HB 2233
Initials CH Page 1 Appropriations
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: ED DP 6-4-0-0
HB 2233: dropout recovery programs; special audit
Sponsor: Representative Udall, LD 25
Committee on Appropriations
Overview
Modifies reporting requirements for a dropout recovery program (DRP) provider. Requires the
Auditor General (OAG) to conduct a special audit of DRPs and appropriates monies for this audit.
History
A school district or charter school providing high school instruction is authorized to offer a DRP.
Schools may contract with an educational management organization (EMO) to provide a DRP.
An EMO must be accredited, and any teachers provided by the EMO must hold a current teaching
license and valid fingerprint clearance card. Additionally, teachers of core subjects must be highly
qualified. To be eligible to enroll in a DRP, a pupil must be eligible for placement in an alternative
school, must not be enrolled in a school district or charter school and has been withdrawn from a
school for at least 30 days. A DRP is designated as an alternative school.
Every pupil who is enrolled in a DRP must have a written learning plan. This written learning plan
must include the start and anticipated end date of the plan, courses the student is to complete,
state competency exams to be taken and expectations for satisfactory monthly progress and
contact with the pupil's assigned mentor.
Furthermore, a DRP must report its monthly participation to the Arizona Department of Education
(ADE). Monthly participation calculations must include newly enrolled pupils who have a written
learning plan on file, pupils who met and did not meet satisfactory monthly progress expectations
in the previous month and pupils who met expectations for program reentry. ADE is then required
to submit an annual report containing the number of pupils who participate in DRPs and who
graduate from high school to specified entities.
Satisfactory monthly progress means an amount of progress that is measurable on a monthly
basis and that, if continued for 12 months, would result in the pupil being awarded the same
amount of academic credit as would be awarded if the pupil were in a traditional education
program and completes the full school year (A.R.S. § 15-901.06).
Provisions
Reporting
1. Instructs each DRP provider to report the following to ADE by June 30th annually:
a) The total number of pupils enrolled in that provider's DRP;
b) The number of credits pupils had prior to enrolling in the DRP, categorized by elective or
core credit;
c) The number of core and elective credits earned by pupils while enrolled in the DRP;
d) The age and any relevant demographic data of enrolled pupils;
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2233
Initials CH Page 2 Appropriations
e) The success rate of pupils enrolled in the DRP reported by the number of pupils who are
on track to graduate, who have returned to a public or private school and who have
graduated from high school;
f) The performance of pupils who take a state competency exam while enrolled in the DRP;
g) The performance of pupils on benchmark exams while enrolled in the DRP; and
h) Postsecondary or career attainment of pupils who participated in the DRP. (Sec. 1)
2. Requires ADE to submit an annual report to specified entities that includes the information
reported by each DRP provider. (Sec. 1)
3. Changes monthly participation calculations for a DRP to quarterly participation calculations
and adds that these calculations must include the total number of pupils enrolled and the total
number of credits earned by pupils. (Sec. 1)
4. Changes satisfactory monthly progress to satisfactory quarterly progress and defines it to
mean an amount of progress that is equivalent to at least one academic credit that counts
toward high school graduation. (Sec. 1)
Special Audit
5. Directs the OAG to conduct a special audit of DRPs operating in Arizona. (Sec. 3)
6. Authorizes the OAG to select a representative sample of DRPs to audit. (Sec. 3)
7. Details the special audit must include a review of applicable records of DRPs and school
districts and charter schools that contract with an EMO to provide a DRP to:
a) Assess the academic achievement of pupils enrolled in a DRP; and
b) Assess the use of monies received by DRPs from any state, local or federal sources. (Sec.
3)
8. Requires the OAG to submit the special audit to specified entities by July 1, 2023. (Sec. 3)
9. Appropriates $75,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2023 to the OAG to perform the
special audit. (Sec. 4)
Miscellaneous
10. Repeals statute relating to DRPs on January 1, 2025. (Sec. 2)
11. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)