Alternative Education
Options Abound for Many Different Learning Styles
For many years, schools that focused on different teaching styles have
been termed “alternative programs.” In fact, researchers
have demonstrated that students have many different kinds of learning
styles and they aren’t simply traditional or alternative. Here
are a few of the programs in the Olympia School District that take a
different approach to learning.
AVANTI HIGH SCHOOL
Avanti High School is a performance standards school where students
receive a personalized education. The small school size, dedicated and
caring staff, and the use of learning plans and theme classes provides
a challenging and motivating educational setting that focuses on a
student’s interests and strengths. Avanti, which is located on
the first level of the Knox Building located on the corner of Legion
and Eastside, serves about 140 students. At Avanti, students
learn, and can demonstrate their learning, in a variety of ways.
Student learning is tied to demonstration of competency and not tied to
seat time. The curriculum is integrated, allowing students to
work on and demonstrate competent skills in more than one area at a
time. For more information, contact Avanti High School at
596-7900.
MARSHALL ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM (MAP)
MAP is a parent partnership program based on the assumption that
parents have the right and responsibility to be actively involved in
their children’s education and to provide input for decision making for
that education. Each MAP family is encouraged to participate in
and outside the classroom throughout the year. Parents, teachers,
and students work together as a team to help each student achieve her
or his full potential.
As participants in MAP:
- Students are encouraged to set high academic, social and personal goals.
- Students learn to respect the abilities and the work of their fellow students.
- Students learn to develop a strong sense of community and self.
For more information, contact Marshall Middle School at 596-7600.
ALKI AT REEVES MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALKI is a team-taught, multi-grade, middle school program with
extensive parental involvement. ALKI draws from the entire
Olympia School District and strives to recruit interested and informed
students who are willing to work toward challenging academic goals to
the best of their ability and be active participants in their
educational process. ALKI welcomes the inherent diversity among
students and seeks to create an inclusive model that values emotional
and academic skill development. ALKI recognizes the importance of
distinct learning styles, acknowledges the significance of emotional
intelligence and promotes experiential learning. This commitment
to an innovative and integrated curriculum includes community service
and field studies. For more information, contact Reeves Middle
School at 596-3400.
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The Options Program at Lincoln School provides a unified model for
grades K-5 that respects how children learn and views learning as a
collaborative effort of staff, students and parents. Attributes
of the Options Program include:
- Social and emotional growth, and academic growth are equally valued.
- Children stay with the same teacher in multi-age classrooms for two years or more to support their learning and strengthen the family-school relationship.
- Multiple intelligences, cooperation, social justice and sustainability are taught and practiced.
Parents are vital to sustaining the Options program and are involved in
governance, as partners supporting learning in the classroom,
enrichment activities, field trips, fund raising, and social
events. For more information, contact Lincoln Elementary School
at 596-6400.
HANSEN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
At Hansen Elementary School, the Hansen Alternative Program’s (HAP)
mission is to bind children, teachers and parents together in a
progressive educational environment. This setting enhances a child’s
love of discovery and learning, while developing academic and social
skills at an individualized pace. HAP emphasizes team-teaching
opportunities, parental involvement, and multi-aged classrooms, and
fosters an active, hands-on learning experience for all children.
The key goals of the program are to:
- Cultivate a sense of community;
- Increase the amount of personalized instruction students receive; and,
- Create specialized activities and learning opportunities to expand on the established curriculum.