BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501

2245P

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

CONTRACT-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM

The District establishes the contract-based learning program, as defined in WAC 392-121-182, for students, who on the average, attend school less than five hours per week.

Every student participating in the contract-based learning program, shall have a written contract-based learning plan, approved by the student's supervisor, who must be an employee of the District, that meets the minimum criteria of:  

1. The plan must include a schedule of the duration of the program, including beginning and ending dates.
2. The plan must describe the learning activities the student is expected to successfully complete that is of sufficient detail to guide and advise the student of the expectations.
3. The plan must describe the teaching components of the program, including where and when teaching activities will be conducted by District staff.
4. The plan must require that the student shall meet one-on-one with qualified District staff for at least sixty minutes per school week or the equivalent (two hours if two students meet with one staff member, three hours if three students are present, etc.) for instruction, review of assignments, testing or learning activities.
5. The plan must include a reasonably accurate estimate of the average number of hours the student will be engaged in learning activities to meet the requirements of alternative learning experience plan.

The curriculum and course requirements for the contract-based learning program will meet the District's adopted curriculum (Essential Student Learnings, student outcomes and expected student performance standards in all areas of knowledge, skills, and qualities in each curricular area) and the state essential learnings.

Student performance will be supervised, evaluated and recorded by school district staff in the following ways:

1. Student performance will be supervised by qualified District staff. One-on-one meetings with students shall be conducted by certificated staff. Tutoring, supervision of test taking, and correction of student work may be done by classified staff.
2. Student performance will be evaluated by certificated District staff through a variety of methods, including but not limited to: testing, discussion, review of written assignments, projects and presentations.
3. Student performance will be recorded using the following:

• A record of performance on the learning activities described in the contract-based learning plan and the assessments completed.
• A portfolio containing samples of the student's work (optional).
• A log of student contact with the District staff.
• A copy of the student's signed written monthly statement of hours engaged in planned learning activities while not in the presence of district staff. For students in K – 8 this statement will also be signed by the parent, guardian or person designated in the alternative learning experience plan.

Each student's educational progress will be reviewed at least once during the student's first 20 school days in the program and at least once every 45 school days thereafter.   The results of the reviews shall be shared with the students and with the parents or guardians of students in K – 8 programs. If a student is not substantially successful in the activities identified in his or her plan, a revised plan may be implemented. If the student's performance does not improve in the ninety days after he or she has been determined to be failing, the program staff will develop a plan to remove the student from the contract-based learning program no later than at the end of the current school year and for not less than one school term. Students have the opportunity to enroll in other District programs.

Each student's records, including his or her plan, enrollment records, attendance records and records of total hours of participation in educational activities must be maintained and kept available for audit at the school or program providing the contract-based learning.

For students in grades K – 8, their parents or guardians shall submit written statements at least monthly reporting the hours the student engaged in planned learning activities while not in the presence of District staff. Students in grades 9 – 12 shall submit their own written statements at least monthly reporting the hours they engaged in planned learning activities while not in the presence of District staff. Timely submission of such reports is a condition of participation in the program.

Students shall be reported to the state for funding purposes based on the number of hours their plans call for them to engage in planned learning activities. If, over the course of two months, a student's actual number of hours of work varies from that estimated in the plan by more than five hours per week, the student's full-time equivalency shall be adjusted to the actual two month average. If a student fails to meet with District staff for twenty consecutive school days, he or she will no longer be reported as enrolled for funding purposes.

District staff shall not report students for funding from contract-based learning programs that do not meet one of the two following criteria:

1. The program maintains a ratio of full-time equivalent certificated instructional staff which is at least equal to the District's basic education funding ratio for the grade band of students reported for basic education funding; or
2. There is evidence available for audit that the district expends at least 70% of the basic education entitlement claimed for students enrolled in the program on program expenses. Such expenditures must be direct expenditures from Programs 01, 31, and/or 45 as defined in the Accounting Manual for Public School Districts in Washington State for the specific year.

Parents or guardians of students K – 8 are required to participate in the program on behalf of their children in at least the following ways, or their children may be excluded or removed from the program:

1. The parents or guardians must approve their child's plan.
2. The parents or guardians must provide or supervise those portions of their child's plan for contract-based learning experiences that are identified in the plan.
3. The parents or guardians must meet with school staff as prescribed in their child's plan for purposes of evaluating their child's performance and/or receiving instructions on assisting with their child's contract-based learning experiences.

If a student's parents or guardians cannot or will not participate in the program, the supervisor of the program may accept another suitable adult who agrees to meet the policy and program requirements set out for parents on behalf of the student.

Approved:

Dale E. Kinsley                                                                    February 28, 1996

Superintendent of Schools

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