Alternative High Schools Initiative Small, targeted schools supporting young people who may not be, or have not been, successful in more traditional schools

AHSI Distinquishers Authentic learning, teaching and performance assessment Personalized school culture Shared leadership and responsibility Supportive partnerships Future focus

Big Picture Students recruited in the 8 th grade to begin at Big Picture in the 9 th grade No academic pre-requisites Takes 4 years to graduate MNPS school

Diploma Plus Students recruited who are sixteen and older and who are behind in academic credits Some students may have either dropped out or be on the verge of dropping out Students must read at least at a 6 th grade level Takes between two and three years to graduate MNPS School

Gateway to College Students recruited who have dropped out of high school and no longer identify themselves as “high school” students Students must read at least at an 8 th grade level Takes up to three years to graduate Nashville State Community College runs the school in partnership with MNPS

Youth Build Students should be between the ages of 18 and 24 and without a high school diploma No academic prerequisites Program participation is time-limited, but follow-up and support towards diploma or GED completion are on-going YMCA awarded a 3-year grant in June 2009

Timeline Big Picture High School splits First Year for Diploma Plus Planning year for Gateway to College First Year for Youth Build

Timeline Big Picture graduates first classes Second Year of Diploma Plus First Year for Gateway to College Second Year for Youth Build Implement data-driven expansion plans

On-Going Work Integration of Data into how the city understands and addresses drop-out Creating and maintaining necessary wrap- around services for supporting young people and their families Communicating these schools and their potential to the wider Nashville community

Wrap-Around Services High school to college and career transition Internships and work experiences Social and emotional supports Systems coordination