Michigan § 388.1623a - Dropout recovery program; special membership counting provisions; definitions.

(1) A dropout recovery program operated by a district qualifies for the special membership counting provisions of section 6(4)(dd) and the hours and days of pupil instruction exemption under section 101(12) if the dropout recovery program meets all of the following:

(a) Enrolls only eligible pupils.

(b) Provides an advocate and teacher of record. An advocate may serve in that role for more than 1 pupil but not more than 50 pupils. An advocate or teacher of record may be employed by the district or may be provided by an education management organization that is partnering with the district. Before an individual is assigned to be an advocate or teacher of record for a pupil in the dropout recovery program, the district must comply with sections 1230 and 1230a of the revised school code, MCL 380.1230 and 380.1230a, with respect to that individual.

(c) Develops a written learning plan.

(d) Monitors the pupil's progress against the written learning plan.

(e) Requires each pupil to make satisfactory monthly progress, as defined by the district under subsection (2).

(f) Reports the pupil's progress results to the partner district at least monthly.

(g) The program may be operated on or off a district school campus, but may be operated using distance learning online only if the program provides a computer and internet access for each eligible pupil participating in the program.

(h) Is operated throughout the entire calendar year.

(i) If the district partners with an education management organization for the program, the education management organization has a dropout recovery program partnership relationship with at least 1 other district.

(2) A district operating a dropout recovery program under this section shall adopt a definition of satisfactory monthly progress that is consistent with the definition of that term under subsection (3).

(3) As used in this section:

(a) "Advocate" means an adult available to meet in person with assigned pupils, as needed, to conduct social interventions, to proctor final examinations, and to provide academic and social support to pupils enrolled in the district's dropout recovery program.

(b) "Education management organization" means a private provider that operates 1 or more other dropout recovery programs that meet the requirements of this section in partnership with 1 or more districts.

(c) "Eligible pupil" means a pupil who has been expelled from school under the mandatory expulsion provisions in section 1311 or 1311a of the revised school code, MCL 380.1311 and 380.1311a, a pupil who has been suspended or expelled from school under a local policy, a pupil who is referred by a court, a pupil who is pregnant or is a parent, a pupil who was previously a dropout, or a pupil who is determined by the district to be at risk of dropping out.

(d) "Satisfactory monthly progress" means an amount of progress that is measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for a full 12 months, would result in the same amount of academic credit being awarded to the pupil as would be awarded to a general education pupil completing a full school year. Satisfactory monthly progress may include a lesser required amount of progress for the first 2 months a pupil participates in the program, but must include at least a total of 0.25 earned academic credit by the end of that 2-month period.

(e) "Teacher of record" means a teacher who holds a valid Michigan teaching certificate; who, if applicable, is endorsed in the subject area and grade of the course; and is responsible for providing instruction, determining instructional methods for each pupil, diagnosing learning needs, assessing pupil learning, prescribing intervention strategies, reporting outcomes, and evaluating the effects of instruction and support strategies. If the district partners with an education management organization for the program, the teacher of record may be employed by or contracted through the education management organization.

(f) "Written learning plan" means a written plan developed in conjunction with the advocate that includes the plan start and end dates, courses to be taken, credit to be earned for each course, teacher of record for each course, and advocate name and contact information.