Sequim School District On-Line Program SOS-Blended Program

SEQUIM SCHOOL DISTRICT ON-LINE PROGRAM SOS-BLENDED PROGRAM March 16, 2015

1. OVERVIEW

2. Project Background and Description The basis for this program is to assist in the retrieval of students whom have been dropped from regular or alternative school programs in our district. The district currently offers no option for these students to continue with an education other than to transfer to another district. This program will incorporate face-to-face instruction, assessment and monitoring of a Written Student Learning Plan by a certificated teacher to ensure that students are given a chance to continue with education if they so desire.

Our current alternative programs are limited by in enrollment and space. The basic education Sequim Options School primarily serves our fifth year seniors and students attempting to recapture credits that will still enable them to reach graduation within one year of their class. OPA is our current ALE program that is limited due to space and staffing. This program serves students in K-12, however it is limited in class size and grade level. Expansion in these two alternative programs does not seem to meet the current need of our targeted population of 9th through 11th grade students.

3. Project Scope The scope of the project will initially be to support those students in our own district that have been dropped, been disciplined or have chosen to leave the regular educational system. Upon the enrollment in this Alternative Learning Experience Program, Sequim School District will be able to continue to collect enrollment allocations from the state rather than losing the FTE funding due to lack of enrollment.

4. High-Level Requirements The program will require training in ALE rules and the writing of WSLP’s. Each staff member must be highly qualified in the area of instruction for which they are used. K-6—Elementary Education, 7-12—subject area specific. Students and staff may need additional training in the use of video technology in order to meet the needs of students.

Deliverables:

In order to facilitate the program, staffing levels will need to be provided based on the need of the individual students. Due to the legal requirements of issuing credit, staff will need to have time to prepare, monitor and assess on a weekly basis. The requirements for technology and access to our system from outside the school setting will add new challenges to the technology department. Additional APEX Learning licenses will need to be purchased to address the curriculum needs of students in grades 6-12. Each .2 FTE of a staff member will cost approximately $14,000 to the district.

5. Affected Parties The certificated staff assigned to the program and the technology department will be the primary constituents that are affected by the implementation of the program. Administration is in place to oversee the program, however, additional support at the high school to complete evaluations would be appreciated. Counseling services will also be affected. The review of transcripts, follow-up of student scheduling and the input of data into the transcripts will require additional support.

6. Affected Business Processes or Systems The enrollment reporting will require close supervision. Financial systems will need to rely on specific counts in order to adequately plan and prepare for fluctuations in enrollment. Technology will be a main component and will require additional support. Our current Sequim School District Policy and Procedure 2024 &2024P, as well as 2255 & 2255P will need to be updated to reflect the new course of study. Program compliance will be monitored in accordance with WAC 392-121-182.

7. Specific Exclusions from Scope The plan will be implemented on a local level in the core areas of math, language arts, social studies and science. Depending on the current state of CTE options, this could also be an area of implementation. This plan would meet current Common Core Standards utilizing APEX Learning curriculum with the current certificated teachers of our district.

Students will have the ability to observe lessons via video and ask for assistance via email and face-to-face communication. Assessment of assignments will be regular by the same staff offering the instruction. The instruction will be used as a resource for students to help them understand difficult concepts. Links also will be provided to tutoring sites such as Khan Academy to assist in the learning.

All students will be required to complete an Intent to Homeschool form indicating that they are signing up for an Alternative Learning Experience Program. Students will be required to take all State assessments to meet the graduation requirements of Sequim School District.

8. Implementation Plan In order to bring this plan to fruition, a team will need to be developed to review current programs that are single district providers of on-line learning. Visitation to those districts and review of their program successes are an important guide for implementation. The intent is to bring this plan to the district in a turn-key fashion that provides for seamless transition.

9. High-Level Timeline/Schedule The goal for this plan is to be in place for the 2015-16 school year. Training and school visits will need to be completed prior to June 15, 2015. Staff training in the writing and assessment of Written Student Learning Plans will need to be conducted by our current ALE staff.

10. APPROVAL AND AUTHORITY TO PROCEED

We approve the project as described above, and authorize the team to proceed.

Name Title Date

Approved By Date Approved By Date