When Ashley Upchurch enrolled last year at Hope Academy, she had just finished eight months of rehab for a drug and alcohol addiction that began with marijuana when she was 8 years old.

But if she was once lost, the 16-year-old junior has found herself, thanks to the high school in Lawrence Township that is one of 25 schools in the nation specializing in educating and transforming the lives of young recovering addicts.

"I knew that I fit in there because everyone who was around me had the same interests I did," Ashley said. "They were working toward the same goals: to stay sober and earn an education."

Hope Academy, a free public charter school approved by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, has just begun its fourth school year with 30 students. And although it's a small, lesser-known school, it quickly is establishing a reputation as a national leader in alternative education for addicts.

Last month, Hope hosted a national conference for recovery schools, and its administrators plan to help lead a three-year study of students who attend recovery high schools.

Hope's chief operating officer, Rachelle Gardner, said the study will gather data to determine how specialized curricula affect the achievement and recovery of teen addicts. More data about recovery schools' effectiveness will be vital to increasing the number of such schools nationwide, Gardner said.

"The cost to society for not dealing with this problem is huge," she said. "The traditional treat-'em-and-street-'em method isn't working. They need more services and more support."

The proof of the program's success, said Hope Principal Gale Stone, is in the already encouraging numbers.

Of the 44 students enrolled in 2007-08 -- the most recent data available -- 23 either were still enrolled at Hope or had returned to a traditional high school by the end of the year. Six graduated from Hope, and three others received their GED.

That means more than 70 percent of students remained engaged in education.

"We're keeping these kids in school that otherwise might have dropped out or given up," Stone said.

They're doing so by taking a different approach to education.

Hope tailors its curriculum to recovering addicts. For example, each student is required to take a recovery and wellness class, which involves talking about students' daily travails and worries. Teens also keep journals in the class about their recoveries. And they participate in activities such as animal therapy, which teaches patience and perseverance.

Long class lectures are discouraged at Hope because recovering addicts often struggle with focusing their attention. Subjective lessons attempt to tie in themes of recovery and empowerment, administrators said. Science classes, for example, might focus on the genetics of addiction, and history classes might look at Woodstock and the culture behind the event.

Students praise Hope for its caring teachers and supportive staff. Thanks to her time at Hope, Ashley said, she plans to graduate next year and eventually attend college to become a nurse. She holds a part-time job and has a special talent as an artist; her colorful, recovery-themed artwork hangs on a wall on Hope's second floor.

"They're just really willing to help you if you're in a bad spot," Ashley said of Hope staff members. "If something's going on in your life that's worrying you, they'd help you talk about it."

Jeremy Gibson, 18, Indianapolis, graduated from Hope in May and plans to attend Ivy Tech this fall to pursue a degree in law enforcement. Without the school, he said, he likely would have returned to his home high school in Muncie and fallen back into using marijuana and alcohol. He said he still has a bond with some of Hope's teachers and students.

Gibson represents the type of success story that school administrators hope will become more prevalent as recovery schools increase in number across the country. A large part of the push for that increase, they said, will involve boosting public awareness about the schools' mission -- and that they exist at all.

They say Hope should be filled to capacity. Although more students are expected to enroll as the year progresses, getting the word out about Hope to area school officials -- who along with counselors, mental health workers and treatment staff refer students with drug problems to the academy -- is vital.

"It's getting people to realize that there's a need to intervene earlier" in a recovering addict's life, Gardner said. "These aren't bad kids. These are good kids that bad things have happened to, and they've made some really silly decisions along the way."