Selected traditional high -school principals' and selected alternative high -school site administrators' perceptions of effectiveness and priorities for improvement of Illinois public alternative high schools funded by the Illinois Truants' Alternative an

The purpose of the study was to determine selected traditional high-school principals' and selected separate-facility alternative high-school site administrators' perceptions of effectiveness priorities and improvement priorities for separate-facility alternative high schools. Additionally, the study was to determine if there were differences in their perceptions of effectiveness priorities and improvement priorities.;The major finding of the study indicated that there are differences in the perceptions of traditional high-school principals and the public separate-facility alternative high-school site administrators regarding effectiveness priorities for separate-facility alternative high schools. The areas with definite differences were program structure designed to meet students' educational needs; well-defined behavior; and off-site locations separate from the traditional high-school setting. Of the 45 items included in the study, six items were not selected by the site administrators as important at any level, high, random, or low. The findings indicated that to better serve at-risk students within their schools and/or districts, it is important that the traditional high-school principals and separate-facility alternative high-school site administrators communicate to decide upon a standard set of effectiveness priorities.;In addition, the findings indicated that there are differences in the perceptions of traditional high-school principals and the public separate-facility alternative high-school site administrators regarding improvement priorities for separate-facility alternative high schools. The areas of definite difference were safety-fostering atmosphere, orderly environment, well-defined standard of behavior, off-site location separate from the traditional high-school setting, and adequate funding.;It was most surprising to discover the site administrators did not identify any of the 45 items as improvement priorities. Therefore, it was concluded that improvement priorities vary from school to school.