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Alternative rock. Alternative medicine. Alternative school. Inserting the word “alternative” before any word can be vague and su?er at the hands of a negative public perception. The dictionary de?nes alternative (noun) as a choice or a possibility. As an adjective, alternative is de?ned as “following nontraditional or unconventional ideas.” New Horizons High School (NHHS) is the district?s “alternative” high school and has been open s i n c e 2006.
ALTERNATIVE = OPPORTUNITIES
Unlike the traditional high school, students at New Horizons have to apply and undergo an interview process. New Horizons High School Principal Amy Salvo believes in ?nding the right ?t. “Students apply to attend New Horizons for a variety of reasons. It is my job to make sure they are applying for the right reasons and they are fully informed of the level of rigor that occurs in the classrooms. When I meet with the student and their parent or guardian, I make them aware that the purpose of the interview is to determine what school or program will best meet their child's needs and goals, and that may or may not be NHHS,” Salvo said. level of commitment involved. That?s just one of the many aspects of the public alternative high school that makes it alternative. Upon enrollment in NHHS, students and the counselor map out the path to graduation, so the student can see the exact plan necessary to graduate. Class sizes are also extremely small compared to the district?s traditional high school. Students at New Horizons enjoy classes of less than 15 students in any subject. For some students, the smaller class option is what attracted them to the school. “Not every student can be successful in a class with 25+ students. Large class sizes can be very overwhelming for some students and that?s where New Horizons can help,” Salvo said. Another non-traditional aspect is the students attend school for smaller amounts of time with little downtime. They also have to make-up or payback anytime missed, regardless of the reason, at a 1:1 rate. Payback time is a structured time for students to make up missed class work, so no student falls behind. The time is served outside of the school day during the District?s Evening Learning Program. Students who skip payback time are subject to consequences as outlined in the handbook and students not meeting the seat time requirements will not be granted credit for the courses completed. Students with perfect attendance, good grades and sta? approval can utilize “choice time” to read, do classwork or work on a community service project. After just one year, NHHS choice time was awarded a promising practice in character education. St ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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