The purpose of this study was to explore the alternative education placement characteristics in the state of Arkansas and the demographics of the students placed in ALE. There are eleven characteristics of which two are required to be present in a student profile in order for a student to be placed in alternative education in Arkansas. This quantitative study analyzed the specific characteristics indicted for students placed in ALE during the 2021-2022 school year. This study found commonalities of selected characteristics among the students placed in alternative education in Arkansas. The study found the most prevalent pathway to ALE is poor behavior and poor standardized test scores. This study also found no statistically significant relationships between student demographics and why a student might be assigned to ALE. A high selection of the characteristic directly related to disruptive behavior leads to a conclusion that alternative education in Arkansas is being utilized as an additional exclusionary discipline measure rather than the intervention Arkansas law states it to be. These findings should prompt educators, lawmakers and all stakeholders to take a closer look at why alternative education exists in Arkansas and how it is being used. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]