Tennessee official pens first national standards for alternative education

NASHVILLE – For the first time, the nation has a blueprint of what research shows constitutes an effective and high-quality alternative education program. 

Alternative programs provide options to suspension, expulsion, and dropping out of school so that students may continue their education, be more likely to graduate from high school, and become productive citizens.

While alternative education is used nationwide, the standards authored by Tennessee’s Alternative Education Coordinator James Vince Witty comprise the first national framework for high-quality programs.

“Tennessee went through the process of developing quality standards for its alternative education programs but without the guidance of a national model,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said.