Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 37 - EDUCATION (§§ 37-NEW-001 — 37-NEW01-004) › Chapter 71 - MISSISSIPPI LEARN TO EARN ACT (§§ 37-71-1 — 37-71-11) › Section 37-71-7 - Extended Learning Opportunities policy; course credit for alternative education opportunities provided through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships for students in grades 9 through 12; policy requirements; approval or denial of alternative educational opportunity; audit of approved alternative educational programs

(1)
For the 2021-2022 school term, the State Board of Education shall promulgate a rule by December 31, 2020, authorizing local school boards, in their discretion, to develop an Extended Learning Opportunity to include alternative educational opportunities available to students in Grade 9 through Grade 12, which are provided through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships for elective course credit.
(2)
Each local school board may adopt an Extended Learning Opportunities policy to include alternative educational opportunities for course credit that recognizes learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships, and grants elective credit for those alternative learning opportunities. If adopted the policy shall:
(a)
Provide for an application process for entities to submit proposals for alternative educational opportunities that will qualify for elective course credit;
(b)
Define which entities are eligible to submit applications for alternative educational opportunities, which such entities shall include, but not be limited to:
(i)
Nonprofit organizations;
(ii)
Businesses with established locations in the state;
(iii)
Trade associations;
(iv)
Parents of students involved in programs that may otherwise qualify for alternative educational opportunities;
(v)
Teachers involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom; and
(vi)
School personnel involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom.
(c)
Provide for the criteria used to evaluate the alternative educational opportunity;
(d)
Describe any communication and collaboration needed with local school districts to implement alternative educational opportunities approved by the State Board of Education;
(e)
Place requirements on the entity such as background checks for key personnel and minimum accountability standards; and
(f)
Provide a process for student credit transfer.
(3)
The local school board is authorized to approve or deny an application for an alternative educational opportunity. If an application is approved by the school board, the application shall be submitted to the State Board of Education for review as provided in Section
37-71-11
, prior to the implementation of the program within the local school district.
(4)
The State Department of Education shall have the authority to audit approved alternative educational programs at any time. If the audit results in findings that an approved program is not meeting the provisions of this chapter or the policy outlined in subsection (2) of this section, then the local school board shall disqualify the program immediately.
Added by Laws, 2020, ch. 401, HB 1336,§ 4, eff. 7/1/2020.