The evaluation of the Los Angeles Alternative School (LAA) was designed to determine whether the school was an alternative school in the sense that it operated under a set of values and related operational principles which differ from those which guide traditional public schools. Anthropological field methods rather than traditional research methology were used to collect the data. The major findings were: (1) test scores did not reveal any overall shifts in achievement either above or below the level expected on the basis of prior performance. (2) Instruction was characterized by freedom of choice for the student. (3) Most parents planned to re-enroll their children in the school. (4) The primary sources of parental dissatisfaction were a disagreement concerning instructional philosophy and the teaching strategies designed to develop a sense of personal responsibility and independence in the students. (5) Decision-making at the school is extensively democratized. (6) The role of the principal is that of a coordinator or facilitator rather than that of an authority or power figure. Instructional leadership was excluded from the role of the principal. (7) There was no satisfactory method for regularly monitoring student progress or for reporting progress to parents. (8) Competent teaching aides were important to the functioning of the instructional program. (EH)