At its meeting of September 13, 1999, the State Board of Education is expected to approve rules and regulations governing the funding of Alternative Learning Environments. Although details are not final, minimum requirements for funding will be imposed. Currently, some of these requirements include:
Minimum student enrollment of 20 consecutive days
Students supervised by a currently licensed teacher
Student-teacher ratio no more than 20-1, or 22-1 if an aide is employed
Access to counseling services for each student
Curriculum provided that includes mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts correlated with regular classroom instruction.
The Department of Education has contracted with Mr. James Fenton to assist schools with establishing eligible programs or to provide staff training for meeting the needs of this special-needs population. Should you wish to utilize his services in any way, you may contact him as follows:
James F. Fenton
32 Wyandotte Drive
Cherokee Village, AR 72529
(870) 257-2639
Fax (870) 257-5153
e-mail jfen@centuryinter.net
Further details will be forthcoming when the rules and regulations are finalized.