Alternative Education

Lisa Quinn
Director of Special and Alternative Education
27 Gick Road
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
Voice: (518) 581-3830/ 746-3830
Fax: (518) 581-3844/ 746-3844
E-Mail: lquinn@wswheboces.org

BOCES operates an Alternative High School program at the  Southern Adirondack Education Center (SAEC) in Hudson Falls.

The principal of the  program is:

Frederick (FJ) Wadnola
Principal of Alternative Education
Southern Adirondack Education Center
1051 Dix Avenue
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
Voice: (518) 581-3500/746-3500
Fax: (518) 581-3517/746-3517
E-Mail: fwadnola@wswheboces.org

Alternative Education provides a thematic curriculum aligned with the New York State Learning Standards, service learning, and supervised work study are some of the innovations utilized to add meaning and involvement to the school experience. Students earn Regents units of credit which may be transferred back to the home school and all academic instruction is consistent with the regular education program.

Preparation for the General Education Development (GED) test is another alternative available to eligible* students. Included in the program are opportunities for career and technical education, work experience, life skills instruction and individualized attention.

Alternative education students are identified by their home school district. Common traits which characterize students referred to alternative education may include: poor attendance; lack of motivation; poor academic achievement; poor interpersonal skills; problems with authority and disruptive behavior. Close cooperation and communication with the home school district and parents are integral parts of the program.

* GED preparation eligibility: Students must be 16-21 years of age, with a reading and mathematics achievement at the 8th grade level, and they must have experienced academic failure in at least half of the their academic classes in which they were previously enrolled.

Day care is available to students at the Southern Adirondack Education Center (SAEC). Pregnant and parenting teens are provided with parenting education and case management which complements their regular alternative or special education programs. Many are also enrolled in half-day career and technical education.