Section 392-550-030 - Program requirements(1) School districts or charter schools that offer alternative learning experience courses or course work must ensure that they are accessible to all students, including students with disabilities. Alternative learning experience courses or course work for special education students must be provided in accordance with chapter 392-172A WAC.(2) Contracting for alternative learning experience courses or course work is subject to the provisions of WAC 392-121-188.(3) It is the responsibility of the school district or school district contractor, or charter school or charter school contractor, to ensure that students have all curricula, course content, instructional materials and learning activities that are identified in the alternative learning experience written student learning plan.(4) School districts and charter schools must ensure that no student or parent is provided any compensation, reimbursement, gift, reward, or gratuity related to the student's enrollment or participation in, or related to another student's recruitment or enrollment in, an alternative learning experience course or course work unless otherwise required by law. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, funds provided to parents or students for the purchase of educational materials, supplies, experiences, services, or technological equipment.(5) School district employees are prohibited from receiving any compensation or payment as an incentive to increase student enrollment of out-of-district students in an alternative learning experience course or course work.(6) Curricula, course content, instructional materials, learning activities, and other learning resources for alternative learning experience courses or course work must be consistent in quality with those available to the district's or charter school's overall student population.(7) Instructional materials used in alternative learning experience courses or course work must be approved pursuant to school board policies adopted in accordance with RCW 28A.320.230. (8) A district or charter school may purchase educational materials, equipment, or other nonconsumable supplies for students' use in alternative learning experience courses or course work if the purchase is consistent with the district's or charter school's approved instructional materials or curriculum, conforms to applicable laws and rules, and is made in the same manner as such purchases are made for students in the district's or charter school's regular instructional program. Items so purchased remain the property of the school district or charter school upon program completion.(9)(a) School districts and charter schools are prohibited from purchasing or contracting for instructional or cocurricu-lar experiences and services that are included in an alternative learning experience written student learning plan including, but not limited to, lessons, trips, and other activities, unless substantially similar experiences or services are also made available to students enrolled in the district's or charter school's regular instructional program.(b) This prohibition extends to a district's or charter school's contracted providers of alternative learning experience programs, and each district and charter school shall be responsible for monitoring the compliance of its contracted providers.(c) Nothing in this subsection shall: (i) Prohibit school districts or charter schools from contracting with school district or charter school employees to provide services or experiences to students; or(ii) Prohibit school districts or charter schools from contracting with online providers approved by the office of superintendent of public instruction pursuant to chapter 28A.250 RCW; or(iii) Require school districts or charter schools that contract with school district or charter school employees to provide services or experiences to students, or with online providers approved by the office of superintendent of public instruction pursuant to chapter 28A.250 RCW, to provide substantially similar experiences and services under this chapter.(10)(a) A school district or charter school that provides alternative learning experience courses or course work to a student must include a description of the difference between home-based instruction pursuant to chapter 28A.200 RCW and the alternative learning experience course(s).(b) This information must be provided directly to the parent prior to the student's enrollment and in the school or program informational materials such as the student and parent handbook and website. Reasonable efforts must be made to enable parents to request and receive the information in a language in which they are fluent.(11)(a) The school district or school district contractor, or charter school or charter school contractor, is prohibited from advertising, marketing, and otherwise providing unsolicited information about learning programs offered by the school district or charter school including, but not limited to, digital learning programs, part-time enrollment opportunities, and other alternative learning programs, to students and their parents who have filed a declaration of intent to cause a child to receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.200.010. School districts and charter schools may respond to requests for information that are initiated by a parent.(b) This prohibition does not apply to general mailings, newsletters, or other general communication distributed by the school district, school district contractor, charter school, or charter school contractor to all households in the district.(12) Work-based learning as a component of an alternative learning experience course of study is subject to the provisions of WAC 392-410-315 and 392-121-124.(13) The school district or charter school must institute reliable methods to verify a student is doing his or her own work. The methods may include proctored examinations or projects, including the use of web cams or other technologies. For the purpose of this section, "proctored" means directly monitored by an adult authorized by the school district or charter school.(14) School districts may accept nonresident students under the school choice enrollment provisions of RCW 28A.225.200 through 28A.225.230 and chapter 392-137 WAC for enrollment in alternative learning experiences.(15) School districts enrolling a nonresident student must inform the resident school district if the student drops out of the alternative learning experience program or is otherwise no longer enrolled.(16) The alternative learning experience must satisfy the office of superintendent of public instruction's requirements for courses of study and equivalencies as provided in chapter 392-410 WAC.(17) High school alternative learning experience courses must be offered for high school credit. Courses offering credit or alternative learning experience programs issuing a high school diploma must satisfy the state board of education's high school credit and graduation requirements as provided in chapter 180-51 WAC.Wash. Admin. Code § 392-550-030
Adopted by WSR 20-15-062, Filed 7/10/2020, effective 8/10/2020