A new school year is quickly approaching and we are sure you are busy with preparations for the first day back. We at OSPI want to wish you a great start to the year remind you about the 2020-2021 ALE Year-End report.
School districts that claimed ALE enrollment during the 2020-2021 school year are required to submit an ALE Year-End Report through the School Apportionment and Financial Services (SAFS) ALE application in the EDS system.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to:
Bulletin B034-21
Upon returning for the 2021–22 school year, LEAs are expected to offer all students access to a full-time in-person instructional model. LEAs may choose to offer additional flexibility.
This bulletin is intended to assist LEAs with planning and decision-making for the 2021–22 school year by providing an overview of available options for claiming enrollment and corresponding regulatory frameworks including:
- Required, full-time in-person learning
- Optional, more flexible, learning models:
- Continuous learning 2.0+ (CL2.0+)
- Alternative Learning Experiences (ALE)
For questions regarding this bulletin, please contact:
Educators, families, community members, the State Board of Education wants to hear from you about graduation and how students show they are prepared with the skills needed to thrive in life after high school. Learn more about this work and get an opportunity to provide feedback during a listening session.
Check out the SBE website for details on upcoming listening sessions or provide feedback via the online survey before September 10.
Reminder - WAC 392-550-040, truancy in ALE, takes effect with the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. For more guidance on truancy in ALE, please review the Guide to Offering ALE.
Newly Approved Online Programs & Providers:
OSPI has approved Sea View Academy, Washougal Learning Academy, Pacific Crest Online Academy, Griffin Bay School, and Kelso Virtual Academy as Multidistrict Online School Programs.
ACCEL Schools has been approved as an online course provider.
Follow these links for more information about this process:
Multi-District Online School Program Approval Process
Programs wishing to apply for Multi-District Online School Program approval (effective 2022-2023) may contact Nicole González, Online Learning Program Manager, to schedule a meeting in September.
The application process, criteria, timelines, and tips will be discussed.
Multi-District Online School Programs may use approved online course provider content/teachers and/or district content/teachers and do not have a cap on non-resident student enrollment.
WSLP Hot Topics
WSLP development: Review our checklist to make sure you have all the required elements.
WSLP signatures: Certificated Teacher; support staff may develop and sign if the student has 100% online courses with an appropriately certificated and endorsed teacher assigned to each course; NO parent signatures are required - this is a program choice only.
ALE Course Types:
Due to the 2020-21 use of remote and online interchange, some confusion has arisen around the terms of "Online" and "Remote".
- Online: the course content and is more than 50% is delivered online through online courses or platforms; the course takes place more than 50% of the time away from the certificated teacher ("shared air").
- Remote: largely text-based or project-based; online resources are limited to less than 50% of the instructional materials; the course has no requirement for physical in-person contact with certificated teacher.
Save the Date! Upcoming compliance webinar: ALE Compliance & Updates: Engaging Students and Promoting Success through Compliance Practices. Monday, September 23, 3:30-4:30 pm. Register in advance!
Masking requirements apply to all in-person educational services provided by the ALE program and its contracted agencies and personnel.
This requirement is embedded in the updated DOH school masking guidance, and is applicable to all education settings—public and private.
School District Employee Vaccination Order
On Wednesday, August 18, Governor Inslee announced a new directive requiring all employees of public and private K–12 school districts to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18, 2021.
The order applies to all employees and contractors working for private K–12 schools as well as public K–12 school districts, charter schools, and educational service districts. The order does not apply to state-tribal education compact schools or to students.
- Contractors would include any instructional supports or services your program is purchasing, including non-certificated instructional support staff and services. For more guidance on these, see our Guide to Providing ALEs.
For further information on this vaccination order, please refer to OSPI's frequently asked questions (FAQ) document.
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ALE Compliance & Updates Webinar: Engaging Students and Promoting Success through Compliance Practices. Monday, September 23, 3:30-4:30 pm. Register in advance.
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NAEA Conference, October 18-20, 2021. Register here.
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Aurora Institute Virtual Symposium, October 25-27, 2021. Register here.
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2022 ALE Administrator Meeting Information & registration for the annual ALE Administrator Meeting, held in January, will be available in the September newsletter.
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GATE Equity Webinar Series Regular monthly webinars. Information and registration available through the GATE website.
Contact Us!
For more information about Alternative Learning, please contact us at ALDInfo@k12.wa.us, or visit our OSPI Learning Alternatives website.
For specific questions, contact us by email:
ALE Programs: Anissa Sharratt ALE/Reengagement Compliance: Liz Quayle Online Learning: Nicole González
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