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Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 board hears ALE and JAGK updates; students describe confidence and credit gains
Summary
District staff told the board that the ALE pilot now serves about 50 in-person students and 22 AVL students with a 94% acceptance rate, and JAGK students and staff described hands-on career preparation; students testified that both programs have improved confidence, skills and credit recovery.
District staff and students gave the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education a detailed look at two workforce- and recovery-focused programs: JAG Kansas (JAGK) and the Alternative Learning Environment (ALE).
JAGK presenters — Manhattan High case specialist Craig Gantenbein, Crystal Williams, Dasia Taylor and Francesca Morales — summarized program goals of career exploration, competency-based curriculum, project-based learning and sustained student follow-up. Students who participated described concrete benefits: Elizabeth Hernandez Hewlett said JAG "has changed me a lot since my sophomore year" and helped her gain confidence; Haley Hughes said JAG prepared her for job-seeking and increased her confidence in presenting herself to employers.
The ALE presentation, led by ALE specialist Andrea Curtis, outlined the pilot's timeline and outcomes. Curtis said the program started onboarding in July and reported enrollment growth from 14 initial students to 50 in-person ALE students plus 22 in AVL (asynchronous virtual learning). She reported a 94 percent acceptance rate and noted eight midterm graduates by December. Curtis said ALE uses a hybrid model with in-person core classes supported by online coursework (Edgenuity) and structured lab hours for credit recovery and acquisition.
Board members asked several operational questions about ALE: how admissions and AVL decisions are made (Curtis said denials numbered five and were for specific reasons, including an already-earned diploma, adult-education referral, and IEP constraints), whether the program competes with CTE offerings (staff said JAGK tends to expose students to careers while CTE provides hands-on training), facility use (ALE occupies half of the Robinson Education Center with room held for future expansion), and how students are transitioned year-to-year (Curtis described individualized planning and exit interviews).
Administrators stressed that grade-level principals, counselors and special education staff continue to "own" students' plans and remain involved, and that the district intentionally keeps AVL enrollment low because in-person placement yields better results for many students. Board members praised program culture and student outcomes and urged continued evaluation of class offerings and capacity in future years.
What happens next: Curtis said staff will conduct exit interviews at the end of the year, review class needs and continue monitoring attendance and engagement metrics as the hybrid model evolves.
