The purpose of this project is three-fold.  

1. To share pieces of evidence of success in Alternative Education in Aotearoa based on my research here

2. For information to be easily accessible to ALL stakeholders in a visual, clickable format

3. To raise up the voices of people on the ground in AE – students, whānau (families), and educators

My research in Aotearoa focused on the intersection between literacy practices and cultivating belonging in Alternative Education settings, outside of traditional schools. ​ I observed and did focus groups at Teen Parenting Units, an activity centre, and a literacy-based community partnership while in Aotearoa.  While collecting data, I was guided by the following questions:

1. What are the best practices for boosting literacy proficiency and volitional reading in schools that serve highly vulnerable populations?

2. How do the culturally integrative educational policies in Aotearoa impact engagement with schooling, particularly in literacy?

3. What do students themselves believe are the most effective strategies to keep youth engaged with their learning in alternative school settings?

The visual on the homepage was created as a collaboration between Kelly Ta Paa and I.  We wanted to show the relationship between the stakeholders, the concept of literacy as a practice and literacy as a skill. As you can see, when presented this way, there is a clear interdependency between all elements, just like in nature. ​

To mirror one similarity that I saw – clear, culturally relevant value systems – we decided to further organize my findings into 3 core Māori values: tika, pono, and aroha.  For each stakeholder, each value will include pieces of evidence for success in Alt Ed that I synthesized from my research. ​  All pieces of evidence are supported by artifacts, including quotes, photographs, documents, and anecdotes, and often citations of research that backs it up.

Click around and see for yourself!

In its most straight-forward definition, Alternative Education are school settings that students go to who can no longer attend traditional school settings.  According to the Ministry of Education in Aotearoa, this includes Teen Parenting Units and activity centres.  In the United States, this would include continuation high schools, teen parenting programs, schools for students who have been expelled, and juvenile justice centers.  

However, I'm using the term more loosely in this project, to include community partnerships that provide alternative education in the sense that they are outside of traditional school.

As Best notes, AE is “[d]esigned primarily for students verging on educational disengagement, disconnection, marginalization or premature school leaving, alternative education provides different, or alternative, approaches and structures to mainstream settings” (Best, 2024, pg. 1115).  She goes on to share a vision that I hope to convey though this project:

“Alternative education settings can be ‘incubators or change’ and ‘showcases of innovation’” (Best, 2024, pg. 1117).