Kansas

Alternative educational opportunities

Statute

Kansas may allow for students to earn credit for their outside-the-classroom learning.

Which students are eligible?

Students enrolled in grades 6 through 12.

Who can provide alternative educational opportunity programs?

“Sponsoring entity” such as a business, not-for-profit organization, nonprofit organization, trade association, parent of a student, teacher or administrator that partners with a school district to provide an alternative educational opportunity to students.

Who approves provider applications?

A board of education of a school district may adopt a policy. The policy shall provide:

Eligibility requirements for sponsoring entities;
requirements for the provision of alternative educational opportunities by sponsoring entities;
the procedures for a sponsoring entity to submit a proposal to the school district to provide an additional educational opportunity to students;
the criteria the school district will use to evaluate such proposals; and
the course credit that may be earned through the alternative educational opportunity by a participating student.

A sponsoring entity may also petition the state board to approve an alternative educational opportunityif it is applicable on a statewide or regional basis across multiple school districts. The state board of education shall approve or deny each petition proposing an alternative educational opportunity within 90 days of receipt of such proposal.

If the state board denies the proposal, the state board shall provide the sponsoring entity the reasons for such denial. If the state board approves such proposal, any school district may implement the alternative educational opportunity. The state board may revoke any such approved proposal if the state board determines that the sponsoring entity fails to comply with the requirements of this section.