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ABSTRACT As public school enrollments are increasing, educators must understand how new students adjust to and make sense of their school experience. This qualitative study, which has also been turned into video documentary, was designed to provide insight into why the traditional educational paradigm does not work for all, or even most, students. Eight Puget Sound area public high schools in Washington State participated in focus groups using an Appreciative Inquiry approach to investigate students' perceptions about learning, knowing, and their school experiences. Findings suggest that students are capable of providing valuable information and feedback about program and policy effects. INTRODUCTION How do high schools approach meeting the needs of students? How do high school students perceive their educational experience? And how can high schools impact school reform, including public perceptions? Public high school students' perceptions related to these questions formed the basis of this study, Student perceptions of school life and their reactions toward the school environment are crucial for understanding school climate and designing positive learning environment. This study provides student perspectives to impact policy structures related to school reform. Northwest Regional Educational Lab (1998), reported that after years of operating on the margins of public education, schools are being seriously studied by many different interest groups: proponents of school reform, corrections workers overwhelmed by juvenile caseloads, and employers concerned about finding enough educated young people to fill tomorrow's workplaces. The results coming from settings are convincing. Barr and Parrett argue that schools should be key component of an a blueprint to restructure public so that all students will have fighting chance to succeed in school (p. 8). Alternative high schools may also hold the answers to the rise in school violence in the United States, and they have already been extensively used as model for realizing diverse aims. They have attracted youngsters with variety of abilities and achievement level who share feelings of disappointment or apathy toward conventional schools. Historically, public high schools have addressed disruptive and school-avoidance behaviors with the goal of reducing the drop out rate. Olive (2003) states that programs were largely founded to serve population of children and youth whose education and treatment required the use of innovative and comprehensive techniques and methodologies that were, and are, largely absent from most regular educational settings. The term alternative is used to describe broad array of schools from schools within schools to magnet schools. Neumann (1994) has suggested that, Perhaps it is time to change the term to something else or maybe to get rid of it altogether (p. 19). For this particular study, public high school is defined as school, not located within or attached to mainstream school, that students in the public school district can choose to attend at no additional cost. The characteristics of public schools outlined by Young (1990); were used to formulate the guiding questions for this study. This study focused on eight Puget Sound Area public high schools in Washington. An Appreciative Inquiry approach and focus groups were used to address the questions of the study. Videotape was used as means of data analysis and for the dissemination of findings in video documentary. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The purpose of schools is to meet the needs of students. Most parents, students, teachers, and administers are likely to agree with this point even though they may differ about defining and meeting those needs. …
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