Alternative school: A school with its own facility run by community agencies that hire its staff. Their mission is to serve at-risk youth. Students attending alternative schools continue to be considered Minneapolis Public Schools students during their enrollment.
Areas A, B, C: Schools are broken into these geographic areas under the leadership of area superintendents.
Attendance areas: The geographic area around a community school for which the district can guarantee space for resident students entering kindergarten only.
Charter school: Independent public schools that are sponsored by a school district, university, the state or a nonprofit organization. Charter schools operate under a contract with the sponsor.
Choice Is Yours: A program that allows for students in Minneapolis to attend schools outside the district.
CLASS: Coordinated Learning for Academic and Social Success, an elementary and middle school program for special education students whose needs extend beyond regular special education instruction.
Community/neighborhood school: An elementary school with an attendance area that draws most of its students from the surrounding community. Community/neighborhood schools reflect the interests of the families in the school.
DCD: Developmental Cognitive Disability
ECFE: Early Childhood Family Education
ECSE: Early Childhood Special Education
ELL: English Language Learners
GEMS: Girls in Engineering, Math and Science
High Five: A program for kids who turn 4 years old by Sept. 1 and who will start kindergarten the following year.
IB/PYP: International Baccalaureate/Primary Years Programme, a prestigious program that trains students to be inquirers, thinkers and communicators.
K: Kindergarten
Magnet: A specialized area of study located at a school, meant to draw students from all over the city, not just an attendance area.
Middle school: Grades 6–8 are considered the middle grades.
Montessori: Based on the theories and practices developed by Maria Montessori, a self-directed, individualized approach.
Mpls KIDS: A before-school/afterschool, on-site education/daycare program.
OHD: Other Health Disability
Open school: A school that values academic choice in the learning environment. Much of the teaching is thematic with hands-on learning activities. Students also work in cooperative and small-group experiences.
Power of You: A program at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, 1501 Hennepin Ave., that offers free tuition to incoming college freshman, based on need and availability, for two years.
Pre-K: Prekindergarten
PI: Physically Impaired
Rec Plus: Activity program coordinated with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
SLC: Small Learning Community, a specialized study area that students are grouped in according to interest in high school.
SPEN: Special Programs for Elementary Needs
SPAN: Special Programs for Adolescent Needs (for students with emotional or behavioral disorders)
Spanish dual immersion school: Students master curriculum objectives while learning Spanish or English as a second language.