BILL REQ. #:  H-0970.1 

Read first time 01/24/11.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to alternative learning experiences; amending RCW 28A.320.092; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that alternative learning experiences are individual courses for public school students that are detailed in a written student learning plan supervised and monitored by a certificated public school teacher but primarily occur away from the regular public school classroom setting. The legislature further finds that although alternative learning experiences are similar to home-based instruction in that both are characterized by learning that occurs away from school, alternative learning experiences are not home-based instruction. The legislature further finds that home-based students may enroll part-time in public school classes and programs, including alternative learning experiences. The legislature further finds that if a student is enrolled full-time in alternative learning experiences, the student is not a home-based student, even if all the instruction is provided by a parent.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.320.092 and 2009 c 190 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) School districts are prohibited from advertising, marketing, and otherwise providing unsolicited information about learning programs offered by the school district, 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 may respond to requests for information that are initiated by a parent. This section does not apply to general mailings or newsletters sent by the school district to all households in the district.
     (2) School districts are prohibited from advertising or marketing full-time enrollment in an alternative learning experience as being a home-based instruction program. Any student who is enrolled as a full-time student in alternative learning experiences is a full-time public school student. Any student who is enrolled as a part-time student in alternative learning experiences is a part-time public school student for the actual hours in which he or she is participating in the program. A school district that enrolls a student full-time in an alternative learning experience must provide the parent or guardian of the student, before the student's enrollment, with a description of the difference between home-based instruction pursuant to chapter 28A.200 RCW and full-time enrollment in alternative learning experiences.