September Alternative Learning Update

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 09/20/2019 01:34 PM PDT

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ALE Compliance Webinar
Special Education in ALE
WALA FALL WORKSHOPS are coming up!
Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC) Meeting
Compliance Reviews
Upcoming Events

ALE Compliance Webinar

Please join us for an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) Compliance Webinar: Updates, Reminders & Tips Webinar on Monday, September 23, 2019, 12:00-1:00 pm.

Purpose:

To help new programs to be informed about state requirements
- Key Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) & contact elements
- CEDARS and annual reporting
To review common errors
To understand how compliance can help student success

Special Education in ALE

State and Federal Laws

State and federal laws prohibit discrimination in Washington public schools on the basis of disability, including in ALE courses. School districts that offer ALE courses must ensure that they are accessible to all students, including students with disabilities.
(RCW 28A.155 & WAC 392-172A)

Non-Residents

For students who are non-residents, the choice transfer means that the district is assuming all responsibility for the provision of the student’s basic education, special education, or transitional bilingual instruction program (TBIP) services.
However, when an Interdistrict Agreement is made between the non-resident and the resident district, the nonresident district sharing the student becomes a contractor of the resident district and has only those obligations so noted in the Interdistrict Agreement. The resident district maintains ultimate responsibility for the education being provided by the nonresident district.
(OSPI Bulletin #B035-18 and Examples of Choice Transfers and Interdistrict Agreements)

IEP Team Placement

Any and all educational placements and services should be determined through the student’s IEP Team.
Students receiving special education services may need to access those services on other campuses, and in that case, funding will need to be split according to minutes of service.
Services provided at the ALE program will need a certificated teacher with an endorsement in special education; or, the student may receive specially-designed instruction by the general education teacher, as determined in conjunction with the IEP teacher.

For additional information on special education, please review the Serving Students with Disabilities guidance developed in collaboration with the OSPI Special Education Department.

Another great resource is the Special Education Technology Center (SETC) 2019 Annual Conference November 13, Spokane, WA. The SETC 2019 Annual Conference will be taking place live in Spokane, WA or participants can join remotely from locations in the Bellevue School District, Bellingham School District, Tacoma School District, and Olympic ESD 114. See registration details in Upcoming Events.

WALA FALL WORKSHOPS are coming up!

Spokane October 4, 2019 at the Spokane Tech Center, West Valley High School
Port Angeles October 11, 2019 at Lincoln Skills Center
Okanogan October 17, 2019 at Okanogan County Commissioners Hearing Room
Yakima October 18, 2019 at West Valley High School
Everett November 12, 2019 at Everett Public Schools Community Resource Center
Vancouver November 15, 2019 at Vancouver Skills Center

Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC) Meeting

Members of the advisory committee will assist OSPI by providing advice regarding the approval criteria, major components of the website, the model school district policy, model agreements, and other related matters.

Fall meeting: 9:30 AM on October 16, 2019, WEA Headquarters (32032 Weyerhauser Way South, Federal Way)

Key Topics:

Online guidance – when are approvals needed?
Online platforms without online content

Compliance Reviews

OSPI is required to provide compliance reviews to support new and existing reengagement programs, and so we have developed a schedule to review 50-60 programs this year. The general geographic distribution for these visits is below.
~ Programs are generally contacted 1-2 months in advance of the review.

September: S Puget Sound
October: Central WA, Central Puget Sound
November: Kitsap/Olympic Peninsulas
December: S Puget Sound
January: SW WA
February: NW WA
March: S Central WA, SE WA
April: E Central WA
May: NE WA

Follow the link for our document, "What is an ALE Compliance Review"?
If you would like to request a compliance review, contact Liz Quayle, via email or phone, 360-688-8104.

Upcoming Events

GATE Equity Webinar Series Regular monthly webinars. Information and registration available through the GATE website.
ALE Compliance Webinar: Updates, Reminders, & Tips 12:00 PM on September 23, 2019. Contact Liz Quayle for more information.
Online Learning Advisory Committee 9:30 AM on October 16, 2019. For more information, visit the Online Learning website.
Fall WALA Workshops October/November 2019. To register for one of these workshops, visit the WALA website.
iNACOL Symposium October 28-31, 2019 Palm Springs, CA. For more information, visit the iNACOL website.
NAEA Conference October 28-30, 2019 Tampa, FL. For more information, visit the NAEA website.
2019 BECCA Conference November 6-8, 2019 Ellensburg, WA. Additional information here.
Special Education Technology Center (SETC) 2019 Annual Conference November 13, Spokane, WA. The SETC 2019 Annual Conference will be taking place live in Spokane, WA or participants can join remotely from locations in the Bellevue School District, Bellingham School District, Tacoma School District, and Olympic ESD 114. Information on registration for the conference and the Fall 2019 SETC webinar offerings are currently available now online. Questions? Contact SETC at (509) 963-3350 or wrightsu@cwu.edu.
2020 ALE Administrators Meeting January 17, 2020 Lacey, WA, More information to follow.
45^th Annual WALA Spring Conference March 5-7, 2020, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA. For more information, visit the WALA website.

Contact Us!

For more information about Alternative Learning, please contact us as ALDInfo@k12.wa.us, or visit our newly updated website here.

For specific questions, contact us by email:

ALE Programs: Anissa Sharratt
ALE/Reengagement Compliance: Liz Quayle
Online Learning: Nicole González

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200, 360-725-6162 (TTY: 360-664-3631), equity@k12.wa.us.