Floodwood Public School

The Floodwood Alternative Learning Program was established to meet the needs of
young people who have not or cannot achieve the credits and skills required to
receive a high school diploma in the traditional school setting. During the
1996-1997 academic year, the first year of operation, we served 11 students of
the senior-high/adult classification.

It is the expectation of the Floodwood Alternative Learning Program that:
1) All students can and will learn
2) All people can and will be expected to achieve a high school diploma
3) Not all people will accomplish this goal in the traditional educational
setting
4) Appropriate education comes in many different forms and styles
5) The traditional school day does not suit all learners needs and activities
6) Not all teachers can be effective teachers for all learners
7) Time and learning are not always compatible
8) There are many learners who have other time and energy commitments that
impact their educational pursuits

We are located 40 miles from any of the larger cities in northeastern Minnesota
that provides this form of education to students in our area. We are meeting
the needs of many rural Minnesota students who cannot otherwise reach these more
distant learning centers.

The program works closely with student, teacher, parent and school administrator
to assess the needs of the student and provide a suitable learning environment
for that student to achieve these needs.

Our program is housed in the school building. This allows learners access to
computer network and all services provided to the regular day program students.
This will eventually provide access to include secondary and post-secondary
courses offered by ITV in the district. Students in the ALP also have access to
teaching staff that are not involved in regular classroom teaching during the
hours of operation of the ALP.

We intend to incorporate services when necessary offered by the St. Louis County
Social Services Department, Human Development Center, Arrowhead Regional Library
Service, and as the need arises to connect students with other outside resources
that we do not have available and may be appropriate such as the legal and
judicial systems.

The staff has been chosen based on their ability to develop individual learning
plans for students and their interest and involvement in alternative learning
programs. The staff of the ALP works closely with regular school staff on
curriculum consultation and has available the services of Special Education and
other specialists when necessary in a timely manner. All these provisions are
to provide the student with a plan that will improve their skills and enable
them to receive credits needed for graduation.

We work with the various schools that serve as the learnerÕs resident district
to maintain the level of academic success for that student, so they may return
to their resident district, or to close the gaps in the their educational
experience to be successful in that school. When necessary, we have the
expertise of the school counselor and special education staff to help develop
the best program for this learner.

It is our belief that the alternative program should not mirror the regular
instructional program. We will strive to seek and implement instructional
strategies that are not used in most regular classrooms. The curriculum and
instruction are what we call Òreality basedÓ, using the outside world to be the
base for instruction and teaching of academic skills. The focus remains on the
learner, not on the subject. Instruction and curriculum are adapted to fit the
learner.

As with all current programs within the State of Minnesota, we are working to
incorporate and implement the Grad Standards in a timely fashion. We work to
allow students to develop an individual program that demonstrates a proficiency
of the Profiles of Learning. The specific nature of each learnersÕs portfolio
will be determined by the learner and the instructor. If the learner desires to
receive a diploma from another high school, we will design the curriculum to
reflect the curriculum and graduation requirements of that high school.
 

Contact Person:
James Pavlek
Floodwood Alternative Learning Program
Box 287
Floodwood, MN 55736-8521
218-476-2285, ext. 153 or email: pavlek@epivax.epi.umn.edu

Program Hours: Monday through Friday
2:30-9:00 p.m.
Media Center - High School