A New Kind of Learning

Ashley Koehnen and Kara Reller remember what the Alternative Learning Program used to be like.

While teachers were available for help, much of their learning was done on their own with little classroom cohesion or student engagement, the pair said. Learning was by rote—students were given large packets to read through, and were tested on the materials once they’d finished.

The situation wasn’t ideal for either of the two students, who were at risk of not graduating and came to the program looking for help, support and a way to get back on track.

“I came up here because I just didn’t learn at the same pace as everybody else,” Reller said. “At first I [liked it], and then I realized it wasn’t doing anything for me, and stopped liking it. All your assignments were in the packet; you could just read a question, then flip to page and get the answer.”

Flash forward several years, and Simley’s Alternative Learning Program—once known for its lower graduation rates—is now earning statewide attention. Late last month, the Simley was honored by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals, which gave the school its Star of Innovation award for the reformation of the ALP.

From the Ground Up

That transformation has been seven years in the making, according to School District 199 Superintendent Dr. Deirdre Wells. When Wells began her tenure with the district in 2004, she quickly identified the ALP as a program in need of change.

“We were not satisfied with the direction the old program was going,” said Simley Principal Gerald Sakala. “It was built for a different era; it just hadn’t changed to meet the demands of students.”

The problems facing the program were rooted in the paper-and-pencil approach of the ALP, Sakala and Assistant Principal Heidi Klukas said last week. To earn a credit, students had to complete 45 hours of seat time, which meant poring through packets given to them at the beginning of each term and taking periodic tests. Much of the students’ work was done independently, without the support of a class. 

In 2010, school district officials decided to rebuild the program from the ground up, and base the revamped ALP on an active, challenge-based learning program supported by new technology and improved student accountability. 

A New Style of Learning

Administrators issued school laptops to each student in the ALP, and gave the class access to Edmodo, an online program that is one part student-teacher forum, one part database for classroom assignments and one part planner. Each day, the students also spend one period learning how to use new software and technology in a class called “Evolution of Technology.” Students can even use their smart phones to participate in online class conversations.

But the high school also assigned two teachers to oversee the class. Unlike mainstream high school teachers, who have as many as 150 students to keep track of each day, ALP teachers Kay Martin and Chad Anderson are only responsible for the roughly 25 students who are enrolled in the ALP.

The close, teacher-student relationships they share mean that Martin and Anderson are able to keep close tabs on a student’s progress.

“There’s nowhere to hide with just two teachers and small group,” Klukas said.

The district also remodeled the ALP’s space—located deep within Simley High School. To make the space more conducive to conversation and learning, the school tore down a wall separating the ALP’s two classrooms and replaced individual desks with large tables that multiple students can sit at.

Even the program’s curriculum is drastically different; instead of hefty packets and routine tests, the students complete projects and are challenged to think independently.

Koehnen and Reller—now super-seniors—spent a Tuesday afternoon working in the ALP with a handful of other students as they learn about primary and secondary sources of information.

Koehnen, who wants to pursue a career in marine biology, and Reller, who would like to become either a veterinarian or a nurse, both say the ALP is helping them move toward their goals.

“I feel accomplished at the end of the day now,” Koehnen said.

Martin and Anderson say many of the students’ relationships, attitudes and academic skills have changed for the better since joining the ALP.

“If you were in this classroom for a week, you’d see a monumental change,” Anderson said. “The way they interact, the answers to questions or the work they would turn in last year compared to this year. It’s night and day, there’s no question.”

Who Attends the ALP?

All of the students who attend Simley's Alternative Learning Program are at risk of not graduating, school officials say. But the challenges facing those students vary from individual to individual according to ALP teachers and school administrators. Many have challenging home or family lives, some missed significant portions of school because of injury, an ongoing medical condition or the death of a loved one. Some simply don't do well in a traditional classroom setting, while others balance school and a full- or part-time job.

In order to be admitted into the program, students must request a transfer from the high school, are interviewed and must complete a learning style assessment, which determines what type of teaching or environment is most conducive to that student's academic progress.

Correction: The article above has been changed to correct an inaccuracy. Heidi Klukas is the assistant principal for Simley High School.