05- 071 C.M.R. ch. 225, § 3

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 071-225-3 - External Credit Option

A. Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in recognition of the scheduling hardships encountered by students 18 years of age or older relating to problems of time, costs, distance, or lack of child care, may seek authorization to become approved sites for the delivery of the External Credit Option. Conditions for site approval are as follows:

1. Each LEA must have in existence a State approved High School Diploma Program;

2. Each LEA must participate in a training session relating to the ECO process prior to site approval;

3. Each LEA must submit to the Division of Adult and Community Education an application for ECO approval; the form for this application is available through the Division of Adult and Community Education; notification of action taken will be made within 60 days of submittal. Items to be detailed are as follows:

a. State of need

b. Staff pre-service plan

c. Assurance that the Director and identified ECO staff have participated in an approved training session; for this purpose, approved is construed to mean offered through or approved by the Adult Education Staff Development Project; Directors without prior ECO training subsequent to initial site approval must attend an approved training session; a trained Director may provide in-house training to replacement staff after initial site approval

d. Curriculums to be adopted, adapted, or developed

e. Counseling, Testing, Reading Evaluation and Placement Plan

f. Sample student recordkeeping forms

g. Must agree to submit one-year follow-up plan to the Division of Adult & Community Education

4. Student eligibility for BOO will be:

a. minimum of 18 years of age and not enrolled in a public or private day school;

b. minimum of sixth grade reading level;

c. ability to work as a self-directed learner.

5. Student recordkeeping will include:

a. completion of the Personal Educational Plan by Director/Counselor with student and instructor input and periodic follow-up;

b. completion of the Curriculum Record Sheet detailing course activity and periodic follow-up;

c. student completion of course activity sheets for each credit with progress notation by both student and teacher.

6. Guidelines for adopting existing curricula and/or development of new curricula are as follows:

a. each curriculum will be based upon an anticipated range of student completion time of 45-60 clock hours;

b. a component of each curriculum will be a written statement of specific course goals, instructional objectives, materials, estimated completion time, and evaluation methods;

c. a second curriculum component will be a series of planned "learning experiences" which are specific experiences undertaken by the student during each credit course;

d. each student will receive blank activity sheets to record completion of assignments, time, and progress notation by both student and teacher;

e. a minimum of five student/teacher contacts will be required for each course credit;

f. designation of suggested time frame for completion of each credit is part of the Personal Educational Plan.

05- 071 C.M.R. ch. 225, § 3