WAC 392-121-182
Alternative learning experience
requirements. (1) An alternative learning experience may be
counted as a course of study. A school district alternative
learning experience may make use of digital and/or on-line
curricula, and may be delivered over the internet or using
other electronic means. A school district alternative
learning experience may also include significant participation
by students, parents, and families in the design and
implementation of a student's learning experience. This
section provides an alternative method of determining
full-time equivalent enrollment and claiming state funding for
public school learning experiences that are:
(a) Individual courses of study for students who meet the
definition for enrollment specified by WAC 392-121-106.
Students may enroll part-time in alternative learning
experiences. Such enrollment shall be subject to the
provisions of RCW 28A.150.350 and chapter 392-134 WAC;
(b) Supervised, monitored, assessed, and evaluated by
school staff. As used in this section, "school staff" means
certificated instructional staff of the school district
according to the provisions of chapter 180-82 WAC, or a
contractor pursuant to WAC 392-121-188;
(c) Provided in accordance with a written alternative
learning experience plan that is implemented pursuant to the
school district board's policy for alternative learning
experiences; and
(d) Provided in whole or part, outside the regular
classroom setting, including those learning experiences
provided digitally via the internet or other electronic means.
This section sets forth the standards, procedures, and
requirements for state funded alternative learning
experiences. This section is not intended to prevent or limit
alternative education programs provided by a school district
with federal or local resources.
An alternative learning experience may be counted as a
course of study pursuant to WAC 392-121-107 if the following
requirements are met:
(2) School district board policies for alternative
learning experiences: The board of directors of a school
district claiming state funding for alternative learning
experiences shall adopt and annually review written policies
for each alternative learning experience program and program
provider that:
(a) Require a written plan for each student participating
in an alternative learning experience that meets the minimum
criteria pursuant to subsection (4) of this section;
(b) Require that the overall ratio of certificated
instructional staff to full-time equivalent students enrolled
in alternative learning experience programs and courses,
including those that rely primarily on digital curriculum, be
identified and approved by the school district board of
directors in a public meeting;
(c) Describe how student performance will be supervised,
monitored, assessed, evaluated, and recorded by school staff.
Such description shall include methods for periodic grade
reporting, if different from existing school district policy;
(d) Require each student enrolled in an alternative
learning experience to have direct personal contact with
school staff at least weekly, until the student completes the
course objectives or the requirements of the learning plan.
Direct personal contact shall be for the purposes of
instruction, review of assignments, testing, reporting of
student progress, or other learning activities. Direct
personal contact means a face-to-face meeting with the student
and, where appropriate, the student's parent or guardian. In
establishing policies for alternative learning experience
programs and program providers, the school district board of
directors may determine that direct personal contact can be
accomplished through the use of telephone, e-mail, instant
messaging, interactive video communication, or other means of
digital communication, instead of a face-to-face meeting, if
in the judgment of the board such contact methods do not
compromise educational quality, student health and safety, or
the fiscal integrity of the district;
(e) Require that each student's educational progress be
reviewed at least monthly and that the results of each review
be communicated to the student and if the student is in grades
K–8, the student's parent or guardian;
(f) At the discretion of the school district board, the
policy may describe responsibilities of the student's
parent(s) or guardian including, but not limited to:
(i) Approval of the written alternative learning
experience plan;
(ii) Responsibility for the parent(s) or guardian to
provide or implement a portion of the student's alternative
learning experience under the supervision of school staff, if
the parent(s) or guardian agrees; and
(iii) Requirements to meet with school staff for purposes
of evaluating the student's performance and/or receiving
instructions on assisting with the student's alternative
learning experience. The school district board may also
prescribe requirements for appointing a person to provide or
supervise a portion of the student's alternative learning
experience in the event the student's parent(s) or guardian
will not or cannot be a participant in the student's
alternative learning experience;
(g) Designate one or more school district official(s)
responsible for approving specific alternative learning
experience programs or courses, monitoring compliance with
this section, and reporting at least annually to the school
district board of directors on the program. This annual
report shall include at least the following:
(i) Documentation of alternative learning experience
student headcount and full-time equivalent enrollment claimed
for basic education funding;
(ii) A description of how certificated and classified
staff are assigned program management and instructional
responsibilities that maximize student learning, including the
ratio of certificated instructional staff to full-time
equivalent students;
(iii) A description of how a written student learning
plan pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, is developed,
and student performance supervised and evaluated, by
certificated staff;
(iv) A description of how the program supports the
district's overall goals and objectives for student academic
achievement; and
(v) Results of any self-evaluations conducted pursuant to
subsection (7) of this section;
(h) Satisfy the state board of education's requirements
for courses of study and equivalencies (chapter 180-50 WAC);
(i) For alternative learning experience courses offering
credit, or for alternative learning experience programs
issuing a high school diploma, satisfy the state board of
education's high school graduation requirements (chapter 180-51 WAC); and
(j) Identify what, if any, expenditures which are
directly related to the written student learning plan and are
paid by participants of an alternative learning experience may
be subject to reimbursement by the district.
(3) Alternative learning experience implementation
standards:
(a) Alternative learning experiences shall be accessible
to all students, including those with disabilities.
Alternative learning experiences for special education
students shall be provided in accordance with chapter 392-172
WAC.
(b) It is the responsibility of the school district or
school district contractor to ensure that students have all
curricula, course content, instructional materials, and other
learning resources essential to successfully complete the
requirements of the written student learning plan. Curricula,
course content, instructional materials, and other learning
resources for alternative learning experiences shall at
minimum be consistent in quality with those available to the
district's overall student population. Instructional
materials shall be provided in accordance with RCW 28A.320.230.
(c) Work-based learning as a component of an alternative
learning experience course of study shall be subject to the
provisions of WAC 180-50-315 and 392-121-124.
(d) Contracting for alternative learning experiences
shall be subject to the provisions of WAC 392-121-188 and RCW 28A.150.305.
(e) A school district that provides one or more
alternative learning experiences to a student shall provide
the parent(s) or guardian of the student, prior to the
student's enrollment, with a description of the difference
between home-based instruction pursuant to chapter 28A.200 RCW
and the enrollment option selected by the student. The parent
or guardian shall sign documentation attesting to his or her
understanding of the difference and the documentation shall be
retained by the district and made available for audit.
(f) The school district shall institute reliable methods
to verify a student is doing his or her own work. The methods
may include proctored examinations or projects, including the
use of web cams or other technologies. "Proctored" means
directly monitored by an adult authorized by the school
district.
(g) State funded public schools or public school programs
whose primary purpose is to provide alternative learning
experiences using digital or on-line means shall be accredited
through the state accreditation program or through the
regional accreditation program.
(4) Written student learning plan: Each student enrolled
in an alternative learning experience course of study shall
have a written student learning plan designed to meet the
student's individual educational needs. The written student
learning plan may be developed in partnership with the
student, the student's parents, and other interested parties,
with recognition that school staff has the primary
responsibility and accountability for the plan, including
supervision and monitoring, and evaluation and assessment of
the student's progress. The written student learning plan
shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements:
(a) A beginning and ending date for the learning
experience;
(b) An estimate of the average number of hours per week
that the student will engage in learning activities to meet
the requirements of the student learning plan. This estimate
may be used in reporting enrollment in compliance with
subsection (5) of this section and must be based upon the
criteria in subsection (6) of this section;
(c) A description of how weekly contact requirements will
be fulfilled;
(d) A description of the specific learning goals and
performance objectives of the alternative learning experience.
This requirement may be met through the use of course syllabi
or other similarly detailed descriptions of learning
requirements. The description shall clearly identify the
requirements a student must meet to successfully complete the
course or program;
(e) Identification of instructional materials essential
to successful completion of the learning plan; and
(f) A description of the timelines and methods for
evaluating student progress toward the learning goals and
performance objectives specified in the learning plan.
The written student learning plan shall identify whether
the alternative learning experience meets one or more of the
state essential academic learning requirements or any other
academic goals, objectives, and learning requirements defined
by the school district. For a high school alternative
learning experience, the plan shall specify whether the
experience meets state and district graduation requirements.
(5) Enrollment reporting: Effective the 2005–06 school
year, the full-time equivalency of students enrolled in
alternative learning experience programs shall be determined
as follows:
(a) Using the definition of full-time equivalent student
in WAC 392-121-122 and the number of hours the student is
expected to engage in learning activities as follows:
(i) On the first enrollment count date on or after the
start date specified in the written student learning plan, the
estimated average weekly hours of learning activity described
in the written student learning plan;
(ii) On subsequent monthly count dates, if the student's
progress review pursuant to subsection (6) of this section
indicates satisfactory progress, the student's full-time
equivalent shall be based on the estimated average weekly
hours of learning activity identified in the student learning
plan;
(iii) If the student's progress review indicates a lack
of satisfactory progress, the student's full-time equivalent
shall be based on the estimated average weekly hours of
learning activity described in the student learning plan, and
the actual number of hours the student engages in learning
activity pursuant to the written student learning plan shall
be documented during the ensuing month. Documented hours
shall encompass only time spent on those learning activities
intended to accomplish the learning goals and performance
objectives identified in the written student learning plan,
shall meet the following criteria and shall be verified by
district staff:
(A) Those hours of classroom instruction provided by
school staff;
(B) Those hours of work based learning calculated in
accordance with WAC 392-121-107 (1)(f);
(C) Those hours of learning activity other than those
specified in (a)(iii)(A), (B) and (D) of this subsection that
are conducted and supervised by the student's parent(s) or
guardian, or other person as designated by the written plan;
and
(D) Those hours that the student participates in learning
activities other than those specified in (a)(iii)(A), (B) and
(C) of this subsection. If the student is in grades K–8, such
learning activity shall be supervised by the student's
parent(s) or guardian or other person designated by the
written student learning plan;
(iv) On subsequent monthly count dates, if the student's
progress review indicates a lack of satisfactory progress, the
student's full-time equivalent shall be based on the actual
average weekly hours of learning activity documented during
the prior month;
(v) Enrollment of part-time students shall be subject to
the provisions of RCW 28A.150.350, and shall generate the pro
rata share of full-time funding.
(b) The enrollment count shall exclude students meeting
the definition of enrollment exclusions in WAC 392-121-108 or
students who have not had direct personal contact with school
staff for twenty consecutive school days. Any such student
shall not be counted as an enrolled student until the student
has met with appropriate school staff and resumed
participation in their alternative learning experience or
participated in another course of study as defined in WAC 392-121-107;
(c) School districts providing alternative learning
experiences to nonresident students shall document the
district of the student's physical residence, and shall
establish procedures that address, at a minimum, the
coordination of student counting for state funding so that no
student is counted for more than one full-time equivalent in
the aggregate.
(6) Accountability for student performance:
(a) At minimum, students enrolled in alternative learning
experiences shall have their educational performance evaluated
according to the following process and schedule:
(i) Each student's educational progress shall be reviewed
at least once per month. The progress review shall be based
on the learning goals and performance objectives defined in
the written student learning plan.
(ii) The progress review shall be conducted by school
staff and shall include direct personal contact with the
student. If allowed by district policy, direct personal
contact may include the use of telephone, e-mail, instant
messaging, interactive video communication, or other means of
digital communication. The results of the review shall be
communicated to the student and, where possible, the student's
parent(s) or guardian.
(iii) Based on the progress review, school staff shall
determine and document whether the student is making
satisfactory progress in completing the learning activities
and reaching the learning goals and performance objectives
defined in the written plan.
(iv) If the student fails to make satisfactory progress
for no more than two consecutive evaluation periods or if the
student fails to follow the written student learning plan, an
intervention plan designed to improve student progress shall
be developed and implemented. This intervention plan shall be
developed by school staff in conjunction with the student and,
for students in grades K–8, the student's parent(s) or
guardian.
(v) If, after no more than three subsequent evaluation
periods, the student still is not making satisfactory
progress, a plan designed to more appropriately meet the
student's educational need shall be developed and implemented
by school staff in conjunction with the student and, for
students in grades K-8, the student's parent(s) or guardian.
(b) The educational progress of students enrolled in
alternative learning experiences shall be assessed at least
annually, using, for full-time students, the state assessment
for the student's grade level and using any other annual
assessments required by the school district. Part-time
students shall also be assessed at least annually. However,
part-time students who are either receiving home-based
instruction under chapter 28A.200 RCW or who are enrolled in
an approved private school under chapter 28A.195 RCW are not
required to participate in the assessments required under
chapter 28A.655 RCW.
(c) Students enrolled full-time in nonresident
alternative learning experience schools, programs, or courses
shall have the opportunity to participate in any required
annual state assessments at the district of residence, subject
to that district's planned testing schedule. It is the
responsibility of the enrolling district to facilitate all
necessary coordination with the district of residence and with
the student and, where appropriate, the student's parent(s) or
guardian to fulfill this requirement. Such coordination may
include arranging for appropriate assessment booklets, student
notification of assessment administration schedules,
arrangements for forwarding of completed assessment booklets
to the enrolling district for submission for scoring and
reporting, and other steps as may be necessary. Assessment
results for students assessed according to these provisions
shall be included in the enrolling district's accountability
measurements, and not in the district of residence's
accountability measurements.
(7) Program evaluation: School districts offering
alternative learning experiences shall engage in periodic
self-evaluation of these learning experiences in a manner
designed to objectively measure their effectiveness, including
the impact of the experiences on student learning and
achievement. Self-evaluation shall follow a continuous
improvement model, and may be implemented as part of the
school district's school improvement planning efforts.
(8) Annual reporting: Each school district offering
alternative learning experiences shall report annually to the
superintendent of public instruction on the types of programs
and course offerings subject to this section, including
student headcount and full-time equivalent enrollment claimed
for basic education funding. The report shall identify the
ratio of certificated instructional staff to full-time
equivalent students enrolled in alternative learning
experience courses or programs. The report shall separately
identify alternative learning experience enrollment of
students provided under contract pursuant to RCW 28A.150.305
and WAC 392-121-188.
(9) Documentation: In accordance with required records
retention schedules, a school district claiming state funding
for alternative learning experiences shall maintain the
following written documentation available for audit:
(a) School board policy for alternative learning
experiences pursuant to this section;
(b) Annual reports to the school district board of
directors as required by subsection (2)(g) of this section;
(c) Annual reports to the superintendent of public
instruction as required by subsection (8) of this section;
(d) The written student learning plans required by
subsection (4) of this section, including documentation of
required weekly direct personal contact;
(e) Student progress reviews, evaluations, and
assessments required by subsection (6) of this section;
(f) Student enrollment detail substantiating full-time
equivalent enrollment reported to the state, including
estimated total hours of participation in educational
activities, and any actual documentation of hours of learning
for those students failing to make satisfactory progress; and
(g) Signed parent enrollment disclosure documents
required by subsection (3)(e) of this section.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.290 and 2005 c 356. 05-13-154, § 392-121-182, filed 6/21/05, effective 7/22/05. Statutory Authority: 1997 c 265 § 6 and RCW 28A.150.290. 99-08-008 (Order 99-01), § 392-121-182, filed 3/25/99,
effective 4/25/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.290. 95-18-097, § 392-121-182, filed 9/6/95, effective 10/7/95;
95-01-013, § 392-121-182, filed 12/8/94, effective 1/8/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.290, 28A.150.250 and 28A.150.260. 91-02-096 (Order 50), § 392-121-182, filed
1/2/91, effective 2/2/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.41.055 and 28A.41.170. 88-03-013 (Order 88-8), §
392-121-182, filed 1/11/88.]