Alternative education in a vacuum?

Here's an interesting counterpoint to the news cited below about the new CARE program for truants. Seems that not enough attention is being paid to alternative education programs such as CARE, and that we don't really know what works or even how to assess them. I believe that.

Dropout factories:

Students who are failing out of regular schools often have learning disabilities, problems at home, mental health issues, or some combination of all of these - a challenging group, to be sure. Research shows that these students need intense, accelerated programs that provide plenty of individual contact with skilled, caring adults and that focus both on building academic skills and meeting students' social and emotional needs. In short, they need a well-coordinated, full-service program to get them back on track.

In many cases, however, it seems the students are getting precisely the opposite. Research on alternative schools and programs is scant, but what little there is has uncovered major problems: low-level expectations, haphazard instruction and grading policies, and ineffective teachers who aren't wanted in regular schools.

If we're trying not to leave any child behind, maybe we should pay more attention to those teetering on the cliff?