Alternative education grant recipients announced

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced ten grants for new alternative education programs for the 2007-08 school year, which will help at-risk students stay in school and progress toward graduation.

"We need to serve the needs of all learners," Burmaster said, in announcing the grants, "and that means providing alternatives to the traditional school environment."

This year's allocation of $800,000 will go to nine individual school districts across the state—ranging from Milwaukee to Hurley—and one cooperative educational service agency (CESA) that serves another three districts.

Additionally, alternative education grants awarded over the past four years are still funding programs in nearly 100 Wisconsin school districts (See http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/eis/pdf/dpi2007_50.pdf for a complete list of alternative education programs receiving DPI funding; there are a total of 82, serving 106 school districts and 3 CESAs.).

Alternative education encompasses early intervention for at-risk learners, jail or detention-based education, credit acceleration, behavior programs, or services for students who have left school entirely and want an opportunity to come back and graduate. Students who are at-risk, vulnerable, or disengaged are particularly likely to require access to alternative education to succeed.

More information, including the list of schools receiving aid: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/eis/pdf/dpi2007_50.pdf

For more information about SEAchange, contact: Benson Gardner at (608) 266-3374.

Last updated on 5/21/2007