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Rule Number:160-4-8-.12

Alternative Education Programs  

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CODE: IDDM   160-4-8-.12
ALTERNATIVE/NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
  1. DEFINITIONS.
     
    1. Alternative/ Non-traditional Education Program - an Alternative/Nontraditional Education Program that operates in affiliation with a school(s). A program does not report Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) or receive a state or federal accountability determination. Achievement data for students enrolled in the program are reported back to the school where the student is reported for FTE. The program may be housed within a school, on the same site, or at a different location. Adherence to all requirements as stated in SBOE Rule 160-4-8-.17 CASE MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION FOR AGENCY PLACED TRANSFER STUDENTS is required. Programs may include Attendance Recovery, Credit Recovery, Disciplinary Program, Early College, Evening School, and Open Campus.
       
    2. Alternative/Non-traditional Education School - an Alternative/Nontraditional Education School has an official school code and serves as the home school for students enrolled. The school receives a state or federal accountability determination; reports FTE counts for all enrolled students; and earns Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula funds directly. Adherence to all requirements as stated in SBOE Rule 160-4-8-.17 CASE MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION FOR AGENCY PLACED TRANSFER STUDENTS is required.
       
    3. Attendance Recovery Program - a type of alternative/non-traditional program designed to allow students the opportunity to make-up an absence(s) by attending a program outside the normal school day (e.g., Saturday program) that provides the equivalent instructional time and curriculum for the time the student was absent within the current academic year.
       
    4. Community-based Alternative Education/Non-traditional Program - a type of Alternative Education /Non-traditional Program where students are engaged in educationally relevant and meaningful learning experiences in the school and larger community. The academic curriculum is integrated into work-based learning and structured work experiences utilizing partnerships among business, industry, government, community, and school, including Performance Learning Centers.
       
    5. Credit Recovery Program - a type of alternative/non-traditional program designed to allow students the opportunity to retake a course that he/she previously did not earn credits toward graduation.
       
    6. Educational Management Organization - any type of alternative/nontraditional program or school operated by a private vendor. The program or school may operate on or off campus.
       
    7. Facility and School Registry (FSR) – a database for the creation of all site, facility, school and program codes.
       
    8. Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) – the state agency charged with the fiscal and administrative management of certain aspects of K-12 public education; including the implementation of federal and state mandates. Such management is subject to monitoring and oversight by the State Board of Education.
       
    9. Georgia Professional Standards Commission – a government agency, separate from the Georgia Department of Education, with the central responsibility for establishing a certification/licensure process for educational personnel in Georgia.
       
    10. In-School Suspension program – any program that serves the instructional needs of students who have been suspended from his/her regular classroom for a maximum of ten consecutive days.
       
    11. Local Educational Agency (LEA) – local school system pursuant to local board of education control and management.
       
    12. Sparsity Grant – grant provided to each LEA that is unable to offer its students or a portion of its students educational programs and services comparable to those which are typically being offered to students in this state. The inability to offer students comparable programs and services is attributable, at least in part, to the fact that the LEA has full-time equivalent counts less than base size specified in state law.
       
  2. REQUIREMENTS
     
    1. Each LEA shall provide an Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School to serve students in grades 6-12 with appropriate due process, who have been suspended from his or her regular classroom.
       
    2. Each LEA may provide an Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School to serve students who are eligible to remain in his or her regular classroom but are more likely to succeed in a non-traditional educational setting.
       
    3. Each LEA may provide an Alternative Education/Non-traditional Program/School jointly with one or more other LEAs.
       
    4. Each LEA may contract with Educational Management Organizations to provide a Non-traditional/Alternative Education Program/School. If contracting with an Educational Management Organization to provide Non-traditional/Alternative Education Program(s)/School(s), the LEA must:
       
      1. Ensure that no federal or state funding of any kind disbursed by GaDOE is expended on any resources, educational or otherwise, for any student not pursuing a Georgia High School Diploma or Special Education Diploma as defined by SBOE Rules and state law.
         
      2. Maintain and report to GaDOE annually by a date established by GaDOE the Georgia Testing Identifier (GTID) of each student served in Nontraditional/Alternative Education Programs and Schools operated by Educational Management Organizations.
         
      3. Maintain and report to GaDOE annually by a date established by the department the GTID of each student who transferred from the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) reporting school to the private school operated by the Educational Management Organization prior to receiving a Georgia high school diploma.
         
    5. A LEA may use Sparsity grant funds for all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program(s)/School(s). Funds must be used exclusively for salaries and benefits for certified positions and assistants/paraprofessionals working in the Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School.
       
    6. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program(s)/School(s) only provide curriculum aligned to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). Curriculum may be delivered through Computer Assisted Instruction and On-line courses.
       
    7. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools provide standardized testing as specified in SBOE Rule 160-3-1-.07 TESTING PROGRAMS - STUDENT ASSESSMENT.
       
    8. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools provide counseling services to enable the student to make academic progress.
       
    9. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools operate in full compliance with federal and state laws and State Board Rules governing special education students and students with special needs.
       
    10. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools provide teachers that meet the requirements of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in all classes. Paraprofessionals may be used to staff In-school Suspension programs as provided by law or regulation.
       
    11. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools adhere to class size maximum as stated in SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.08 CLASS SIZE.
       
    12. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools provide courses that will satisfy state and local requirements for meeting grade level requirements for obtaining a Georgia High School Diploma.
       
    13. Each LEA shall allocate to all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools the same expenditure per segment(s) based on what the student earns at his or her Full Time Equivalent reporting school. These funds include federal and state funds allocated to the LEA for the student.
       
    14. For students in grades 9-12, each LEA may award course credit based on the student’s demonstrated competency on course examination(s) for course work completed while enrolled in the Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School in lieu of the 150/135 clock hours of instruction as required by SBOE rules. Each Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School shall adhere to all instructional time requirements for all other grades.
       
    15. For students in grades 9-12, each LEA may determine the length of time students will be in classes in the Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program(s)/School(s) in lieu of the requirement of as specified in SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.02. Each Alternative/ Non-traditional Education Program/School shall adhere to all instructional time requirements for all other grades.
       
  3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
     
    1. Each LEA shall adhere to all reporting requirements established by SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.07 STUDENT DATA COLLECTION.
       
    2. Each LEA shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program(s)/School(s) report to GaDOE both the number of actual absences (excused and unexcused) that students served by the Attendance Recovery Program incurred during the school year and the number of absences the students served by the Attendance Recovery Program recovered during the same school year.
       
    3. Each LEA shall submit official requests for state entity (facility/school/program codes for the Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School) through the Facility and School Registry (FSR).
      ​​​​​​​
  4. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
    ​​​​​​​
    1. Each LEA shall maintain and report to GaDOE a school improvement plan for each of its Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools annually by a date established by GaDOE.
       
    2. Each Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School school improvement plan shall meet the requirements established by GaDOE and contained in the Alternative Education Program Standards.
       
    3. Each Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School school improvement plan must demonstrate how the Alternative /Non- traditional Education Program/School modified SBOE rules, including, but not limited to, methods to measure competency as well as what is defined as a full school day.
       
    4. Each LEA should seek public and parental input on each Alternative/Nontraditional Education Program/School school improvement plan prior to submitting the plan to GaDOE.
       
    5. Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School school improvement plans shall be presented to the LEA’s Local Board of Education at a regularly scheduled public meeting and published on the LEA’s website for the duration of the plan. For those stakeholders that may not have access to the Internet, the LEA shall make copies available upon request in accordance with the state’s Open Records law (O.C.G.A § 50-18-70).
       
    6. Each Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School school improvement plan will be evaluated by GaDOE based on demonstrated elements and requirements as specified by GaDOE in the Alternative Education Program Standards.

Authority: O.C.G.A § 20-2-154.1; 20-2-240; 20-2-300.

Adopted: January 11, 2018             Effective: January 31, 2018
 

Georgia Department Of Education
Adopted Date:  1/11/2018
Effective Date:  1/31/2018

NOTE: The State of Georgia has moved the Georgia Code. This new environment no longer allows us to link directly to the Georgia Code. For example enter 20-02-0211 in the search window and the Georgia Code will appear.
Policy Code Description
IDDM Alternative Education Programs
Georgia Code Description
O.C.G.A § 20-02-0154.1 Alternative education programs; intent; description; funding
O.C.G.A § 20-02-0240 Powers and dutes of SBOE
O.C.G.A § 20-02-0300 Implementation and funding authorized
These references are not intended to be part of the rule itself, nor do they indicate the basis or authority for the board to enact this rule. Instead, they are provided as additional resources for those interested in the subject matter of the rule.
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