Administrative Procedures

Administrative Procedure 215

Lloydminster Education Advanced Program (L.E.A.P.)

Background:

The Division will provide learning opportunities for qualified students who have left the regular school setting prematurely, or who are at risk of leaving the regular school setting because of demonstrated inability to cope with the structure and expectations of the school.

Informed estimates state that there are well over one hundred youth in Lloydminster who have left school prematurely because of personal circumstances, social problems, and a perceived inability to meet the academic, attendance and behavioral expectations of the regular schools. Such youth will typically share some of the following characteristics:

Premature withdrawal or exclusion from school;
Have no major diagnosed learning or mental disability;
Be off-pace in terms of age-grade placement;
Come from impoverished and/or very transient families;
Have a pattern of inadequate school attendance;
Come from families which have been unsupportive or which have undervalued education;
Have been involved with the justice system;
Have had a problem with substance abuse;
Have taken on prematurely the responsibilities of parenthood;
Have very poor self-concepts and/or be subject to depression;
Lack personal, social, and employment skills.

Procedures:

The Division has created the Lloydminster Education Advancement Program (L.E.A.P.) In order to provide such youth with a means by which they can be re-connected with the formal education system and with the community in a constructive manner, L.E.A.P. will operate in keeping with the following procedures:

Students between the ages of 13 and 18 may apply for admission to the program. Such students will have previously left school prior to graduating, or will be a risk of dropping out of school or of being excluded from a regular school program because of failure to meet the behavioral or performance expectations of the school. Applicants may have been previously registered in another Division or in a Lloydminster Public school.
Students may apply on their own initiative or be referred to the program by a school or social agency. Applicants will be interviewed by program personnel and will be admitted subject to their convincing the personnel that they are suited to the program and that they are committed to setting and meeting educational goals and will meet the behavioral expectations of the program.
Registration will be limited to that number of students which can be effectively served by the program’s personnel. Initially, a student-teacher ratio of 16:1 will be the guideline.
The program will provide instruction to students in academic subjects and will also develop social and employment skills. Academic instruction will be based on the use of distance education materials and services purchased from either Saskatchewan or Alberta. Such course materials must lead to grade level or subject credits which will be recognized as part of a program of studies which can ultimately satisfy the requirements for high school graduation in Saskatchewan. The distance learning courses and instruction will be supplemented and complemented by tutorial assistance and possibly by the direct instruction of a course by a program teacher.
All course materials will be provided to students at the expense of the program. Students will be required to provide their own consumable school supplies and may be expected to pay for the cost related to certain recreational or non-academic activities.
On acceptance into the program, each student will, in collaboration with a teacher, develop a learning plan which will outline short term and long term educational goals and objectives. Such goals and objectives will address academic, social, and employment skill development. The learning plan will also specify the expectations which will be met with regard to student attendance and, in effect, will represent a “contract” which the student will undertake in order to remain enrolled. The learning plan must be acceptable to the teacher; however, the teacher will take into consideration the personal circumstances of each student in determining the plan’s appropriateness.
With the approval of the Director, a teacher may terminate the enrolment of any student in the program for failure to meet the terms of the learning plan, or for persistent or gross violations of behavioral expectations.
Subject to the availability of space, enrolment of students may take place at any time of year.
The program will be housed in a facility separate from a regular school. With the cooperation of the Principal of another Public school, facilities may be reserved without charge for educational or recreational purposes for the program. All school facilities will meet provincial health and safety standards.
The program, its staff, students, and third parties will be covered by the insurance policies required by law for the Division’s operations.
As a major aim of the program is to re-connect students with the regular school setting, the teachers in the program may arrange with the Principal of Lloydminster Public middle or senior high school for individual students to take one or more courses in the regular school setting as part of the students’ learning plans.
Program teachers will cooperate with appropriate social agencies in Lloydminster in order to facilitate the delivery of services which will enhance the educational and personal development of students.

Reference:

Section 85, 87, 108, 109, 175,

Education Act

Revised:

June 2009