District Policy
9830 - Alternative School
Special Programs Washington County School District - Revised 5-9-95; Revised 8-14-01
1. Purpose:
An alternative school provides opportunities for students who are having difficulty succeeding in their traditional school program. In order to build success and self-esteem, an alternative school offers a highly individualized instructional program delivered to students through a variety of options designed to meet each student's needs.
Statistics of potential school dropouts and non-graduating seniors support the premise that there are significant numbers of students in the Washington County School District who are not successful in the regular school. Recognizing the School District's philosophy of striving to meet the educational needs of all students within its boundaries, an alternative educational program is highly desirable.
2. Policy:
3. Procedure:
3.1. ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP
3.1.1. Students in the alternative school would generally come from, but would not be limited to the following groups:
3.1.1.1. The student who requests release from school attendance.
3.1.1.2. The student/parent who initiates a request to transfer to the alternative school.
3.1.1.3. The student who is referred by the administration of the regular school due to difficulty in the regular school environment.
3.1.1.4. The student under the age of 19 who has previously been released from school attendance and now wishes to return.
3.1.1.5. The student who has not graduated at the end of his/her regular senior year, but can complete graduation requirements within the next school year
3.1.1.6. All students from regular high school will be referred to Millcreek High School prior to being released from Washington County School District.
3.1.2. Referrals and screening: After earnest and persistent efforts to resolve problems in the regular school setting, a student may be referred to the alternative school through the following processes:
3.1.2.1. A referral form will be completed by the referring school which contains pertinent information along with the signature of the student, parent, school counselor, and administrator.
3.1.2.2. The referring school will make verbal contact with the counselor in the alternative school.
3.1.2.3. The referral form will be submitted to the alternative school which in turn will act on the referral and determine placement.
3.1.2.4. In the event that a referral is contested, the reasons for the opposition will be heard by the Alternative School Appeals Committee, consisting of a representative from the referring school, a representative from the alternative school and a District representative.
3.1.3. Review:
3.1.3.1. The status of alternative school students will be reviewed on a regular basis by a committee consisting of alternative school personnel to determine:
3.1.3.2. Appropriateness of placement
3.1.3.3. Student progress
3.1.3.4. Readiness to return to regular school program
3.1.3.5. Any changes in school placement contested by the parents of a student, will be referred to the Alternative School Appeals Committee.
3.2. INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
3.2.1. CURRICULUM: The instructional program at the alternative school will be individualized and highly structured to enable students to meet the standardsof the District and state core curriculum. In order to provide maximum flexibility in scheduling, the alternative school will operate between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., Monday - Thursday each week. Instructional programs will be tailored to meet each student's needs through the following options:
3.2.1.1. BASIC SUBJECTS: Courses will be offered in a regular classroom allowing for scheduling flexibility. Credit will be awarded based on instructional time and competencies demonstrated through testing.
3.2.1.2. DIRECTED STUDIES: Individualized program of independent study. Students in this program will meet with an instructor at least once a week for each course. During that time they will receive instruction, direction and assessment. Credit in directed studies will be granted based on completion of assignments and competency demonstrated through testing.
3.2.1.3. COOPERATIVE WORK STUDY: A program of study/employment experience that follows the state ATE and apprenticeship guidelines.
3.2.1.4. INSTRUCTIONAL CLINICS/SUMMER SCHOOL: Intensive courses of study offered after regular school hours in core subjects. Each clinic will last a minimum of 11 days with 3 hours of instruction a day with 1/4 unit of credit granted after the completion of 30 hours of instructional time and demonstrated competency. Instructional clinics will be open to alternative school students and to regular school students who are credit deficient, as deemed appropriate by the referring school counselor.
3.2.1.5. Regular school students who enroll in the instructional clinics for the purpose of academic, remediation and credit make-up will remain full-time students at the regular school. Permission to enroll in the instructional clinics will be given by the counseling department of their school.
3.2.1.6. Instructional clinics/summer school may be held on other campuses, but will remain under the direction of the alternative school program.
3.2.2. GRADUATION: The alternative high school will offer an accredited high school graduation diploma based on fulfillment of the Washington County School District graduation requirements.
3.3. STAFFING: Alternative school personnel will meet the certification standards of the District and State.