From an administrative standpoint, intervention helps the students receiving the specialized service, but it also helps traditional school staffs so they can then redirect their energies on students who are well adjusted in a traditional school setting. With support from the school board, the district introduced an array of alternative programs to promote success among students who seemed to be losing their bearings on the traditional education path. While each program is different in scope, they share common elements. Each program is highly structured and emphasizes high standards for behavior, attendance and achievement. Low pupil-teacher ratios foster individualized attention and warm, accepting relationships.
Expectations are clear, fair and consistent.
Students learn to accept personal responsibility for their grades, attendance and behavior. The curriculum in these programs centers on basic skills, and teachers emphasize how these skills apply to real-life experiences. A strong parental involvement component includes a commitment by program staff to communicate weekly about student progress. While Henrico County's alternative high school has been in place for more than 20 years, it was apparent that options were needed for younger students needing early intervention. The district opened an alternative school for middle school students, Mount Vernon, in 1995.