1. (a)

   1. (1) Every school district shall provide one (1) or more eligible alternative learning environments (ALE) for all students meeting the criteria of 6 CAR § 272-202(a)(1) by any of the following methods:

      1. (A) A school district may establish and operate an ALE;
      2. (B) A consortium of one (1) or more school districts may establish and operate an ALE with one (1) school district designated as the lead district;
      3. (C) Participation in an ALE operated by an education service cooperative established under The Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985, Arkansas Code § 6-13-1001 et seq.; or
      4. (D) A partnership with a state-supported institution of higher education and technical institute to provide concurrent courses and/or technical education options for academic learning to students in grades eight through twelve (8-12).

   2. (2)

      1. (A) An ALE hybrid program may be established to serve students in grades nine through twelve (9-12).
      2. (B) For funding purposes, FTEs are calculated based on the percentage of onsite instruction for a student in a hybrid program.

   3. (3) A school district that provides an ALE through the methods outlined in subdivisions (a)(1)(B) ­– (a)(2) of this section remains responsible for all:

      1. (A) Related school services; and
      2. (B) State reporting requirements.

2. (b)

   1. (1) An ALE shall provide intervention services designed to address students’ specific educational and behavioral needs.
   2. (2) Intervention services shall include without limitation access to the services of a school counselor, a mental health professional, a nurse, and support services substantially equivalent to those provided to other students in the regular educational environment.
   3. (3) Intervention services shall be coordinated with state and federal student assistance programs.

3. (c) An ALE shall not be punitive but shall provide the guidance, counseling, and academic support necessary to enable students who are experiencing emotional, social, or academic problems to continue to make progress toward educational goals appropriate to each individual student’s specific:

   1. (1) Situation;
   2. (2) Characteristics;
   3. (3) Abilities; and
   4. (4) Aspirations.

Codification Notes: “FTE” means full-time equivalent.