East Central Minnesota ALC Partnership

The purpose of the Area Learning Center is to provide services to students who were experiencing obstacles to their academic success in the regular school setting by offering an alternative curriculum that is academically challenging and meaningful, in an environment that addresses the students’ individual academic and social/emotional needs.

Mora Alternative Learning Center will educate learners and equip them with lifelong academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed in a changing society.

MN Department of Education's Alternative Education Mission is to provide viable educational options for students who are experiencing difficulty in the traditional system.

Alternative students are students that have not been successful in traditional education settings but still have the capacity for successful learning.

An alternative program should create personalized, flexible learning environments for students who are “at-risk” of not completing high school.

Alternative education respects the diverse ways in which students learn and offer different learning models including a “hands-on” approach.

Relationships are key to students’ success.  Developing trusting, caring relationships between teachers and students can affect achievement.

Learners need to develop effective and appropriate social and communication skills to be successful in today’s society.

Successful education is providing meaningful education to the students by relating it to their own experiences and plans for their future.

Learners should be encouraged to develop their strengths and to successfully navigate obstacles including past trauma and current mental health challenges.

Learners should be encouraged to take responsibility for and ownership of their education and future.

Learners need to be involved in the community and have the ability to earn credits through direct work experience and entrepreneurial projects.

Learners should be encouraged to explore personal interests and embrace lifelong learning.

Students eligible for the Mora Alternative Learning Center must meet one of the conditions listed below that qualify a student as a learner at risk. 

The ALC is available to students who:

• perform substantially below performance level,

• or are at least one year behind in grade level

• or course work toward graduation,

• or are pregnant or a parent,

• or are assessed as chemically dependent,

• or have been victims of physical or sexual abuse,

• or have experienced mental health problems,

• or have experienced homelessness any time within the past six months,

• or have limited English proficiency

• or speak English as a second language,

• or have been excluded or expelled from high school,

• or have been referred by a school district for enrollment in an eligible nontraditional program,

• or have a two year gap since failing a course,

• or are seniors who are short credit(s) for graduation

In order to enroll a student must have verification from their district that they qualify in at least one of the areas required by the state.

The Mora Independent Study program provides students with an alternative school schedule. Full time I.S. students attend 16 hours a week and are expected to continue their work independently outside of school. If the students clock hours exceed negative 20 hours, they are given a week to make up those hours. If they don't succeed in making up the hours they will be dropped for a period of six weeks, after such they may reenroll into the ALC.

Students will be required to complete 85 units of work and 20 attendance hours to obtain a .5 credit (a semester credit). The independent study format may include Plato computer based curriculum, packet work, work experience, PSEO, individual research, and Individualized Instruction.