Chapter 1 of this document examines the need for alternative education among vulnerable youth and describes the numbers and characteristics of youth who disconnect from mainstream developmental pathways. Chapter 2 examines the question what is an alternative education school or program? and suggests the beginnings of a typology defining and organizing the varieties of educational alternatives. Chapter 3 summarizes the findings of a roundtable on directions for future research on alternative education and describes the types of information needed to advance the field and foster more support for the development of high-quality educational alternatives.