The purpose of Alternative Education is to provide a high quality education for students who need a non-traditional learning environment. 

Commissioner's Memo LS-20-026: 

Legislative Guidance Regarding Disipline, Alternative Education, Bullying, RTI, Students with Disabilities, and Mental Health

Transfer Students

PLACEMENT OF TRANSFER IEP STUDENT WHO WAS IN ALE AT PREVIOUS DISTRICT

1. Enroll the student immediately unless the student is under expulsion, resides out of the district, or is 21 years old. (A.C.A. § 6-18-202 (b)(1))

2. Gather documents from the previous district and parents. (I.E.P., S.A.P., academic records, discipline records)

3. Send the following documents to the ALE principal, SPED Directors/Coordinator, and Student Services Director: 

   • IEP Documents

   • Student Action Plan

   • Demographics page

   • Schedule Request

4. With approval from JNPSD District Administration, place the student in the ALE or HUB until a meeting is held to adopt or amend the IEP. (ADE SPED Rule 8.03.3.1)

   • The ALE can provide a maximum of 225 minutes of SPED English per week and 225 minutes of SPED math per week.  

   • If the IEP calls for more than 225 minutes, the school will send a special education teacher to the  ALE setting to provide minutes exceeding 225 minutes. 

5. Conduct an IEP meeting as soon as possible. (ADE SPED Rule 8.03.3.1)

6. Conduct an ALE Placement meeting as soon as possible. (ADE Special Needs Funding Rules 4.02.2)

PLACEMENT OF TRANSFER STUDENT WHO WAS IN ALE AT PREVIOUS DISTRICT

1. Enroll the student immediately unless the student is under expulsion, resides out of the district, or is 21 years old. (A.C.A. § 6-18-202 (b)(1))

2. Gather documents from the previous district and parents. (S.A.P., academic records, discipline records)

   • Call the previous district. Find out the reason for the student's placement in ALE. Document input from the previous district. Include the contact person's name, role, date, student challenges/needs, reason the student was in alternative education, and purpose of the program. 

3. Campus principal contacts ALE Principal and discusses the student; agree on placement in ALE program or home campus.

4. Send the following documents to the ALE principal and Student Services Director: 

   • Demographics page 

   • Schedule Request

   • Student Action Plan

   • Recommendation Notice (if the S.A.P. from previous district is not received, document communication with personnel from previous district on the recommendation notice. If the S.A.P. from previous district is received, this is not required. )

5. Send a transportation request to plloyd@jnpsd.org and cc jsmith@jnpsd.org. 

6. Schedule ALE or HUB placement meeting as soon as possible. (ADE Special Needs Funding Rules 4.02.2)

7. Conduct the placement meeting.  Bring other docs if available. 

8. When documents are received from the previous district, send them to ALE principal.

ARKANSAS CODE ANNOTATED 

§ 6-18-202. Age and Residence for Attending Public Schools

A.C.A. § 6-18-202 (b)(1)  The public schools of any school district in this state shall be open and free through completion of the secondary program to all persons in this state between five (5) and twenty-one (21) years of age whose parents, foster parents, legal guardians, or other persons having lawful control of the person under an order of a court reside within the school district and to all persons between those ages who have been legally transferred to the district for education purposes. 

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES 8.00 INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) 

8.03.3.1 If a child with a disability (who had an IEP that was in effect in a previous public agency in the same State) transfers to a new public agency in the same State, and enrolls in a new school within the same school year, the new public agency (in consultation with the parents) must provide FAPE to the child including services comparable to those described in the child's IEP from the previous public agency), until the new public agency either - A. Adopts the child's IEP from the previous public agency; or B. Develops, adopts and implements a new IEP that meets the applicable requirements in 34 CFR 300.320 through 300.324. 

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Rules Governing the Distribution of Student Special Needs Funding and the Determination of Allowable Expenditures of Those Funds 

4.02.2 A student may be enrolled in an ALE only on the referral of an Alternative Education Placement Team to be composed of the following individuals: 4.02.2.1 The school counselor from the referring school; 4.02.2.2 The building principal or assistant principal from the referring school; 4.02.2.3 One (1) or more of the student’s regular classroom teachers; 4.02.2.4 A local education agency special education or 504 representative, if applicable; 4.02.2.5 A parent or guardian of the student, if they choose to participate; and 4.02.2.6 An ALE administrator or ALE teacher, or both. 4.02.2.7 At the option of the school district, the student may be included as a member of the Alternative Education Placement Team. 

Alternative Education Resources

Transportation Request Form

JNPSD Curriculum and Instruction Policy

JNPSD Student and Parent Handbook

JNPSD Alternative Education Procedure Manual

JNPSD RTI Handbook

JNPSD RTI Website

Arkansas Department of Education Alternative Education Website

Rules Governing Arkansas Alternative Education 

Arkansas Ideas Portal Sessions

    -IAA14075-  Understanding Alternative Education in Arkansas

     -SPC17011- Introduction to Behavior:  Supporting Effective Behavior

    -SPC17012-  Introduction to Behavior: General Classroom Management Systems

     -SPC17013- Introduction to Behavior:  Behavior Intervention Plans

    -SPC15060- Defining and Understanding Behavior 

    -SPC15061- Functional Behavioral Assessment: Interviewing and Observing 

    -SPC15062- Critical Features of Behavior Intervention Planning 

    -SPC15063- Function-Based Intervention