Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 160 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chapter 160-4
Subject 160-4-8 - STUDENT SUPPORT
Rule 160-4-8-.12 - Alternative/Non-Traditional Education Programs
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 160-4-8-.12
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 2024
(1) DEFINITIONS.
(a)
Alternative/Non-traditional
Education Program - an Alternative/Non-traditional 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.
(b)
Alternative/Non-traditional
Education School - an Alternative/Non-traditional 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.
(c)
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.
(d)
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.
(e)
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.
(f)
Educational Management
Organization - any type of alternative/non-traditional program or school
operated by a private vendor. The program or school may operate on or off
campus.
(g)
Facility and
School Registry (FSR) - a database for the creation of all site,
facility, school and program codes.
(h)
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.
(i)
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.
(j)
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.
(k)
Local Educational
Agency (LEA) - local school system pursuant to local board of education
control and management.
(l)
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
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
(c) Each LEA may provide an Alternative
Education/Non-traditional Program/School jointly with one or more other
LEAs.
(d) 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 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 Non-traditional/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.
(e) 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.
(f) 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.
(g) 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.
(h) Each LEA
shall ensure that all Alternative/Non-traditional Education Programs/Schools
provide counseling services to enable the student to make academic
progress.
(i) 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.
(j) 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.
(k) 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.
(l) 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.
(m) 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.
(n) 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.
(o) 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.
(a) Each LEA shall adhere to all reporting
requirements established by SBOE Rule
160-5-1-.07 STUDENT AND STAFF DATA
COLLECTIONS.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) Each LEA should seek public and parental
input on each Alternative/Non-traditional Education Program/School school
improvement plan prior to submitting the plan to GaDOE.
(e) 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).
(f) 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.
O.C.G.A §§ 20-2-154.1; 20-2-240; 20-2-300.
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