Hopkins School District #270

09/25/2009

Question 

Where can we find information about the Autonomous Learner Model?

Answer

The Autonomous Learner Model Program (ALM) at each school is designed slightly differently. In 7th and 8th grade at each school, students participate in a weekly seminar with the Challenge coordinator during their Study Time (ST at HNJH)/Goals Lab (HWJH) period. At HWJH, ALM students are grouped together during their Goals Lab period while at HNJH they are not. In the 9th grade ALM program, students attend the weekly seminar on a rotating basis from their scheduled classes. Prior to the schedule change in 2007-08 when all 7th and 8th graders were required to take a ST/Goals Lab, all ALM (7-9) participated in the weekly ALM Seminar from their regularly scheduled classes.

At Hopkins West, an analysis of the data shows a significant increase (200 percent) in the number of ALM participants after the schedule change in 2007. The attrition rate for the last two years has been 9 percent. During the 2008-09 school year, 9 percent of the students dropped from the program; at the same time, there was a 6 percent increase in new students choosing to participate. The majority of the attrition occurs between 8th and 9th grade. Students who chose to not continue offered the following reasons for their decision:

• Moved to another district—2 percent
• Did not want to take time out of class in 9th grade—3 percent
• It was too hard or unhappy with the program—4 percent

At Hopkins North, the ALM students are clustered together during their Study Time (ST), and they, too, attend their ALM weekly session during their ST (grades 7-8). Ninth graders are pulled from regularly-scheduled classes. The significant increase of ALM participants at West (200 percent) has brought the enrollment of the two jr. highs' programs within a similar range.  

At North, the enrollment of ALM has remained constant, although in 2008-09, a standard junior high identification process for the Challenge program was implemented. This resulted in enrollment shifts. At North, the entry at grade 7 has remained constant and, like West, the largest attrition occurs between grade 8 and 9 where students must then leave their scheduled classes to attend ALM. The decline in ALM enrollment in 9th grade averages 30 percent. Cohort data is inconsistent: for example one cohort increased by 32 percent one year and then decreased by 30 percent the following year.

In 2006-07, Hopkins' two junior high schools integrated its Pre-Advanced Placement curriculum into all three grades, with focus on the core areas of science, social studies, math, and language arts. The Pre-AP design aligns both the course subject content and requisite skills with the successful completion of Advanced Placement courses in grades 10-12. The data tracking the effectiveness of the Pre-AP program is incomplete at this time.