Children at Risk of Not Graduating from High School
Program Description: Under §118.153 (2) Wis. Stats., every school board in the state must identify the children who are at risk of not graduating from high school and, annually by August 15, develop a plan describing how the school board will meet the needs of those students.
Children at risk of not graduating from high school are defined, under §118.153 (1) as pupils in grades 5 to 12 who are at risk of not graduating from high school because they are dropouts, or are two or more of the following:
- one or more years behind their age group in the number of credits attained,
- two or more years behind their age group in basic skill levels,
- habitual truants, as defined in §118.16(1)(a),
- parents,
- adjudicated delinquents,
- 8th grade pupils whose score in each subject area on the examination administered under §118.30(1m)(am) 1. was below the basic level, 8th grade pupils who failed the examination under §118.30 (1m)(am) 2. and 8th grade pupils who failed to be promoted to the 9th grade.
School Board Requirements: PI 25.04 establishes the general requirements for school boards:
Each board that has identified children at risk under s. PI 25.03 shall provide for all of the following:
- (1) Designate a staff person who will be responsible for developing the district plan required under s. 118.153(2) (a), Stats.
- (3) Provide that all work−based learning experiences and other similar programs and activities taking place outside the school for which pupils receive academic credit under the district plan, including those programs or curriculum modifications authorized under s. 118.15 (1) (d), Stats., and instruction and pupil support services contracted for under s. 118.153 (3) (c) 1. and 2., Stats., are supervised by departmentally licensed teachers or other licensed school personnel.
- (4) Ensure that in grades 9 through 12 curriculum modifications and alternative education programs provided for children at risk are designed to allow pupils to meet the high school graduation requirements under s. 118.33, Stats., and ch. PI 18.
- (5) Notify each pupil and his or her parent in writing whenever the pupil has been identified as a child at risk. The notice shall include all of the following:
- (a) The name and telephone number of a person the parent or pupil can contact regarding the school district’s program.
- (b) A description of the district’s plan.
- (c) A statement that the pupil is eligible to be enrolled under the district plan to serve children at risk.
- (d) A description of the at risk programs available and how the pupil may participate in a specific program if more than one program is offered as part of the district plan.
- (e) A statement to inform the parent that he or she may select one or more programs in which the pupil will be enrolled, if the pupil meets the prerequisites for the specific program requested.
- (f) Describe the procedure for requesting that the pupil be enrolled in the specific at risk program selected by the parent. The request shall be in writing, by signature on a district−provided form, or be given verbally to the person responsible for enrolling the pupil in the program. This person shall record the date and time of a verbal request and whether this request was made in person or by phone.
- (g) Identify the process that a parent may use if the parent disagrees with the planned services.
- (6) Enroll the pupil in the at risk program upon the request of the pupil or the pupil’s parent. If the board makes available more than one at risk program, the board shall enroll the pupil in the district program selected by the pupil or the pupil’s parent if the pupil meets the prerequisites for that program.
- (7) Ensure that the special education and related services needs of a child with a disability, as defined in s. 115.76 (5), Stats.,are first addressed in the child’s individualized education program developed pursuant to s. 115.787, Stats., whenever that child is also eligible to be served in a children at risk program. Plan Requirements: As part of the district plan developed annually, by August 15, each board shall describe how the board will meet the needs of the children identified to be at-risk of not graduating from high school. A board, when developing a plan under this section may consider the following:
- (a) How pupils will be identified and enrolled in programs or provided services to meet their needs.
- (b) How pupils will be identified in early childhood and kindergarten through grade 4 and what programs may be offered to prevent pupils from becoming at-risk.
- (c) How parents will be informed and involved in the programs or services made available under par. (a).
- (d) What accommodations can be made to support pupils’ achievement and success in school through any of the following:
- 1. Curriculum modifications.
- 2. Adaptive instructional strategies.
- 3. Alternative education programs.
- 4. Pupil support services.
- 5. School to work programs.
- 6. Community services.
- 7. Coordinating services provided by the district, community agencies and other organizations.
- 8. Eliminating systematic barriers that may cause pupils’ success at school to become at-risk.
- (e) How will the district evaluate the success of the services provided under the at-risk plan?
Section 118.153: Section 118.153, Wis. Stats., Children at risk of not graduating from high school
Chapter PI 25: Chapter PI 25, Wis. Admin Code., Children at Risk Plan and Program