(a) Each district may establish one or more alternative programs for dropout prevention at the elementary, junior high school or high school level.
(b) Any school district desiring to receive state funding for a dropout prevention program shall develop a comprehensive dropout prevention program plan that describes all of the programs and services that the district will make available to the students pursuant to § 824 of this chapter. School districts that do not implement all of the programs outlined in § 824 shall provide evidence that such programs are not needed within the district, or that the needs of the students are being provided through existing public or private agencies or entities, or that the district is unable to provide the program.
(1) In order to be approved, each plan must include the following components:
(A) emphasis on parental, community, and business involvement;
(B) interagency coordination in order to maximize existing human and fiscal resources;
(C) a method for early identification of potential dropouts;
(D) dropout retrieval activities;
(E) employment skills and other career awareness activities related to preparation for the work force;
(F) the commitment of the district in achieving the goals and objectives of this section, as evidenced by the assignment of at least one person to be responsible for the implementation and administration of the district's dropout prevention program.
(2) For each program provided by the district under § 824, the following information must be provided in the program plan:
(A) student eligibility criteria;
(B) student admission procedures;
(C) operating procedures;
(D) program goals and outcome objectives;
(E) qualifications of program personnel;
(F) the program budget, including identification of all federal, local, or other funds which will be used to support the program;
(G) a schedule for staff development activities; and
(H) evaluation procedures which describe how objectives will be achieved and measured.
(c) Prior to the implementation of the program, the Insular Superintendents must submit the district comprehensive dropout prevention program plans to the Commissioner of Education for approval no later than 60 days subsequent to the passage of this legislation. In subsequent years, the insular superintendents shall submit supplemental plans to the initial dropout prevention plan.
(d) The insular superintendents may modify courses listed in the state curriculum for the purpose of providing dropout prevention programs pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The Commissioner must approve the modifications that may include the lengthening or shortening of the time allocated for in-class study, alternate methods of assessment of student performance, and the integration of curriculum frameworks or student performance standards to produce interdisciplinary units of instruction.