Okla. Admin. Code § 610:25-23-8

Current through Vol. 42, No. 8, January 2, 2025

Section 610:25-23-8 - Administrative responsibilities

The Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act established administrative roles and responsibilities for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) and the State Board of Education.

(1) Every public school district shall designate at least one contact person at each Oklahoma public school site in which eighth, ninth-, tenth- or eleventh-grade classes are taught. When requested by the OSRHE, the State Board of Education shall assist the OSRHE to ensure the designation of contact persons. Private schools shall also designate at least one school official as a contact person. For students who are educated by other means, a parent or guardian or other person approved by the OSRHE shall be designated as the contact person. [70 O.S. § 2605]

(A) The contact person shall be responsible for processing student applications for the program according to the rules and regulations established by the OSRHE.

(B) The contact person shall maintain the agreements, which shall be executed on forms provided by the OSRHE.

(C) The local contact person shall:

(i) monitor the student's compliance with the terms of the agreement;

(ii) document transfer out of state, death, and other conditions; and

(iii) report on circumstances of noncompliance to the OSRHE.

(D) Compliance or noncompliance with the program requirements for attending school regularly [610:25-23-4(a)(1)] , refraining from substance abuse [610:25-23-4(a)(2)] , and refraining from criminal or delinquent acts [610:25-23-4(a)(3)] shall be reported to the OSRHE by the local school district.

(E) The local district contact person shall report program participants who transfer into or out of the district to the OSRHE and identify the local education agency (LEA) and site from which or to which the student transferred.

(F) Beginning in April of the student's year of graduation, the local contact person shall gather from the program participants and his/her records, information which substantiates whether or not the program requirements have been met.

(G) The student's program verification form should be completed, signed, dated, and forwarded to the OSRHE as soon after the student's graduation as possible.

(2) The local school district where an Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program student is attending when the student begins participation in the program and any subsequent school district where the student attends shall forward information regarding the student's participation in the program to a school to which the student transfers upon the school's request for the student's records. [70 O.S. § 2605]

(3) The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall:

(A) designate personnel to coordinate tracking of program records for the years when students participating in the program are still in the public schools, provide staff development for contact persons in the public schools, and provide liaison with the State Board of Education and local organizations and individuals participating in the program [70 O.S. § 2605];

(B) coordinate and develop policies and procedures to implement the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act;

(C) coordinate the publication and distribution of program awareness information and materials;

(i) Each school year, every fifth- through eleventh-grade student in the public and private schools of Oklahoma and students educated by other means who are in the equivalent of the fifth through eleventh grade shall be apprised, together with his/her parents, custodial parent, or guardian, of the student's opportunity for access to higher learning under the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program [70 O.S. § 2605];

(ii) The OSRHE and the State Board of Education shall develop, promote, and coordinate a public awareness program to be utilized in making students and parents aware of the program [70 O.S. § 2605];

(D) coordinate the provision of technical assistance to local school districts and individual participants;

(E) administer the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust Fund;

(F) process applications submitted directly to the OSRHE;

(G) determine final eligibility for the program award.

Okla. Admin. Code § 610:25-23-8

Added at 13 Ok Reg 767, eff 10-24-95; Added at 13 Ok Reg 1377, eff 5-13-96; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 164, eff 10-15-96 (emergency); Amended at 14 Ok Reg 1419, eff 5-12-97; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 3062, eff 7-13-00; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1779, eff 5-25-01; Amended at 19 Ok Reg 2962, eff 7-23-02 (emergency); Amended at 20 Ok Reg 2572, eff 7-11-03; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2592, eff 7-11-08; Amended at 29 Ok Reg 677, eff 5-25-12

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 36, Issue 22, August 1, 2019, eff. 8/11/2019

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 39, Issue 24, September 1, 2022, eff. 9/11/2022