Administrative Procedure 270
HOME EDUCATION AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY HOME EDUCATION PROGRAMS Background The district recognizes its responsibility to serve all students who reside within its boundaries. The school district also acknowledges the rights of parents/legal guardians to educate their children through a home education program. The S chool Act reaffirms this parent/legal guardian right within the parameters of provincial policy, regulation and procedures. An option provided by Calgary Catholic School District, although not required, is a shared responsibility (formerly blended) home education program. It is available to parents/legal guardians whose child is registered at their designated school and provides parent/legal guardians the option of sharing responsibility for the education of their child. For Grades 1-9, a minimum of 50 percent and in grades 10-12, a minimum of 20 percent is required to be delivered by the accredited educational authority (CCSD). Procedures 1.
Home Education: 1.1 Parents/legal guardians who choose to educate their children at home assume primary responsibility for planning, supervising, delivering and evaluating all of their child’s education program. 1.2 A home education program is the result of a parental/legal guardian choice to educate their child at home rather than in the traditional school setting. In home education programs, the parent/legal guardian has decided to retain full responsibility for educating their child, using either pre-packaged programs or programs developed by the parent/legal guardian. 1.2.1 The parent/legal guardian must notify the district home education teacher of their decision to begin or continue with a home education program for their child. The forms set by the Minister of Education must be completed and signed each year. Education.alberta.ca/home-education-blendedprograms/overview/everyone/documents/ 1.2.2 Responsibility for overseeing home education within the district is assigned to a school designated by the Chief Superintendent. Currently, this school is St. Anne Academic Centre. The home education teacher coordinates this program under the supervision of the principal of St. Anne Academic Centre. 1.3 Home education students may follow the Alberta Programs of Study through St.Anne Academic Centre, often in collaboration with the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC). Where a home education program does not follow the Alberta Programs of Study, the parent/legal guardian providing the program must certify in writing, that the activities selected for the year by the parent/legal guardian will enable the
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student to achieve the Learning Outcomes for Students Receiving Home Education Programs That Do Not Follow the Alberta Programs of Study. As the district will be supervising the program, they must accept the program, including the selection of activities and indicate this in writing. (Home Education Regulation, 145/2006). 1.4 Parents/legal guardians are responsible for the selection of appropriate learning resources for their child and must include this in their detailed learning plan. The district home education teacher can provide assistance and advice to parents/legal guardians in selecting appropriate learning resources. 1.5 Parents/legal guardians providing home education programs prior to September 30 may receive some reimbursement for appropriate expenses related to their child’s educational plan as pre approved by the district. 1.6 Parents/legal guardians enrolling their child in a home education program after September 30 will be responsible for program costs. For guidelines on acceptable or unacceptable expenses from Alberta Education refer to Standards for Home Education Reimbursement 1.6.1 Home educating parents not working on an ADLC program will be provided, by the district, not less than fifty percent (50%) of the funds received for the purposes of defraying the cost of the home education program. 1.6.2 This funding can be used for instructional materials or resources related to the home education program. 1.6.3 Parents will be reimbursed based on the submission of paid receipts. 1.6.4 Parents of the home educated child on ADLC are not eligible to receive this funding as the majority of the ADLC costs are paid for by the district. 1.7
Funding cannot be used for: 1.7.1
Grants for personal remuneration or;
1.7.2 Travel costs or other costs usually required to be paid by the parent of a student enrolled in school. 1.8 The home education teacher, housed at St. Anne, will meet formally in person with parents/legal guardians of elementary and junior high students and the student at least twice during each school year to evaluate the progress of the student. Ongoing communication on the part of parents/legal guardians with the home education teacher is recommended. 1.8.1 The district is responsible to maintain the results of these evaluations in the student’s records and advise parents/legal guardians providing home education programs that they may view those records. Records will include results of assessments, as well as, current home education documentation. 1.8.2 The home education teacher will make recommendations, where necessary, that may assist the student in attaining a higher level of achievement to the parent/legal guardian.
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1.9
The home education teacher will provide an opportunity for students at a level equivalent to Grade 6 or 9 to write the Grade 6 or 9 Provincial Achievement Test. Students at Grade 3 will be able to write the Student Learning Assessment (SLA). The home education teacher will supervise the administration of any provincial assessment and ensure that any required accommodations are provided.
1.10 The students will be given access to services, facilities and activities in the district upon formal request and provided that the St. Anne principal, in consultation with district personnel, approves admittance. 1.11 Parents/legal guardians who are providing a home education program should be aware that the Calgary Catholic School District is not able to provide all of the services and resources that are available in school settings. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. 2. Termination of Home Education Program 2.1 A home education program will be considered for termination when one or more of the following applies: 2.2 Parent/legal guardian terminates 2.2.1 Providing written notice of the termination to the district, and 2.2.2 Enrolling the student in a school operated by a board or private school. 2.3
District terminates 2.3.1 The student is not making reasonable progress. 2.3.2 The parent/legal guardian providing the home education program has not met the requirements of the Home Education regulation, 145/2006. 2.3.2.1
The parent/legal guardian will be given written notification of intention to terminate the program including reasons for termination and will be notified of the district appeal process.
2.3.2.2 Appeals pertaining to home education may be made to the principal of St. Anne. Decisions of the principals may be appealed as per Administrative Procedure 390: Appeals Concerning Student Matters. Parents/legal guardians will be informed of their right to appeal to the Minister of Education. 2.3.2.3
The district will ensure the student has access to and is enrolled in an appropriate education program.
3. Shared Responsibility (formerly blended) Home Education Programs 3.1 In shared responsibility (formerly blended) home education programs, the parent/legal guardian has decided to share responsibility for educating their child with the school district. A shared responsibility program is teacher-directed education (under the School Act) combined with a component that is parent-directed (under the Alberta Home Education Regulation). Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual
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3.2 The student would then be registered in a shared responsibility home education program. The school district has responsibility for a minimum of 50 per cent of the child’s program in the Grade 1-9 shared responsibility program and for a minimum of 20 percent of the child’s program in the Grade 10-12 shared responsibility program. These percentages are based upon the courses taken throughout the entire school year. 3.3 Accountability for overseeing the shared responsibility home education program within the district is assigned to a school designated by the Chief Superintendent. Currently, this school is St. Anne Academic Centre. The shared responsibility home education teacher coordinates the shared responsibility program under the supervision of the principal of St. Anne Academic Centre. 3.4 For the school district portion of the shared responsibility Home Education Program, all students are required to follow the Alberta Programs of Study as per the School Act, delivered by a qualified teacher who is responsible for planning, delivery of program and assessing the outcomes. The school portion may involve a variety of approaches to best meet the learning needs of the students: 3.4.1 For Grades 1-9, the school portion of the program can be teacher directed or online through Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) courses facilitated by St. Anne Academic Centre. 3.4.2 For Grades 10-12, the school portion of the program, can be teacher directed, U-Learn and/or through Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) courses facilitated by St. Anne Academic Centre. 3.4.3 The vice-principal at St. Anne Academic Centre coordinates the U-Learn courses offered through St. Anne for district schools. 3.5 For the parent/legal guardian portion of the shared responsibility home education program, the parent/legal guardian can follow the Alberta Program of Studies, typically through ADLC courses as facilitated by St. Anne Academic Centre, through parent/legal guardian led courses or can develop a program that adheres to Learning Outcomes for Students Receiving Home Education Programs That Do Not Follow the Alberta Programs of Study which must be clearly indicated in writing. As the district will be supervising the program, they must accept the program, including the selection of activities and indicate this in writing. (Home Education Regulation,145/2006). 3.6 Each school year, the parent/legal guardian must notify the district shared responsibility home education teacher of the decision to begin or continue with a shared responsibility home education program for their child. The forms set by the Minister of Education must be completed and signed each year. Education.alberta.ca/home-education-blended-programs/overview/everyone/docume nts/ 3.7
Parents/legal guardians providing a shared responsibility home education program prior to September 30 may receive some reimbursement for appropriate expenses related to their child’s educational plan as pre approved by the district.
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3.8
Parents/legal guardians enrolling their child in a shared responsibility home education program after September 30 will be responsible for program costs. For guidelines on acceptable or unacceptable expenses from Alberta Education refer to Standards for Home Education Reimbursement. 3.8.1
Shared responsibility home educating parents not working on an ADLC program will be provided, by the district, not less than fifty percent (50%) of the funds received for the purposes of defraying the cost of the home education program.
3.8.2
This funding can be used for instructional materials or resources related to the Home Education Program.
3.8.3 Parents will be reimbursed based on the submission of paid receipts. 3.8.4 Parents of the shared responsibility home educated child on ADLC are not eligible to receive this funding as the majority of the ADLC costs are paid for by the district. 3.9 Funding cannot be used for: 3.9.1 Grants for personal remuneration or 3.9.2 Travel costs or other costs usually required to be paid by the parent of a student enrolled in school. 3.9.3
Reusable instructional resources paid by the district must be returned to the district upon completion of the child’s program.
3.10 The shared responsibility home education teacher will provide an opportunity for students at a level equivalent to Grade 6 or 9 to write the Grade 6 or 9 Provincial Achievement Test. Students at Grade 3 will be able to write the Student Learning Assessment (SLA). If the student chooses to write their provincial assessment at St. Anne Academic Centre, the shared responsibility home education teacher will supervise the administration of the assessment and ensure that any required accommodations are provided as indicated in the student’s learner support plan. 4. Termination of Shared Responsibility Home Education Program 4.1 A shared responsibility Home Education Program will be considered for termination when one or more of the following applies: 4.2 Parent/legal guardian terminates 4.2.1 Providing written notice of the termination to the district. 4.3 District terminates 4.3.1 The student is not making reasonable progress. 4.3.2 The parent/legal guardian providing the shared responsibility home education program has not met the requirements of the Home Education regulation, 145/2006.
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4.3.2.1 T he parent/legal guardian will be given written notification of intention to terminate the program including reasons for terminations and will be notified of the district appeal process. 4.3.2.2 A ppeals pertaining to shared responsibility home education may be made to the principal of St. Anne. Decisions of the principals may be appealed as per Administrative Procedure 390: Appeals Concerning Student Matters. Parents/legal guardians will be informed of their right to appeal to the Minister of Education. 4.3.2.3 U pon termination, the district ensures the student has access to and is enrolled in an appropriate education program. 4.4 Temporary situations concerning medical, travel or other issues are not addressed in this administrative procedure and are managed on an individual basis. Approval Date:
October 3, 2017
Reference:
Section 8, 29, 39, 45, 45.1, 123, 124, 125 School Act Home Education Regulation 145/2006 Guide to Education ECS to Grade 12 Home Education Handbook Standards for Home Education Reimbursement
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