Alternative Education
Policy Network

Connecting the field of alternative education

Minnesota Policy Profiles

These state profiles were developed in close collaboration with the teams from our State Action Collaborative and are a snapshot of the current policy landscape of each state in the collaborative. They reflect a combination of publicly available information on alternative education policy from state department websites and information shared by team members directly.

Alternative learning definition

Minnesota Statute 123A.05, Subdivision 1, defines the types of State-Approved Alternative Programs (SAAP) that Minnesota authorizes:

  • “An area learning center is encouraged to cooperate with a service cooperative, an intermediate school district, a local education and employment transitions partnership, public and private secondary and postsecondary institutions, public agencies, businesses, and foundations. Except for a district located in a city of the first class, an area learning center must be established in cooperation with other districts and must serve the geographic area of at least two districts. An area learning center must provide comprehensive educational services to enrolled secondary students throughout the year, including a daytime school within a school or separate site for both high school and middle school level students. 
  • An alternative learning program may serve the students of one or more districts, may designate which grades are served, and may make program hours and a calendar optional. 
  • A contract alternative is an alternative learning program operated by a private organization that has contracted with a school district to provide educational services for students.” 

Alternative school/program structure

  • Formats: programs in schools, schools in districts 
  • Operators: school districts 
  • State governance: Alternatives in Minnesota are operated by the Minnesota Department of Education 

Number of alternative schools/programs

  • Formats: programs in schools, schools in districts 
  • Operators: school districts 
  • State governance: Alternatives in Minnesota are operated by the Minnesota Department of Education 

Student enrollment

Nearly 160,000 students are served by alternative programs in K–12. There are approximately 50,000 students served in secondary alternative programs.†

Student ages

Alternative programs serve students through age 21 or until age 22 for qualifying students in specific student groups.

Student eligibility

A student is eligible if they:

  • Perform substantially below the performance level for pupils of the same age in a locally determined achievement test 
  • Are behind in satisfactorily completing coursework or obtaining credits for graduation 
  • Are pregnant or are a parent 
  • Have been assessed as having substance use disorder 
  • Have been excluded or expelled according to sections 121A.40 to 121A.56 
  • Have been referred by a school district for enrollment in an eligible program or a program pursuant to section 124D.69 
  • Are a victim of physical or sexual abuse 
  • Have experienced mental health problems 
  • Have experienced homelessness sometime within six months before requesting a transfer to an eligible program 
  • Speak English as a second language or are an English learner 
  • Have withdrawn from school or have been chronically truant 
  • Are being treated in a hospital in the seven-county metropolitan area for cancer or other life threatening illness or are the sibling of an eligible pupil who is being currently treated and reside with the pupil's family at least 60 miles beyond the outside boundary of the seven-county metropolitan area 

Funding

SAAPs are year-round programs funded with General Education Revenue according to their Average Daily Membership (ADM). This ADM calculation is based on the number of instructional hours a student participates in, including both teacher contact time and independent study time. Students enrolled in an SAAP may generate an additional .20 ADM during after-school and summer extended time programs.

Accountability

Minnesota's North Star Accountability System evaluates school performance using five main indicators: academic achievement, academic progress, English language proficiency progress, graduation rates, and consistent attendance. Districts are identified for support based on the percentage of schools identified for comprehensive or targeted supports. SAAPs can then receive support through coordination with their linked schools (where schools draw 30 percent or more of their students). 

Policy spotlight

Established in 1987, SAAPs provide options for students in Minnesota who are experiencing difficulties in the traditional educational system. Key features of the program include: 

  • Requirement to collaborate with postsecondary institutions, interagency collaboratives, culturally based organizations, mutual assistance associations, and other community resources, businesses, and public agencies to coordinate the use of other available educational services, social services, and health services in the community and services area in order to provide comprehensive student supports. Programs are also encouraged to help facilitate students’ individualized pathways through vocational training and work-based learning opportunities 
  • Targeted support for marginalized students in grades K–8 to reduce disparities in educational access and success. 
  • Year-round education and flexible schedules to meet students’ unique needs. 
  • Extended time revenue for districts to support students enrolled in alternative programs. The additional instructional time afforded by this funding is particularly beneficial for students who need more personalized attention. 
 

†Information provided by State Action Collaborative members.