Original Research by School Decision on A. G. A. P. E. Teen Parent
A. G. A. P. E. Teen Parent is an alternative school in Saint Paul that serves students from grade five through twelve. The school is part of Saint Paul Public Schools, the district covering Minnesota’s capital city. Saint Paul is a dense, diverse city anchored by state government, cultural institutions, and a strong park system. The school sits on University Avenue in the Midway neighborhood, an area with a mix of commercial and residential uses.
The school’s name and its designation as an alternative school signal its purpose: it is a program designed for students who are pregnant or parenting. That mission shapes everything about the place. The enrollment is very small, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, an indicator of the high economic need among the families served. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with a roughly even mix of Asian, Black, and Hispanic students and a very small number of White students and multiracial students. This composition reflects the broader diversity of Saint Paul, which has a large Hmong community and significant Black and Hispanic populations.
Because the school is small and alternative, its academic performance data is thin. State testing results are limited. In the most recent testing year for which data is available, no student scored proficient in either English language arts or math. Earlier science testing was suppressed because only a single student took the test. Graduation rates are not reported in the available data. These numbers are striking, but they should be read in context. A school that serves teen parents is not a typical comprehensive school; its primary mission is to keep young parents in school, provide a supportive environment, and help them earn a diploma while navigating the demands of parenthood. Many students arrive behind grade level or with interrupted education, and traditional state tests may not capture the progress they make or the value of the wraparound supports the school likely provides. A family considering this school would want to ask directly about academic progress measures, credit recovery options, and the specific supports for parenting students.
No data on programs, course access, staffing, or discipline was available, so those dimensions cannot be described. The school does not appear to offer a wide range of extracurriculars or advanced coursework; its focus is on core academics and meeting the needs of a specific population.
The district context matters. Saint Paul Public Schools has recently opened new magnet options, including an E-STEM middle school and an East African Elementary Magnet, and renamed a middle school. These changes indicate a district that is actively reshaping its offerings, but A. G. A. P. E. Teen Parent is a specialized alternative program, not a magnet or comprehensive neighborhood school. It likely draws students from across the city.
For a parent or resident evaluating this school, the key takeaway is that it is not a general-purpose school. It exists for a specific group of students who need a flexible, supportive environment while they finish high school as young parents. The test scores are very low, and the academic trajectory of students may be different from what a typical school measures. The school’s small size means individualized attention is possible, but it also means limited course variety and fewer peers. Families should contact the school directly to understand how it addresses academic gaps, what child care arrangements exist, and how it helps students transition to postsecondary options. The data available paints a picture of a program serving a high-need population in a large urban district, but many of the details that families would want are simply not captured in the public record.
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