√ √ √ Have you checked your school board policies lately? √ √ √
Many school districts offering ALEs are not up to date with their board policies, especially their ALE policy and procedures (usually 2255 & 2255P).
ALE WAC 392-550-045 states, "(1) The board of directors of a school district or charter school board claiming state funding for alternative learning experiences must adopt and annually review written policies authorizing such alternative learning experiences."
This does not mean the ALE policy needs a full 3-reading revision every year; you are welcome to include a review of board policy in your annual report (referenced below).
The standard ALE board policy was updated in 2021 to reflect the new ALE procedures WAC 392-550 and ALE truancy rules requiring a policy section on Valid Justification for Missed Weekly Contact.
Other policies that may apply to your school include Online Learning, Instructional Materials, High School Graduation Requirements, and Mastery-based learning.
Current sample policies are available from WSSDA by subscription through your superintendent and school board member.
Annual report to the school board
Also required sometime during the year is your annual ALE report to the school board. The contents of the report are detailed in WAC 392-550-060(5).
We encourage schools to include student presenters, photos, and other evidence of the success of your program!
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The State Board of Education adopted final rules for the graduation requirements emergency waiver (GREW) earlier this month.
The rules modify the emergency waiver for students graduating in the 2023-2024 school year. The rules allow a district to waive the graduation pathway requirement, based on individual student circumstances, provided that the district has not also waived a core course requirement in the same subject for that student.
The final rules reflect a minor change from the proposed rules to increase clarity consistent with the original intent of the Board. For more information, see the blog post, GREW webpage, FAQ, and graphic summary.
Note: This is the last school year when graduating students may be granted emergency waivers due to COVID-19 disruptions. This emergency waiver program will not be available in the 2024-25 school year.
Do you have questions about the GREW or the new Performance-based Pathway (PbP)?
Join the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for one of the three (3) office hour opportunities where there will be GREW and PbP information and Q&A:
- April 17, 3:30-4:30 pm
- April 18, 1:00-2:00 pm
- April 25, 9:00-1:00 am
Access the Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86119333086
Any school district claiming ALE enrollment for state funding is required to submit an ALE Year End Report. This report is now available for districts that reported ALE enrollment during 2023-24. The deadline to submit your report is August 31, 2024.
When will it open? The report is currently open for submissions.
Where can I find more information?
Questions? Contact us via the Learning Options email or register to join our office hours on April 19 or May 24.
Help us keep the list of approved online programs updated!
Please look up your district's online programs listed on OSPI's Approved Online School Programs website and update as needed.
Please use the 'update program information' link to make any changes.
This bulletin details the process to notify OSPI of changes to school directory information contained within the Education Data System for the 2024-25 school year.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) establishes that all schools shall be included in the federal accountability framework, which for our state is the Washington School Improvement Framework (WSIF). The list of “schools” used for determining accountability is defined by those in the directory. In reviewing the directory and your schools, you should consider whether some “schools” would be more appropriately designated as a “program.”
If you are considering requesting changes to your school directory status, please review OSPI’s Bulletin 013-24 and the Guide to Offering Alternative Learning Experiences, Program vs. School, page 32.
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School staff with questions regarding ALE implementation and compliance are invited to drop in for one-on-one office hours. We will meet individually with as many attendees as possible. |
Office hours will be held on the third or fourth Friday of each month through May.
If you are not able to attend and have questions, please contact us via the Learning Options email.
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AWSP/WASA Summer Conference. June 23-25. Spokane, WA. Information and registration available through the conference website.
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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 Learning Options, please contact us at learningoptions@k12.wa.us, or visit our OSPI Learning Alternatives website.
For specific questions, contact us by email:
Director: Rhett Nelson
Associate Director & ALE: Anissa Sharratt
ALE & Open Doors Accountability/Mastery-based Learning: Liz Quayle
Online Learning and School Choice: CJ Leer
Online Learning Approval Process & ALE Year End Report: Jennifer Fischer
Choice Transfer
Home-based Instruction
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