15-901.06 - Dropout recovery programs; written learning plan; requirements; annual report; definitions

15-901.06. Dropout recovery programs; written learning plan; requirements; annual report; definitions

A. Each alternative school within a school district and each alternative charter school that provides instruction to high school students may offer a dropout recovery program for eligible students. An online course provider as defined in section 15-808 or an online school as defined in section 15-808 that provides Arizona online instruction under section 15-808 may not provide a dropout recovery program.

B. The state board of education shall prescribe standards and achievement testing requirements for dropout recovery programs that attempt to ensure that the programs are compatible with public school education goals and requirements. The standards shall require dropout recovery programs to do all of the following:

1. Provide curricula aligned to the academic standards adopted by the state board of education. The curricula may be delivered online. An alternative school within a school district or an alternative charter school with a unique entity number may provide a dropout recovery program pursuant to this section if the school is not also an online course provider as defined in section 15-808 or an online school as defined in section 15-808 that provides Arizona online instruction under section 15-808.

2. Provide standardized tests required by federal and state law.

3. Make available appropriate and sufficient supports for students, including tutoring, career counseling and college counseling.

4. Comply with federal and state laws governing students with disabilities.

5. Meet state requirements for high school graduation.

C. Each eligible student who is enrolled in a dropout recovery program shall have a written learning plan developed by the student's assigned mentor. The written learning plan shall include the following elements:

1. The start date and anticipated end date of the plan.

2. Courses to be completed by the student during the academic year.

3. Whether courses will be taken sequentially or concurrently.

4. State competency exams to be taken, as necessary.

5. Expectations for satisfactory monthly progress.

6. Expectations for contact with the student's assigned mentor.

7. Whether the student will receive wraparound services or support services, including social work coaching sessions, trauma coaching sessions or food and housing security coaching sessions, that count toward the student's satisfactory monthly progress. Services provided pursuant to this paragraph may count toward a student's satisfactory monthly progress only during the student's initial entry into a dropout recovery program and may not count during any subsequent entries into the same school's dropout recovery program.

D. The monthly participation in a dropout recovery program shall be recorded on or before the tenth school day of each month and shall be reported to the department of education at the same time as other data required pursuant to section 15-1042. Monthly participation calculations shall include:

1. Newly enrolled students who have a written learning plan on file on or before the first school day of the previous month.

2. Students who met the expectations for satisfactory monthly progress in the previous month.

3. Students who did not meet the expectations for satisfactory monthly progress in the previous month but did meet the expectations in the month before the previous month.

4. Students who met expectations for program reentry in the revised written learning plan in the previous month.

E. Because dropout recovery students are not expected to regularly attend classes at the school district or charter school facilities, standard procedures for recording student attendance cannot be effectively applied to those students. For students participating in a dropout recovery program, an eligible student shall be counted as being in attendance in the school's average daily attendance calculations pursuant to subsection F of this section if the student meets one of the following conditions:

1. Is in the first month of enrollment in the program and completes the program orientation during that month.

2. Is enrolled in teacher-facilitated synchronous or asynchronous courses and meets the expectations for satisfactory monthly progress for the current or previous month. A student who does not meet expectations for monthly progress for two or more consecutive months shall not be counted as being in attendance until the student meets the expectations for program reentry.

3. Meets the expectations for program reentry in the revised written learning plan.

F. If a student is enrolled in a school district or charter school other than the school district or charter school that participates in the dropout recovery program and also participates in a dropout recovery program in the same fiscal year, the average daily membership as prescribed in section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 1, subdivisions (a) and (b) for that student in the school district or charter school and in a dropout recovery program shall not exceed 1.0, except that if the student is enrolled in a dropout recovery program and a career technical education district, the average daily membership provisions of section 15-393 apply. If the student is enrolled in both a school district or charter school and a dropout recovery program in the same fiscal year and the sum of the average daily membership and average daily attendance for that student is greater than 1.0 or the amount prescribed in section 15-393 if the student is enrolled in a career technical education district, the sum shall be reduced to 1.0 or to the amount specified in section 15-393 if the student is enrolled in a career technical education district and shall be apportioned between the school district or charter school and the career technical education district, if applicable, and the dropout recovery program based on the proportionate shares of average daily membership in the school district or charter school and the average daily attendance in the dropout recovery program. The uniform system of financial records shall include guidelines for apportioning student enrollment and attendance as provided in this subsection. Students in a dropout recovery program do not incur absences for purposes of this subsection and may generate average daily attendance for attendance during any hour of the day, during any day of the week and at any time between July 1 and June 30 of each fiscal year. The average daily attendance of a student who participates in a dropout recovery program shall not exceed 1.0 or the amount prescribed in section 15-393 if the student is enrolled in a career technical education district and shall be calculated by fulfilling the requirements of subsection E of this section. Average daily membership shall not be calculated on the one hundredth day of instruction for the purposes of this section.

G. Notwithstanding section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 1, the average daily membership for students who are enrolled in a dropout recovery program shall equal the average daily attendance of the students.

H. School districts and charter schools shall be responsible for tuition charges and fees related to student participation in a dropout recovery program, including course materials and access to technology for use with online courses.

I. School districts and charter schools may contract with an educational management organization to provide dropout recovery program services. If contracting with an educational management organization, the school district or charter school shall ensure that all of the following requirements are met:

1. The educational management organization is accredited by a regional accrediting body.

2. Teachers provided by the educational management organization hold a current teaching license from any state and a valid Arizona fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-534, and teachers of core subjects are highly qualified in the subjects to which they are assigned.

J. The department of education shall create and maintain a list of alternative schools within a school district and alternative charter schools that offer a dropout recovery program and the educational management organization, if any, that provides dropout recovery program services to each school. The department shall update the list described in this subsection on a quarterly basis.

K. An alternative school within a school district or an alternative charter school may apply to operate a dropout recovery program by submitting an application to the department of education in the form and manner prescribed by the department. Notwithstanding subsection L of this section, if the school district or alternative charter school contracts with an educational management organization to provide the dropout recovery program, the school district or alternative charter school shall identify the educational management organization in the application required under this subsection. The department shall determine whether the alternative school or alternative charter school meets the criteria prescribed in this section and notify the school district or alternative charter school of the determination within thirty days after receiving the application. The school district or alternative charter school may respond to and appeal the department's determination within thirty days.

L. An alternative school within a school district or an alternative charter school that offers a dropout recovery program pursuant to this section shall notify the department of education within thirty days after entering or terminating a contract with an educational management organization for dropout recovery program services.

M. Dropout recovery programs are subject to the accountability provisions of section 15-241.

N. Entities that are contracted to provide dropout recovery programs may conduct outreach to encourage students who are not currently enrolled in a school district or charter school in this state to return to school. Entities that are contracted to provide dropout recovery programs shall not conduct advertising or marketing campaigns directed at students who are currently enrolled in a school district or charter school, or undertake any other activity that encourages students who are currently enrolled in a school district or charter school to stop attending school in order to qualify for a dropout recovery program.

O. On or before July 31 of each year, each school and educational management organization that provides a dropout recovery program shall report to the department of education the following information in the form and manner prescribed by the department:

1. The total number of students who satisfy both of the following requirements during the fiscal year:

(a) Are continuously enrolled in the dropout recovery program for at least eighty school days.

(b) Earn at least four and one-half credits or earn all the remaining credits that the student needs for graduation.

2. The total number of students who are enrolled in the dropout recovery program on or before January 31 during the fiscal year and who either:

(a) Graduated before January 31.

(b) Met all of the following requirements on January 31:

(i) Were enrolled in the dropout recovery program.

(ii) Needed three or fewer credits to satisfy the graduation requirements prescribed by the state board of education.

(iii) Needed one or fewer credits in mathematics to satisfy the graduation requirements prescribed by the state board of education.

3. The percentage of students described in paragraph 2 of this subsection who graduated during the fiscal year.

4. The percentage of students described in paragraph 2 of this subsection who earned at least one college and career readiness indicator point.

P. On or before November 1 of each year, the department of education shall compile the information received under subsection O of this section in a report, shall submit the report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall post the report on the department's website.

Q. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Eligible student" means a student who is not currently enrolled in a school district or charter school and who has been withdrawn from a school district or charter school for at least ten days, unless the school district or alternative charter school determines that the student is unable to participate in other school district or charter school programs.

2. "Satisfactory monthly progress":

(a) Means an amount of progress that is measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for twelve months, would result in the same amount of academic credit being awarded to the student as would be awarded to a student in a traditional education program who completes a full school year.

(b) Includes a lesser required amount of progress for the first two months that the student participates in the program so that wraparound services or support services provided pursuant to the student's written learning plan may be established.