b'Initial Teacher Preparation and Services Alternative Schools in the U.S.Adam KalivodaSponsor:Dr. Lucia Lu, Department of Initial Teacher Preparation and ServicesThe first Alternative School System was established in the late 1960. Students and their parents voluntarily participate in a school of their choice. Small school size: Alternative schools like Magnet school, Charter school, KIPP school, Virtual school, Full-Service School, Home School were established to humanize and personalize learning by creating small classroom setting with the average enrollment for 250 students for more than 3 decades. Caring teachers with high expectations: Since teachers voluntarily participate in schools of choice, their students and parents become highly engaged and cause students high achievement and school success. Customized curriculum/personalized instruction: Alternative schools offer students opportunities to participate in a highly focused curriculum with value-added enhancements. Students meet state requirements for high school graduation through participating in a curriculum designed to both motivate learning and provide experiences related to individual needs, interests, and career aspirations. Safe learning environment: Research has documented these schools as remarkably lack of violence, vandalism, and disruptive behavior. These five critical components can be found in most alternative schools, educators and researchers during the latter 1990s further developed these core characteristics into a complex of essential components and represent the current spectrum of different types of school models.52'