Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: This emergency rule provides necessary accommodations for youth reengagement programs as a result of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The emergency rule provides clarification regarding acceptable "face-to-face" engagements when a reengagement program is being administered in remote learning environments made necessary by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Because face-to-face, in-person interaction is not feasible for all students participating in remote learning, this emergency rule amendment is necessary to ensure students will be able to access services through different means of contact in the 2021-22 school year. The office of superintendent of public instruction (OSPI) is initiating rule making to make this change permanent through the remainder of the 2021-22 school year
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC WAC 392-700-015.
Reasons for this Finding: Students being served through reengagement programs under chapter 392-700 WAC must still be able to receive educational services, including the face-to-face interaction time required under WAC 392-700-015, as school districts continue remote learning options due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Because face-to-face, in-person interaction is not feasible for all students participating in remote learning, this emergency rule amendment is necessary to ensure students will be able to access services through different means of contact in the 2021-22 school year. OSPI is initiating rule making to make this change permanent through the remainder of the school year.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: August 17, 2021.
Chris P. S. Reykdahl
The following definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter:
(1) "Agency" means an educational service district, nonprofit community-based organization, or public entity other than a college.
(2) "Annual average full-time equivalent (AAFTE)" means the total monthly full-time equivalent (FTE) reported for each enrolled student in a school year divided by ten.
(3) "Attendance period requirement" is defined as, at minimum, two hours of face-to-face interaction with a designated program staff for the purpose of instruction, academic counseling, career counseling, or case management contact aggregated over the prior month. For the 2021-22 school year, face-to-face interaction means in-person, or synchronous communication using interactive digital tools, including real-time online applications, or voice or video communication technology.
(4) "CEDARS" refers to comprehensive educational data and research system, the statewide longitudinal data system of educational data for K-12 student information.
(5)
"College" means college or technical college pursuant to chapters
28B.20 through
28B.50 RCW.
(6) "College level class" is a class provided by a college that is one hundred level or above.
(7) "Consortium" means a regional group of organizations that consist of districts, tribal compact schools, charter schools and agencies and/or colleges who agree to work together to create and operate a program that will serve students from multiple districts, tribal compact schools, and charter schools and reduce the administrative burden.
(8) "Consortium agreement" means the agreement that is signed by the authorized consortium lead and all district, tribal compact school, and charter school superintendents or their authorized officials which are part of the consortium and agree to refer eligible students to the consortium's program. This agreement will clearly outline the responsibilities of the consortium lead and those of the referring districts, tribal compact schools, and charter schools.
(9) "Consortium lead" means the lead organization in a consortium that will assume the responsibilities outlined in WAC 392-700-042(3).
(10) "Count day" is the instructional day that is used to claim a program's enrollment for state funding pursuant to WAC 392-121-033. For September, the count day is the fourth instructional day. For the remaining months, the count day is the first instructional day.
(11) "Credential" is identified as one of the following:
(a) High school diploma; or
(b) Associate degree.
(12) "Enrolled student" is an eligible student whose enrollment and attendance meets the criteria outlined in WAC 392-700-035 and 392-700-160, and is reported as an FTE for state funding. An enrolled student can be further defined as one of the following:
(a) New student is an enrolled student who is being claimed for state funding for the first time by the program.
(b) Continuing student is an enrolled student who has continuously been enrolled in the program and claimed for state funding on at least one count day.
(c) Returning student is an enrolled student who has returned to the program after not receiving program services for a period of at least one count day and not more than ten count days.
(d) Reenrolling student is an enrolled student who has reenrolled in the program after not receiving program services for a period of eleven count days or more.
(13) "ERDC" refers to education research and data center, which conducts analyses of early learning, K-12, and higher education programs and education issues across the P-20 system that collaborates with legislative evaluation and accountability program and other statutory partner agencies.
(14) "Full-time equivalent (FTE)" is the measurement of enrollment that an enrolled student can be claimed on a monthly basis with the maximum being 1.0 FTE per month for each student enrolled in a program.
(15) "Indicator of academic progress" means a standard academic benchmark that demonstrates academic performance which is attained by a reengagement student. These indicators will be tracked and reported by the program and district, tribal compact school, or charter school for each student and for programs as a whole using definitions and procedures outlined by OSPI. Indicators of academic progress will be reported when a student does one of the following:
(a) Earns at minimum a 0.25 high school credit;
(b) Earns at minimum a whole college credit;
(c) Receives a college certificate after completion of a college program requiring at least forty hours of instruction;
(d) Receives an industry recognized certificate of completion of training or licensing received after completion of a program requiring at least forty hours of instruction;
(e) Passes one or more tests or benchmarks that would satisfy the state board of education's graduation requirements as provided in chapter 180-51 WAC;
(f) Passes one or more high school equivalency certificate measures (each measure may only be claimed once per enrolled student), or other state assessment;
(g) Makes a significant gain in a core academic subject based on the assessment tool's determination of significant gain (may be claimed multiple times in a year per enrolled student);
(h) Successfully completes a grade level curriculum in a core academic subject that does not earn high school or college credit;
(i) Successfully completes college readiness course work with documentation of competency attainment;
(j) Successfully completes job search and job retention course work with documentation of competency attainment;
(k) Successfully completes a paid or unpaid cooperative work based learning experience of at least forty-five hours. This experience must meet the requirements of WAC 392-410-315(2);
(l) Enrolls in a college level class for the first time (limited to be claimed once per enrolled student);
(m) Successfully completes an English as a second language (ESL) class;
(n) Successfully completes an adult basic education (ABE) class; or
(o) Successfully completes a series of short-term industry recognized certificates equaling at least forty hours.
(16) "Instructional staff" means the following:
(a) For programs operated by a district, tribal compact school, charter school, or agency, the instructional staff is a certificated instructional staff pursuant to WAC 392-121-205; and
(b) For programs operated by a college, the instructional staff is one who is employed or appointed by the college whose required credentials are established by the college.
(17) "Letter of intent" means the document signed by the district, tribal compact school, charter school, college or lead agency authorized official that specifically outlines to OSPI the required elements of a program that the district, tribal compact school, charter school, college, or agency agree to implement.
(18) "Noninstructional staff" is any person employed in a position that is not an instructional staff as defined under subsection (16) of this section.
(19) "OSPI" means the office of superintendent of public instruction.
(20)
"Program" means a statewide dropout reengagement program approved by OSPI, pursuant to RCW
28A.175.105.
(21) "School year" is the twelve-month period that begins September 1st and ends August 31st during which instruction is provided and FTE is reported.
(22) "Scope of work" means the document signed by district, tribal compact school, or charter school superintendent or their authorized official and the authorized official of a program to be included in a contracted services agreement when the program is operated by a provider on behalf of the district, tribal compact school, or charter school, and will receive compensation in accordance with WAC 392-700-165. The scope of work will specifically outline all the required elements of a program that the provider and the district, tribal compact school, or charter school agree to implement.
(23)
"Resident district" means the district where the student resides or a district that has accepted full responsibility for a student who lives outside of the district through the choice transfer process pursuant to RCW
28A.225.200 through
28A.225.240. For students enrolled in a tribal compact school or charter school, the tribal compact school or charter school is the student's resident district.
(24) "Weekly status check" means individual communication from a designated program staff to a student. Weekly status check:
(a) Can be accomplished in person or through the use of telephone, email, instant messaging, interactive video communication, or other means of digital communication;
(b) Must be for the purposes of instruction, academic counseling, career counseling, or case management;
(c) Must be documented; and
(d) Must occur at least once every week that has at least three days of instruction.
(25)
"Tribal compact school" means a school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact operated according to the terms of its compact executed in accordance with RCW
28A.715.010.
(26)
"Charter school" means a public school that is established in accordance with chapter
28A.710 RCW, governed by a charter school board, and operated according to the terms of a charter contract executed under chapter
28A.710 RCW.