Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Michael Griffin
Committee Member
Donald Lueder
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
alternative schools, at risk persons, barriers, best practices, change management, corporate culture, educational change, efficiency, faculty recruitment, home schools, implementation, organizational change, organizational culture, organizational efficiency, organizational planning, organizational structure, program management, program structure, rehabilitation, return rates, school environment, strategic planning, students, therapeutic programs, transient students, US Department of Education
Abstract
The intent of the project was to increase efficiency of an alternative school through a comprehensive strategic planning and implementation process. Efficiency was measured by the number of students who returned to their home schools after completing the alternative school program. This study assumed a correlation between efficiency (as measured by return and placement rate of students) and program structure. Specifically a more efficient and comprehensive programmatic, therapeutic, and organizational structure resulted in increased return rate of students to their home schools. The researcher identified programs, factors, activities and the supporting organizational structure that created optimum circumstances for efficient organizational operations and improved student return rates.
The major strategy was the development and implementation of a strategic plan based on documented best practices for alternative schools as defined by the US Department of Education. The specific vehicle for change was implementation of a comprehensive organizational planning and implementation process that resulted in measurable increases in organizational efficiency as indicated by student return rate. This study focused on organizational, cultural, and educational change through strategic planning. Barriers to this solution strategy included the following: the large geographic area served by the school; recruiting and maintaining skilled, quality faculty members; the transient nature of the students served by the school; and the negative connotations associated with an alternative school.
Inherent in the planning process was the development of a program management document as well as a change in the corporate culture of the school environment. These factors led to increased efficiency in operations and improvement in student rate of return to their home schools upon completion of the program. The rate of return for students to their home schools increased by 16% between the 2000-2001 school year and the 2002-2003 school year.