Home/Hospital/Alternative Instruction

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HOME/HOSPITAL ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTION

HOME/HOSPITAL/ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTION

General 

                The Clay County Board of Education (CCBE) believes that each child should be afforded a thorough and efficient education, and that students with legitimate and certifiable medical conditions should be given reasonable opportunities to continue their education in a home/hospital/alternative environment.

Eligibility

     There are four (4) groups of students eligible to receive home/hospital/alternative instruction:

1.  Students with injuries, communicable illnesses, or health prob­lems/conditions which prevent them from attending

          school for more than three (3) weeks;  

2.   Students who are temporarily removed from school while undergoing an evaluation required due to safe schools violations;

3.   Exceptional students requiring home/hospital/alternative instruction as the least restrictive environment through an 

          IEP committee meeting;

     4.   Students who have been expelled from school;

Extra-Curricular and Employment Prohibition

    Students receiving home/hospital/alternative instruction are not permitted to participate in ANY extracurricular activities or be employed part time or full time. Additionally, they are not permitted to attend any extracurricular activities unless they receive pre-approval by the building administrator/designee.

Attendance Requirement

Attendance is required. Any student obtaining four (4) unexcused absences will be turned over to the Clay County Attendance Director.

Application Process

Application for Home/Hospital/Alternative instruction shall be made through the office of the Director of Special Education for grades Preschool through 5th grade.  Grades 6th through 12th will apply at their school of enrollment.  

HOME/HOSPITAL INSTRUCTION

Home‑t­eaching or visiting‑teacher services will be provided to students who due to injury, non-communicable illness, or other health condition, are unable to attend school, employment, community and social functions for more than three (3) weeks cumulatively, as diagnosed and confirmed by a licensed physician.    

     The written statement shall include: (a) the specific reasons why the student must remain at home or in the hospital; (b) the criteria or conditions under which the student can return to school; and (c) the expected date of the student’s return.  Students placed on extended home or hospital instruction shall submit a physici­an's statement of need for continued home instruction every nine (9) weeks.

Instruction will be delivered by a CCBE teacher in the amount of four (4) hours weekly. The instructional schedule per week will be provided in the home/hospital as established by the teacher, the parents, and when appropriate, the Director of Special Education or physician.  Home instruction is provided at a time when a parent or designated adult is in the home.

ALTERNATVE INSTRUCTION

     If the request for home/hospital/alternative instruction does not restrict the student’s attendance for employment, community, and social functions as indicated on the physician’s statement, the student will be required to continue their education in an on-campus environment for students in grades 6 through 12.

     The physician’s statement shall include:

(a)  the specific reasons why the student cannot attend school during regular hours;

(b)  the criteria or conditions under which the student can return to school; and

(c)  the expected date of the student’s return.  Students placed on extended alternative instruction shall submit a physici­an's statement of need for continued alternative instruction every nine (9) weeks. 

     The physician/therapist must be certified in the area of the condition impeding the student’s ability to attend the traditional school setting; (i.e. 1. A student is experiencing a complicated pregnancy; the statement must be completed by an obstetrician or designee; 2. A student is diagnosed with a mental health condition; the physician’s statement must be completed by a certified psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or counselor with a copy of the treatment plan and proof of participation in an ongoing therapeutic program).  

     Instruction will be provided after regular school hours at the school in which the student is enrolled in the amount of four (4) hours weekly.               

Clay County Board of Education reserves the right to require that the parent/guardian obtain an opinion from a second health care provider at the expense of the county board.

SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES

     The student's school shall provide the home / hospital / alternative instruction teacher with the county adopted instructional materials, teacher's editions, equipment, and supplies the student requires to complete the programs of study as well as the opportunity to meet with the student’s teacher(s). The student’s teacher(s) shall provide the homebound instruction teacher with copies of daily lesson plans, including homework assignments, when requested. Each school will select a designee to work as a liaison between the homebound instructor and the school to obtain assignments and return completed work.

ASSIGNMENT and RESPONSIBILITIES of INSTRUCTORS

     All Clay County teachers and substitute teachers will be given an opportunity to apply for home/hospital/alternative teaching assignments.

Employment consideration will be based on the following order:

1.   Teachers with appropriate certification who are assigned to the school in which the applicant student is enrolled.

2.   Teachers with appropriate certification who are assigned to a school in which the applicant student is not enrolled.

3.   Teachers currently employed in a full time position.

4.   Teachers employed as a substitute teacher.    

Seniority will be the determining factor for placement when school assignment and certification are equal.

Assignment of home/hospital/alternative instructors shall be consistent with IEPs when applicable. Teachers providing home‑teaching or visiting‑teacher servic­es to eligible disabled students in the special education program out‑of‑school environment placement must hold a valid license with an endorse­ment for each area of exceptional­ity being served.

     Personnel utilized in these programs are responsible for providing instruction on content standards and objectives determined by the student's classroom teacher(s) and therefore, must be in regular contact with these teachers.  Classroom teachers will collaborate with the instruction teacher to assign grades. 

GRADES FOR 6TH – 12TH STUDENTS

     Students in grades 6th – 12th receiving home / hospital / alternative instruction will select one of two (2) grading options for the current grading period. The option selected for the grading period will be jointly determined by the student, the parents, and the instructor as indicated by their signatures. If an agreement can not be reached by all three parties, grading option one (1) shall be utilized. The grading option will remain in effect throughout the current grading period.

GRADING OPTION ONE

     The student shall complete the same written assignments, including tests that are completed by students in regular school for each course taken, including all applicable IEP modifications. In the event a written assignment completed by regular students is not appropriate for the home/hospital environment, an alternative assignment meeting the same content standards and objectives will be substituted by the regular teacher.

     The homebound instructor will obtain all written assignments, including tests, from the regular teacher and will return completed work to the regular instructor for grading. The classroom teacher(s) will assign all grades, including the final grade.

     The homebound student will be required to take the regularly scheduled semester test (final examination) at the school, in the classroom of the regular instructor, and at the same time that other students take the examination. This requirement may be waived by the building principal and the county superintendent when medical conditions warrant such an exception. In such case the exam will be taken at the home/hospital site.

GRADING OPTION TWO

     The homebound teacher may give alternate assignments and tests, providing the appropriate content standards and objectives for each course are met. The homebound student will be required to take a semester test during the same scheduled exam dates as the enrolled school.  This test will be designed by the homebound instructor and the classroom teacher(s). The homebound instructor will grade all assignments and tests.

     If the student completes and passes all required assignments, homework, core related tests, and the semester exam, their grade shall be no higher than a “C” or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

     The homebound student will compile a well organized chronological portfolio of all graded work and will submit that portfolio to the school principal for approval before final credit is awarded.

GRADES FOR K – 5TH STUDENTS

     Grade K-5 students will be given alternative assignments based on regular communication between the homebound teacher and the regular teacher. Emphasis will be placed on basic skill instruction (language arts and mathematics). Numerical grades may be utilized for assignments; however, only pass/fail grades will be assigned to report cards.

Approved:  September, 1985

Revised:  September, 1994

Revised:  September, 1999

Revised:  February, 2009