Resources

High School Programs & Alternatives

A variety of alternatives are available for students who learn better in non-traditional environments, desire advanced educational opportunities or job training, or require enhanced behavioral or emotional support.

Early College Academy is a partnership between the Kansas City Public Schools and Metropolitan Community College – Penn Valley for highly motivated high school students who are ready to participate in the rigors of college. Students earn high school credits while also earning college credits as they attend classes, full-time, on a college campus.

Contact KCPS Coordinator of Early College Programs at ECA@kcpublicschools.org

Manual Career and Technical Center (MCTC) is a center for KCPS high school students and charter school students. Students generally attend MCTC for a portion of the day during their 11th or 12th grade years in addition to taking classes at their high schools. MCTC offers career and technical programs at three sites that are taught by professionals who are experts in their fields and often include partnerships with local companies.

Sometimes referred to as vo-tech education, MCTC prepares students to enter a highly educated workforce or to begin post-secondary education. Manual Career Technical Center is a designated “Technology Center that Works” site.

Contact MCTC Director at 816-418-5200

MCTC Main Campus Programs
Culinary Arts, Computer Programming, EMT, Construction Technology, Health Science, Teacher Education Preparatory, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Automotive Technology, and Automotive Collision

East Campus Program
Agriculture

Paseo Campus Programs
Fashion Design and TV Production

Serving grades K-12

Students complete virtual courses 100% online and have 24/7 access to lessons that are fully aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards. Students work independently with the support of a KCPS teacher. Because taking online courses is different from taking courses in a traditional face-to-face classroom, it’s good for students to know what courses will entail and what kind of support they’ll need to be successful. Research shows that students who are well prepared and well supported for this new experience do better in their classes.

Contact the Office of Education Innovation at (816) 418-7780

The Success Academy at Anderson (7-12) offers enrollment to students who are moving into KCPS and have attended alternative schools outside of the Kansas City Public Schools, as well as to students already in KCPS who will benefit from a consistent school environment.

The Success Academy encourages reaching academic goals, improving attendance rates, increasing parent involvement, transforming behavior, and developing citizenship. The Academy does not graduate students; rather it  prepares them to return to other schools in the district.

Contact Success Academy at Anderson (7-12) at 816-418-5300

Evening Academy is a high school program designed for students looking for a flexible pathway toward graduation. Students will earn credits toward a traditional high school diploma. Students can enroll as a full time Evening Academy student, part-time student, or dual-enrolled student. Students who are behind can catch up in a safe, supportive environment while being dual-enrolled at their home high school or enrolled as a full time Evening Academy student. Students can also create room in their schedule for additional courses and electives by taking credits through Evening Academy.

Contact the Evening Academy Director at (816) 418-5276

The Missouri Option Program was designed by the State of Missouri as an alternative for high school graduation. The program was developed for seniors who have gotten into a position of not being able to graduate with their graduation class. The program specifically targets those students who are 17 years of age or older and are at least one year behind their cohort group or for other significant reasons identified in the local Missouri Option Program plan.

Contact the Missouri Options Coordinator at (816) 418-5276

Middle College is for students looking for an unconventional path for high school graduation and a college education. Designed for students 17-24 years old who dropped out of the KCPS system, students who enroll in Middle College are typically missing just a couple credits from graduating. Through this program, students earn their high school diploma or GED and then build college and career skills. The partnership between Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS), Full Employment Council and MCC-Penn Valley Community College offers students a blended learning instructional model that will utilize Gradpoint online coursework and direct instruction to provide students the necessary support needed for academic success.

Contact the Middle College Program Director at (816) 604-1661

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) selected a new high school equivalency test that replaced the GED starting January 2014. Missouri’s current high school equivalency test was developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is called the HiSET®.

For more information visit: dese.mo.gov/college-career-readiness/high-school-equivalency

To find a testing center location near you, or learn more about taking the test at home visit: hiset.ets.org