September 19, 2006
Status:
Approve the agreement with Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. to provide Drop Back In programs.
Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. provides credit recovery/retrieval for students who have dropped out of school or who are at risk of dropping out. Currently there are 11 approved community based locations with a capacity of 50 students at each site. Certified teachers and technology blend to provide direct instruction and computer assisted learning. To be eligible, students must have previously been enrolled in high school and be 16 years of age or older. The program focus is a full 24-credit high school diploma with the option to participate in the alternative diploma - GED/FCAT Exit Option. The targeted population is youth who meet at least the following criteria: have not passed the FCAT, overage for grade by two years, low grade point average and lack credits to meet the standard diploma requirement. The program model will afford students the opportunity to attend school for a minimum of three hours, be gainfully employed and access the program on a flexible schedule of classes held in the morning or afternoon. All standards required of public schools will be met by the agency including but not limited to requirements of NCLB, IDEA and LEP.
The program opened with three locations in Fall, 2005 expanding to the current eleven sites with plans to open additional locations during the first semester. Programs served a total of 826 students during the 2005-06 school year. Program oversight is provided by the Office of Dropout Prevention. Oversight activities include student enrollment in TERMS, daily attendance, developing and maintaining the master schedule, student scheduling, certification of graduation eligibility, diplomas and provision of the official transcript. Alternatives Unlimited receives 90% of the FEFP. The remaining 10% is used to fund the oversight activities, a Registrar/DPC and a guidance counselor.
The agreement is modeled after the purchased service agreements that the district already has in effect with other providers.
The agreement has been reviewed and approved for form and content by the Board Attorney.
The potential financial impact is $ 1,500,000. The source of funding is Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). There is no additional financial impact to the district.
Requested Action
Approve the agreement with Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. to provide Drop Back In programs.
Summary
Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. provides credit recovery/retrieval for students who have dropped out of school or who are at risk of dropping out. Currently there are 11 approved community based locations with a capacity of 50 students at each site. Certified teachers and technology blend to provide direct instruction and computer assisted learning. To be eligible, students must have previously been enrolled in high school and be 16 years of age or older. The program focus is a full 24-credit high school diploma with the option to participate in the alternative diploma - GED/FCAT Exit Option. The targeted population is youth who meet at least the following criteria: have not passed the FCAT, overage for grade by two years, low grade point average and lack credits to meet the standard diploma requirement. The program model will afford students the opportunity to attend school for a minimum of three hours, be gainfully employed and access the program on a flexible schedule of classes held in the morning or afternoon. All standards required of public schools will be met by the agency including but not limited to requirements of NCLB, IDEA and LEP.
The program opened with three locations in Fall, 2005 expanding to the current eleven sites with plans to open additional locations during the first semester. Programs served a total of 826 students during the 2005-06 school year. Program oversight is provided by the Office of Dropout Prevention. Oversight activities include student enrollment in TERMS, daily attendance, developing and maintaining the master schedule, student scheduling, certification of graduation eligibility, diplomas and provision of the official transcript. Alternatives Unlimited receives 90% of the FEFP. The remaining 10% is used to fund the oversight activities, a Registrar/DPC and a guidance counselor.
The agreement is modeled after the purchased service agreements that the district already has in effect with other providers.
The agreement has been reviewed and approved for form and content by the Board Attorney.
School Board Goals
| Goal 1 - All students will achieve at their highest potential |
Financial Impact
The potential financial impact is $ 1,500,000. The source of funding is Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). There is no additional financial impact to the district.
Source of Additional Information
Frank Vodolo 754-321-2130 Peggy Thurston 754-321-2120
Associated File Attachments
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Alternative Unlimited Agreement (Files) | |
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ExecutedCompleteCopy (Files) |