Personalized Alternative Education (PAE) is a system of educational alternatives. They are distinguished from mainstream programming in that they frequently use unconventional classroom settings and altered timetables in order to service the individual needs of students.

Most PAE programs take a holistic approach to student progress in that they factor in all aspects of the student (social, emotional, mental, academic).

There is a focus on developing the skill set required for the 21st century learning.

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence

• Agility and Adaptability

• Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

• Effective Oral and Written Communication

• Accessing and Analyzing Information

• Curiosity and Imagination

PAE programs operate at a reduced class size (1:16 teacher-student ratio) and combine teacher-directed courses with independent learning and credit recovery. They generally follow the regular school semester.

Experiential, Community Based Programs (ALEP)

These programs generally utilize community partnerships to provide real-world projects. They usually include both classroom learning and experiential fieldwork.

Exploring Opportunities Program (EOP)

Exploring Opportunities Programs (EOP) are specialized regional programs that allow students to focus on developing a high skill level in a particular technology. These programs include both in-school and work-based experiences, such as job-shadowing / job-twinning, work experience and cooperative education. The focus is on skills training and the development of work habits and essential skills. These programs may provide advanced standing or additional certification for students in apprenticeship and skills certification programs. In addition, this specialized program may provide the foundation for a student interested in SHSM programming.