The new Rules and Regulations Governing Alternative Learning Environments (ALE) are available on the Department's Website, http://arkedu.state.ar.us/, click on "Arkansas State Board of Education," then "Rules and Regulations," then "Curriculum and Assessment." These Rules and Regulations comply with various requirements of the 82nd Arkansas Legislature.
These new Rules and Regulations Governing Alternative Learning Environments establish the following minimum requirements for an ALE to receive funding:
· Students must be supervised by a currently licensed teacher.
· ALE classrooms must have a student/teacher ratio of no more than twenty (20) to one (1). If an aide is employed in addition to a licensed supervisor, the student/teacher ratio shall be no more than twenty-two (22) to one (1).
· Each alternative learning student must have access to the services of a school counselor or a mental health professional.
· The program must provide a curriculum including mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts correlated with the regular classroom instruction or with the standards for the tests of General Educational Development (GED).
Funding will be based on a Full Time Equivalent Alternative Learning Student:
· A student must be enrolled for a minimum of twenty (20) consecutive days per school year.
· A Full Time Equivalent Student must have at least six (6) hours per day of student/teacher interaction time in the ALE.
· A Half Time Equivalent Student must have at least three (3) hours per day of student/teacher interaction time in the ALE.
· A Quarter Time Equivalent Student must be in Kindergarten through Grade 6, and have at least one and one-half (1½) hours per day of student/teacher interaction time in the ALE.
As further discussed in Director's Memo DIR-00-016, an eligible student should be noted by an entry in Field Number 9 of SMS Screen 102.
These funds are restricted and may only be used for eligible ALE programs. The first installment should be distributed during January 2000. The balance of funds should be distributed during June 2000. The ALE revenue code is 32370, and the Source of Funds code is 2275. These rules and regulations expire December 31, 2001.