1. A. Contingent upon the provision of appropriated funds designated for Alternative Education Academies pilot programs, the State Board of Education is authorized to award one or more competitive grants for alternative education programs to school districts, nonprofit organizations, or entities formed by interlocal cooperative agreements pursuant to Section 5-117b of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The grant awards shall be made to school districts located in counties with a high number of dropouts as reported by the Office of Accountability for the school year preceding the year for which the grant is being sought and a high number of referrals to the juvenile justice system or, if the grant award is to a nonprofit organization or entity formed by an interlocal cooperative agreement, the program to be funded shall serve students in school districts located in counties with a high number of dropouts and a high number of referrals to the juvenile justice system. Programs eligible for funding shall include but not be limited to programs provided:

   1. 1. Directly by a school district;
   2. 2. Pursuant to an interlocal cooperative agreement with another school district or districts or an area vocational and technical school district; or
   3. 3. Pursuant to contract with a nonprofit organization.

2. B. In order to be eligible for an Alternative Education Academy Grant, a program shall:

   1. 1. Allow class sizes and student/teacher ratios which are conducive to effective learning for at-risk students;
   2. 2. Incorporate appropriate structure, curriculum, and interaction and reinforcement strategies designed to provide effective instruction;
   3. 3. Include an intake and screening process to determine eligibility of students;
   4. 4. Demonstrate that teaching faculty are appropriately certified teachers;
   5. 5. Demonstrate that teaching faculty have been selected on the basis of a record of successful work with at-risk students or personal and educational factors that qualify them for work with at-risk students;
   6. 6. Reflect appropriate collaborative efforts with state agencies and local agencies serving youth;
   7. 7. Provide courses that meet the curricular standards adopted by the State Board of Education and remedial courses;
   8. 8. Offer individualized instruction;
   9. 9. State clear and measurable program goals and objectives;
   10. 10. Include counseling and social services components with the provision that providers of services are not required to be certified as school counselors;
   11. 11. Require a plan leading to graduation be developed for each child in the program;
   12. 12. Offer life skills instruction;
   13. 13. Provide opportunities for arts education to students, including Artists in Residence programs coordinated with the Oklahoma Arts Council;
   14. 14. Provide a proposed annual budget;
   15. 15. Include an evaluation component including an annual written self-evaluation; and
   16. 16. Be appropriately designed to serve middle school, junior high school and secondary school students in grades six through twelve who are most at risk of not completing a high school education for a reason other than that identified in Section 13-101 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

3. C. Grant recipients shall have priority, if recommended by the Alternative Education Academy Grants Technical Assistance Center as provided for in subsection F of this section, and if funds are available, for annual renewal of grants by the State Board of Education in amounts and on conditions as provided in this section. If a district receives grants for an Alternative Education Academy program for three (3) consecutive school years and if the program upon evaluation by the Technical Assistance Center meets the criteria set forth in subsection B of this section, funding shall be as follows:

   1. 1. Funding for the fourth consecutive school year shall be in an amount of fifty percent (50%) of the average amount of grants awarded for the program pursuant to this section for the first three (3) consecutive school years;
   2. 2. Funding for the fifth consecutive school year shall be awarded only if the program has been state-validated and replicated by another district; if funding is awarded, it shall be in the amount of twenty-five percent (25%) of the average amount of grants awarded to the program pursuant to this section for the first three (3) consecutive school years;
   3. 3. All grants for the fourth and fifth school years as provided above shall be matched with local funds or in-kind contributions. Programs which received grants continuously for five (5) consecutive school years shall not thereafter be eligible for grants pursuant to this section.
4. D. School districts that receive Alternative Education Academy Grants shall not use the grant funds to supplant budgeted district expenditures for existing alternative education programs. Provided, programs that have been funded in prior years by Alternative Approaches grants pursuant to Section 1210.561 of this title may be funded through Alternative Education Academy Grants if included in the grant request and approved.
5. E. By September 15 of each school year, all revenue received and expended for students participating in alternative education academies created in subsection A of this section shall be reported to the State Department of Education by major object codes and by program classifications pursuant to the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 5-135 of this title.
6. F. Recipients of Alternative Education Academy Grants shall be subject to statutes and rules applicable to alternative education, including any exemptions from statutory or regulatory requirements authorized by statutes or rule.

7. G.

   1. 1. From funds appropriated for Alternative Education Academy Grants, the State Board of Education shall contract for technical assistance for operation of an Alternative Education Academy Grants Technical Assistance Center. The technical assistance provider shall be an entity located in Oklahoma that is officially recognized by the United States Department of Education to assess and facilitate dissemination of validated educational programs in Oklahoma. The technical assistance provider shall have priority, if its operations are deemed satisfactory by the State Board of Education and if funds are available, for annual renewal of the contract.

   2. 2. The duties of the technical assistance provider shall include, but shall not be limited to:

      1. a. recommending programs to the State Board of Education for Alternative Education Academy Grants,
      2. b. providing initial and ongoing training of personnel who will educate at-risk populations through programs funded pursuant to this section,
      3. c. providing technical assistance to districts identified by the State Department of Education as eligible for initial grants pursuant to subsection A of this section,
      4. d. providing technical assistance to grant recipients to enhance probability of success of grant-funded programs,
      5. e. evaluating grant-funded programs for possible state validation as defined in Section 1210.561 of this title,
      6. f. reporting to the State Board of Education the name and description of any program which receives state validation, and
      7. g. providing in-depth program analysis and evaluation of grant-funded programs to the State Board of Education and the Legislature no later than November 1 following the end of the school year in which one or more grant-funded programs were implemented.
8. H. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules as necessary to administer the Alternative Education Academy Grants and the process by which the grant funding shall be allocated.
9. I. Any school district which does not participate in the Alternative Education Academy Grants created in this section may provide an alternative education program pursuant to the provisions of this section.

Added by Laws 1994, c. 290, § 62, eff. July 1, 1994; Amended by Laws 1996, c. 348, § 11, eff. July 1, 1996.