GEORGIA

Georgia has two types of alternative education programs: those for students who are excluded from the regular classroom for disciplinary reasons, and those that serve students who are eligible to remain in the regular classroom but are more likely to succeed in a nontraditional setting.

The state's 20-member alternative education advisory panel established a set of standards and indicators to encourage the improvement of alternative education programs through self-assessment.

Georgia stands out for its community-based alternative education programs, in which students engage in educationally relevant and meaningful learning experiences in the larger community. The academic curriculum is tied to work-based learning and structured work experiences involving partnerships among businesses, government, community, and school.