State’s North Star accountability flags Albert Lea area learning center for comprehensive support; high school receives linked status

The Minnesota Department of Education’s North Star accountability system has designated the Albert Lea Area Learning Center for comprehensive support because of its 4‑year graduation performance, and it assigned Albert Lea High School a linked designation, Executive Director Tanya Franks told the Albert Lea Public School District study session.

Franks said the district’s overall 4‑year graduation rate was 74.19 percent and the overall 7‑year rate was 81 percent, according to the public North Star report. She attributed the gap between the high school and the district rate to students served in the Area Learning Center (ALC). “If you look at the Albert Lea High School percentage at 86% to the overall at 74% — putting the Area Learning Center data in — you can see the difference,” Franks said. Franks reported the ALC’s 4‑year graduation rate as about 27 percent and said the ALC’s 7‑year rate rose to roughly 64 percent in the reporting window.

Under Minnesota’s North Star framework, Franks said, the state assigns comprehensive support to…