Alternative high schools are often touted as solutions to stemming dropouts. But the evidence so far only shows that these programs do little more than serve as a way-station for students on their way to leaving school without a diploma. In this video, Los Angeles Times reporter Duke Helfand and a couple of at-risk women students discusses what happens to these students on their way out. Pay special attention to the first woman, who talks about her conversation with a guidance counselor about her academic failure.