The Crookston High School is offering an Alternative Learning Program (ALP) for students who are falling behind and need new ways of learning information. The program is held entirely at the High School and allows students the flexibility of doing curriculum online to help them catch back up with their schoolwork and get back on track to graduating.
Crookston High School Principal Nicki Martinez believes the program greatly benefits the students. “Alternative instruction means that students aren’t able to learn effectively in the traditional way,” said Martinez. “The first thing I looked into for the ALP program when I got to Crookston was getting an online curriculum. Students can now get their schoolwork done at home online throughout the week. With the curriculum we purchased, there are videos and interactive instruction that can serve the students’ needs better. They can also test out of certain chapters of the curriculum, based on how much information they retain in class.”
The Alternative Learning Program used to be held in downtown Crookston but has been moved into the High School this year. Having the program at the High School makes it more accessible to the students who need or want to participate in the program. The students meet once a week with their ALP teacher and have roughly four hours of an online curriculum to complete each week.
Martinez explained the program isn’t just for current High School students, but that students from last year that didn’t graduate are participating in the program to try and earn their diploma. “They need to do 60 hours of work and 15 meetings to get a semester credit,” said Martinez. “So, we actually have some students that didn’t graduate last year that are coming in once a week and working with the teachers to earn their credits so they can graduate. So that’s cool to see that those students are determined to get their diploma.”
According to the State of Minnesota, there are thirteen different qualifications that qualify a student to participate in the ALP program. “They need to be at least 16, behind one year in credits, and obviously some other ones as well,” said Martinez. “Believe it or not, we have students that check all thirteen boxes, and the program works great for them, and they’re very successful in it.”
For the entire conversation with Crookston High School Principal Nicki Martinez, you can tune in to KROX Saturday morning at 8:35 for the Focus on Education program. Martinez discussed the program more in-depth and how she initially got involved with alternative learning before coming to Crookston. Martinez also discussed how the school is starting to wrap up the end of the first semester and a “twelve acts of kindness” activity that the school is currently in the middle of. You can listen on 105.7 FM, 1260 AM, or by clicking “Listen Live” at the top of this page.
