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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session |
Senate: ED DP 6-1-0-0 | 3rd Read 29-0-1-0House: ED DP 9-0-0-1 | 3rd Read 29-0-0-0-1 Final Read: 29-0-0-0-1 |
SB 1208: dropout recovery programs; revisions
Sponsor: Senator Kaiser, LD 2
Transmitted to the Governor
Overview
Revises dropout recovery programs (DRPs) by modifying the schools eligible to offer a DRP, establishing a determination process to operate a DRP and creating data reporting requirements.
History
A DRP assists youth who have left the education system achieve their high school diploma in an alternative school setting. A school district or charter school that provides high school instruction may offer a DRP to eligible students or 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 prescribes standards and achievement testing requirements for DRPs.
To enroll in a DRP, a pupil must be eligible for placement in an alternative school and must have been withdrawn from a school district or charter school for at least 30 days, unless it is determined the pupil is unable to participate in other school district programs.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 outlined 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 approved online academic course. An online school is a school selected to participate in AOI that provides at least four online academic courses or one or more online courses for a prescribed number of daily hours (A.R.S. § 15-808).
Provisions
1.
Allows each alternative school within a school district and
alternative charter school (alternative 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 school with a unique entity number may provide a DRP if it 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 or support services that count toward the student's satisfactory monthly progress. (Sec. 1)
5. Specifies the wraparound or support services provided to a student may:
a) count toward their satisfactory monthly progress only during their initial entry into a DRP; and
b) may not count during any subsequent entries in the same school's DRP. (Sec. 1)
6. Counts a DRP student as being in attendance if the student is enrolled in a teacher-facilitated synchronous or asynchronous course and meets other statutory criteria. (Sec. 1)
7. Instructs ADE to create, maintain and update, on a quarterly basis, a list of all alternative schools that offer a DRP and the EMO, if any, that provides DRP services to each school. (Sec. 1)
8. Directs an alternative school to apply to operate a DRP by submitting an application to ADE in the form and manner prescribed by ADE and, if the school contracts with an EMO, to identify the EMO in the application. (Sec. 1)
9. Requires ADE to determine whether the alternative school meets DRP criteria and notify the school district or alternative charter school of its determination within 30 days after receipt of the application. (Sec. 1)
10. Authorizes the school district or alternative charter school to respond to and appeal ADE's determination within 30 days. (Sec. 1)
11. Directs an alternative 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 31 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 31 during the fiscal year and who:
i. graduated before January 31; or
ii. on January 31, were enrolled in the DRP and needed at most three credits and 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 1 annually, ADE compile the prescribed information reported by each alternative 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 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 pursuant to the student's written learning plan may be established. (Sec. 1)
16. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)
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SB 1208
Initials CH Page 0 Transmitted
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