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POLICY STATEMENT

The Ministry of Education will use multiple enrolment data collections to fund boards or authorities to deliver instruction through distributed learning. The Ministry will provide funding for each educational program when a student in any of Grades 10 to 12 receives instruction through distributed learning and enrols in more than one educational program. All public distributed learning (DL) schools or programs will be funded in the same way. Students must become active under the terms of the Active Policy to be considered an eligible enrolment.

RATIONALE

This policy allows boards or authorities operating DL schools or programs to enrol students after September 30 and receive funding. Prior to implementation, many DL schools or programs did not accept new enrolments after September 30, limiting student flexibility and choice. This policy consolidates distributed learning funding models that existed prior to September 2006.

LEGISLATION/ REGULATIONS

• School Act, Section 3.1
• School Act, Section 106.3

POLICY

Students in Grades K - 9 may be enrolled with only one board or authority at a time. If a student enrols with a board or authority operating a DL school or program after September 30, the student will generate funding for the portion of the year in the DL school or program. Full-time Equivalents (FTEs) for K - 9 are determined in a manner similar to other schools, subject to the Active Policy and Form 1701 Instructions.

Students in Grades 10 - 12 that enrol with a board or authority operating a DL school or program may enrol with other boards or authorities operating DL schools or programs. Each board or authority receives 0.125 FTE for each 4-credit Grade 10 - 12 course in which a student enrols and becomes active in, subject to the Active Policy and Form 1701 Instructions.

Adult students may enrol in a DL school or program and are funded according to the Adult Education provisions in the Ministry of Education Operating Grants Manual.

Non-graduated adult students may take eligible courses (as defined in the Adult Funding Policy) that lead to the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation (the Dogwood) or the Adult Graduation Diploma (the Adult Dogwood).

Eligible tuition-free courses for adults, that have completed the graduation requirements from a secondary school or high school in BC or in another jurisdiction, are Ministry or Board/Authority Authorized courses listed on LearnNow BC.

PROCEDURES

Boards or authorities will be funded for school-aged students enrolled in DL schools or programs as follows:

• Funding will be based on student enrolment counts conducted in September, February, and May.
• Every student enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 7 that becomes active in their DL school or program by September 30 will be funded at 1.0 FTE (0.5 FTE for Kindergarten unless eligible for full-time).
• Students in Grades 8 and 9 will be funded at 0.5 FTE plus 0.125 FTE per course to a maximum of 1.0 FTE per school year. Each student must have a learning plan that shows all the courses the students will take during the school year. Additional courses taken after the September enrolment data submission that are not included in the plan will not be included in the students funding calculation.
• A student in Grades K-9 may be enrolled and funded through only one school. If a student enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 9 chooses to take part of their educational program through more than one school, public boards may make their own arrangements for shared services as long as no tuition fees are charged to the student.
• For K - 9 students new to a particular DL school or program and who become active by the February student enrolment count, additional funding will be allocated to the board or authority operating the DL school or program at half the FTE rate for that school year (pro-rated to reflect half the school year). Similarly, new active K - 9 students at the May count will be pro-rated at 1/3 of the FTE rate.

Students between Grades 10 and 12 will be funded at 0.125 FTE for each course they become active in:

• Students may enrol anytime during a 12-month period of the year.
• Students may combine Grade 10 - 12 courses in DL schools or programs with courses in non-distributed learning schools (regular, alternate, continuing education). If at least one of the courses claimed at the non-distributed learning school is a support block, the combined number of courses can not exceed a maximum of eight – as per the Form 1701 Instructions.
• A student enrolling only in Grade 10 – 12 courses in a DL school or program, who is also enrolled in a Grade K-9 school or program in another school, is counted as a Grade 10-12 student for funding purposes.

For example: if a student between Grades 10 and 12 wanted to take six courses in a regular, alternate, or continuing education school and two courses through a DL school or program, the Ministry will fund:

• the board or authority operating the regular, alternate, or continuing education school as per existing funding policy, and
• the board or authority operating the DL school at .125 FTE for each course the student becomes active in.
• Boards or authorities will report to the Ministry when students enrol and when they become active participants in a distributed learning program. The Ministry will not fund students who enrol but do not become active in the DL school or program.
• Boards or authorities operating DL schools or programs will receive funding as part of their regular operating grants.

Boards or authorities operating DL schools or programs will be funded for adults as follows:

• All adults will be funded as per the adult rate in the Operating Grants Manual.
• Adults must become active in their course(s) to be claimed for funding.
• Graduated adult student files must provide evidence that the course is a Ministry or Board/Authority Authorized course listed on LearnNow BC.

Adults in DL schools or programs will be counted for funding purposes at the same time as school-aged students in September, February, and May. Please see the Adult Funding Policy for additional information.