Alternative Learning Program

At the ALP, students earn credits by completing assigned coursework and required seat hours.

• Students may earn a ½ credit by completing assigned coursework and accruing a minimum of 60 hours of seat time for a brand new class or a minimum of 30 hours in a credit recovery course.
• Students may earn 1 credit by completing assigned coursework and accruing a minimum of 120 hours of seat time.
• Credits (½ or Full) will be awarded at the end of each semester and accrued hours will reset to zero at the start of the new semester. (e.g. If you earn 190 hours and complete 1.5 credits the ten hours left over will not carry over to the next semester)

Academic Achievement

The number of credits each student needs will vary, and are dependent on what they have earned previously, as well as on yearly grade level/graduation requirements.

• Students must earn 60% or higher receive credit.
• Students must complete 100% of the assigned coursework and accrue enough seat hours to earn credit for each class.
• The number of credits earned per year will be awarded by Stephanie Dailey, ALP Instructor, determined by successful completion of coursework and accrual of seat hours.

Seat Hour Accrual

Students may accrue seat hours between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on school days according to the Howard Lake-Waverly- Winsted Public Schools calendar.  On occasion, the ALP may be closed, either half or whole day, as determined by administration.

• Seat hours will accrue when students are actively working on coursework.
• 30 minutes a day are set-aside for lunch, students will not accrue seat hours during lunch.
• Seat hours will not accrue when students are sleeping, sitting without coursework, or are observed to be engaged in any activity not related to assigned coursework.

As a student at the ALP you are expected to maintain regular attendance according to the schedule agreed upon during your enrollment meeting. Maintaining a regular attendance schedule is important, as it enables you to make steady progress towards completing your education. It also allows the staff to provide services and support to all of the students at the ALP in an efficient and effective manner.

Absences

Students, and parents/guardians, are responsible to notify the ALP if absent.

• You may call the ALP at (320) 543-4600 ext. 4305 or use the Remind communication system to notify us of an absence.
• Notifications must be done prior to the day of, or no later than 9:00 am the day of the absence. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence.
• Unexcused absences will be recorded and tracked.
• Truancy issues will be reported to: administration, student social workers, probation officers, McLeod and Wright County Truancy officers and Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School.

Students are expected to attend school at ALP daily. The ALP follows the same school year calendar as the Howard Lake-Waverly- Winsted High School please click the calendar link.

Unacceptable Attendance and Failure to Notify Staff of Absences

If you miss scheduled meetings with ALP staff, do not maintain regular attendance, have excessive absences (excused and unexcused), fail to notify ALP staff of absences by the 10 am deadline, and/or leave for the day without signing-out with staff, you will be placed on a student contract and may warrant dismissal from the program.

Students who are dismissed or withdrawn from the ALP program and wish to be re-admitted, will be required to schedule a re-entry meeting with Dr. Stephanie Kuehn- High School Principal, Emily Holm- High School Guidance Counselor and Stephanie Dailey- ALP Instructor.

For more information regarding student contract, dismissal from the ALP program and Re-admittance, please click the links at the top of this page.

The continual learning plan is required by Minnesota Department of Education and is an important part of an ALP program. During enrollment, each student will answer questions that we will use to assist them with their educational needs and goals. (Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.128, Subdivision 3)

Parents are required to attend two CLP Meeting each year for their student to remain at ALP. The first meeting will happen in September and the second meeting will happen during the second semester.

HLWW ALP runs a student-center classroom. Students may take the classes that they choose and complete the course work when they want to during the school day to meet their graduation requirements.  Please see the linked document to see the course offerings:

Course Offerings

A committee reviews all applications and determines who is eligible for acceptance. When enrollment is full, eligible applicants are placed on a waiting list in order of high school credits. In other words, the student closest to graduation is given priority on the waiting list.

The HLWW ALP program offers educational opportunities for students in grades 9-12, and for students under the age of 21 years who meet eligibility requirements as set forth in MN Statute 124D.68 Graduation Incentives Program.

To enroll in the HLWW ALP program, you must:

• Contact the ALP by phone (320) 543-4600 ext. 4305, email sdailey@hlww.k12.mn.us, or in-person at 8700 County Rd 6 SW Howard Lake, MN 55349 to obtain enrollment papers and scheduled an enrollment meeting with the HLWW High School committee.
• Complete all necessary paperwork (Enrollment papers, Indicators of Need eligibility form, Attendance Agreement, Transportation form, Release for Records, Health form, Lunch Application, Open Lunch form (if applicable), and Continual Learning Plan).

Eligible and admitted students will be considered enrolled at the ALP upon successful completion of the above listed steps and having been in attendance at the ALP for one school day.

HLWW ALP is an optional education setting for students who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty in traditional education systems and/or meet the eligibility requirements based on indicators of need.

The purpose of the HLWW ALP Program is to give students the opportunity to achieve academic success and complete their education in an alternative setting and graduate on-time with their peers.

A student under the age of 21 and who meets one or more requirements, is eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program, if the pupil:

1. performs substantially below the performance level for pupils of the same age in a locally determined achievement test
2. has experienced mental health problems.
3. has experienced homelessness sometime within six months before requesting a transfer to an eligible program
4. speaks English as a second language or has limited English proficiency (LEP)
5. has been excluded or expelled according to sections 121A.40 to 121A.56
6. has been referred by a school district for enrollment in an eligible program or program pursuant to section 124D.69
7. is pregnant or is a parent
8. is a least one year behind in satisfactorily completing coursework or obtaining credits for graduation.
9. has withdrawn from school or has been chronically truant
10. is a victim of physical or sexual abuse.
11. has been assessed as chemically dependent.
12. is being treated in a hospital in the seven-county metropolitan area for cancer or other life threatening illness or is the sibling of an eligible pupil who is being currently treated, and resides with the pupil’s family at least 60 miles beyond the outside boundary of the seven-county metropolitan area.

If your student meets one or more of the above criteria, please contact Emily Holm at HLWW High School or Stephanie Dailey at HLWW ALP High School to schedule a meeting.

Emily Holm

Email: eholm@hlww.k12.mn.us 

Phone: 320-543-3900 ext. 4309   

Stephanie Dailey

Email: sdailey@hlww.k12.mn.us

Phone: (320) 543-4600 x4305

The ALP is located at 8700 County Rd 6 SW, Howard Lake, MN 55349 and has office hours from 7:15 am to 3:15 pm, Monday through Friday.

HLWW ALP is an optional education setting for students who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty in traditional education systems and/or meet the eligibility requirements based on indicators of need. The purpose of the HLWW ALP Program is to give students the opportunity to achieve academic success and complete their education in an alternative setting and graduate on-time with their peers.

HLWW ALP Mission Statement:

HLWW ALP believes in taking steps to build authentic maturity among our students! We believe in providing an environment that fosters autonomy and responsibility, the belief that information and accountability go hand-in-hand. We also foster the understanding that learning must include hands-on-minds-on experiences to accompany their tech-savvy lifestyles and experience community service opportunities to balance their self-service time. We have confidence that our students will become more motivated by their successes and begin to acquire a sense of ownership and responsibility for the role they play in their future.

Alternative Education:

​The Minnesota Department of Education alternative education mission is to provide viable educational options for students who are experiencing difficulty in the traditional system. The first legislated State-Approved Alternative Programs (SAAP) began in 1988 with four sites serving 4,000 students. Today, more than 162,000 students access alternative education on a part-time or full-time basis. This represents about 17 percent of Minnesota public school students.

Alternative education is designed for students who are at-risk of educational failure. State-Approved Alternative Programs are classified as Area Learning Center (ALC), Alternative Learning Programs (ALP), Contracted Alternatives, and Targeted Services for students in kindergarten through Grade 8.Alternative programs are year-round and may be offered during the day and after school. They are characterized by smaller class sizes and using a hands-on/experiential approach to learning.

Instruction is designed to meet individual student learning styles as well as their social and emotional needs. Teachers build connections with students and focus on vocational and career skills, including independent study options. Community, county and state partnerships provide additional support and resources.

State approved Alternative Programs are governed by these statutes:

• Graduation Incentives Criteria used to identify at-risk students (Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.68).
• Continual Learning Plan (CLP) developed annually for each student to outline the steps necessary for grade promotion and/or graduation (Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.128, Subdivision 3).
• Information to students and families regarding alternative education options (Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.68, Subdivision 6).

If you are placed on a student contract, you must make improvements in the areas identified within the time period stated in the contract.

Students may be placed on a student contract for the following reasons (including but not limited to):

• Unacceptable attendance and/or excessive absences
• Lack of responsibility to contact staff regarding absences
• Unacceptable productivity (coursework being completed within a reasonable time)
• Recurring behavior that is deemed disrespectful, distracting, and/or unsafe by ALP staff
• Other reasons as determined by ALP staff

Students placed on a contract, and their parents/guardians will be notified in writing of the reason(s), the time period of the contract, and advised of contract expectations.

Under the conditions of the contract, your school performance will be closely monitored. At the end of the contract period Stephanie Dailey, ALP Instructor, will determine:

1. If your performance during the contract time has eliminated the discrepancy, the contract will be removed.
2. If the contract expectation has not been met, a parent meeting will be required and an individual plan will be developed to determine appropriate placement. Such placement may include continued enrollment at the ALP with restrictions or referral to return to mainstream school.

Consecutive broken contracts or failure to comply with restrictions will be grounds for dismissal from the ALP program. For more information regarding dismissal and re-admittance, please click on the links at the top of this page.

*Students who are enrolled at the ALP past the 12th grade and are placed on a contract will have different consequences for breaking contract requirements.