identified belong in all schools; we need to respond to diverse learning styles to support students who find traditional methods challenging.