New legislation revised the policy for calculating Average Daily Membership (ADM) for school district students enrolled in a Virtual School Program.
According to Section 24 of Act 1420 of 2007, not codified, beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, no school district shall receive state funding for certain students in the district's prior year three-quarter-average daily membership. These students are ones enrolled and attending a public school with an Internet, long-distance or virtual technology curriculum-based program, which was not part of a public school district and the public school program and was funded by a federal voluntary public school charter grant administered by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, students enrolled in the Arkansas Virtual Academy (AVA) shall not be coded Resident Code or V (Virtual School).
On April 9, 2007, the State Board of Education awarded AVA charter status. Since AVA is now an open-enrollment charter school, school districts with previously enrolled K-8 virtual students will not be carried starting this school year, 2007-2008. AVA WILL NOW BE COUNTING STUDENTS FOR ADM PURPOSES AND THEREFORE, THE PRIOR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE ADM PER AVA STUDENT.
According to Act 1192 of 2003, Ark. Code Ann. § 6-47-402 (a), the purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the establishment, organization, and administration of a distance learning program designed to improve course offerings available to students throughout the state.
The programs will demonstrate the efficiency of using distance learning to enhance elementary and secondary education, and prepare students for greater success in a post-secondary educational environment.
The ADE has funded nine (9) state distance learning providers to provide opportunities required by Act 1420 of 2007. The Arkansas Virtual High School (AVHS) is a provider of these services. STUDENTS MAY ONLY ENROLL IN AVHS COURSES, ACCORDING TO Ark. Code Ann. § 6-47-404(b)(2), TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COURSE SCHEDULING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS CURRENTLY FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN COURSES THAT ARE SCHEDULED INFREQUENTLY OR CONCURRENTLY. All student schedules shall adhere to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-47-404(b)(2). There are no changes in the coding of these virtual students.