CODE: IDDM
160-4-8-.12 ALTERNATIVE/NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
(1) DEFINITIONS.
(a) 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 an Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) designation. 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/Nontraditional
Education School has an official school code and serves as the home
school for students enrolled. The school receives an AYP designation; 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/nontraditional
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 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.
(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.
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(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 DATA COLLECTION.
(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/Nontraditional
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.
Authority: O.C.G.A § 20-2-154.1; 20-2-240; 20-2-300.
Adopted: May 13, 2010 Effective: June 2, 2010