Section 4: ALE program requirements
Rule Text
(4) Alternative learning experience program requirements:
(a) Each student participating in an alternative learning experience must have a written student learning plan developed by a certificated teacher that is designed to meet the student's individual educational needs. A certificated teacher must have responsibility and accountability for each course specified in the plan, including supervision and monitoring, and evaluation and documentation of the student's progress. The written student learning plan may be developed with assistance from the student, the student's parents, or other interested parties.
(b) Each student enrolled in an alternative learning experience must have one of the following methods of contact:
(i) Direct personal contact with a certificated teacher at least once a school week, until the student completes all course objectives or otherwise meets the requirements of the learning plan; or
(ii) In-person instructional contact according to the following time requirements:
(A) Fifteen minutes per school week for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of five hours per school week or less;
(B) Thirty minutes per school week for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of more than five hours per week but less than sixteen hours per week; and
(C) One hour for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of more than fifteen hours per week; or
(iii) For students whose written student learning plan includes only on-line courses as defined by RCW 28A.250.010, synchronous digital instructional contact according to the following time requirements:
(A) Fifteen minutes per school week for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of five hours per school week or less;
(B) Thirty minutes per school week for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of more than five hours per week but less than sixteen hours per week; and
(C) One hour for students whose learning plan includes an estimate of more than fifteen hours per week.
(c) The educational progress of each student enrolled in an alternative learning experience must be evaluated at least once each calendar month of enrollment by a certificated teacher and the results of each evaluation must be communicated to the student or, if the student is in grades K-8, both the student and the student's parent. Educational progress must be evaluated according to the following requirements:
(i) Each student's educational progress evaluation must be based on the learning goals and performance objectives defined in the written student learning plan.
(ii) The progress evaluation conducted by a certificated teacher must include direct personal contact with the student. Direct personal contact is not required as a part of the evaluation conducted in the final month of the school year if the evaluation takes the form of the delivery of final grades to the student.
(iii) Based on the progress evaluation, a certificated teacher must determine and document whether the student is making satisfactory progress reaching the learning goals and performance objectives defined in the written student learning plan.
(iv) If it is determined that the student failed to make satisfactory progress or that the student failed to follow the written student learning plan, an intervention plan must be developed for the student. An intervention plan is not required if the evaluation is delivered within the last five school days of the school year.
(v) 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.
Comments
This subsection of the rule maps out the core requirements of an ALE: a written student learning plan; weekly contact; and monthly progress review, including an evaluation of satisfactory progress, the establishment of an intervention plan for a student not making progress, and requirements for adjustments to the instructional program for students consistently not making progress in the ALE.
Note: This section was revised prior to the 2012-13 school year. See the revisions.
Common Questions
Q. Can the parent write the WSLP?
A. No. Each student must have a WSLP developed by a certificated teacher. While parents may play an active role in determining the content of the plan, the teacher is ultimately responsible for its development and is accountable for its content.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. Must the parent approve the WSLP?
A. No, although local program procedures can define the role of a parent with respect to the WSLP.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. No. The weekly contact can be either direct personal contact, or in-person instructional contact, or synchronous digital instructional contact (for those students whose WSLP includes only online courses). Note that to receive funding at the 90% level, instructional contact time is required.
Last updated: 8/16/2012
Q. Can we mix and match the types of weekly contact for a student throughout the year?
A. Yes. A program can fulfill the weekly contact requirement by having direct personal contact with a student one week and in-person instructional contact the next week, for example. Note, however, that synchronous digital instructional contact is only an option for students whose WSLP includes only online courses. Recall that to receive funding at the 90% level, instructional contact time must meet the required weekly average per the student’s WSLP.
Last updated: 8/16/2012
A. Yes. If a student fulfills the weekly contact requirement through either of the “instructional contact” methods, that student will have also met the requirements to be claimed at the 90% level.
Last updated: 8/16/2012
Q. Is there a minimum amount of time established to count as "weekly contact?"
A. The weekly contact can be either direct personal contact, or in-person instructional contact, or synchronous digital instructional contact (for those students whose WSLP includes only online courses). There are time requirements for in-person instructional contact and synchronous digital instructional contact, but there are no time requirements for the direct personal contact option. Direct personal contact includes a two-way exchange of information with a certificated teacher for the purposes of instruction, review of assignments, testing, reporting of student progress, or other learning activities. The amount of time for a particular weekly contact should reflect these parameters and the individual needs of a student at that particular time.
Last updated: 8/16/2012
Q. What will constitute adequate documentation of weekly contact?
A. Evidence of direct personal contact must include the date of the direct personal contact, the method of communication by which the direct personal contact was accomplished, and documentation to support the subject of the communication. For students receiving either in-person instructional contact time or synchronous digital instructional contact time, evidence may include classroom attendance records. Documentation should also include confirmation that the contact was with a certificated teacher.
Last updated: 8/16/2012
Q. If a student misses a weekly contact, is it necessary to make-up a missed weekly meeting?
A. Weekly contact is a required component of an ALE course of study. On rare occasions there may be circumstances where it will not be possible to meet weekly with a student. Every effort should be made to make up missed weekly contacts. When a student displays a pattern of missed weekly contacts, the student is not following the requirements of the WSLP and an intervention plan must be developed for that student. If the student fails to make contact for twenty consecutive school days prior to the count date, the student must not be included in monthly enrollment reporting until the student resumes participation in the ALE.
Last updated: 8/21/2012
Q. For K-8 students, must the parent be present for the progress evaluation?
A. No. However, the results of the progress evaluation must be communicated with the parent.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. Not necessarily. A new course of study designed to better meet the student’s educational needs must be developed and implemented. While this may include removal of the student from the ALE program, this is not a requirement.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. What documentation is necessary to verify monthly progress?
A. At minimum, the monthly progress review should include a definitive statement by the reviewing teacher regarding whether or not student progress is satisfactory. This statement should be signed (physically or digitally) and dated by the reviewing teacher.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. See the definition of "direct personal contact." Essentially, a two-way exchange of information between the student and the responsible teacher must occur. For instance, it is not enough to e-mail a student with a statement of progress. There must be two-way communication between the student and the teacher.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. Who will determine if "satisfactory progress" is being made?
A. A certificated teacher must determine if satisfactory progress is being made by determining a student's progress toward achieving the learning goals, performance objectives and completion of the learning activities specified in the written student learning plan. The WSLP must be developed in a manner that facilitates monthly evaluation of student progress. The teacher may use a number of factors to come to this determination including, but not limited to, assessment results, parent feedback, attendance, running records, subjective and objective data, educational artifacts, etc., but the WSLP must include a description of the timelines and methods for evaluating student progress so the student knows how satisfactory progress is determined.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. Is there a required format or directive on how to determine what satisfactory progress means?
A. No. ALE programs represent a diverse range of structure and delivery. Mandating a process for determining satisfactory progress is counterproductive to the intent of ALE of allowing for flexible and innovative programs and services that meet the unique needs of the students they serve. Each school district will define the process by which ALE teachers will determine if satisfactory progress is being made. This process should be established as part of adopted board policy and procedure.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. Is there a certain process ALE programs should follow to develop an intervention plan?
A. An intervention plan must be developed, documented, and implemented by a certificated teacher in conjunction with the student and, for students in grades K-8, the student's parent(s).
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. Section 4(c) of the rule addresses intervention plan requirements. If the student is not making satisfactory progress, despite an intervention plan, then the district should design a course of study to more appropriately meet the student’s educational needs. This may include removal of the student from the alternative learning experience and enrollment of the student in another educational program offered by the district.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
Q. What should an intervention plan look like?
A. At minimum, the intervention plan must include at least one of the following interventions:
- Increasing the frequency or duration of direct personal contact for the purposes of enhancing the ability of the certificated teacher to improve student learning;
- Modifying the manner in which direct personal contact is accomplished;
- Modifying the student's learning goals or performance objectives;
- Modifying the number of or scope of courses or the content included in the learning plan.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. No. The rules require that monthly progress reviews be conducted by a certificated teacher, and the results of the reviews be communicated to the student and, where necessary, the student's parent. In many cases, the results of the review will be determined at the time of the review and thus will be provided to the student/parent by the teacher. When the results are not known until sometime after the actual review meeting, a teacher should be available to discuss the results with the student/parent, even if the teacher is not the actual staff member communicating the results.
Last updated: 8/12/2011
A. Yes. The progress evaluation must include direct personal contact with a certificated teacher and thus can meet both requirements at the same time.
Last updated: 9/16/2011
A. The June monthly evaluation can consist of delivering final grades to the student. The evaluation must meet all of the normal monthly progress evaluation requirements. If the evaluation is delivered within the last five school days of the school year, an intervention plan is not required.
Last updated: 5/31/2012
Relevant Forms or Samples
Note: These sample forms were developed by a working group that included representation from WALA, the State Auditor's Office, OSPI, and several ALE programs. They are intended to be used as samples, and use of the sample forms provided is not required.
Weekly Direct personal contact
- Sample Weekly Contact Log (Word .doc)
- Sample Weekly Contact Log (with different contact modes) (Word .doc)
- Sample Weekly Contact Log (for use by multiple teachers) (Word .doc)
Intervention plans
- Sample Intervention Form #1 (Word .doc)
- Sample Intervention Form #2 (Word .doc)
Written student learning plans
- WSLP Alignment Self Assessment Tool (Word .doc) - The checklist can be used to see how a WSLP aligns with all 8 components required by WAC 392-121-182(3)(c).
- K-5 Outcome-based Written Student Learning Plan
- Completed Sample WSLP (PDF): This file contains a sample WSLP with all eight components of the WSLP included.
- Compliance checklist (PDF): This file shows how the completed sample WSLP and related sections of the rule are met by the sample using the WSLP Alignment Self Assessment Tool. You will be able to see specifically how the content of the WSLP addresses each of the 8 required components outlined in WAC 392-121-182(3)(c). The tool will demonstrate how those components are broken down into sub-components, how related sections of the rules are linked to the WSLP requirements, and will provide any comments or notes about items related to, but not required to be directly contained on the WSLP, are handled by the sample district.
- Blank Template (Word .doc): This can be used as a starting point for a local WSLP.
- High School American Studies Outcome-based Written Student Learning Plan
- Completed Sample WSLP (PDF): This file contains a sample WSLP with all eight components of the WSLP included.
- Compliance checklist (PDF): This file shows how the completed sample WSLP and related sections of the rule are met by the sample using the WSLP Alignment Self Assessment Tool. You will be able to see specifically how the content of the WSLP addresses each of the 8 required components outlined in WAC 392-121-182(3)(c). The tool will demonstrate how those components are broken down into sub-components, how related sections of the rules are linked to the WSLP requirements, and will provide any comments or notes about items related to, but not required to be directly contained on the WSLP, are handled by the sample district.
- Blank Template (Word .doc): This can be used as a starting point for a local WSLP.
- High School Algebra Outcome-based Written Student Learning Plan
- Completed Sample WSLP (PDF): This file contains a sample WSLP with all eight components of the WSLP included.
- Compliance checklist (PDF): This file shows how the completed sample WSLP and related sections of the rule are met by the sample using the WSLP Alignment Self Assessment Tool. You will be able to see specifically how the content of the WSLP addresses each of the 8 required components outlined in WAC 392-121-182(3)(c). The tool will demonstrate how those components are broken down into sub-components, how related sections of the rules are linked to the WSLP requirements, and will provide any comments or notes about items related to, but not required to be directly contained on the WSLP, are handled by the sample district.
- Blank Template (Word .doc): This can be used as a starting point for a local WSLP.