Among the district’s 15 campuses, Magnolia ISD offers a campus dedicated to providing students the opportunity to move more quickly into the workforce, higher education or the military, ALPHA Academy Principal Bryan Cooper said.

He said ALPHA Academy—which stands for the Accelerated Learning Program for Higher Achievement—enrolls about 85 students this fall. At ALPHA, students embark on an accelerated, individualized academic plan to earn the remaining credits of the 26 necessary for high school graduation, Cooper said. Students often graduate early or work to get back on track to graduate.

“ALPHA Academy is unique,” said Cooper, who is serving his first year as principal. “I think it’s important to have another option, because without a high school graduation diploma nowadays, it’s harder to be successful.”

The school of choice—meaning MISD students must apply to come to the campus—opened in 2002 on Cloyd Street near Unity Park, MISD Director of Communications Denise Meyers said.

Students can initiate the application process by speaking with their associate high school principals and can apply to ALPHA anytime during the school year, Cooper said. Students are admitted on a case-by-case basis.

“[It’s] just to help get kids on to that next step as soon as they possibly can,” Cooper said. “We have kids who come here with two credits and kids who come here with 18 credits and need a few more to graduate. ... Once they finish their credits, they’re done.”

ALPHA’s graduating classes average about 40 students, Cooper said.

With fewer students, fewer classes per day and fewer extracurricular opportunities, students can focus solely on academic success, Cooper said.

“It’s the same classes, same rigor, same [state assessments], [and] it’s the same curriculum. It’s just we can pace it differently because our biggest class sizes are 20 [students],” Cooper said. “This place truly is whatever you put in, that’s what you’re getting out.”

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