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Encyclopedia > Alternative Community School

The Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) is a public, educational alternative, combined middle and high school in the Ithaca City School District in Ithaca, New York. Serving grades 6-12 with approximately 270 students, the school is known for its small class size, non-traditional curricula, and focus on active student participation. Demand to attend the school greatly exceeds available space, and the waiting list to enter the school generally exceeds 270 applicants. A public high school is a secondary school that is financed by tax revenues and other government-collected revenues, and administered exclusively by, and at the discretion of, state and local officials. ... Great Neck Village School, an alternative high school in Great Neck, New York, USA Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, describes an education that is modified or particularized for those having singular needs, such as maladjusted people and gifted children. ... The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) is a public school district centered in Ithaca, New York, consisting of 12 schools and with a total enrollment of approximately 5,500 students. ... The City of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York State. ...

Contents

History

The school was originally founded in 1974 as the New Junior High Program for grades 7 through 9, and was housed in the Markles Flats building on the corner of Court and Plain Streets. In 1977, the program was moved to Ithaca High School's E-Building, and in 1978, grades 10–12 were added. The original configuration for the expanded school was two programs with the senior high named the Alternative Community High School. Shortly thereafter, grade 6 was added and the school was unified into a single 6–12 entity called the Alternative Community School (ACS). 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Ithaca High School (IHS) is a public high school in Ithaca, New York. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...


In 1983, the program moved to its current location in the former West Hill Elementary School at 111 Chestnut St. In 1987, the school joined the Coalition of Essential Schools, a national secondary school reform movement initiated by Dr. Ted Sizer of Brown University that emphasizes depth over breadth in education, among other key principles. This led LACS to develop its own unique set of high school graduation requirements and alternative means of evaluating student progress toward school those requirements, moving completely away from the old high school "credit system" and New York State Regents Exams. This work led LACS to be designated, in the fall of 1992, as one of the first fourteen "Compact Partnership Schools" under the Board of Regents and Commissioner's "New Compact for Learning," a document calling for major reforms in education for the state of New York. With a new board of Regents in the years that followed, the school's leadership was ignored in the rush to move to stricter high-stakes testing. Although LACS high school students were exempted from the state-wide examinations for many years, recent policy changes have slowly begun to phase in the exam. The school has been fighting the change in the legislature and in the court system as part of a consortium of New York State alternative schools. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) is an organization created to further a type of whole-school reform originally envisioned by founder Ted Sizer in his book, CES began in 1984 with twelve schools; it currently has 600 formal members. ... Regents Examinations, or simply Regents, are a set of standardized tests given to high school students through the New York State Education Department, designed and administered under the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... NY redirects here. ...


Following his retirement in 2004, the school was renamed after longtime principal and founder Dr. David Lehman.


Non-traditional learning

As an alternative school, LACS offers broad academic freedom to its students, and they are encouraged to design their own course of study. Every student is part of a "committee" that meets twice weekly to aid in school governance, and the school meets in an All School Meeting every week to vote on issues facing the school. Students are on a first name basis with their teachers, and some students help teach electives in topics like computer programming, beading, or another area of their special interest. Rather than receive grades, students receive written narrative evaluations, and also reflect and evaluate on their own learning at the end of each quarter. In education, narrative evaluation is a form of performance measurement and feedback which can be used as an alternative or supplement to grading. ...


Progress in high school classes is measured in a program called "Graduation by Exhibition." In it, students create portfolios to demonstrate their mastery of core subjects, rather than taking a single test at the end of their studies. At the end of their senior year, each student also is responsible for completing a "senior project" that allows the student to demonstrate his or her learning, usually in a way that connects back to the community. Past projects have included dance performances, written plays, murals, or scientific projects.


All students and most faculty participate in "family groups." Family groups combine some of the functions of a home room, support group, and guidance office. Each family group spends time bonding, going over scheduling, helping to make decisions about school governance, and fundraising for the annual spring trips.


Students, faculty, and staff join together in two yearly special retreats. In the fall, the entire school takes a two-day retreat to the nearby Arnot Forest. In the spring, students choose from among several possible week-long away trips. Some trips go hiking, canoeing, bicycling, or fishing. One annual trip visits the Akwesasne Native American reservation to engage in community service, and another works with the Habitat for Humanity program. Upperclass students have the option of fundraising for a week-long trip to a French- or Spanish-speaking country. The Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation territory located across the intersection of the New York_Ontario-Quebec borders on the south bank of the St. ... Official Habitat for Humanity logo Habitat for Humanity is an international, Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building quality, low-cost, affordable housing. ...


Classes are small, and many classes meet in multi-disciplinary blocks of 90 minutes, rather than traditional 45 minute periods. For example, science and mathematics classes are often taught together as an integrated subject, as are English and Social Studies classes. The school believes that this fosters greater understanding and synthesis of the subjects.


See also

Alternative education Great Neck Village School, an alternative high school in Great Neck, New York, USA Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, describes an education that is modified or particularized for those having singular needs, such as maladjusted people and gifted children. ...


External links

Comprehensive Information Report] from the New York State Education Department The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The New York State Education Department is the state education department in New York State. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
Alternative school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (380 words)
Alternative schools often value small school and class size, close relationships between students and teachers, and a sense of community.
In the United States, most alternative schools are private or independent schools rather than public schools funded by the state; however, some public charter schools and magnet schools offer benefits similar to those of alternative schools and are inspired by similar ideas.
Perhaps the most extreme example of a schooling alternative is the Sudbury Valley School model, in which there is no requirement for students to take classes at all.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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