This applied dissertation measured the degree to which students placed in alternative-educations programs for severe disciplinary problems demonstrate changed student behavior upon reentry into a mainstream setting. Placement in an alternative setting is often a result of numerous disciplinary referrals resulting in three suspensions or a single major violation, such as battery or use or possession of drugs, alcohol, or a weapon. The primary goal of such programs is to protect the other students from this dangerous behavior and change disruptive behavior by separating troubled students from traditional educational settings. However, many of these programs are not being measured against this goal; therefore, whether alternative schools serve their purpose of reforming student behavior is unclear.

The disciplinary records of 34 students returned to traditional schools after attending an alternative school were examined to compare their pre- and post-alternative-placement behaviors as measured by changes in the number and type of infractions. A split-plot ANOVA was used to determine the degree of statistically significant difference in post-alternative-placement behavior according to length of participation in the alternative program and number and type of infractions that led to the placement. The analysis revealed that students received fewer disciplinary referrals after the alternative placement regardless of the number and type of pre-placement infractions and length of time at the alternative school. The decrease in post-alternative-placement behaviors was significant (p < .05) for all groups of students. Thus, the alternative program effectively modified student behavior, and the researcher recommends continuation of the alternative program. However, due to the small population for this study, a comprehensive study of the program’s impact on all secondary students in the alternative program returned to a district mainstream school is needed.