KRS 158.146: Establishment of strategy to address school dropout problem --

Department to provide technical assistance, award grants, and disseminate

information to school districts and school level personnel.

(1) No later than December 30, 2000, the Kentuc ky Department of Education shall

establish and implement a comprehensive statewide strategy to provide assistance to

local districts and schools to address the student dropout problem in Kentucky

public schools. In the development of the statewide strategy , the department shall

engage private and public representatives who have an interest in the discussion.

The statewide strategy shall build upon the existing programs and initiatives that

have proven successful. The department shall also take into consider ation the

following:

(a) Analyses of annual district and school dropout data as submitted under KRS

158.148 and 158.6453;

(b) State and federal resources and programs, including, but not limited to,

extended school services; early learning centers; family resource and youth

service centers; alternative education services; preschool; service learning;

drug and alcohol prevention programs; School -to-Careers; High Schools that

Work; school safety grants; and other relevant programs and services that

could be used in a multidimensional strategy;

(c) Comprehensive student programs and services that include, but are not limited

to, identification, counseling, mentoring, and other educational strategies for

elementary, middle, and high school students who are demon strating little or

no success in school, who have poor school attendance, or who possess other

risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of their dropping out of school;

and

(d) Evaluation procedures to measure progress within school districts, school s,

and statewide.

(2) No state or federal funds for adult education and literacy, including but not limited

to funds appropriated under KRS 151B.409 or 20 U.S.C. secs. 9201 et seq., shall be

used to pay for a high school student enrolled in an alternative program operated or

contracted by a school district leading to a certificate of completion or a High

School Equivalency Diploma.

(3) The department, with assistance from appropriate agencies, shall provide technical

assistance to districts requesting assis tance with dropout prevention strategies and

the development of district and schoolwide plans.

(4) The department shall award grants to local school districts for dropout prevention

programs based upon available appropriations from the General Assembly and in

compliance with administrative regulations promulgated by the Kentucky Board of

Education for this purpose. Seventy -five percent (75%) of the available dropout

funds shall be directed to services for at-risk elementary and middle school students,

including, but not limited to, identification, counseling, home visitations, parental

training, and other strategies to improve school attendance, school achievement, and

to minimize at-risk factors. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the funds shall be directed

to s ervices for high school students identified as likely to drop out of school,

including, but not limited to, counseling, tutoring, extra instructional support,

alternative programming, and other appropriate strategies. Priority for grants shall

be awarded to districts that average, over a three (3) year period, an annual dropout

rate exceeding five percent (5%).

(5) The department shall disseminate information on best practices in dropout

prevention in order to advance the knowledge for district and school level personnel

to address the dropout problem effectively.