OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR O L A STATE OF MINNESOTA

Evaluation Report Summary / February 2010 Alternative Programs

Major Findings:  Some school district staff are concerned about the rigor of the curriculum in alternative education  Alternative education programs programs. range from full-time “regular-day” schools that substitute for traditional  The Minnesota Department of schools to “extended-time” summer Education (MDE) approves school and after-school programs. alternative education programs but provides limited ongoing oversight.  About 17 percent (150,000) of Minnesota public school students  MDE has established policies that enroll in alternative education limit student access to targeted programs each year. In 2009, 75 services. Alternative percent of these students enrolled education only in extended-time programs, programs have such as summer school or after- Key Recommendations: had mixed results, school programs. but the Minnesota  MDE should initiate a pilot project to Department of  Many students who attend alternative use and evaluate additional measures education programs qualify because of alternative education student Education has they are behind academically. Not performance. restricted access surprisingly, alternative education to “targeted students had significantly lower rates  The Minnesota Legislature should services,” which of proficiency on the 2009 MCA-II allow MDE and school districts with have shown the exams than students who attended students enrolled in alternative traditional schools. most promising education programs in other districts to challenge the validity of the results.  However, when we measured growth curriculum provided by those on standardized tests between 2008 alternative education programs to and 2009, students in ensure the curriculum meets state through eighth grade who attended standards. extended-time programs called “targeted services” generally  The Minnesota Legislature should increased their test scores more than allow all school districts to offer other students. In contrast, other targeted services, regardless of groups of alternative education whether they provide other students made less progress than alternative education programs. traditional students.  MDE should increase its ongoing  Alternative education students had oversight of alternative education lower attendance and graduation programs. rates than traditional students, but some alternative education students improved on these measures over time.

Room 140 Centennial Building, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155‐1603 • Tel: 651‐296‐4708 • Fax: 651‐296‐4712 E‐mail: [email protected] • Web Site: www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us • Through Minnesota Relay: 1‐800‐627‐3529 or 7‐1‐1 2 ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

students eligible for free or reduced-price Report Summary lunch than traditional schools. In 2009, The Minnesota Legislature established nearly 50 percent of the alternative alternative education programs in 1987 as education student population was a way to serve secondary students at risk nonwhite. In contrast, only 20 percent of of not graduating from the traditional the traditional students in Minnesota were education system. Over the past 20 years, nonwhite. Similarly, 57 percent of alternative education programs have alternative education students were Alternative expanded from enrolling high school eligible to receive free or reduced-price education consists students in separate “learning centers” to lunch in 2009 as compared with 30 percent of “regular-day” also serving elementary school students in of traditional students. before- or after-school programs and Alternative education students are more programs that during the summer (referred to as substitute for likely than traditional students to change extended-time programs). schools during the school year. In 2009, traditional schools Alternative education programs are 40 percent of alternative education and “extended- provided by area learning centers (ALCs), students changed schools at least once time” programs alternative learning programs (ALPs), and during the school year as compared with that take place contract alternative schools. They provide less than 4 percent of traditional students. outside of the “regular-day” programs that substitute for Students who attended alternative attending a traditional school, and many normal school education programs had lower rates of also offer “extended-time” programs that proficiency on the MCA-II exams than day. take place outside of the traditional school traditional students. day (either during the summer or before or after school). One of the eligibility criteria for students to attend an alternative education program Students must meet 1 of 12 criteria is that they are academically behind their outlined in statute to attend an alternative 1 peers. Not surprisingly, alternative education program. The criteria include education students had lower rates of (1) performing substantially below the proficiency than other students on the performance level for pupils of the same Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, age, (2) being behind in obtaining credits Series II (MCA-II) exams. In general, 37 for graduation, (3) being pregnant or a percent of students who attended an parent, and (4) having been assessed as alternative education program were chemically dependent. “proficient” on the 2009 math MCA-II, as Of the 150,000 students enrolled in compared with 68 percent of students who alternative education programs in 2009, 75 did not attend an alternative education About 75 percent percent were enrolled only in extended- program that year. Similarly, 46 percent of the 150,000 time programs. This means that they of alternative education students were alternative attended a traditional school during the proficient on the 2009 MCA-II, as regular school day and participated in compared with 77 percent of students who education alternative education only before or after did not attend an alternative education students were school or during the summer. For students program. These differences in proficiency enrolled only in in kindergarten through eighth grade, rates persisted across grade levels. extended-time extended-time programs typically take Students who received targeted services place at traditional school sites. programs in 2009. showed increased growth in test scores, Alternative education students are more but students enrolled in regular-day often nonwhite and poor and change alternative education programs did not schools more frequently than other demonstrate the same level of growth. public school students. Students in kindergarten through eighth On the whole, alternative education grade who received extended-time programs serve significantly larger services (targeted services) showed percentages of nonwhite students and higher-than-expected growth on two standardized assessments—the MCA-II and the Northwest Evaluation 1 Minnesota Statutes 2009, 124D.68, subd. 2.

SUMMARY 3

Association’s (NWEA’s) Measures of graduation rates of full-time alternative Academic Progress (MAP)—when education students who were in the twelfth Students in compared with other students and national grade in 2006 to see whether they grades K-8 who norms. ultimately graduated when given more time. We found that by the end of 2009, received targeted In contrast, students who attended 62 percent of these students had graduated. services had more alternative education schools for at least growth on some of their regular school day had less High school students reported high standardized growth on math and reading assessments levels of satisfaction with their when compared with NWEA’s alternative education experience. assessments than comparison groups and other Minnesota We surveyed all high school students who other students. students (on the MCA-II). were enrolled at least half time in an When we examined subgroups of students alternative education program. Almost who attended regular-day alternative three-quarters of the 2,847 students who education programs, we found mixed responded to our questionnaire said that results for students who attended full time. their alternative education school had met These students were more likely to have or exceeded their expectations. At least 70 high growth than low growth on the MCA- percent of the students reported that the II reading exam, although the difference teachers at their alternative education was not statistically significant. school cared about them, the school had prepared them for their future, and they It is difficult to determine appropriate had accomplished what they wanted at benchmarks for these students because we their school. do not know how they would have performed if they had not enrolled in School districts provide the primary alternative education. Some alternative oversight of alternative education education students might have remained in programs, but some school district staff the traditional setting and graduated from are concerned about the rigor of the high school; others might have dropped curriculum in some programs. out of school and not obtained a high On average, MDE approves new alternative education school diploma. students in programs and changes to existing regular-day Alternative education secondary programs, such as expanding from an ALP students generally had lower attendance to an ALC or adding targeted services. programs had less and graduation rates than traditional MDE staff also provide technical growth on students, but many students showed assistance and support to alternative standardized improvement on these measures. education programs. According to MDE staff, however, the department conducts assessments than In 2009, traditional students had a 95- limited ongoing oversight of alternative percent attendance rate; students who other students. education programs. attended alternative education schools as part of their regular school day had an Primary ongoing oversight rests with attendance rate of roughly 81 percent. We school districts. Based on our surveys of compared students’ attendance rates for school district superintendents and 2008 and 2009, and after adjusting for alternative education directors, alternative grade-level changes, we found that more education programs are treated similarly to than 40 percent of full-time alternative other schools in their districts. Program education students improved their directors are often included in district attendance rates relative to their peers leadership meetings, and alternative between 2008 and 2009. education staff are often included in district-wide curriculum and professional- Between 2006 and 2009, 85 to 89 percent development meetings. of traditional twelfth-grade students graduated by the end of their senior year. Despite oversight by the local school In contrast, only 34 to 39 percent of districts, there are concerns about the rigor alternative education students who started of the curriculum in some alternative a given year in the twelfth grade graduated education programs. Almost half of the by the end of the year. We examined the respondents to the superintendent survey

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and almost 60 percent of respondents to of one or more districts, may designate the program director survey indicated that which grades are served, and may make the rigor of the curriculum varies among program hours and a calendar optional.”2 alternative education programs. MDE MDE staff estimated that 25 percent of staff reported that several school districts Minnesota school districts do not provide have questioned the rigor of the targeted services, in part because of the Minnesota curriculum provided by an alternative requirements imposed by the department. Department of education program in another district Given the test score results we presented serving their students. In response to these earlier—indicating increased test score concerns, MDE staff said that the limits student growth for students in targeted services department has neither the authority nor programs—we think targeted services access to targeted the capacity to judge the rigor of an should be available statewide and services. alternative education program’s decoupled from other alternative education curriculum. programs. MDE permits only ALCs to The Minnesota Department of provide targeted services. However, the Education has adopted policies that link between targeted services and ALCs limit access to targeted services. is tenuous at best—targeted services are not a substitute for traditional schools, MDE allows only ALCs to provide they typically do not take place in ALCs, targeted services; the department does not and they generally are not taught by ALC permit ALPs to provide these services. staff. This policy contradicts the law, which states that ALPs “may serve the students

Summary of Agency Response In a letter dated January 22, 2010, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren said that the department “will consider the recommendations and information contained in this report and determine the modifications to improve Alternative Education Programs and the application process.” In response to OLA's recommendation to allow all school districts to provide targeted services, Commissioner Seagren said, “MDE can use this opportunity to refine the application process and expand targeted services.” In response to OLA's recommendation that MDE increase its ongoing oversight of alternative education programs, Commissioner Seagren said, “MDE supports this recommendation. However, the capacity to implement the recommendation is limited due to budget constraints.… MDE provides technical assistance to alternative education programs and staff are in the process of refining procedures for supporting alternative education programs through site evaluations focused on increasing student achievement.”

The full evaluation report, Alternative Education Programs, is available at 651-296-4708 or: www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2010/alted.htm

2 Minnesota Statutes 2009, 123A.05, subd. 1.