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Ames Community Schools

ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)

At Ames High School our Alternative Learning Program provides several program options designed to meet the educational needs of students. Through the use of a variety of learning alternatives we design instruction to  accommodate individual student needs. Which may include progress monitoring, instructional support, mentoring, or counseling. A student must meet the requirements Ames High School will identify students considered at-risk according to the state definition as established in Iowa Code 257.39. At the High School our program staff is made up of a counselor and five teachers. 

Carlisle Community Schools

Academic Support Center

We have one certified teacher and an a full-time paraeducator.  We are located in the Carlisle High School Building.  We serve students for one period a day, up to a full day.  On average, we serve 60 students per year.  We graduate about 20 per year.  We use a mix of a core curriculum and online recovery options.  There is a team of seven (high school principal, assistant principal, two counselors, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, and our Academic Support Center Teacher) that meets every week to make decisions about educational needs for students.   

Greene County Community Schools

The OHANA Program

The OHANA program is a small, but important part of the Greene County CSD.  Any student is eligible to attend, the acronym standing for Opportunity Happens for ALL Needing Assistance.  Typically there are 10-15 students at a time who work their way towards graduation at their own pace.  We consider ourselves to be basically family in that we don't always agree, but we still take care of one another, which is also represented by OHANA "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. - Lilo and Stitch" 

Des Moines Public Schools

Flex Academy uses innovative instructional methods for students to achieve academically through a variety of personalized modalities and learning goals. Our program and academic approach focuses on providing sanctuary classrooms where students have support, flexibility in scheduling, and choices in learning styles including: blended-learning instruction, topic-recovery, project-based learning, group projects, and individual instruction through the Standards Referenced Grading approach. There is a Flex Academy at each comprehensive high school.  To learn more about this program, please click here to watch our video.   

Southeast Polk Community Schools

The Harbor 

  The Harbor is the alternative program for the Southeast Polk Community School District. The Harbor was designed to accommodate students who, for a variety of reasons, have failed to experience success in the traditional school setting. 

The Harbor faculty works with individual students to identify their academic needs and provide emotional support in a small, safe, community environment. Class sizes are intentionally kept around ten students to allow teachers ample opportunity to work one-on-one with every student. 

A unique feature of The Harbor is the Expeditionary Learning. The Harbor promotes rigorous academic standards and service to the school and community. Learning expeditions are courses of study that are purposeful, extensive studies of a single topic. Expeditions revolve around challenging projects, fieldwork, adventure and service. They culminate in exhibits, performances or projects. Expeditions are often community-based. The expedition curriculum is integrated with district standards and benchmarks.