Quality Basic Education Programs

There are 19 individual QBE programs classified within two broad program areas. The two program areas are:
<ol>
<li>General and career education programs - for purposes of QBE funding, these programs include all instructional and vocational programs other than special programs. (General programs also include the non-instructional staff development, professional development and media center programs.)</li>
<li>Special programs - programs for students with special needs.</li>
</ol>
The 19 individual programs are classified within these two categories as follows:
General and Career Education Programs
Kindergarten All local school systems must offer a full-day kindergarten program. A kindergarten program must provide classroom instruction for a minimum of four and one-half hours daily for a 180-day school year. The kindergarten program provides all children an equal opportunity to become prepared for a successful first grade experience and to acquire the foundation for academic progress throughout the students' educational careers. No student is to remain in kindergarten for more than two years. This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) at a student-to-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. A paraprofessional is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) at a ratio of 18 to 1.
Primary Grades (1-3) The purpose of the primary grades (1-3) program is to provide students with the essential basic skills and knowledge needed to enable them to achieve more advanced skills and knowledge taught in the higher grades. This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) for a student-toteacher ratio of 17 to 1.
Upper Elementary Grades (4-5) This program helps students make the transition from the primary grades into the middle grades. This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23 to 1.
Middle Grades (6-8) The middle grades (6-8) program has several purposes, including:
<ul>
<li>Providing students with essential basic skills and knowledge,</li>
<li>Assisting students in the transition from childhood to adolescence,</li>
<li>Preparing students for the selection of programs and courses consistent with their abilities and interests when they enter high school, and</li>
<li>Providing an opportunity for mastery of advanced skills and knowledge.</li>
</ul>
This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) at a student-to-teacher ratio of 23 to 1.
Middle School (6-8) The middle school (6-8) program has the same purposes as the middle grades program. In order to qualify for the middle school program, a school must meet all of the program criteria established by State Board Rule 160-4-2-.05, including:
<ul>
<li>The middle school program shall be contained in a school, staffed by a full-time principal, which houses grades six, seven or eight, or any combination thereof.</li>
<li>The middle school program shall have academic teams.</li>
<li>The middle school program shall provide each academic team a minimum of 55 consecutive minutes for common planning.</li>
<li>Each academic team shall provide its common group of students a minimum of five hours of instruction in academic classes. Each academic team shall have control over the academic instructional time and schedules of its common group of students.</li>
</ul>
This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) at a student-to-teacher ratio of 20 to 1.
 High School Program (9-12) The high school program has three main purposes:
<ul>
<li>Prepare students for continuing their education beyond high school,</li>
<li>Prepare students for entry into their chosen career fields, and</li>
<li>Prepare students to take their places in society as young adults.</li>
</ul>
The program includes all high school courses that are not vocational or include lab components. This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23 to 1.
 High School Vocational Laboratories (9-12) The goal of the high school vocational laboratory program is to provide instruction to enable students to enter the workforce or a technical institution upon completion of high school. Like the high school non-vocational lab program, the vocational laboratory program is funded at higher levels than the high school general education program to reflect the reduced student-teacher ratios and more extensive material and equipment needed for effective laboratory courses. The program is funded for a student-to-teacher ratio 20 to 1.
 
Special Programs
 Kindergarten Early Intervention Program Primary grades (1-3) Early Intervention Program Upper elementary grades (4-5) Early Intervention Program
Theses programs are for students who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level. The nature of the programs are determined by the local school system. These programs are designed to be temporary, and are funded at the student- to-teacher ratio of 11 to 1. In the Kindergarten Early Intervention Program, a paraprofessional is funded at the ratio of 18 to 1.
 Special Education Children eligible for special education are defined as those who 1) have emotional, physical, communicative, or intellectual deviations, or a combination thereof, to the degree that there is interference with school achievement or adjustment or prevention of full academic attainment, and 2) require modifications or alterations in their educational programs. There are four categories of funding for special education as well as two categorical programs: Itinerant and Supplemental Speech.
Category I Category I is for students who are self-contained specific-learning-disabled and selfcontained speech-language-disordered. This program is funded for a student-toteacher ratio of 8 to 1.
Category II Category II is for students who are mildly mentally handicapped. This program is funded (subject to the limitations of the Local Five Mill Share and the Amended Formula Adjustment) for a student-to-teacher ratio of 6.5 to 1.
 Category III Category III includes students who are behavior disordered, moderately mentally handicapped, severely mentally handicapped, resourced specific-learning disabled, resourced speech-language-disordered, self-contained hearing impaired and deaf, selfcontained orthopedically handicapped, and self-contained other health impaired. This program is funded for a student-to-teacher ratio of 5 to 1.
Category IV Category IV is for students who are deaf-blind, profoundly mentally handicapped, visually impaired and blind, resourced hearing impaired and deaf, resourced orthopedically handicapped, and resourced other health impaired. This program is funded for a student-to-teacher ratio of 3 to 1.
Category V Category V serves special education students in Categories I through IV whose Individualized Educational Programs specify specially designed instruction of supplementary aids or services in alternative placements. The placements should be in the least restrictive environment. Students may receive services from paraprofessionals, interpreters, job coaches, and other assistive personnel. The program is funded for a student-to-teacher ratio of 8 to 1.
Category VI - Gifted Program The Gifted Program serves students who demonstrate a high degree of intellectual ability and who need special instruction and/or services to achieve at levels commensurate with their intellectual ability. In order to be placed in gifted education programs, student must be tested on standardized mental ability and achievement tests and meet specified eligibility criteria. The program is funded for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12 to 1.
Remedial Education The Remedial Education program provides remedial instruction to students in grades nine through twelve. Instruction is specifically provided in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. Students must meet two of five criteria to be eligible for services. The current criteria are as follows:
The student has been retained in the grade for which he or she is enrolled;
<ul>
<li>The student is eligible for Chapter 1 services;</li>
<li>The student has been recommended by a teacher who has documented one of the following:
<ul>
<li>- low performance in reading</li>
<li>- low performance in math</li>
<li>- the student is unable to express ideas verbally and cannot write or dictate a meaningful sentence; or</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current test information indicates that the student has a score at or below the 25th percentile.</li>
</ul>
School systems have immense flexibility in the methods they may use to deliver services to their students. The program is funded at a student-to-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
Alternative Education Programs Alternative education programs are intended to meet the education needs of a student who is suspended from his or her regular classroom and also of a student who is eligible to remain in his or her regular classroom but is more likely to succeed in a nontraditional setting such as that provided in an alternative education program. Each local school system must provide an alternative education program that:
<ol>
<li>Is provided in a setting other than a student's regular classroom;</li>
<li>Is located on or off of a regular school campus and may include in school suspension that provides continued progress on regular classroom assignments;</li>
<li>Provides for disruptive students who are assigned to the alternative education program to be separated from nondisruptive students who are assigned to the program;</li>
<li>Focuses on English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and self-discipline;</li>
<li>Provides for students' educational and behavioral needs; and</li>
<li>Provides supervision and counseling.</li>
</ol>
State funding for the alternative education program is based on the actual count of students served during the preceding year, except that the count of students served shall not exceed 2.5 percent of the sum of the full-time equivalent program count of the middle grades program, the middle school program, the high school general education program (grades nine through 12), and the vocational laboratory program (grades nine through 12). This program is funded at a student-to-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
 Program for Limited-English-Proficient Students (ESOL) This program is for limited-English-proficient students whose native language is not English. The purpose of this program is to assist such students to develop proficiency in the English language, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, sufficient to perform effectively at the currently assigned grade level. This program is funded at a student-to-teacher ratio of 7 to 1.
 Additional Staffing in the General and Career Education Programs In addition to teachers and paraprofessionals, the QBE formula provides funding for other positions as follows:
<ul>
<li>In Primary Grades (1-3), Upper Elementary Grades (4-5), Primary Grades Early Intervention (1-3), Upper Elementary Grades Early Intervention (4-5), Middle Grades (6-8), and Middle School (6-8), Subject Area Specialists (art, music, and physical education teachers) are earned at the student-to-teacher ratio of 345 to 1. To be clear, that is one Subject Area Specialist per 345 students, not one art teacher per 345 students plus one music teacher per 345 students plus one physical education teacher per 345 students plus. No Subject Area Specialists are earned for Kindergarten or Kindergarten Early Intervention.</li>
<li>In Kindergarten, Kindergarten Early Intervention, Primary Grades, Primary Grades Early Intervention, Upper Elementary Grades, and Upper Elementary Grades Intervention, Counselors are earned at the ratio of 462 to 1. In Middle Grades and Middle School, Counselors are earned at the ratio of 624 to 1. In High School and High School Vocational Labs, Counselors are earned at the ratio of 400 to 1. In the Alternative Education Program, Counselors are earned at the ratio of 100 to 1.</li>
<li>In all 19 QBE programs, Technology Specialists are earned at the ratio of 1100 to 1.</li>
<li>In all 19 QBE programs, Psychologists are earned at the ratio of 2475 to 1.</li>
<li>In all 19 QBE programs, Social Workers are earned at the ratio of 2475 to 1.</li>
<li>In the 6 categories of Special Education (to include Gifted), Special Education Leaders are earned at the ratio of 200 to 1.</li>
<li>In Kindergarten, Kindergarten Early Intervention, Primary Grades, Primary Grades Early Intervention, Upper Elementary Grades, and Upper Elementary Grades Intervention, Assistant Principals are earned at the rate of 0.5 per "base-size school" of 450 students. In Middle Grades, Middle School, Special Ed, Gifted, Remedial, and ESOL, Assistant Principals are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624. In High School and High School Vocational Lab, Assistant Principals are earned at the rate of 2 per "base-size school" of 970 students. In the Alternative Education Program, Assistant Principals are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624 students.</li>
<li>In Kindergarten, Kindergarten Early Intervention, Primary Grades, Primary Grades Early Intervention, Upper Elementary Grades, and Upper Elementary Grades Intervention, Secretaries are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 450 students. In Middle Grades, Middle School, Special Ed, Gifted, Remedial, and ESOL, Secretaries are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624. In High School and High School Vocational Lab, Secretaries are earned at the rate of 2 per "base-size school" of 970 students. In the Alternative Education Program, Secretaries are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624 students.</li>
<li>In Kindergarten, Kindergarten Early Intervention, Primary Grades, Primary Grades Early Intervention, Upper Elementary Grades, and Upper Elementary Grades Intervention, Media Specialists are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 450 students. In Middle Grades, Middle School, Special Ed, Gifted, Remedial, and ESOL, Media Specialists are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624. In High School and High School Vocational Lab, Media Specialists are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 970 students. In the Alternative Education Program, Secretaries are earned at the rate of 1 per "base-size school" of 624 students.</li>
<li>The district earns the beginning salary for a principal for each school with a "principal of record" for the preceding year.</li>
<li>For the Central Office, the district is funded for one Superintendent, six Assistant Superintendents, one Secretary, and one Accountant.</li>
</ul>