Another example is Arizona's Pathfinder Project. The Pathfinder Project Created by Alan Wright, former education superintendent of the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections, the Pathfinder Project provided transitional educational placement for troubled youth in Arizona. The Pathfinder Project was recently discontinued in Arizona, but the Pathfinder model continues to offer an alternative to traditional methods of dealing with disruptive students. In the Pathfinder model, the purpose of Success School is to recognize and serve system-involved youth who have little or no hope for the future and who do not believe they can achieve personal success within the traditional educational system. Success School teaches troubled youth a leadership style focused on personal development and lifelong learning for community-based stewardship.
Students learn responsibility and thus are empowered to achieve success.
Behavioral changes observed in Arizona's Success School participants provide evidence that, when fully implemented, the program can help students gain literacy skills at accelerated rates and can increase their commitment to learning. A key component of the Pathfinder model is the transition to a mainstream school environment. In Arizona, students who were properly prepared through the Pathfinder model were likely to be successful in making such a transition. Following transition, many Success School students chose to engage in work-study, which maximized their independence and community service. Arizona operated both approaches of Success School.