ESEA

Elementary & Secondary Education Act

What Parents Need to Know

Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc.

School Compact

The School:

The staff and parents/guardians at the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc. have high expectations of themselves and of the students at the school. In an effort to provide the highest quality instructional program to the students at Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center and to show how the school and family are working together to educate the children at Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc., the staff and parents/guardians of Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center agree to implement the following programs and activities.

AAEC will provide an academic program that is rigorous and challenging and provide and an accelerated science and math program.
AAEC staff will provide after school programs for all students.
AAEC staff will communicate with families on an ongoing basis regarding the student's academic progress.
AAEC will implement a school program that emphasizes meaningful practice in all academic areas.
AAEC will involve parents/guardians in the governance of the school.

The Home:

The schools and families of Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc. recognize that while both parties agree that the expectations listed here are necessary in order to strengthen the communication and commitment between the home and the school, rare occasions may arise where one or both parties will have difficulty fulfilling all or part of this compact. It is also recognized that the schools purpose is to support the community and its families in whatever manner is necessary and reasonable within its ability to do so, and likewise, it is the family's responsibility to support the child and the school community.

Parents/guardians at AAEC will send their children to school appropriately dressed, prepared to learn and on time.
Parents/guardians at AAEC will encourage their students to read each night.
Parents/guardians will attend at least one parent/teacher conference a year to discuss the academic progress of their children.
Parents/guardians at AAEC will assist their children with their homework assignments on a regular basis to ensure completeness.

The family-school compact from AAEC focuses on improving student academic achievement by setting high expectations for all students and for all of the school's partners. The compact is only one piece of a larger family-school partnership focused on shared responsibility of the compact into a cohesive plan of action.

Parent’s Right-to-Know

Professional Qualifications of Classroom Teachers

On January 8th 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). A provision of this new Title I law requires all districts to notify parents of all children that they have the right to request and receive timely information on the professional qualifications of their children’s classroom teachers.

*According to the new NCLB law (Section 111-State Plans (6) Parents’ Right-to-Know), LEAS must report:

(A) Qualifications-At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving funds under this part that the parents on request (and in a timely manner), information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers, including at a minimum the following:

1. Whether the teacher has met State qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.

2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which the state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.

3. The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.

4. Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

(B) Additional Information – In addition to the information that parents may request under subparagraph (A), a school that receives funds under this part shall provide to each individual parent:

1. Information on the level of achievement of the parent’s child in each of the State academic assessments as required under this; and

2. Timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified.

Because the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center at South Mountain receives Title I Part A funds, all teachers must be highly qualified by the end of 2005-2006 whether or not they are paid with Title I funds (Sec. 1119 (a) (2). State Plan). This means that any teacher that is hired prior to the first day of the 2002-2003 school year has four years to obtain the necessary credentials.

Note: The notices and information provided to parents shall be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent possible must also be provided in a language that parents can understand.

NCLB-Notice of Assignment of Teachers During the Year

In January 2002, the new federal law, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was passed by Congress. The purpose of this letter is to inform you about a provision in this new law that requires all districts to notify parents regarding qualifications of their student’s classroom teacher. Every district that receives Title I funds must ensure that all teachers teaching in “core academic subjects” are highly qualified not later than the end of the 2005-2006 school year. This means that any teacher who was hired prior to the first day of the 2002-2003 school year has four years to obtain the necessary credential.

In the event that your student has been assigned, or taught by a teacher who is in the process of completing the requirements for full certification, you will be notified by letter to your home when applicable that indicates the professional education of the teacher. If your student also is provided by services by a paraprofessional, the additional summary of his/her qualifications will also be attached.

As we implement this new law, the district’s goal is to continue to keep parents informed about new requirements in a timely manner to enable us to work as partners in the education of our students.

Right to Receive Teacher Information

Federal law requires that we share with you the qualifications of teachers in Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center. There are questions you may ask, including:

Is my child’s teacher licensed to teach the grades or subjects assigned?
Has the state waived any requirements for my child’s teacher?
What was the college major of my child’s teacher?
What degrees does my child’s teacher hold?
Are there instructional aides working with my child? If so, what are their qualifications?

The Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center ensures that all teachers have at minimum a bachelor’s degree, and 67% have advanced degrees, 17% are currently working towards obtaining advanced degrees. If you would like to review the state qualifications and resumes of your student’s teachers you may do so by providing written notice to the school. If you would like more information about the school please feel free to contact the district office at 602-297-8500.

Homeless Students

Homeless students in the district will have access to the education and other services needed to ensure that an opportunity is available to meet the same academic achievement standards to which all students are held.

A liaison for students in homeless situations will be designated by the district at each site to carry out duties as required by law. Please speak with the Principal at the site in which your child is attending in order to receive further information.

The district will ensure that homeless students are not stigmatized nor segregated on the basis of their status as homeless. A homeless student will be admitted to the district school in the attendance area in which the student is actually living or to the student’s school of origin as requested by the parent and in accordance with the student’s best interest. Transportation will be provided to and from the student’s school of origin at the request of the parent, or in the case of an unaccompanied student, the district’s liaison for homeless students.

Release of Student Information/FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31)

To personnel within the district who have legitimate educational interests;
To personnel of an education service district or state regional program where the student is enrolled or is receiving services;
To personnel of another school, another district or institution of post-secondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll;
To personnel connected with an audit or evaluation of federal or state education programs or the enforcement of or compliance with federal or state legal requirements of the district;
To personnel determining a financial aid request for the student;
To personnel conducting studies for or on behalf of the district;
To personnel in accrediting organizations fulfilling accrediting functions;
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
For health or safety emergency;
By request of a parent of a student who is not 18 years of age;
By request of a student who is 18 years of age or older or emancipated;
Because information has been identified as “directory information.”

Personally identifiable information will not be released without prior signed and dated consent of the parent, student 18 years or older or emancipated.

Under FERPA, student information commonly referred to as “directory information,” includes such items as names, addresses, and telephone numbers and is information generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. AAEC must provide military recruiters access to secondary students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings. A parent or student 18 or older may opt-out of releasing this information by simply providing written documentation that this information is not to be released by the school.

Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to:

Student’s name, if excluded from directory information, as requested by the student/parent in writing;
Name of the student’s parent(s) or other family member;
Address of the student or student’s family, if excluded from directory information, as requested by the student/parent in writing;
Personal identifier such as the student’s social security number;
A list of personal characteristics that would make the student’s identity easily traceable;
Other information that would make the student’s identity easily traceable.

Notice of and/or request for release of personally identifiable information shall specify the records to be disclosed, the purpose of disclosure and the identification of person(s) to whom the disclosure is to be made. Upon request of the parent or eligible student, the district will provide a copy of the disclosed record.

Transportation Policy

Monthly public city bus passes are available to all students currently enrolled within the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center. The parent or legal guardian can request a student be issued a pass for transportation purposes to attend the program. In addition, this form of transportation will be utilized to accommodate students if the school the child is attending, is receiving Title I funds and has requested to transfer because his/her school has been identified as needing improvement, corrective action or restructuring. Transfers of this type will be permitted only to schools that are deemed a safe school and that has not been identified as needs improvement, corrective action or restructuring. The obligation of the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc. will terminate at the end of the school year if the school from which the student transferred is no longer in improvement status. Arizona Agribusiness is a Arizona State Charter school and does not identify any district boundaries.

The family-school compact from AAEC focuses on improving student's academic achievement by setting high expectations for all students' and for all of the school's partners. The compact is only one piece of a larger family-school partnership focused on shared responsibility of the compact into a cohesive plan of action.

Under NCLB, schools must provide students' names, addresses, and telephone listings to military recruiters, when requested, unless a parent opts out of providing such information. A parent may opt out by notifying their school that they do not want his/her child's directory information released. Please contact Suzanne Drakes at 602-297-8500 or info@aaechighschools.com in order to have your information not released.