A school private, public, innovative, or fundamental that provides learners with options or alternatives to the regular public school, alternative education.
A school that offers nontraditional educational approaches, such as having children work primarily in small, informal groups or in ungraded classes, rather than in the usual classrooms in a tracking system or in independent study; sometimes called a school of choice, often a type of magnet school. Though some alternative schools are public schools, most are private schools. Alternative schools hold attractions for many parents, but parents should make sure that the school of their choice is properly staffed and equipped and has some recognizable accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education’s Choosing a School for Your Child, excerpted, includes a checklist for evaluating schools. Some parents who are dissatisfied with schools in general opt for home schooling.