PURPOSE: This rule establishes policies and standards for local education agencies (LEAs) for maintaining attendance hour records in accordance with Chapter 163, RSMo, to meet the health and safety needs of students and faculty if social distancing is necessary due to COVID-19 during the 2020- 2021 school year.

1. (1) The following definitions apply to this rule:

   1. (A) Alternative Methods of Instruction SECONDARY EDUCATION

2. (AMI) Plan: The AMI plan is the plan submitted to and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (department), enabled by section 171.033.5(2), RSMo, and that allows the claiming of limited attendance when schools are closed due to exceptional circumstances;

   1. (B) Alternative Methods of Instruction- Extended (AMI-X) Plan: The AMI-X plan is the plan submitted to and approved by the department, enabled by this rule, and that allows the claiming of attendance when schools are closed or onsite attendance is modified due to COVID-19 during the 2020- 2021 school year;
   2. (C) Distanced Instruction: Students are offsite and receive instruction through online means or through the use of physical materials. Instruction includes teacher interaction as approved by the department in the LEA’s AMI-X plan;
   3. (D) Fixed Blended Instruction: Students receive instruction under a planned pattern of onsite and distanced instruction that includes a minimum equivalent of two (2) full days of onsite instruction per week. For the purpose of this rule, fixed-blended calendars are designed to support social distancing;
   4. (E) Instruction During Quarantine: An individual student or a group of students, such as a classroom or bus roster, receive distanced instruction for an identified period of time to protect public health;
   5. (F) Intermittent Blended Instruction: Students in an entire school building or LEA receive distanced instruction during a period of interruption to the planned pattern. The planned pattern of onsite or fixed blended instruction is interrupted by local conditions that prevent any onsite instruction; and
   6. (G) Onsite Instruction: Students are physically present at the school under the guidance and direction of teachers in the teaching process.

3. (2) LEAs that choose to offer instruction using fixed blended, instruction during quarantine, and/or intermittent blended models, must submit an AMI-X plan to be approved by the department prior to implementation to claim attendance for payment purposes. AMI-X plans may be submitted electronically to the department via the following link: https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/alternative-methods-instruction.

   1. (A) LEAs may submit plans with models other than those defined in this rule for review and consideration by the department. The department’s approval will be conditioned on the plan’s compliance with state law and the ability to safely provide high quality instruction to students.
4. (3) LEAs that have received department approval for AMI-X plans under section (2) prior to their implementation may claim attendance hours for distanced instruction as part of fixed blended, instruction during quarantine, and intermittent blended instruction. In such instances, distance instruction attendance will be calculated using the individual student actual onsite rate for the year.
5. (4) Hours associated with distanced instruction learning as part of fixed blended instruction and intermittent blended instruction are considered hours in session for the purposes of establishing minimum calendar requirement per sections 163.021 and 171.031, RSMo.

AUTHORITY: section 161.092, RSMo 2016, and sections 163.021 and 171.031, RSMo Supp. 2020.* Original rule filed July 15, 2020, effective Jan. 30, 2021. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014; 163.021, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2018; and 171.031 RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1993, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2018, 2019.