Believe it or not a new school year has arrived! Our staff at the Alternative Learning Department would like to welcome you back and wish you a happy start to the school year. If we can provide any guidance or technical assistance in the coming weeks, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at ALDInfo@k12.wa.us.
School
districts that claimed ALE enrollment during the 2017-2018 school year are required to submit an ALE Year End
Report. The deadline, August 31st, is approaching quickly! This deadline is important because the method through which data is submitted to OSPI will roll over into the new school year in September, at which time access to the 2017-18 school year will no longer be available. For additional information on this report, please review the following resources.
The 2018 legislature tasked OSPI with creating recommendations for providing enhanced CTE
funding in ALE. The ALD and CTE department are working together with ALE and CTE
stakeholders to develop these recommendations by December 15th, 2018.
Provide your input on CTE in ALE by August 31st!
You can provide input by completing a survey before August 31st. The survey seeks feedback and information about how ALE and CTE are currently implemented, and possibilities if ALE-funded courses were eligible for enhanced CTE funding. Results will be used to inform recommendations to the legislature.
Questions? Contact Rhett Nelson, Alternative Learning Department Director.
Course type definitions have changed for the 2018-19 school year. For more information on the changes and their impact, please review the ALE Course Types and Reporting Bulletin.
Questions? Contact Anissa Sharratt, ALE Program Manager.
Changes to WAC 392-121-182, regarding Full-day
Kindergarten (FDK) in an ALE environment, will be in effect for the 2018-19
school year.
Information on the specific changes can be found in OSPI
Bulletin B068-18.
The following resources on implementing FDK in an ALE setting
can be found on our website:
Questions? Contact Anissa
Sharratt, ALE Program Manager, or Karma Hugo,
Director of Early Learning.
Are you a new staff member working with ALE? Or, are you interested in learning more about ALE?
The Alternative Learning Department has developed new tools and resources for educators new to ALE including:
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ALE Compliance Webinar. 2:00 PM on August 29, 2018. Register here.
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ALE Development Tool. This tool will be previewed during the compliance webinar on August 29, 2018 and available afterwards on the website.
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Guide to Offering Alternative Learning Experiences. Coming soon!
The Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) recently updated their model policies, including their model policy for offering Alternative Learning Experiences, and your district may have updated their policies to reflect these changes. Connect with your district administration to ensure that your program is aware of and complying with any relevant district policies and procedures.
One of our priorities in 2018-19 will be to strengthen our outreach and knowledge
base of programs/schools offering ALE across the state. We want to learn more about the models, strengths,
needs, and students of individual programs statewide. The intent of these visits will include a focus on listening and learning, not on compliance.
We may be asking programs to host
representatives from the Alternative Learning Department and are also seeking programs interested in
hosting a visit. If you would like to volunteer to host a visit or would like more information, please contact Anissa Sharratt.
The ALD is excited to share two staffing changes that happened over the summer: Nicole González is now in the role of Online Learning Program Specialist, and Ashley Flygare is our new Administrative Assistant. Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge about the online learning process and rules through her experience as the department administrative assistant. Ashley brings her experience from prior roles supporting the OSPI CTE department. Help us give them a warm welcome into their new roles!
ALE Compliance Webinar 2:00 PM on August 29, 2018 Register here.
GATE Equity Webinar Series 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM on September 12, 2018 - Attendance Registration available through the GATE website.
ALE CEDARS Reporting Webinar 2:00 PM on September 17, 2018 Register here.
Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC) 9:30 AM on October 17, 2018 For more information, visit the Online Learning website.
Fall WALA Workshops October/November 2018 For more information, visit the WALA website.
iNACOL Symposium October 21 - 24, 2018 Nashville, Tennessee For more information, visit the iNACOL website.
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