Georgia Association for Alternative Education

1. Alternative Education Programs Update February 21, 2007 Athens, Georgia Georgia Association for Alternative Education Graduation Coaches Training Summer 2008 Jerry Randolph jrandolp@doe.k12.ga.us 404-656-4150 Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

2. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Strategic Multiples Committee of the Governor’s Education Finance Task Force Alternative Education Subcommittee Report March ,2006 Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

3. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 • IE2 Recommendations (March 2006) • A maximum teacher/student ratio of 1:10. (Requires additional funding) • Facility for Alternative Education Programs that is comparable to facilities for the traditional school. • Assign counselors/social workers to the Alternative Education Programs at the current FTE Funding Formula (1:100). (No impact on funding) Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

4. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 IE2 Recommendations (March 2006) • Shift decisively towards Alternative Education Programs that are choice and diminish punitive programs • Annual reports from each Alternative Education Program to Georgia Department of Education. • Shift decisively towards inclusion of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education in Alternative Education Programs. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

5. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Vision Create a system that provides students with multiple options to high school graduation that fully implement the GPS and utilize proven strategies to improve student achievement. Provide students who are not well-served by a traditional school environment with high quality instruction, rigorous coursework, and participation in a career pathway to prepare each student to enter the workforce. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

6. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Vision Utilize information and strategies from the Best Practices in Alternative Education report to the Strategic Multiples Committee, the Alternative Education Program (AEP) Evaluation, and Secondary Redesign initiative to support the redesign of Alternative Education and ensure that changes to the Alternative Education Rule are consistent with best practices nationwide. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

7. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Alternative Education Advisory Board Recommendations Recommendation # 1: Program Format Shift decisively towards Alternative Education Programs that are choice and diminish punitive programs. Stronger focus on alternative education programs that enhance student achievement and help eliminate academic weakness. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

8. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation #2: Funding a) Provide FTE funding for students over the age of 19 and working toward graduation. b) Provide a salary supplement for teachers who work in AEPs c) Consider funding for students who enroll in Virtual School while enrolled in an Alternative Education Program. d) Provide funding to develop a complete, online, self-paced curriculum. e) Provide incentives such as salary supplements for educators who work in alternative education settings and are highly qualified and certified in multiple disciplines. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

9. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation #3: Student Advisement Incorporate guidance for counselors, graduation coaches, and other student advisors regarding the incorporation of alternate routes to graduation. This guidance should be reflected in the Peachstate Pathways with specific criteria regarding helping students determine when the selection of an alternative route is appropriate. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

10. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation #4: Family Engagement and Community Involvement a) Utilize the collaborative model for community engagement. b) Identify and provide training in best practices for community and family engagement. Recommendation #5: Counselors/social workers Assign counselors/social workers to alternative education programs in stipulated ratio of 1:100. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

11. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation #6: Elementary Alternative Education Programs Identify best practices for including elementary age students in Alternative Education Programs that provide interventions that result in the student successfully returning to the regular classroom environment in the least amount of time. Ensures the Elementary Alternative Education meet the following criteria: • Students are provided with instruction in their home-school environment. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

12. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation #6: Elementary Alternative Education Programs (Cont) • Students have access to the services of a reading specialist, counselor, school psychologist, social worker, and behavior specialist. • Students’ placement should not precede the implementation of the Student Support Team process. • Highly-qualified teachers with specific training should provide services to students. • Provide age-appropriate and researched-based reading and math instruction. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

13. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Recommendation # 7: Curriculum Provide a comprehensive curriculum including traditional and/or alternative delivery models including, but not limited to the Georgia Virtual School. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

14. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 • Recommendation # 9: Education Plan • Embrace a curriculum ensuring an educational plan that networks college and/or workforce readiness. • Recommendation # 10: Reporting • Each Alternative Education Program provides an annual report to Georgia Department of Education. • Increase human and/or material resources for AEP at the state level Draft recommendation Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

15. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 • Recommendation 10: ReportingEach Alternative Education Program provides an annual report to Georgia Department of Education.Recommendation 11: ChessEmbed chess and chess competition as a part of study skills and/or character education/behavior modification in each alternative education program. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

16. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 • Recommendation 12: Safe EnvironmentEach alternative education program should have a structured school environment and strict behavioral expectations that are clear and consistent to students and staff. Discipline is administered in a fair and consistent manner. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

17. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Philosophy Georgia’s Nontraditional Options provide students who need a different educational structure and environment with the critical knowledge and skills necessary of a productive life. Mission: The mission of Nontraditional Options is to empower students to perform at their maximum potential academically, demonstrate high character, and make appropriate choices. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

18. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 Purpose: Georgia’s Nontraditional Options has a two fold purpose: • To provide students who are eligible to remain in the regular classroom but are more likely to succeed in a nontraditional setting with an educational program that focuses on the critical knowledge and skills necessary for success in school. • To provide disruptive students with an educational program separate from the regular classroom, in order to support the policy of this state that it is preferable to assign disruptive students to and alternative education program rather than suspending or expelling such students form school. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved

19. Graduation Coaches TrainingSummer 2008 • Contact Information Jerry Randolph, Education Program Specialist Alternative Education Programs and Magnet Schools Division of School and Leader Quality 1752 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Drive Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: (404) 656-4150 Fax:: (404) 656-5744 jrandolP@doe.k12.ga.us Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools All Rights Reserved