Connections is a program that AFA is developing to serve the needs of older students (16-20 years) who wish to re-engage in high school studies after a period of being separated from school or of being chronically disconnected from the academic program of the school(s) they were in previously.
Connections is aimed at students who are a year or more behind in credits and who do not have strong reading, writing, and math skills. It is intended for young people who want to get “re-connected” with learning before they are too old to qualify for a free high school education.
An important difference between the Connections Program and other schools is that Connections is an intensive, one-year intervention focused exclusively on English (reading and writing) and mathematics. In one school year, students are expected to invest 360 “clocked” hours of study in English and 360 hours in mathematics. Almost all students who invest this much effort in the carefully designed Connections curriculum will develop the reading, writing and math skills of an average high school graduate in one school year.
At the end of the year, Connections students will demonstrate their new knowledge and skills by passing all of the state graduation tests they still need to take. In addition, students will take the GED tests in reading, writing, and math. By passing these three tests, Connections students will establish that the are academically comparable to recent high school graduates in the U.S. Finally, students will take the Accuplacer assessment, which will establish that their reading, writing, and math scores are good enough to place them in college-level courses at local colleges.
After successful completion of the Connections Program, students will be fully ready to complete any remaining high school courses at any school they choose. Many will be eligible to take courses at local colleges through PSEO or concurrent registration. These will allow them to earn college credits while completing the remaining coursework for high school graduation.
If you or somebody you know might benefit from the Connections Program, please call and get more information from Ms. Faaria Husain, AFA Admissions Director, at 612-991-6953 (email: info@afa.tc).
