Heartland    Parent & Student Handbook

2024-2025

This handbook is subject to change.

Specific school policies are also available on the school website.

Versión en español

Table of Contents: 

1. Mission and Vison Statement 

Mission Statement

The mission of Heartland Charter School is to develop the individual gifts of students in Kern County and adjacent counties to become critical thinkers, responsible citizens and innovative leaders prepared for academic and real-life achievement in the 21st Century. The mission will be accomplished through quality, personalized, standards-based education, which could include online coursework, offline textbook work, and unique hands-on and experiential learning experiences. The personalized learning plan will include focused/thematic enrichment services, typically such that students engage in activities with the same vendor about 8 hours a week for the entire school year.  Heartland Charter School provides a flexible personalized learning experience, empowering families to tailor a program designed around the specific needs of each student. In collaboration with highly qualified credentialed teachers, students engage in diverse and dynamic learning pathways and unparalleled enrichment opportunities to achieve personal and academic success. 

Vision Statement

Heartland Charter School provides a flexible personalized learning experience, empowering families to tailor a program designed around the specific needs of each student. In collaboration with highly qualified credentialed teachers, students engage in diverse and dynamic learning pathways and unparalleled enrichment opportunities to achieve personal and academic success. 

2. Description of the Program 

Heartland Charter School respects a family's right to educate their children and strives to offer innovative, personalized learning options for all families. Our programs engage students with a truly personalized learning plan based on their own interests and specific learning needs while preparing them for success both now and in the future. Enrollment in our independent study program is tuition-free. 

Our programs provide students with many opportunities:               

3. Schoolwide Learner Outcomes (SLOs) 

At Heartland Charter School, we have goals for our students. They are known as our Schoolwide Learner Outcomes, and they represent what students at HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL engage in and strive to achieve when they work through our program. The SLOs are a part of our school culture, and they reflect our school vision, the College and Career Readiness standards, the education of the whole child, and the values of our homeschool community. Teachers, students, and parents partner together throughout the year to review and reflect on student progress of the SLOs. SLOs are also an important part of the WASC process as they demonstrate our school’s commitment to support student learning. 

Heartland students [are]… 

H - Heed the call to follow their passions, engage with the world, and think critically. 

E - Engaged, lifelong learners 

A - Adaptive and creative in overcoming challenges 

R - Respectful and compassionate global citizens 

T - Trailblazers for individualized education 

4. WASC Accreditation 

The WASC process is designed to allow us to go through an in-depth self-study of our school, focusing specifically on organization, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and school culture. We take a close look specifically at our high school students and their success. In addition, we identify and reflect on our progress towards our school-wide learning outcomes (SLOs.) The WASC cycle includes targeting our areas of strength and areas of growth and the creation of an action plan to address those areas to increase student achievement. 

When a school becomes accredited, it: 

5. Enrollment Requirements 

Required enrollment documentation includes: Proof of age, immunization record or waiver, and proof of residence (POR). 

Students must reside within a county Heartland serves and provide proof of residency prior to enrollment. While attending HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL, if a family moves they must submit a new POR within ten days to enrollment@heartlandcharterschool.com. Students must maintain residency within a county served by Heartland at all times in accordance with the school policies (See the Residency Policy and the Admissions and Enrollment Policy for more information). 

Proof of Residency (POR): The best POR document is your most current utility bill (gas, water, or electric bill). You can also use your most current property tax bill, mortgage statement, or lease agreement. If you have one of the extenuating circumstances below, you would need to complete the corresponding forms. 

High school transcripts are necessary for determining proper class placement and for creating Individualized Graduation Plans. Transcripts should be submitted during the enrollment process and can be submitted by hand, faxed, or emailed to the Enrollment Department. 

All information on the application must be true and correct. If misrepresentations are made or incorrect information is provided, the application may be considered as not meeting the requirements of the school and may result in the revocation or halting of enrollment until accurate information is provided. 

Enrollment in Heartland Charter School is contingent upon the student, parent, and teacher signing a Master Agreement Form (school contract) prior to the commencement of instruction and services. Parent and student will not have access to curriculum or the planning amount until the Master Agreement is signed and returned. 

All Heartland Charter School students will be enrolled in their age-appropriate grade level, unless a previous school has officially approved a retention or promotion. Heartland reserves the right to determine appropriate teacher placement and cannot guarantee parent requests for teacher assignment. 

Our school is a full-time, general education, independent study program; not a supplemental program or a part-time program. A student may not be dual enrolled in any other private or public school. 

6. The Parent/Learning Coach/Guardian’s Role 

Student Behavioral Expectations 

At Heartland Charter School learning takes place in a variety of settings. These may include, but are not limited to: 

At Heartland, the primary focus is on student learning. Any behaviors that prevent all students from this focus will be reviewed and discussed with all parties involved. As a diverse community of learners, students must strive to work together in a setting of civility, tolerance, and respect for each other in an environment that does not distract from the mutual commitment to academic inquiry and reflection. To that end, the following student behavioral expectations have been established. 

1. When participating in group dialogue, no one monopolizes discussions to the exclusion of others, either in terms of time or opinions expressed.

2. Conflicting opinions among members of a group are respected and responded to in a polite and respectful manner.

3. No side conversations or other distracting behaviors are engaged in during group discussions or presentations. 

4. No offensive comments, language, or gestures are part of the learning environment.

5. Impersonating another person on an online platform is prohibited.

6. Use only your own username and password for any online platforms, and do not share these with anyone.

7.    Do not post personal information in online environments (Phone Number, YouTube Facebook, Physical Address, Email Address, Passwords, etc.)

8.   Netiquette Agreement for Heartland Live online Classes

An infraction of these expectations that is deemed to be disruptive of the learning environment, is cause for removal of a student from an activity and may result in disciplinary action. 

Consequences 

Staff shall enforce disciplinary rules and procedures fairly and consistently. Discipline includes, but is not limited to, advising and counseling students, conferring with parents/guardians, and the use of alternative educational environments, suspension and expulsion. Suspended or expelled students shall be excluded from all school and school- related activities unless otherwise agreed during the period of suspension or expulsion. 

Civility 

It is the expectation of Heartland Charter School that all personnel will be responsive to parents’ concerns and attempt to resolve problems at the most appropriate level. Failing that, it should be referred to the executive director or designee. It is neither required nor desirable that an employee face abusive language or behavior. 

This policy promotes mutual respect, civility, and orderly conduct among School employees, parents, and the community. This policy is not intended to deprive any person of his/her right to freedom of expression, but only to maintain, to the extent possible and reasonable, a safe, harassment-free workplace for our students and staff. In the interest of presenting School employees as positive role models to the students of this School as well as the community, Heartland Charter School encourages positive communication and discourages volatile, hostile, or aggressive behavior. 

7. School Calendar 

As a public charter school, we offer families full-time, continued enrollment throughout the entire school year. 

8. Curriculum Choices & Learning Paths 

Heartland’s academic program is designed to be extremely flexible and customizable. Working together, credentialed teachers and parents design a learning plan that can incorporate: 

To find standards-aligned and supplementary curriculum options that fit the needs of your student, explore the options in our Heartland Ordering Handbook. All ordering directions for each curriculum option shown can be found under the “How to Order” link on each provider’s page. 

Heartland Charter Schools curricula include learning paths and platforms designed to address the needs of all students including: 

Objectionable Materials 

If your family finds certain lessons or materials in a particular unit of study to be objectionable for various personal reasons, please contact your Homeschool Teacher and she/he will work with you to identify alternative lessons to meet the lesson objectives. 

Curriculum: Transitional Kindergarten - 8th Grade 

Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade students enrolled in Heartland Charter School have many options including various online curriculum with built-in pacing, bundled textbook programs, or unlimited choices of homeschool curriculum for a personalized learning path. A discussion with your credentialed Homeschool Teacher will help pinpoint how to gain the most from your curriculum. 

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL offers an Individualized Graduation Plan (IGP) for all high school students. Upon enrollment, students will discuss and create an IGP with their Homeschool teacher or a High School Counselor, based on the student’s short and long-term academic goals. HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL provides high school students with various homeschool curricula and vendor options, including college prep, “a-g,” honors, and AP courses. 

What is an “a-g” course? 

A-G courses are a series of high school classes that students are required to successfully complete to be eligible for admission to the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems. Each letter in “a-g” represents a different content area, as illustrated below. The goal of “a-g” curriculum is to ensure students have attained core subject knowledge that will fully and effectively prepare them for college.

Our school will recognize and award a GPA boost for all UC approved honors courses taken in grades 9-12. However, the UC and Cal State systems will only award an honors boost to the classes below taken during the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade. Students should review the UC General Honors Requirements and UC GPA Requirement for further details. 

At our school, honors classes are weighted as shown below. Our high school counselors will also evaluate each community college course to determine if the course will be weighted. 

Students have the freedom to choose courses in a wide variety of curriculum options for 9th- 12th grade. Explore Heartland’s standards-aligned and supplementary curriculum offerings through the Heartland Ordering Handbook . Select “Online and Curriculum Resources,” then click on “Additional Details” for more information about each provider. All ordering directions can be found under the “How to Order” link on each 

provider’s page. 

9th - 12th Grade - AP Courses are offered through EdOptions Academy, Edgenuity Direct, BYU, FLVS, and iLead Online, with an AP instructor attached. Please visit  College Board for a list of courses available. 

Students at our school in grades 9-12 may take “a-g” UC approved honors courses for a GPA boost. Please note, not all 4-year institutions will recognize the GPA boost from honors courses taken in grades 9-12. Honors courses must be taken with the approved curriculum provider’s instructor. Please review the 24-25 UCOP Course List for vendors and their honors courses that have already been self- certified by our school. This is not an exhaustive list, other vendors may also offer “a-g” honors courses, please refer to the vendor’s website for their course catalog. 

9.  Graduation Requirements 

High school graduation requirements and college entrance requirements are not the same. Course selection should be based on academic, career, and personal interest. Student interests and goals should guide the path through high school. 

College admission requirements will vary from school to school, it is recommended that students check admission requirements before applying to their college of choice. Students can always reach out to their Heartland Counselor if they have questions about graduation requirements or the college admission process. 

* Please note that once a subject area graduation requirement has been fulfilled, all excess credits will be rolled over to the Electives category.


4- Year College Entrance Requirements

Students who plan to apply to a 4-year college right after high school graduation should plan to meet “a-g” requirements. These requirements are mandatory for students who apply to the CSU or UC systems, and recommended for students who plan to apply to private and out-of- state colleges and universities. The “a-g” requirements are summarized below: 

Students who plan to apply to the UC or CSU systems will need to take courses that are “a-g" approved. All “a-g” courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. There are alternative ways to meet “a-g” requirements through testing and community college courses. Students can check the progress of their “a-g” requirements by consulting with their Heartland counselor. 

Subject requirements will vary for private and out-of-state colleges and universities. However, most students who are eligible for UC admission and fulfill the “a-g” requirements will also likely meet the admission requirements for most of the private and out-of-state colleges and universities. 

Students should also plan to take the SAT or ACT. SAT Subject Tests are usually optional; however, students who are applying to specific departments or highly selective schools will want to check with the admissions office of the college or university of interest to verify requirements. 

For more information, please visit the sites below: 

Middle School Students Taking High School Courses 

a) 7th graders who earned credit in the 21/22 academic year will be able to continue progression in the same content area with elective credit in the 23/24 school year. Students taking a first HS course in the 23/24 school year will not earn elective credit.

b) Our school’s current policy allows 7th and 8th grade students to take HS math, world language, and Career Tech Education (CTE) courses. These courses will be noted on the high school transcript once the student is in the 9th grade for 0 credit, under the electives category.

c) All math, world language, and CTE courses must be completed with UC approved “a-g” curricula, and CTE courses must have an approved CTE instructor attached.

d) Students in grade 7 or 8 may take high school level courses if showing readiness:

e) The high school course will not show on the student's HS transcript until the end of the fall semester of their freshman year.

f) Other high schools or districts are not required to accept the student’s high school credits earned in middle school (for applicable students).

g) The high school transcript is the student’s permanent record of all attempted and completed high school coursework. The high school course(s) will be reported on the student's high school transcript at the end of the fall semester of their freshman year (grade 9) at Heartland Charter School. Therefore, if the student transfers to a different school prior to starting 9th grade at Heartland Charter School, that school may determine what they put on the high school transcript.

h) Math, world language, and CTE courses taken in middle school may count toward college freshman admissions, as the courses will be noted on the high school transcript.

i) Students will be expected to continue their progression and take UC approved higher level math and world language courses once in high school.

j) In order for the content path to progress, the middle school student must earn a C grade or higher in the course, showing proficiency in the content before they may move to the next course. For example, a student taking Algebra I in the 8th grade will progress to Geometry in the 9th grade only if they have earned a grade of C or above in the Algebra I course.

10. Academic Expectations 

TK-8th Grade 

Families choose to enroll at HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL for a variety of reasons, but at the cornerstone of each decision is a supportive partnership between the family and their chosen/assigned credentialed Homeschool Teacher. Our school provides the tools and guidance for students to experience a high quality education by providing access to personalized, standards-aligned curriculum and instruction. Students need to be engaged in learning each school day. Families and credentialed Homeschool Teachers work together to provide support for struggling students. Families are required to meet with their credentialed Homeschool Teacher once every 20 school days. 

High School 

All high school students enrolled at HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL will discuss and create an Individualized Graduation Plan (IGP) with their Homeschool Teacher. Short and long-term goals will be created based on the needs of each student. A guidance counselor is also assigned to each student and will review the IGP. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of four Heartland courses each semester, but are encouraged to enroll in and complete five courses each semester (25 credits) to remain on track for graduation. High school students can be enrolled in a maximum of 40 credits per semester (including concurrent enrollment classes). Students are expected to meet with their teacher regularly to ensure adequate progress is made toward completing courses. Students enrolled in community college courses must send official transcripts to our records department at transcripts@heartlandcharterschool.com or the following address at the end of each semester. For the final semester grade, a grade of “F” will appear on a student's report card and transcript until the Heartland Records Department has received an official college transcript to post the grade issued by the college. 

Community college transcripts shall not be purchased or reimbursed by Heartland Charter School. It is the sole responsibility of the student to provide the community college transcript to Heartland Charter School. 

ATTN: Transcripts/Records 

5060 California Ave. Suite 420

Bakersfield, CA 93309

11.  I CAN Statements 

I CAN statements are family-friendly guides that can be used to help your family and ensure your students are on track for their grade level. All learning objectives for Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies are provided, written in family-friendly language. I CAN statements help make grade level learning targets clear for families and they address the standards students of the same grade learn in all public schools. 

12.  Promotion, Acceleration, and Retention;   Academic Compliance

Promotion, Acceleration and Retention 

Families are encouraged to discuss Heartland’s policies regarding promotion, acceleration, and retention with their HST. The policy regarding this can be found here under Student Policies. 

Academic  Compliance 

Heartland urges students to conduct themselves ethically and honorably. It is expected that the grade a student earns is based upon the student’s original work the student has completed.  Original work is work completed solely by the student that meets the requirements of the assignment per the teacher. 

By definition, academic integrity is the moral code or ethical policy of academia. This includes values such as avoidance of cheating or plagiarism; maintenance of academic standards; honesty and rigor in academic work. 

The following behaviors may be considered as acts that do not uphold Academic Compliance: 

Any student known to have acted without academic compliance will be subject to disciplinary action in the following manner: 


Report Cards and Grades

At Heartland Charter School, students, parents, and teachers work in partnership to design personalized learning plans and goals. The credentialed Homeschool Teacher affirms the learning plan and is guided by the I CAN statements. 

Report Cards are not required for grades TK-8, but families may request them from their teacher. While TK-8 report cards are not required, they are sometimes necessary for other student endeavors such as sports teams, insurance, government verifications, etc. Please consider your family participation in these types of activities when deciding to request a report card or not. We highly recommend that parents of 7th and 8th grade students request a report card as this type of documentation is frequently requested when transitioning into a traditional high school setting. If a student plans to take a community college course prior to entering high school or in their 9th grade year, it is very important that the student request a report card. If you do not request a report card, nothing will be stored in a student’s cumulative file. Parents of TK-8th grade students have three (3) Report Card options (Option B is the default if you do not make a selection): 

Your Homeschool Teacher will communicate directly with you to ask which option you would like for Report Cards. 


Review of Student Work 

Families share all of the learning that has occurred during their monthly meetings with their teachers. Teachers work with the family to review and reflect on student learning. Teachers will use the shared information to determine mastery of standards and match these to the I CAN statements, determining whether a standard is met or is in progress. While Heartland values and considers the insights of the learning coach, the assigned HST will determine and issue grades. 

It is our school’s policy and practice that individual student data is never shared with anyone other than the parent and teacher. The data is used solely to show grade level and school- wide trends for accreditation purposes. 


Assignment and Work Records 

Assignment Work Record (AWR) will be assigned for your student by your Homeschool Teacher during the school year. The Assignment and Work Record are used to gather school- wide data on grade level progress as it relates to the state standards. The data is used by HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL when we are required to report the effectiveness of our academic program to stakeholders such as our charter authorizers and our School Board. 

Families with High School students will receive a notification every Learning Period with a statement of their student’s progress in each enrolled course in the form of a notification of progress email, a progress report (mid-semester), or a report card (end of semester). Regular communication will ensure we are supporting all students in their coursework. 

Report Cards - High School 

All 9th -12th grade students are required to have a report card issued at the conclusion of each semester and are unable to opt out. Semester report cards will be based on progress made in the student’s assigned high school courses. 

Students in high school earn letter grades. All high school students need to complete the requirements and lessons for each of their courses by the last day of the semester. All courses started within a semester must be completed by the end of the semester. Any course work or assessments submitted after the last day of the semester will not be accepted or included in the final grade. Heartland’s end of semester date supersedes any alternative dates given by outside providers/curriculum vendors. Please be aware of pacing required to complete each semester course within the semester start and end dates for Heartland. Work with your HST for assistance with pacing as needed. 

The chart below shows the grading rubric for quality of assigned work: 

13.  Attendance 

14.  Withdrawing Your Student From Heartland Charter School

Withdrawing Your Student from Heartland Charter School 

To withdraw your student from Heartland Charter Schools please provide your Homeschool Teacher with the following information. 

Once this information is received your Homeschool Teacher will assist you with the materials return process. All school property must be returned to Heartland Charter Schools. 

Notes regarding withdrawals:

15. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS); Mental Health; 504 Plan

What is a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)? 

MTSS is tailored instruction and/or supports to meet the educational needs of students who may need additional support making progress in the areas of reading, writing, math, speech, behavior and/or social emotional health at no cost to the family as deemed necessary in a Student Study Team (SST) Meeting. 

Who should you contact when you believe your child may need additional academic support?

Your assigned Homeschool Teacher is the best person to discuss any academic questions or concerns with. Your Homeschool Teacher will recommend interventions and/or accommodations for you to use with your child as appropriate. After 6-8 weeks of recommended interventions and limited growth, an SST meeting will be held. This meeting will document the concerns of school staff and families, identify interventions attempted and recommend additional interventions. Students will move fluidly through this process as growth is shown or not shown via data.  

Mental Health Concerns 

Your assigned Homeschool Teacher is the best person with whom to discuss any mental health concerns. Your Homeschool Teacher will alert the necessary parties based on the mental health concern. If the student is in crisis and there are concerns surrounding suicide, please ensure that you follow these notes: 

Here is a link to some Mental Health Resources by County. 

What is a 504 plan? 

A 504 plan is a variety of accommodations that are implemented for students that may have a disability or health issue that require additional supports and/or accommodations that cannot be supported through the SST process, at no cost to the family, as deemed necessary. 

Who should you contact when you believe your child may need additional academic support? 

Your assigned Homeschool Teacher is the best person to reach out to with any academic questions or concerns. Your Homeschool Teacher will recommend interventions to use with your child as appropriate. After six to eight weeks of recommended interventions and limited growth, an SST meeting will be held. This meeting will document the concerns of school staff and families, identify interventions attempted and recommend additional interventions. Students will move fluidly through this process as growth is shown or not shown via data. If your child requires additional support that cannot be provided through the SST process, a 504 plan may be warranted. A meeting to discuss this will be scheduled with the SST team and Support Services Coordinator to discuss the additional supports and accommodations. 


16. Special Education

Special Education 

Heartland Charter Schools personnel are committed to identifying and serving students who have exceptional needs and are eligible to receive special education supports and services. Our commitment is based on the belief that all students shall have access to a high-quality public education. 

In cooperation with Los Angeles County Charter Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), Heartland Charter School will work to ensure that a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is provided to all eligible students with exceptional needs in the student’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Specifically, Heartland Charter Schools will comply with all applicable state and federal laws in serving students with disabilities, including, but not limited to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and any other civil rights enforced by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and applicable special education policies and practices of the SELPA. 

Common Questions 

Following are the most common questions that the special education department receives from families regarding special education at Heartland. Please review and contact the department which serves your child if you would like to discuss these topics further. 

What is Special Education? 

Special Education is specially designed instruction, supports, and services to meet the unique educational needs of individuals with identified disabilities, which cannot be met in the general education program. It is an integral part of the total public education system, and special education services are provided: 

● In a way that promotes maximum interaction between students with and without exceptional needs;

● At no cost to families; and

● Include a full range of program options to meet the educational and service needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). --California Education Code Section 56031

Who should you contact when you believe your child may need additional academic support? 

Your assigned Homeschool Teacher is the best person to initially discuss any academic questions or concerns with. Your Homeschool Teacher will most likely recommend interventions and/or accommodations for you to use with your child if appropriate. 

In the event that you and your Homeschool Teacher need additional guidance in supporting your child, you may request for a Student Study Team (SST) meeting be held. This meeting will document the concerns of school staff and families, identify interventions attempted and possibly recommend additional interventions. Interventions should be attempted for six to eight weeks and a second SST meeting should be held to document the student’s response to intervention. Depending on the successful implementation of the intervention, the SST will contact the Assessment Team for additional support or recommendations. 

How is it determined that a student is eligible to receive special education? 

Assessments are the basis for Special Education eligibility, placement, and service decisions. The assessments will be done by professionals who have had specialized training and required certification/licensure. Please note: General Education teachers and parents, who know the students well, play a critical role in understanding a student’s academic strengths and struggles and are essential in the process of documenting/identifying areas of needs. 

When the school receives a referral for special education, the child’s legal guardian that holds educational rights will be sent an assessment plan that details the types of assessments being proposed. The child will receive a “full and individual initial evaluation” to determine if the child has a disability and what the child’s educational needs are. A full evaluation means that the child shall be assessed in all areas of suspected disability within 60 calendar days of parental consent received by Heartland via signature on an assessment plan (timelines adjusted for student breaks over five consecutive days). 

What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)? 

An IEP is a contractual, legal obligation, on the part of the school stating how the school plans to assist a student once they have been determined eligible for Special Education supports and services. The IEP document is written following the determination of a student’s need and eligibility for special education. 

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that an IEP include a “statement of measurable annual goals” which allow the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education, standards-aligned curriculum and meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability.” The IEP team develops the IEP document annually and identifies the child’s needs, annual goals, objectives, adaptations, services and placement. 

What is the role of the parent in an IEP meeting? 

Parents are to participate in the IEP meeting by providing information on which supplementary aids and services, program accommodations, and support for the parent's role as learning coach are needed to help the child progress toward attaining progress in general education standards- aligned curriculum and on their IEP goals. Please speak with your case manager or program specialist further regarding the structure of IEP meetings and if you have any questions or concerns. 

How are special education services provided at our independent study school? 

Students with IEPs are required to participate in special education services as indicated in their IEP documents. Special education services will be provided only to eligible Heartland students while attending within the state of California. 

May a family maintain the same special education NPA Providers/individual therapists, if they enroll in Heartland? 

Special Education services are provided by Heartland only to eligible Heartland students while attending within the state of California. Each NPA oversees the scheduling and availability of their services providers. Our Special Education Department will confirm an NPA’s certification with the California Department of Education, establish a contract with that NPA to start services. However, in most cases, Special Education Services are provided by Heartland certificated and/or licensed staff. 

Please note: The Special Education Department is happy to work with families, however we are not able to guarantee that they may maintain the same NPA providers/individual therapists. 

Should Special Education Teachers be included in the development of a student's education plan, designed by the Homeschool Teacher? 

Whenever possible, it is recommended that a Special Education Teacher be included in the development of a student’s education plan, which is designed by the learning coach and Homeschool Teacher. While it is not a requirement, the involvement of the Special Education Teacher provides an opportunity for the team to get a different perspective on how to help support a student’s needs, challenges, and strengths. 

Shall your Homeschool Teacher collect work samples for students with an IEP? 

Heartland ’s Work Sample policy is the same for all students. 

17.  Program Description; Planning Amount and Ordering Details

Program Description 

At Heartland Charter School, we focus on Personalized Learning, a philosophy that truly puts every student first by supporting them in honoring and exploring their unique skills, special gifts, talents, and aspirations. In order to allow families flexibility for a student’s personalized learning path, we allocate for each Heartland student a planning amount from which families and their teachers carefully select educational products, such as curriculum, technology items, supplemental enrichment materials, field trip opportunities, and services, such as lessons and classes to fit their academic and extra-curricular goals. All orders must be secular and are approved by your Homeschool Teacher and/or our fulfillment team. Orders will not be approved or placed until a student has a current POR and an approved Master Agreement on file. 

*Planning amounts may be subject to change based upon the California State budget, legislation, etc.

Product:

Service:

It is best practice to try a new vendor for a short period of time (one lesson or a month) to make sure it's a good fit for your child before placing an order for future lessons/sessions. Once a service order for a service order is processed, the associated funding has been set aside and an enrichment certificate has been generated. The funding cannot be returned, even for a partially used enrichment certificate. 

*The Technology Acceptable Use Acknowledgement must be signed in order to receive the technology equipment. All families receive this form through email at the beginning of the year. All families will have access to the list of approved vendors/service providers and product/material items. This list is updated on a daily basis throughout the school year.

All materials ordered through HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL with state funding are the property of HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL. Materials are loaned to enrolled students for educational purposes only. The items must be returned to the school at the commencement of the withdrawal process. All materials must be returned to HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL within thirty days. Under state law, families may be billed for any items not returned and student transcripts may be held until all materials are returned. 

How to Request Services/Products 

1. Visit the Heartland Ordering Handbook and Tech Catalog to learn about available options. Families can request services and products through Procurify as directed on the sites above.

2. To participate in vendor programming, a student must have a signed and completed waiver attached to each service order request.

3. If families are requesting a service, a Certificate will be created and sent via email to the parent. Parents can also access Service Certificates. Students in Procurify are not able to start services without a Service Certificate.

4. Families will present the Service Certificate to the vendor.

5. Each vendor will invoice Heartland Charter Schools for the services listed on the certificate. A designated learning coach shall not receive compensation as a vendor from the School or otherwise.

6. Heartland Charter Schools pays vendors directly. Parents should not pay vendors for Heartland Student services as we cannot provide payment/reimbursement to families.

7. New for this year, tech devices can be ordered through Procurify. To see a current catalog of available devices, please visit the Tech Catalog and Procurify.

8. Please note that a student may attend a vendor program for a maximum of 12

hours/week, regardless of who is paying.

9. School materials will be sent to the address on file in the School Information System, unless a proof of residency (POR) is submitted to show the updated address and/or the mailing address is first updated in the Student Information System. The address where School materials will be sent much match what is in the Student Information System. Orders may not be shipped outside the counties served by Heartland Charter School, unless an exception is made in accordance with Board-approved policies.

10. To update an address, the family must email their POR to

enrollment@heartlandcharterschool.com. Families must specify in the email which address they are updating (physical and/or mailing).

How to Request New Service Vendors

● If a family would like to use a vendor that is not currently on the approved vendor list, the vendor application can be sent to the vendor by a teacher or parent using the Heartland Vendor Application survey.

● The vendor approval process is largely dependent on how quickly a vendor returns their application and supporting documents. The process could take a couple days to a couple of weeks. Our goal is to have the vendor approval process completed within two weeks.

● Our Vendor Team will contact the business once they’ve received the application and if the business fits within the vendor guidelines will request documents.

● Once a business is approved and all necessary documents have been received, the vendor team will submit the vendor’s information to be catalogued in the ordering system and will add the vendor to the Heartland Vendor Contacts site.

● Vendors are often more willing to go through the steps to become an approved vendor if you, the family that is interested in their products or services, let them know that you are requesting their approval through Heartland Charter Schools. This way they will be aware when the application email arrives to them from us.

● Product vendors do not need to be pre-approved. Heartland is not liable for and does not recommend the use of any support/help desk, social media, or similar live or add-on support interactions that may be offered by product vendors.


Online Lending Library

Heartland makes books and other educational materials available through the Online Lending Library. To browse and request items, please visit:

https://heartlandcharterschool.com/parent-resources/online-lending-library

Library Policy for Overdue Items


Technology 

Please visit the HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Tech Catalog to purchase iPads, tablets, and printers. Simply follow the same instructions for placing a materials order. Please note, if you place an order for a technology item that is not in our tech catalog, you will be responsible for any damages as these will not fall under the above warranty. The following limits have been placed for tech devices assigned to students and families: one computer per student, one tablet per student. All Tech items are the property of HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL and returns can be submitted to our office. Please contact us for detailed directions on how to return item(s). 

18. Tech Catalog and Tech Usage Policies 

It is the mission of Heartland Charter Schools’ Information Technology Department to empower our students with access to technology, information, and digital resources while fostering safe, responsible, and ethical learning environments. 

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL is committed to upholding important security, privacy, and safety regulations, protocols, and standards. Users of HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL devices, networks, accounts, and other resources must adhere to HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL policies. Users are expected to fully comply with local, state, and federal regulations. Failure to adhere to these policies or regulations may result in discipline, legal action, or other remedies determined to be within the rights of HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL. Relevant regulations include (but are not limited to): 

DEFINITIONS:

USER RESPONSIBILITIES:

Access to HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL technology, resources, and support is a privilege which offers a wealth of educational benefits. To maintain these privileges, all users must agree to, learn about, and comply with all information within this AUP document. 

Persons to whom items are assigned are expected to exercise reasonable care to protect those items against damage, loss and theft. “Reasonable care” is defined as: 

2. You must immediately report damaged, lost or stolen items/resources.

Items reported stolen or missing will require a police report.

3. Parent/guardians are expected to provide supervision and monitor device/Internet access

and usage to ensure School-owed technology is used only for educational purposes.

4. You are expected to make a reasonable effort to protect your passwords,

information and data.

5. You are obligated to notify ITD of continued access to resources beyond student departure

(e.g. withdrawal, graduation, expulsion) in the event ITD has not contacted you to do so.

6. Items, devices and resources issued by HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL are School property and must be returned or relinquished to HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL upon request.

7. Parent/guardian is liable for any damages incurred to the items they have in their possession. The cost for damages may be taken from student planning amounts or the family will be billed accordingly.

ACCEPTABLE USE OF HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL RESOURCES BY USERS:

UNACCEPTABLE USE OF HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL RESOURCES:

EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY:

For email, networks, systems and other resources owned or operated by HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL, users should have no expectation of privacy. HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL reserves the right to manage and monitor all aspects of its own resources. The following are examples of actions which may be performed for reasons deemed legitimate by HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL: 

CYBERBULLYING:

Cyberbullying is the use of technology resources to willfully harm either a person or persons through electronic systems (e.g. texts, photos, videos. messages, and social media). Examples of this behavior include but are not limited to: 

STUDENT DEPARTURE:

CONTACT INFORMATION:

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY

○ helpdesk@heartlandcharterschool.com

○ 661.829.0099 x7

DISCLAIMER & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

USER AGREEMENT: 

I have read, understand, and will abide by the above PARENT/STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY while using any HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL technology and other electronic resources issued, owned or operated by HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL. I further understand that any violation of the policies above are considered unethical and in some cases may constitute a criminal offense. Should I violate any of the policies outlined in this agreement, I understand my access to any HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL resource may be limited or revoked, and disciplinary and or legal action may be taken. 

BY SIGNING THE PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK SIGNATURE OF RECEIPT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SECTION, YOU AGREE YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPT THE TERMS WITHIN THIS PARENT/STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY. 

19. Non-Compliance Policy 

Heartland Homeschool Teachers partner with families to educate students enrolled in our programs. The partnership is effective if students and parent/guardians are actively participating in our program and meeting enrollment requirements. The complete Non- Compliance Policy can be located on the board page of the school website. The steps in the policy do not reset at any point. If a student who has been in the non-compliance process withdraws from Heartland and later re-enrolls, the student would be on the non-compliance step that they were on when they withdrew from Heartland voluntarily. Weekly meetings will be scheduled upon their return. 

Indications that a student is not actively participating in our program include: 

In these instances, HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL may:

20. Work Samples 

To meet California Independent Study Guidelines, Work Samples will be required and collected at the end of each Learning Period. Students are required to submit work samples as requested by their Homeschool Teacher to demonstrate and document student learning. Failure to provide work samples may jeopardize your child’s enrollment status at Heartland. 

Acceptable Work Sample Criteria: 

Non-Compliant Work Samples Include:

21. Testing & Assessment 

Assessment data is critical to Heartland Charter Schools. Essentially, assessments are one indicator of student learning. Using assessment data is not only a healthy thing to do internally as a school community, but also a required part of the WASC accreditation process and the charter renewal process. 

WASC accreditation shows that a school has met and is maintaining a high level of standards. Furthermore, having WASC accreditation validates the integrity of the school’s program for transfer students and transcripts for university acceptance. Many of our families put great value on WASC accreditation. In order to receive WASC accreditation, a school must go through a rigorous process of describing, demonstrating, and evaluating its instructional program through a school-wide action plan. 

It is a wonderful accomplishment for a school to be accredited, but the work is not finished. Maintaining accreditation is an ongoing cycle of managing change and improvement through regular assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring, and reassessing. 

Assessment data is also an important piece in our charter renewal process. All charter schools are authorized by a sponsoring school district. The authorizer is granting permission to the petitioning organization to make their own independent decisions and operate their own school. In return, the charter school needs to demonstrate compliance with the essential terms of the charter, which include Ed Code, student achievement, governance, reporting requirements, etc. Each charter that makes up Heartland Charter Schools must remain in good standing with each authorizer. Without authorization, we have no charter! Authorizers gauge compliance and achievement with assessment data. Scores at the individual student level are never shared, and privacy of student names is maintained according to federal laws that protect students. 

It is very important to the school that all students participate in school wide assessment. We do our very best to listen to the needs of parents and students. We hope this year there are positive changes for you and your child with the different assessment adoptions. 

State Standardized Tests – California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) 

As students of a public charter school, our students participate in the following state standardized tests: 

The California Department of Education states that students who are physically unable to participate in the entire PFT should complete as many of the tests as possible. Non-participation in the PFT per the requirements of the state shall be grounds for withdrawal of the non-participating student at the end of the school year.

As a public charter school we receive state funds that each student accesses when they use their planning amount. 

Participation rates are critical to the success of our school. A public school is required to achieve a participation rate of 95% on any state testing. If a school has less than 95% of its students participate in any assessment, the school runs the risk of receiving a serious penalty by the state of California. 

Heartland faculty administers all state standardized tests at facilities located within driving distance of your home. A testing schedule will be provided to you from your teacher. Individual student performance results on statewide achievement testing will be made available to parents that would like a copy. 

Often our families have questions or concerns about the SBAC/CAST assessments. At Heartland Charter School we want our families to feel informed about assessments so they are prepared and feel more comfortable partaking. We have created the Parent Assessment Support site for this purpose. We also ask that you work closely with your teacher so your student can be assigned any designated supports that would help them during their testing session. 

Star 360 

Heartland Charter Schools believes that ongoing benchmark assessments help to inform instructional practices. The Star 360 is not designed to find flaws but rather to build strength and skills necessary to become successful in the student’s educational career. 

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL chose Star 360 because of its adaptive and the diagnostic tool pinpoints students' needs down to the sub-skill level. Star 360 provides data-driven insights and support for successful implementation of the new standards. HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL will provide the parents with the results of Star 360, so the parent and teacher can work together to create a personalized learning plan for each student. 

Assessments allow our teachers to monitor student growth and performance consistently and continuously over a student’s entire K-12 career. The questions will automatically change the level of difficulty, thus “adaptive,” based on student response patterns. Star 360 Testing will occur up to three times a year, typically in the fall, winter, and spring of each year. The STAR 360 benchmark assessments in Reading/Early Literacy and Math are required to participate in Heartland Charter School. Should a student not participate in these mandatory assessments within the scheduled windows, the non-compliance process will be in effect and may lead to an administrative withdrawal. 

Testing for English Language Learners 

California state law requires that the ELPAC be given each year to English Learners. The ELPAC (English Language Proficiency Assessments for California) is a test that measures how well a student can listen, speak, read, and write in English. The purpose of ELPAC is to ensure all students receive adequate support to succeed. 

New students that have declared another language besides English on their home language survey must be assessed. This includes TK students. Students that have been previously designated as English Learners at another public school (even if it was years ago) must be tested by law every year until they reach a level of proficiency and are reclassified. At that point they will no longer need to take the test. 

22. Records Department 

The Records Department supports families by maintaining student records and will process requests for various documents such as work permits, enrollment verification, report cards, and transcripts.

Work Permits 

There are two types of work permits: Entertainment and Non-Entertainment

● Entertainment Work Permits are obtained from the entertainment industry employer, filled out, and sent to records@heartlandcharterschool.com

● Non-Entertainment Work Permits are different. Before the Records Department can fill out a regular work permit, the employer needs to provide the student a B1-1 permit (think of this as the permit to attain a permit). This is important because it tells our department where the student wishes to work. Once the B1-1 permit is sent to our to records@heartlandcharterschool.com, one of our Records specialists will fill it out and , one of our Records specialists will fill it out and provide a B1-4 at the same time. The B1-4 is the actual permit.

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or above in the first semester in order to continue working into the second semester. Additionally, students must be passing all courses at progress report time. If the student needs to fill out a W-2 for this job, a work permit  must be obtained and sent to  records@heartlandcharterschool.com  once complete.

Concurrent College Enrollment Requests 

For all concurrent, college enrollment requests, please send applications and inquiries to your Guidance Counselor. There is a minimum five (5) business day turnaround for these applications, so please plan accordingly. 

23. Harassment

It is the policy of HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL to prohibit harassment by any means, including but not limited to: sexual, physical, verbal, written, electronic, mental, emotional and visual harassment, intimidation, bullying, and cyberbullying. Whether direct or indirect, such intentional acts substantially harm and interfere with a student's education, threaten the overall educational environment, and disrupt the operation of school.

Harassment for any reason including, but not limited to: race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), hair style, color, national origin (including language use restrictions), immigration status, citizenship status, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned characteristics or any other legally protected category is a violation of both state and federal law. Verified harassers may face loss of computer or other special privileges, suspension, or expulsion. Any disciplinary action will be determined by the school administrators and board of directors. In addition, when any kind of threat is communicated or when a hate crime is committed, the administration will report such crimes to local law enforcement officials. Harassers may also be subject to civil and criminal liability for any such unlawful behavior.

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL will take measures against harassment. This includes any act that takes place on or immediately adjacent to the location of any school event, at any school- sponsored activity, on school-provided transportation, or off-campus activities that cause or threaten to cause a substantial and material disruption at school or interfere with the rights of students to be secure.

In situations in which electronic or cyber bullying originates from a non-school computer, but is brought to the attention of school officials, any disciplinary action shall be based upon whether the conduct is determined to be so severely disruptive of the educational process that it markedly interrupts or severely impedes the student learning.

It is important to understand that jokes, stories, cartoons, nicknames, the sending or posting of inappropriate and hurtful email messages, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings, including blogs and comments that violate school, state, and federal law may be offensive to others and will not be tolerated.

If you feel you have been a victim of harassment or are being bullied, inform your Homeschool Teacher or school administrator immediately. Keeping quiet or ignoring the problem will not make it go away. The teacher or school administrator will document the events, contact the appropriate parties, and appropriate steps will be taken.

24. Expulsion and Suspension

Definition of Expulsion

Expulsion shall be defined as permanent dismissal from HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL, without re-enrollment privileges, and must be approved by the HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Board or their authorized designee.

Definition of Suspension

Suspensions shall be defined as a temporary leave of absence from HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL that may occur at the discretion of the individual HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Homeschool Teacher, Regional Administrator, or the HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Board.

Grounds for Suspension and Expulsion

A student may be subject to suspension and/or expulsion when it is determined that he/she, while on or within view of the Vendor Program, Vendor Locations, at a school sponsored activity/field trip, or online.

Note: Pursuant to Education Code 48900.7, the making of a terrorist threat includes any written or oral statement by a person who willfully threatens to commit a crime which will result in death, great bodily injury to another person or property damage in excess of $1,000, with the specific intent that the statement is to be taken as a threat, even if there is no intent of actually carrying it out.

Suspension & Expulsion for Students with Disabilities

A student identified as an individual with disabilities pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is subject to the same grounds for suspension and expulsion which apply to general education students. All the procedural safeguards established by Charter School policies and regulations shall be observed in considering the suspension or expulsion of students with disabilities. In the case of a suspension or an expulsion of a student identified as having special education needs, HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL shall comply with federal and state law.

25. Due Process Statement

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL shall provide for the fair treatment of students facing suspension and expulsion by affording them due-process rights. Rules regarding suspension and expulsion shall be revised periodically as required by any changes in HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL policy, regulation, or law. 

In all cases, HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL disciplinary policies shall afford students due process. To this end, the HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Board shall develop rules and regulations governing the procedures by which students may be suspended or expelled.

In the event of an expulsion, a student will be entitled to written notice of the grounds for their proposed removal and will be given a full due-process hearing in regard to the proposed expulsion. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will also be given written notice in advance of said hearing so that they may attend. HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL will maintain a record of the notice and of the hearing. The student will also be entitled to appeal a decision to expel said student, pursuant to the appeal procedures established by the HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL Board.

Grievance Policy and Procedure

HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL is committed to achieving student/family satisfaction. The following procedure was developed to ensure that student, family and Heartland staff grievances are addressed fairly by the appropriate persons in a timely manner. HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL prohibits discrimination against students/families on the basis of ethnicity, sex, ancestry, physical or mental disability, race, color, gender, national origin, sexual orientation or religion.

The parent/guardian will address in writing any concern or grievance initially with the student’s Homeschool Teacher and supervisor. Both Homeschool Teacher and supervisor will respond within ten (10) school days.

If the concern or grievance is not resolved, the parent/guardian may, within ten (10) school days, request a meeting with school leadership to discuss the concern or grievance. The Executive Director will investigate and respond with ten (10) school days. A written email and letter will be sent to the family that will address the concern and outcome.

26. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Notification of Rights under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:

Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask HEARTLAND CHARTER SCHOOL to amend a record should write the school principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member(including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. 

Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer. 

[NOTE: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.]

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of

Education 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW Washington,

DC 20202

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the parent or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the parent or eligible student, §99.32 of the FERPA regulations requires the school to record the disclosure. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A school may disclose PII from the education records of a student without obtaining prior written consent of the parents or the eligible student –

27. Parent and Family Engagement Policy (Title I, Part A) 

Heartland Charter School with parents and family have jointly developed, mutually agreed upon, and distributed to the parents of children a written parent and family engagement district-level policy requirements (ESSA Section 1116[a][2]) and school-level policy requirements (ESSA sections 1116[b] and [c]).

Describe how parents and family members are involved in the development of the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement policy (ESSA Section 1116[a][2]):

Heartland Charter School has developed a written Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy with input from parents and family members of participating children. Heartland Charter School develops the policy with parents through surveys and meetings to evaluate the effectiveness of the LEA’s plan for student achievement and activities. 

Describe how parents and family members will be involved in the development of the LEA Plan and support and improvement plans under ESSA Section 1111(d)(1-2) (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][A]): 

Heartland Charter School collects annual surveys from parents/guardians to elicit feedback about what is going well as well as seeking guidance regarding areas for improvement. Stakeholder feedback from parents/guardians is also gathered at learning period meetings, English Learner Advisory Committee meetings and in Parent Advisory Committee meetings. The information gathered is used in planning and revising the LEA’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), the LCAP Federal Addendum, and any required improvement plans. 

The Parent Advisory Committee will meet semi-annually starting in the Fall of 2021 to assist in the development of the Heartland Charter School Title I, Part A plan and any support and improvement plans. In addition, feedback surveys will be used within the Parent Advisory Committee and English Learner Advisory Committee during the school year for parents and family members to provide input and feedback regarding Title I programs. 

Describe how the LEA provides the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools within the LEA in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, and how this may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][B]): 

Heartland Charter School administrators will work collaboratively with certificated and classified staff to implement effective parent and family involvement activities. This internal coordination will utilize the insights gained through research regarding best practices for parent and family engagement in education and well as via information gained from community stakeholders with expertise in this area. Throughout the school year, Heartland’s administrators and support liaisons will reach out to community members, including business leaders, employers, charitable organizations, and community leaders to consult about effectively engaging parents and family members in education. Parent engagement activities may include Coffee with the Executive Director, parent workshops, and school events that involve family members.

Describe how the LEA coordinates or integrates parent and family engagement strategies with other relevant federal, state, local laws, and programs (ESSA Section 1116[a[[2][C]):

Heartland Charter School has formed a parent advisory committee which will meet semi-annually and will provide updates and allow for parent and family input for decision-making and program effectiveness. In addition, Heartland has included action and related strategies for improving family engagement in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). This includes coordination of support from staff as well as expenditures addressing family engagement, including meaningful participation and opportunities to provide input on decisions. Actions and strategies are also included in the LCAP Federal Addendum.

Heartland Charter School coordinates and integrates parent and family engagement strategies to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant Federal, State, and local laws and programs. Some of those programs include our transitional kindergarten and English Learners which is offered through Title I, Part A.

Describe how the LEA will conduct, with meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this Policy on improving academic quality of all schools served under Title I, Part A (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][D]):

Heartland Charter School will hold an annual meeting in the fall for parents and family members to evaluate the content and effectiveness of this Policy on improving academic quality at Heartland. This meeting will include a review of the content of the Policy as well as the establishment and review of applicable metrics for measuring the effectiveness of the Policy toward improving academic quality. Heartland will also use an annual survey to gain further insights related to the content and effectiveness of the Policy. The survey responses will be utilized in the annual meeting described above.

Describe how the LEA includes the following in the annual evaluation of the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement policy: identify barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by this section (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background); identify the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and identify strategies to support successful school and family interactions (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][D][i-iii]):

Heartland Charter School gathers input and feedback from stakeholders through the annual LCAP survey, in discussions with parents and students via learning period meetings, in forums with student leadership groups, as well as the Parent Advisory Committee and the English Learner Advisory Committee, to evaluate the effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy. Barriers are identified through this process, and actions are developed to address the needs of families, such as providing child care and/or verbal and/or written translation to ensure information is provided in a language and format easily understood by families.

Each region provides their own parent education workshops that support families with strategies to engage with the school. Some of these strategies include questions to ask during learning periodmeetings, how to contact their child’s teacher, assistance with school forms, and notification about where to find information and how school information is disseminated (e.g. Parent-Student Handbook, school website, and family newsletters).

Heartland develops parent and family engagement policy and school-parent compact designed to meet the needs of the families. The school hosts information nights, such as high school orientation, information meetings for families interested in enrolling their children at Heartland, and other opportunities for families to engage with the staff, such as parent-teacher conferences and school events. The compact describes how families and school staff share the responsibility for improving student achievement and how the school and families will collaborate to assist students in achieving the state academic standards.

Describe how the LEA will use the findings of such evaluation ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(D)(i-iii) to designed evidence based strategies for more effective parental involvement and to revise, if necessary, the parent and family engagement policy (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][E]):

The results of the evaluation per ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(D)(i-iii) are used to design evidence-based strategies to improve family engagement, and revise the parent and family engagement policy, as needed. Educational research regarding evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement will be incorporated to ensure evidence based strategies are utilized and improved upon as needed, as well as to update the parent and family engagement policy.

Describe how the LEA involves parents in the activities of the schools served under Title I, Part A, which may include establishing a parent advisory board comprised of a sufficient number and representative group of parents or family members served by the LEA to adequately represent the needs of the population served by the LEA for the purposes of developing, revising, and reviewing the parent and family engagement policy (ESSA Section 1116[a][2][F]):

Several times a year, school administrators and staff, including the executive director, meet with the English Learner Advisory Committee, which includes parents of students designated as English Learners, and the Parent Advisory Committee, which includes parents of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, as well as various LCAP Stakeholders to review results of the annual evaluation and input from stakeholders. This information is then used to develop, revise, and review the parent and family engagement policy.

Describe how parents and family members of participating children in Title I, Part A programs are involved in jointly developing, distributing to, a written school parent and family engagement policy, agreed upon by such parents for carrying out the requirements in ESSA Section 1116(c) through (f) (ESSA Section 1116[b][1]):

An annual meeting at a few different and convenient times for parents and family members will be organized by Heartland Charter School, such that all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting will inform parents of Heartland’s participation in Title I, Part A and their right to be involved in the development and revision of the parent and family engagement policy, as well as to elicit feedback in the development of the policy and to ensure that the requirements.in ESSA Section 1116(c) through (f) are carried out, which relate to aspects of Parent Involvement, Shared Responsibility for High Student Academic Achievement, Building Capacity for Involvement, and Accessibility.

Furthermore, the Policy will be distributed to parents via parent email notice and family newsletters. It will also be available on the Heartland website. Written translation to the parent’s primary language whenever possible.

Describe how parents and family members of participating children in Title I, Part A programs, may amend a parent and family engagement school policy that applies to all parents and family members, if necessary, to meet the requirements (ESSA Section 1116[b][2]):

Currently, Heartland does not have a parent and family engagement policy separate from this Policy. If one should be created, parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs would be invited to any parent advisory meeting in which amendments to that policy would be discussed and would be encouraged to offer ideas for amendment via these meetings and any related meeting surveys.

Describe how the LEA involved has a school district-level parent and family engagement policy that applies to all parents and family members in all schools served by the LEA, and how the LEA may amend that policy, if necessary to meet the requirements (ESSA Section 1116[b][3]):

Currently, Heartland does not have a parent and family engagement policy separate from this Policy. If one should be created, all parents, including parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A would be invited to any parent advisory meeting in which amendments to that policy would be discussed and would be encouraged to offer ideas for amendment via these meetings and any related meeting surveys.

Describe how parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs can, if they find that the plan under ESSA Section 1112 is not satisfactory to the parents and family members, and the LEA shall submit the parent comments with the plan when the LEA submits the plan to the State (ESSA Section 1116[b][4]):

If parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs find that the plan is not satisfactory, they can submit comments regarding the plan via an annual survey provided by the school or by emailing parentengagement@heartlandcharterschool.com. These comments shall then be submitted with the plan when submitted to the State.

Describe how the school served by Title I, Part A funds holds an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents and family members of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school’s participation under Title I, Part A and to explain the requirements and the rights of the parents to be involved (ESSA Section 1116[c][1]):

An annual meeting to be scheduled at a few different and convenient times for parents and family members will be organized by Heartland Charter School, such that all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting will inform parents of Heartland’s participation in Title I, Part A and their right to be involved in the development and revision of the parent and family engagement policy, as well as to elicit feedback in the development of the policy and to ensure that the requirements.in ESSA Section 1116(c) through (f) are carried out, which relate to aspects of Parent Involvement, Shared Responsibility for High Student Academic Achievement, Building Capacity for Involvement, and Accessibility.

Describe the steps that the school takes to offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning, afternoon, evening or other ways and may provide, with funds provided under Title I, Part A, for transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement (ESSA Section 1116[c][2]):

Heartland Charter School will offer three or more meetings (one morning, one afternoon, and one evening) to allow for parents and family members to attend the annual meeting regarding Title 1, Part A participation and the right to be involved in the development of the parent and family engagement policy. Due to the nature of Heartland Charter School’s independent study model, parent meetings will, for the most part, be held virtually. If in-person meetings are offered, they will be offered in each region in which students live. In such cases, some funding provided under Title I, Part A may be used to provide for transportation, childcare, home visits, etc. as they relate to parental involvement.

Describe how parents and family members of participating children are involved, and in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under Title I, Part A, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parent and family engagement policy and the joint development of schoolwide program plan under ESSA Section 1114(b), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of the school’s programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children (ESSA Section 1116[c][3]): 

Heartland Charter School collects annual LCAP surveys from parents/guardians to elicit feedback about what is going well as well as seeking guidance regarding areas for improvement. Stakeholder feedback from parents/guardians is also gathered at learning period meetings, English Learner Advisory Committee meetings and, in the future, also at Parent Advisory Committee meetings. Also, in future, additional surveys may be sent to parents and family members to gather specific input related to the parent and family engagement policy and the development of the schoolwide program. 

The information gathered from meetings and surveys is used in planning and revising the LEA’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), the LCAP Federal Addendum, targeted assistance program planning (Title 1, Part A), and any required improvement plans. 

Describe how the school is providing parents and family members of participating children of Title I, Part A programs: timely information about programs under Title I, Part A; a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the challenging State academic standards; and if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible (ESSA Section 1116[c][4][A-C]) 

An annual notice shall be shared or emailed in the fall of each school year to notify parents and family members of participating children of the Title 1, Part A programs to let them know that all Heartland Charter School students are eligible for participation in a schoolwide program and information about programs/supports will be shared. In addition, timely information regarding programs under Title 1, Part A will be posted to the school website. In addition, descriptions and an explanation of curriculum will be made available to parents via the online Heartland Ordering Handbook (website). Furthermore, the school will provide an explanation about the forms of academic assessment used to measure progress through emails related to testing and assessment sent to parents at the beginning of the year and in the early spring prior state testing. 

Achievement levels of the challenging state academic standards will be reviewed in learning period meetings between parent, student, and teacher (approximately once per month) to discuss the student’s progress toward meeting and/or exceeding the standards as shown via work samples, benchmark assessments, informal assessments and performance tasks. Records of student progress toward achieving state standards will be kept via the Assignment Work Record, progress reports and report cards, progress monitoring emails, benchmark assessment reports, CAASPP student reports. Via regular learning period meetings, parent advisory committee meetings, English Learner Advisory Meetings, school events, and surveys, parents and family members are given many opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and this also allows for Heartland staff to respond to any such suggestions as.

Describe how the schoolwide program plan, ESSA Section 1114(b) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children in Title I, Part A programs, submitting any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the LEA (ESSA Section 1116[c][5]): 

Families may submit feedback and comments regarding Title I, Part A programming via an annual survey or by emailing parentengagement@heartlandcharterschool.com. 

Heartland Charter School’s Title I, Part A School Parent and Family Engagement Policy was developed jointly and agreed on with parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs on June 17, 2021 and shall be in effect going forward and shall be updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. The School will distribute the policy to all parents and family members of participating Title I, Part A students annually on or before September 15th.

28. School-Parent Compact (Title I, Part A) 

Heartland Charter School, and the parents of all students participating in activities, services and programs funded by Title I, Part A, agree that the School-Parent Compact outlines how the parents, the entire school staff, and the students will share in the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the State high academic standards (ESSA Section 1116[d]).

Describe how the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under Title I, Part A to meet the challenging State academic standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extra-curricular time (ESSA Section 1116[d][1]):

School Responsibilities:

Parent Responsibilities:

Describe how the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum the following means (ESSA sections 1116[d][2][A-D]):

(A) parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children’s progress;

(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities; and

(D) ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and to the extent practicable, in a language that the family members can understand.

A)Annually, teachers and parents/learning coaches will review the School-Parent Compact during an initial learning period meeting to discuss school and parent/family responsibilities as they relate to individual student success. The Compact shall be available in the Parent and Student Handbook.

B)Each learning period, parents/learning coaches meet with the teacher. The teacher and parent/learning coach discuss the student’s progress toward achieving state standards. Each learning period, a notice of progress is shared with parents/learning coaches of high school students. Midway through each semester, the parent/learning coach of a high school student receives progress report grades. At least twice per school year, benchmark assessment reports are shared with the parent and the results examined with the teacher to determine progress made and to plan for future learning.

C)School staff, including teachers are available to parents/learning coaches via phone calls, texts, and email during school hours. School staff check in with families regarding their preferred method of contact and return parent communications in timely manner. Parents/learning coaches participate in the daily learning for their students, which may also include attending field trips, school events, workshops, club activities, and parent education and conferences.

D)Teachers meet one-on-one with each family during learning period meetings, during which time parents/family members and the teacher are involved in meaningful communication. Families receive regular email updates and monthly newsletters from teachers/school staff. Family liaison, other support staff, and parents/learning coaches are also involved in regular communication. School communication is shared in the home language to the extent practicable so that important information is accessible.

This Compact was established by Heartland Charter School on June 17, 2021, and will be in effect going forward and shall be updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. The school will distribute the Compact annually to all parents and family members of students participating in the Title I, Part A program on, or before: September 15th.

29. Signature of Receipt & Acknowledgement

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK SIGNATURE PAGE