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School Profile
Minnesota Transitions Charter School is a charter school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving approximately 320 students in grades K-12. The school, which is chartered by the Minneapolis School District, opened in 1996. The Center for Education Reform's National Charter School Directory 2000 describes Minnesota Transitions as a school "designed to integrate academic and career exploration in a seamless K-12 program of small, multi-aged groups." The most important issue that prompted the formation of Minnesota Transitions, according to its lead administrator, was that "the creativity of the program was not being developed by the existing schools." Additional information that sheds light on the reasons for the school's founding can be found under the "School's Core Philosophy and Valued Outcomes" section below.
The mission of Minnesota Transitions, according to the school's Web site (http://www.mtcs.org), is "to provide an innovative model of high quality K-12 public education, which ensures equal access to an excellent experiential learning program in a healthy, safe, caring, enjoyable, and integrated environment so that each student is helped to reach his or her highest potential and is prepared to successfully and confidently meet the realities and responsibilities of adult life. We believe in the immense potential of each human being and see education as a way to help maximize that potential. We believe that the best education is one that prepares individuals for a life of change, learning and growth; one that enables them to learn how to learn, expands their awareness of life's choices, and empowers them to make those choices wisely. We believe that the best education is one that also serves society by helping to develop human beings capable of meeting the challenges of the future and participating effectively in the economic, cultural and political realities and possibilities of their world." To fulfill this mission, Minnesota Transitions lists the following
goals that it holds for students:
INVOLVED GROUPS AND DECISIONMAKERS The school's governing board is described by its lead administrator as being "influential in all matters and issues including curriculum and instruction." Parents play a key role in governance, marketing/public relations, and providing advice to the school, while employers perform a number of key functions that include governance and are providers of learning opportunities outside the school.
The curriculum at Minnesota Transitions is described by its lead administrator as being "very different" from that found in a traditional high school, with two primary differences being that (a) technology is integrated into the curriculum, not separate; and (b) students have an opportunity for school to work programs. The curriculum is organized around competencies related to a career, job, career pathway, or occupational cluster, and is prescribed "somewhat precisely" for teachers. The curriculum has changed in several noteworthy ways since the school's opening, including an increased emphasis on integrating technology with state graduation standards. In terms of curriculum-related goals, the lead administrator notes that it is "somewhat important" that students be prepared for a particular career, career cluster, or occupational cluster, but "very important" that students understand links between academic subjects and adult life in the real world. The most common methods used to deliver the curriculum include hands-on activities, computer simulations, and portfolios and exhibitions of student work. A complete listing of the courses included within the Minnesota Transitions curriculum, including specialized courses that focus on specialized vocational topics such as AutoCad, aviation, building maintenance, and digital imaging, can be found on the school's Web site at http://www.mtcs.org/high/default.html. Real-world learning opportunities that offer students opportunities
outside the classroom are described as a "strong emphasis"
on curriculum and organization at Minnesota Transitions, although the
school's administrator notes that not all students actually experience
such opportunities. Specific forms that these real-world practices take
include the following:
Minnesota Transitions has faced several challenges during its first years of existence. The biggest problems, in the words of the school's lead administrator, involved "finding a site [and] developing a food program and other traditional functions of the school." Attempting to implement innovative practices in the face of state regulation is also described as a challenge: "MTS is on the cutting edge of several issues including a Web-based high school, Independent Study and technology integration, [but] the state department remains an obstacle through regulation for creativity." Cultivating and retaining partnerships with businesses is a third issue; the lead administrator notes, "…Keeping the same businesses active is difficult…We have various business involvement programs [to address this issue]; the most successful are annual lunch programs." Finally, the socioeconomic status of students poses special challenges in terms of motivation: "…Our students are very low income. We must continue to excite them about learning even though other parts of their lives often dominate their own concerns." Minnesota Transitions
2526 27th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55406
Tel: (612) 728-8915
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