A group of teachers at an alternative school for 7 - 12 graders worked as a group backwards mapping student outcomes to classroom activities to clarify their beliefs and priorities for educating highly at-risk students. The exercise reveals the tacit belief that by building relationships with otherwise disenfranchised students, teachers can engage them in learning. Teachers were able to show a connection between classroom activities, improved student behavior, and increased learning. Teachers also discussed goals to develop the whole child for adult life. Less clear was how the school's project-based learning would in the short term improve student scores on standardized tests. Participatory pathways analyses helped teachers reflect on their values and priorities, build capacity to move towards academic rigor, merge innovation and accountability, and sustain the program. #logicmodel #2011Conference #YouthFocusedEvaluation #alternativeeducationprograms #dropoutprevention #Prek-12EducationalEvaluation #theoryofchange #theoryofaction