There is a range of alternative schools within schools, substantially separate schools,therapeutic day schools, residential schools, specialized private schools, and schools with intense behavior modification programs that may be of immeasurable value for appropriately identified students. In most such settings, the level of adult supervision and adult decision-making will be great when compared with the mainstream. Creating a healthy student-centered perspective will take on broader significance, including clinical and emotional concerns not necessarily under consideration in mainstream environments.
A different level of intervention, like other elements of the curriculum, can be applied in a student-centered manner when the needs and potential of the child are understood and respected. The structure of a classroom in such a setting may appear more controlling when compared with the constructivist or engaged traditional classrooms discussed previously. Yet, a true understanding of certain children’s needs will lead unavoidably to the conclusion that a student-centered approach will sometimes recognize the need for a high degree of structure and consistency, with lots of adult intervention.
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