Narrative: c. 2.

Minnesota has legislated many alternative educational opportunities for students, most notably area learning centers and charter schools. Minnesota Statute 123A.06 identifies the programming requirements for area learning centers and specifically specifies, "The programs and services of a center must focus on academic and learning skills, applied learning opportunities, trade and vocational skills, work–based learning opportunities, work experience, youth service to the community, transition services, and English language and literacy programs for children whose primary language is a language other than English.

Student learners in alternative education programs are provided access to counselors who are informed of career pathway/POS organizational framework, the CTE courses provided by area schools and, the alignment of coursework with colleges. Providing access to information about various and multiple options regarding CTE programs can enhance the student learner in an alternative education setting similar to what is expected when the exact information is provided to other students.

Growing number of charter high schools in Minnesota are establishing career and technical education programs. Such programs must comply with Minnesota rules pertaining to state approval of CTE programs and teacher licensure requirements. Minnesota has determiend that a charter school with an approved career and technical education program must be allowed to join a secondary/postsecondary consortium to access resources made available to other public schools under Perkins IV.

Leadership grants are awarded based on a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process and approved by MnSCU and MDE. Proposed projects must focus on one or more of the following key areas identified as critical areas supporting Perkins IV:

• Functional Literacy –– reading, math, and writing development directly related to career and technical preparation or other activities which support adult learners in preparation for career and technical education or employment.
• Development of Assessment Procedures –– assist participants with assessing their interests and abilities, as well as planning with career and technical education.
• Career Exploration or Career Guidance –– work sampling, job shadowing, visits to career and technical programs or industry, activities that allow participants to explore high–skill, high–wage, or high–demand careers, or other activities that allow participants to engage in career planning such as career pathways.
• Transitional Services –– assist participants with moving from incarceration or transition with individual education plans to career and technical training and/or employment (i.e., jobs outside of correctional settings), such as work readiness skills training.
• Recent legislation has provided an opportunity to bring Early College or Middle College Programs into the alternative education programs. Broadly, an Early College or Middle College Program is a high school program that allows a pupil to earn a high school diploma while also earning postsecondary credits towards a specific degree or credential including a certificate, diploma or an associate’s degree. Early and Middle College Programs are designed to serve students in the academic middle–especially low–income, English Language Learners, first generation college students, and/or students of color.
  
• Legislation passed in 2013 provides the opportunity to leverage Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) funding for developmental coursework under specific circumstances. In Subdivision 9 of Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09 the following language has been added to an existing clause:

• An institution must not enroll secondary pupils, for postsecondary enrollment options purposes, in remedial, developmental, or other courses that are not college level except when a student eligible to participate and enrolled in the graduation incentives program under section 124D.68 enrolls full time in a middle or early college program. A middle or early college program must be specifically designed to allow the student to earn dual high school and college credit with a well–defined pathway to allow the student to earn a postsecondary degree or credential. In this case, the student shall receive developmental college credit and not college credit for completing remedial or developmental courses. Under this clause, students are considered eligible if they are enrolled in a core school day State Approved Alternative Program (SAAP) under the graduation incentives program as defined by the Minnesota Department of Education.

  Please note: Some districts in Minnesota offer early or middle college programs in their comprehensive high schools as well. The distinction with the legislative language above, related to state–approved alternative programs, is that it allows access to developmental coursework, which is normally prohibited under PSEO statute.