HB 2118
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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: ED DPA 9-1-0-0
HB 2118: schools; alternative education; revisions
Sponsor: Representative Kaiser, LD 15
Caucus & COW
Overview
Modifies eligibility, average daily membership (ADM) calculations and enrollment procedures for
alternative education programs and alternative schools.
History
Statute permits a school district governing board (governing board) to contract with any public
body or private person to provide alternative education programs. Alternative education means
the modification of the school course of study and adoption of teaching methods, materials and
techniques to provide educationally for pupils in the 6th-12th grades who are unable to profit from
the regular school course of study and environment (A.R.S. § 15-796).
Currently, to apply for alternative status, a school must apply to the Arizona Department of
Education (ADE) and: 1) have an adopted mission statement; 2) have an educational program
and support services that align to its mission statement; 3) offer a high school diploma if a
secondary school; 4) receive current year state assessment scores for their students; and 5) have
at least 70% of a student body that falls under outlined at-risk categories (ADE).
School districts may count pupils who are not physically in attendance in a recognized school but
who are enrolled in and physically in attendance in an alternative education program for the
purposes of daily attendance. Governing boards are to prescribe procedures for verifying the
attendance of these pupils. However, school districts operating alternative schools must comply
with the annual hours of instruction as outlined in statute (A.R.S. §§ 15-797, 15-901).
The Student Accountability Information System (SAIS) is the student data system maintained by
ADE. School and career technical education districts are required to submit student level and
school finance data to ADE (A.R.S. Title 15, Chapter 9, Article 8).
The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS) currently consists of the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (or their designee), six members of the general public, two members of the
business community, a charter school teacher and a charter school operator (A.R.S. § 15-182).
Provisions
1. Mandates an alternative education program or alternative school admit students who are
younger than 25 years old. (Sec. 3)
2. Makes students enrolled in an alternative education program or alternative school and who
are younger than 25 years old eligible for state funding. (Sec. 3)
3. Provides that funding for a student begins on the date of the student's enrollment in an
alternative education program or alternative school. (Sec. 3)
4. Classifies a student who is enrolled in an alternative education program or alternative school
as a full-time student that generates 1.0 ADM if the student is enrolled in at least 20 hours of
instruction weekly. (Sec. 5) HB 2118
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5. States the ADM of a student who is enrolled in fewer than 20 hours of instruction weekly is to
be reduced proportionally. (Sec. 5)
6. Caps the ADM of a student enrolled in an alternative education program or alternative school
at 1.0. (Sec. 5)
7. Permits a student to be enrolled in one, two, three or four courses that are taught concurrently
or consecutively. (Sec. 5)
8. Excludes dropout recovery programs from the outlined ADM and instructional hour
specifications. (Sec. 5)
9. Allows an alternative education program or alternative school to deliver the statutory annual
required instructional time or hours to students on any day of the week. (Sec. 3)
10. Allows an alternative education program or alternative school to satisfy any of the time and
hour requirements in any manner prescribed in an instructional time model. (Sec. 5)
11. Modifies the definition of alternative education to include the use of any instructional time
models. (Sec. 3)
12. Specifies that alternative education program includes an alternative education online program
and alternative school includes an alternative online school. (Sec. 4)
13. Authorizes an alternative education program or alternative school to enroll and receive funding
for a student without a withdrawal form from the student's previous school if the withdrawal
has been verified in SAIS. (Sec. 3)
14. Allows the alternative education program or alternative school in which a student is currently
enrolled to submit an official transcript or proof to ADE that confirms the student has not
graduated within 30 days of the student's enrollment in the alternative education program or
alternative school if the student's previous school incorrectly codes the student as a graduate
in SAIS. (Sec. 3)
15. Directs ADE to update SAIS to reflect a student's correct state on receipt of proof confirming
that the student has not graduated. (Sec. 3)
16. Defines SAIS. (Sec. 3)
17. Alters the membership of ASBCS by:
a) Reducing the number of general public members from six to five; and
b) Adding a member who is an ADE-recognized alternative charter school operator. (Sec. 1)
18. Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to consider graduation, student growth to
graduation and college and career readiness as the primary measures for the academic
success of alternative education programs and alternative schools. (Sec. 3)
19. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
20. Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Amendments
Committee on Education
1. Removes language that allow an alternative education program or alternative school to admit
students who are younger than 25 years old.
2. Deletes language that outlines ADM, instructional time and course specifications for full-time
and part-time students enrolled in an alternative education program or alternative school.
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2118
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3. Deletes the requirement that SBE consider graduation, student growth to graduation and
college and career readiness as the primary measures for the academic success of alternative
education programs and alternative schools.
4. Allows the alternative education program or alternative school in which a student is currently
enrolled to continue to enroll the student if the student's previous school incorrectly codes the
student as a graduate in SAIS.
5. Specifies an alternative education program or alternative school may enroll and receive
funding for a student without a withdrawal form from their previous school if the withdrawal
has been verified in SAIS and the alternative education program or alternative school retains
electronic documentation validating the withdrawal.
6. Directs ADE to allocate funding beginning on the date of the student's enrollment in the
alternative education program or alternative school if the student has been incorrectly coded
as a graduate.
7. Deletes the definitions of alternative education program and alternative school.