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The 2022 legislative session has begun! The Alternative Learning Department is closely monitoring a variety of bills. You can find more information on these bills via the links below.
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Expanding the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth pilot program.
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Expanding access to dual credit programs.
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Concerning high school graduation credit and pathway options.
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Changing compulsory school attendance requirements for children five, six, and seven years of age.
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Concerning enrollment stabilization funding to address enrollment declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Counting asynchronous instructional hours towards those required by the instructional program of basic education.
More information about the 2022 legislative session including committee schedules and hearing agendas can be found on the Washington State Legislature website.
Bulletin 004-22
Informational - SEL
Re: The COVID-19 Student Survey; Impacts and Implications on Student Learning and Well-Being
Summary: The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is offering schools that serve students in 6 to 12 grade the opportunity to administer a student perspective survey to capture the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of their youth relating to school experiences and life during the pandemic. The short survey that can be complete in 25 minutes will be administered in February and results will be released in April.
Bulletin 001-22
Informational - Graduation Pathways
Re: Bridge to College Math and English Courses – Invitation to Register for 2022–23 School Year
Summary: This bulletin updates expectations for districts interested in offering Bridge to College courses next year.
Reimagine Education Project
PURPOSE
Grant funding to investigate innovative approaches to learning through in-person settings and instructional or social emotional practices through Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) settings.
BACKGROUND
More students than ever are continuing to request remote or online learning. Stakeholders are also pressing for in-person learning to look different than the pre-pandemic model, yet we lack evidence on effective practices in these non-traditional settings and systems to support educator-led innovation at the district level. OSPI wants to capitalize on the significant latitude educators from all settings have been given this past year to accelerate learning recovery and rethink what works in education.
Grant funds will financially support local pilots, provide regular professional learning and networking, collect evidence on successful practices, and lead to the development of a menu of innovative practices to support continued transformation of our education system and inform future policy and funding decisions.
DETAILS
- Grant applications are currently being accepted through the Reimagine Education Project Application form. Applications are accepted through two methods:
- Complete a traditional written application
- Provide some brief details and request a short (no more than 20 minute) virtual conversation with the review team
- A rolling review of applications will begin on January 12, 2022. Applications for this grant program will be accepted until all funds are allocated.
- If you are interested in this grant program, visit the Reimagine Education Project website for more information.
- Questions? Contact the Alternative Learning Department at ALDInfo@k12.wa.us.
ALE Accelerating Unfinished Learning
PURPOSE
Grant funding to support universal screening and addressing COVID related learning gaps through an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) model.
BACKGROUND
Many students have unfinished learning and exacerbated social emotional needs due to the COVID pandemic. Universal screening can identify a student’s unique academic or social emotional needs, and ALE can address those needs through individualization and acceleration. However, many districts face a variety of barriers to providing individualized scheduling and learning plans due to scheduling constraints and funding formula disparities, thus forcing students to retake entire courses or transfer out of district.
This grant opportunity encourages accelerated learning recovery through academic and social emotional screening, individualizing a response via ALE, and providing the funding for school districts that would otherwise be financially disincentivized to offer ALE. This will reduce the impacts of retaking entire courses, create an opportunity to keep students enrolled at their current school, and get students back on track with their peers in an accelerated timeline.
DETAILS
Additional OSSI Funding Available
Additional funding is now available to all schools with existing grants in form packages 871, 873 and 874. The deadline to create a budget revision to access this extra money is Monday, February 28, 2022. After that date, any unapplied for additional funds will be redistributed again.
Mid-Year SIP Progress Monitoring Due Jan 28
Are you an Open Doors program identified for School Improvement? The answer is yes if you are 1) receiving funds through iGrant form packages 871, 873 and/or 874, or 2) are identified through OSSI as a Comprehensive or Comprehensive Graduation Rate support eligible location. If so, your Mid-Year SIP Progress Monitoring Review needs to be uploaded in SharePoint by January 28, 2022. If you submitted an Opt-Out waiver for 2021-22, you do not need to upload.
Beyond the 3rd Unsatisfactory Review
WAC 392-550-020(5):
Continued enrollment. If after no more than three consecutive calendar months in which it is determined the student is not making satisfactory progress despite documented intervention efforts, a course of study designed to more appropriately meet the student's educational needs must be developed and implemented by a certificated teacher in conjunction with the student and where possible, the student's parent. This may include removal of the student from the alternative learning experience and enrollment of the student in another educational program offered by the school district or charter school.
When student reach their 3rd consecutive unsatisfactory progress review, your program has two choices:
- Transition the student to another educational program, or
- To continue claiming the student's FTE, rewrite the WSLP to better meet the students' needs.
Examples of ways to rewrite the learning plan to better create a balanced, full-time, course of study aligned to the student’s needs and interests might include, but are not limited to:
- Decrease the student's expected weekly hours and reduce their FTE, shifting the balance of the FTE to share with another educational option.
- Split out courses so that the student is focused on one or two courses at an accelerated rate (e.g., completing a course per month). A student may still be claimed as 1.0 FTE if the student is expected to use the full weekly minutes on that course, and they have the opportunity to complete a grade-level course of study or required credit load to keep on track for graduation by the end of the year.
- Change the delivery model, for example:
- instead of all online, switch to site-based and remote learning,
- instead of site-based, switch to online courses, or
- blend course types the student has site-based and online courses.
- Change out the curriculum or teaching strategies for the courses so that there is more connection to place-based learning or involvement in project-based multi-disciplinary studies.
Other considerations when rewriting a learning plan:
- Be clear on the new plan of the new start/end dates so that there is no gap over a count date.
- Note on the third intervention plan that a new WSLP is being put into place and what the changes are.
- Engage the student and family in developing the new learning plan
Contact Liz Quayle if you have further questions.
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2022 ALE Administrator Meeting January 21, 2022 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Register here.
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Next LoLA (Leaders of Learning Alternatives) meetings:
Statewide PD Network, January 24, 9:00-10:30 am Zoom link
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ESD 101, Feb 22
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ESD 113, Feb 23
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ESD 121, Feb 22
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ESD 123, Feb 28
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Washington Association for Learning Alternatives (WALA) The WALA Spring Conference is scheduled for February 24-26, 2022 in Spokane. Register here.
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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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