ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: ED DP 6-4-0-0 | APPROP DPA 12-0-0-1

HB 2233: dropout recovery programs; special audit

Sponsor: Representative Udall, LD 25

Caucus & COW

Overview

Modifies reporting requirements for a dropout recovery program (DRP) provider. Requires the Auditor General (OAG) to conduct a special audit of DRPs and appropriates monies for this audit. Repeals statute authorizing DRPs on January 1, 2025.

History

A school district or charter school providing high school instruction is authorized to offer a DRP. Schools may contract with an educational management organization (EMO) to provide a DRP. An EMO must be accredited, and any teachers provided by the EMO must hold a current teaching license and valid fingerprint clearance card. Additionally, teachers of core subjects must be highly qualified. To be eligible to enroll in a DRP, a pupil must be eligible for placement in an alternative school, must not be enrolled in a school district or charter school and has been withdrawn from a school for at least 30 days. A DRP is designated as an alternative school.

Every pupil who is enrolled in a DRP must have a written learning plan. This written learning plan must include the start and anticipated end date of the plan, courses the student is to complete, state competency exams to be taken and expectations for satisfactory monthly progress and contact with the pupil's assigned mentor.

Furthermore, a DRP must report its monthly participation to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Monthly participation calculations must include newly enrolled pupils who have a written learning plan on file, pupils who met and did not meet satisfactory monthly progress expectations in the previous month and pupils who met expectations for program reentry. ADE is then required to submit an annual report containing the number of pupils who participate in DRPs and who graduate from high school to specified entities.

Satisfactory monthly progress means an amount of progress that is measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for 12 months, would result in the pupil being awarded the same amount of academic credit as would be awarded if the pupil were in a traditional education program and completes the full school year (A.R.S. § 15-901.06).

Provisions

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteReporting

1.   Instructs each DRP provider to report the following to ADE by June 30th annually:

a)   The total number of pupils enrolled in that provider's DRP;

b)   The number of credits pupils had prior to enrolling in the DRP, categorized by elective or core credit;

c)   The number of core and elective credits earned by pupils while enrolled in the DRP;

d)   The age and any relevant demographic data of enrolled pupils;

e)   The success rate of pupils enrolled in the DRP reported by the number of pupils who are on track to graduate, who have returned to a public or private school and who have graduated from high school;

f) The performance of pupils who take a state competency exam while enrolled in the DRP;

g)   The performance of pupils on benchmark exams while enrolled in the DRP; and

h)   Postsecondary or career attainment of pupils who participated in the DRP. (Sec. 1)

2.   Requires ADE to submit an annual report to specified entities that includes the information reported by each DRP provider. (Sec. 1)

3.   Changes monthly participation calculations for a DRP to quarterly participation calculations and adds that these calculations must include the total number of pupils enrolled and the total number of credits earned by pupils. (Sec. 1)

4.   Changes satisfactory monthly progress to satisfactory quarterly progress and defines it to mean an amount of progress that is equivalent to at least one academic credit that counts toward high school graduation. (Sec. 1)

Special Audit

5.   Directs the OAG to conduct a special audit of DRPs operating in Arizona. (Sec. 3)

6.   Authorizes the OAG to select a representative sample of DRPs to audit. (Sec. 3)

7.   Details the special audit must include a review of applicable records of DRPs and school districts and charter schools that contract with an EMO to provide a DRP to:

a)   Assess the academic achievement of pupils enrolled in a DRP; and

b)   Assess the use of monies received by DRPs from any state, local or federal sources. (Sec. 3)

8.   Requires the OAG to submit the special audit to specified entities by July 1, 2023. (Sec. 3)

9.   Appropriates $75,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2023 to the OAG to perform the special audit. (Sec. 4)

Miscellaneous

10.  Repeals statute authorizing DRPs on January 1, 2025. (Sec. 2)

11.  Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

Amendments

Committee on Appropriations

1.   Delays the repeal of statute authorizing DRPs to January 1, 2027.

2.   Requires ADE, school districts, charter schools and educational management organizations to provide requested information to the Auditor General for the special audit.

3.   Increases the appropriation from $75,000 to $175,000.

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7.                     HB 2233

8.   Initials CH Page 0 Caucus & COW

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