ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

Senate: ED DP 6-1-0-0 | 3rd Read 29-0-1-0

House: ED DP 9-0-0-1

SB 1208: dropout recovery programs; revisions

Sponsor: Senator Kaiser, LD 2

Caucus & COW

Overview

Makes numerous changes to the dropout recovery program (DRP) statute, including modifying the schools eligible to offer a DRP, establishing a determination process to operate a DRP and creating data reporting requirements.

History

A DRP is an educational program that assists youth who have left the education system in achieving their high school diploma in an alternative setting. A school district or charter school that provides high school instruction may offer a DRP to an eligible student and may contract with an educational management organization (EMO) to provide a DRP. To offer a DRP, a school may not be an Arizona online instruction (AOI) provider and must be an approved alternative school. The State Board of Education must prescribe standards and achievement testing requirements for DRPs.

To be eligible to enroll in a DRP, a student must not be enrolled in a public school but be eligible for placement in an alternative school. Additionally, the student must have been withdrawn from a public school for at least 30 days, unless it is determined that the student is unable to participate in other public school programs. Students enrolled in a DRP must have a written learning plan that is developed by an assigned mentor. This written learning plan must include prescribed elements, such as start and end dates, courses/exams to be completed by the student and expectations for satisfactory monthly progress and contact with the student's mentor.

Currently, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) must submit an annual report to specified entities that details the outcomes of DRPs, including the number of participating students and, of those students, the number of students who graduate (A.R.S. § 15-901.06).

An online course provider is a school (other than an online school) selected to participate in AOI that provides at least one SBE-approved online academic course.  An online school is a school that provides at least four online academic courses or one or more online courses for a prescribed number of daily hours that is selected to participate in AOI (A.R.S. § 15-808).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteAllows each alternative school within a school district (alternative district school) and alternative charter school that provides high school instruction to offer a DRP. (Sec. 1)

2.   Prohibits an online course provider or an online school, rather than an AOI provider, from providing a DRP. (Sec. 1)

3.   Specifies an alternative district school or an alternative charter school with a unique entity number may provide a DRP if the school is not an online course provider or an online school that provides AOI. (Sec. 1)

4.   Requires a written learning plan for each DRP student to include whether the student will receive wraparound services or support services that count toward the student's satisfactory monthly progress. (Sec. 1)

5.   Counts a DRP student as being in attendance if the student is enrolled in a teacher-facilitated synchronous or asynchronous course and meets other criteria. (Sec. 1)

6.   Instructs ADE to create, maintain and update, on a quarterly basis, a list of all alternative district schools and alternative charter schools that offer a DRP and the EMO, if any, that provides DRP services to each school. (Sec. 1)

7.   Directs an alternative district school or an alternative charter school, 30 days before operating a DRP, to notify ADE that it meets the criteria to operate a DRP and, if the school contracts with an EMO, to identify the EMO in this notice. (Sec. 1)

8.   Requires ADE to determine whether the alternative district school or alternative charter school meets DRP criteria and notify the school district or alternative charter school of its determination within 30 days after receipt of notice. (Sec. 1)

9.   Authorizes the school district or charter school to respond to and appeal ADE's determination within 30 days. (Sec. 1)

10.  Allows the alternative district school or alternative charter school, if ADE determines that the DRP meets the prescribed criteria, to begin operating the DRP 30 days after the date on which the school notified ADE. (Sec. 1)

11.  Directs an alternative district school or alternative charter school that offers a DRP to notify ADE within 30 days after entering or terminating a contract with an EMO. (Sec. 1)

12.  Requires, by July 31st annually, each school and EMO that provides a DRP to report to ADE:

a)   the total number of students who are enrolled in the DRP by January 31st during the fiscal year and who:

i.   graduated before January 31st; or

ii. on January 31st, were enrolled in the DRP and needed at most three credits, including at most one math credit, to satisfy graduation requirements;

b)   the percentage of these students who graduated during the fiscal year and the percentage who earned at least one college and career readiness indicator point; and

c)   the total number of students who, during the fiscal year, are continuously enrolled in the DRP for at least 80 school days and earn at least 4.5 credits or all the remaining credits needed for graduation. (Sec. 1)

13.  Replaces the requirement that ADE annually report DRP outcomes with the requirement that, by November 1st annually, ADE compile the prescribed information reported by each school and EMO to specified entities and post the report on its website. (Sec. 1)

14.  Modifies the definition of eligible student, as it relates to DRPs, by:

a)   removing the requirement that the student be eligible for placement in an alternative school; and

b)   decreasing the time a student must be withdrawn from a school district or charter school from at least 30 days to 10 days. (Sec. 1)

15.  Alters the definition of satisfactory monthly progress to specify that the lesser required amount of progress for the first two months that the student participates in the DRP is so that wraparound services or support services provided to the student's written learning plan may be established. (Sec. 1)

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

17.   

18.   

19.  ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

20.                    SB 1208

21.  Initials CH Page 0 Caucus & COW

22.   

23.  ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------