Alternative School: A school run by community agencies that hire staff and provide their own facility. Their mission is to serve "at risk" youth as defined by Minnesota statute. Students attending these schools continue to be Minneapolis Public Schools students during their enrollment.

Charter School: Independent public schools that are sponsored by a school district, university, the state or non-profit organization. Charter schools operate under a contract with the sponsor.

Community/Neighborhood School: An elementary school with an attendance area that draws most of its students from the surrounding community. Community/neighborhood schools reflect the interests of the families in the school. Community/neighborhood schools make it easier for families to get involved with their child's education, allow for shorter bus rides and develop a sense of pride and community in the neighborhood.

Spanish Dual Immersion School:  Schools that provide a unique educational experience in which students master curriculum objectives and learn Spanish or English as their second language. Typically, half of the students are native Spanish speakers and half are native English speakers. All students learn to speak, read and write well in both languages during their elementary years when languages are most easily learned and retained.

Magnet School:  A school with a distinct, unifying principle or instructional delivery system which draws from a larger attendance area than a community school. Some magnets are organized around a philosophy of teaching, such as Montessori or Open schools; others use a theme such as the arts, technology, language or the environment to connect subjects.

Middle School: Grades 6-8 are called the middle grades. Middle grades classrooms (whether they are located within a K-8 elementary school or a 6-8 middle school) offer academically challenging courses in the core subject areas as well as a broad range of exploratory courses.

Montessori School: Based on the theories and practices developed by Maria Montessori, these schools use an individualized, self-directed approach that supports students progressing at their own rates.

Open School: A type of school that values student academic choice in the learning environment. Much of the teaching is thematic with hands-on learning activities. Students also work in cooperative and small group experiences.

ATTENDANCE AREAS

Guaranteed School Attendance Area: The geographic area around a community school for which the district can guarantee space for resident entering kindergarten students only. This guarantee applies only to those who submit a request card by the choice deadline. First- through eighth-grade students are also encouraged to attend their community schools, although space is not guaranteed.

Open Area: An area of the city in which families do not have a guaranteed elementary community school.  Families of incoming kindergarten students who live in one these areas currently have guaranteed school choice if they return their request card on time. Open area families selecting a school will be allowed to identify three choices on their school request cards. Two of the three choices must be community schools within designated attendance boundaries. The other choice can be a magnet school. If their cards are received by the school request deadline, the district will guarantee that they receive one of their choices.

Open Enrollment: State law allows students to attend a school outside of the school district in which they live (if you live outside of Minneapolis and want your child to attend a Minneapolis Public School, or if you live in Minneapolis and want your child to attend a public school outside of Minneapolis). There are three requirements: there must be space in the school you are requesting; transportation must be provided by the family unless the family qualifies for the Choice Is Yours Program; you must complete the open enrollment application form. For information call 612-668-1840.

Pathways: Because stability and relationships are important to middle school students, we have set up pathways from elementary school to middle school. Middle school attendance boundaries, previously based on individual addresses, will now be based on elementary school attendance areas. This establishes a clear and consistent "pathway" to middle schools, and means your child will move on to middle school with the same group of students he or she has known since kindergarten.  (Pathways do not necessarily apply to magnets; K-5 magnet students pathway to their attendance area middle school.)

SPECIAL PROGRAMS & FEATURES
Several schools have the following special programs or features listed within their school description. For more detailed information about how the program affects learning for students, call the individual school.

Accelerated Reader: Accelerated Reader is a computer program that allows students to take a test on the computer after they have read a book. The computer tests their comprehension of what they have read. The computer then produces a report which tells the teacher how well the student read. The program can motivate students to improve their reading because students can earn points for how they read.

Advisory: A regularly scheduled time when students have opportunities to build relationships - student to student and student to adult - and address adolescent-related topics and issues.

Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC) Lab: This computer-assisted instructional program offers courses in the basics (math, reading and spelling) as well as problem-solving and higher order thinking skills in math, reading and science. The program evaluates a student's present performance and begins instruction at that student's level, moving the student up to higher levels as he or she is ready to progress.

Gifted Catalyst Program: This program targets the early primary years (grades K-2) as a key time to purposefully recognize and develop strengths and talents in all students, a practice supported by research. Through its complex thinking, open-ended curriculum, the Gifted Catalyst Program also provides appropriate challenge for gifted/talented K-2 students. The program promotes literacy, supports increased achievement levels and promotes equal access to gifted/talented services for all students.

Looping: Teams (students and teachers) remain together for at least two, and often three, of the three-year middle grades experience.  This practice allows for more personalized attention, a strong sense of community and time to build solid relationships among members.

Multi-age classroom: Students of different grade levels are in the same classroom.

National Science Foundation grant supported school: Through a five-year, K-8 National Science Foundation grant, schools get extra attention from science resource teachers to help them use the hands-on science curriculum. Three years ago, one-third of our teachers used science kits in their classrooms. Today, 95 percent of teachers use science kits to provide students with hands-on science instruction. The grant also supports school science leaders and provides professional development opportunities.

Teaming: Instead of learning with a single teacher during most of the school day, students will learn with teachers who plan and deliver curriculum as a team.  A typical team consists of teachers who deliver language arts, math, science and social studies curriculum, support teachers for English language learners and students with special education needs, teachers of the arts, and approximately 120 students.

Quality Performance Awards: The Quality Performance Awards are presented to schools that meet or exceed their school improvement performance goals. The district uses a comprehensive set of indicators to determine eligibility for the awards and individual schools complete an extensive written application.

Responsive Classroom: Many middle grades programs use the Responsive Classroom program in their advisory periods.  It is a nationally recognized program that helps students learn about respect, listening skills and how to express their ideas.