Since 1978, ASA has operated as a public high school aimed at serving the needs of retrieved drop-outs or students who find that their needs cannot be met at traditional high schools. ASA offers a standard high school curriculum with enhanced academic support and social services support to address the needs of the student population that suffers the ill effects of poverty, low skills and high unemployment. Our mission is to accept students as they are academically, socially, and emotionally and to keep them on the path to graduation.
At the heart of ASA is our belief that every child can excel and every child deserves a quality education – no matter his or her social, economic or personal status. To that end, we have embraced a holistic, therapeutic approach. We recognize that each student comes to us with different learning styles and academic needs, so we have developed a performance-based academic program focused on student engagement, individualized instruction and culturally relevant material. To complement our educational services, ASA also offers counseling and social services to help students remove barriers to success and help them develop a strong sense of self. We also offer dual enrollment for students who can complete the requirements for a high school education and get a head-start on college courses. Overall, we offer at-risk youth high-quality, curriculum-based academic support, social-emotional enrichment and personal development in a structured, safe and supportive environment.
As ASA has adopted the theme of social and economic justice, we are expanding our academic and social-emotional offerings to include programs that help students critically assess the impact of historical and current political, economic and social issues on their own lives.