What is FLEX?

Mehlville FLEX is a personalized learning program for students seeking a unique, student-centered experience at Mehlville High School. FLEX is a competency-based program that allows students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways within a flexible schedule. In FLEX, students learn the same content as traditional courses, in non-traditional ways, in a flexible environment through connections between courses and collaborative projects.

FLEX students are in a mix of traditional, non-FLEX courses, along with FLEX courses that are taught in collaboration with one another, through shared projects offering students the opportunity to get additional graduation credits by earning 4 credits in 3 academic periods.

FLEX Classes

Students in FLEX are enrolled in:

-Engineering Essentials (weighted GPA)

-English I or Honors English I

-U.S. History or Honors U.S. History

-Algebra I or Geometry

At the end of the year, students earn 4 graduation credits in 3 blocks of time, giving students an extra credit towards graduation.

Students who are enrolled in FLEX earn an extra credit opening up room in their schedule for additional electives or programs such as CAPS, South Tech, Early College, and My Path, or early graduation while offering a unique learning experience where students have a greater say in what their learning looks like.

How is FLEX different than a traditional school?

In FLEX students experience flexible scheduling based upon course and student needs. Students in FLEX earn 4 credits in 3 academic periods (1st, 2nd, 5th Blocks, & Panther Prep). This means their math class isn't always going to be at the same time or that possibly their English and History classes will be combined, or that students may be offered a choice, or even directed, which class to go to based upon their interest or need. At times, students in the FLEX program may be split up into smaller groups. It really depends on what's happening with each class. We strive to provide students an update of the program schedule at the beginning of each week and from there we notify them accordingly if it changes.
While FLEX courses still follow district curriculum, we offer greater flexibility in terms of what that looks like. This could include letting kids connect their learning to personal interests or future life goals. This could mean offering students the opportunity to suggest projects or topics of interest to explore while getting teacher guidance on how to connect their interests to course competencies. This means that students can use or modify projects done for one class, to allow it to fit the needs of another, or it could mean that if students did not do well on an assessment or project, they have the ability to recover by either making revisions or trying again.
In FLEX we prioritize making connections between classes. This means that we are often working on transdisciplinary projects or use themes to tie together learning in various classes. Sometimes projects have components for each class, other times it's smaller and just between two classes. We want students to see the interconnectedness of all things and to realize that the same communication skills taught in ELA are relevant in math. Projects and themes include, but are not limited to, data analysis, the American Dream, development of a Jim Crow or Civil Rights Era museum concept, literary analysis and product development, the Engineering Design Process, National History Day, and more.
FLEX does not use points or letter grades on individual assignments, projects, and assessments. All student coursework, projects, and assessments are tied to course competencies. Most assignments evaluate or serve as evidence of learning for multiple competencies, each of which are scored independently of one another. Students are required to produce multiple pieces of evidence for all course competencies and while course content may change throughout the year, we continue to work on and develop proficiency in those same course competencies. We still use Infinite Campus to report student performance on individual assignments, projects, or assessments, but they are scored on each competency separately earning either Beginning, Approaching, Proficient, or Extending. At the end of each quarter students are given letter grades following a conference with the teacher and a reflection on what the evidence indicates their grades should be.
In FLEX we are focused on the growth of skills throughout the year, so that poor performance on a single assignment does not crush their grade. In fact, students are generally allowed multiple attempts and are encouraged to apply the feedback they're given to either revise or apply on their next attempt. We emphasize repeated proficient performance to determine competency in any skill, as opposed to once and done in order to deepen their understanding. As such, the feedback cycle is an intregal part of learning in our program.