Welcome to Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth

Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Program provides a combination of intense, individual academic instruction and behavior modification counseling in an alternative setting to assist students to return successfully to the regular classroom.

Program approval is required for any LEA implementing an internal program or utilizing an approved private provider. Programs are required to meet minimum requirements in order to obtain approval.

Drew Schuckman, State Coordinator for Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth, will begin a regular schedule for monitoring alternative education programs at the beginning of each school year.

In addition, staff from the Center for Schools and Communities will be monitoring throughout each school year.

You will receive notification of any scheduled monitorings for your program.

Please click on the links below to view the AEDY monitoring tool and companion document.

• AEDY Monitoring Tool (PDF)
• AEDY Monitoring Companion Document (PDF)

List of LEAs scheduled for monitoring

End-of-Year Report is accessible at this link.

The alternative education end-of-year report must be completed for each approved program annually by every public school entity. The end-of-year report for each approved program is due July 31 of each year. Failure to comply with this deadline will jeopardize funding for the coming year.

Program or LEAs Applying for Program Approval

• Guidelines (PDF)
• eGrants
• Spreadsheet (Excel)

Listed below are the guidelines that outline the requirements for establishing and referring disruptive students to an Alternative Education program.

2011-2013 Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Guidelines (PDF)

Related Basic Education Circulars (BECs):

Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth

Pennsylvania School Code

Article XIX-C, Act 30 OF 1997 Disruptive Student Programs
Article XIX-E, Act 48 of 1999 Private Alternative Education Institutions for Disruptive Students

Other Legal Considerations 

A copy of latest Annual Report, 2006-2007 is available by clicking on the link below. This report was based on aggregated data from schools who ran approved Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Programs during the 2006-2007 school year.

Students in the program have shown improved attendance, increased grade point averages, and have successfully returned to the regular classroom, been promoted, or recieved a high school diploma.

Any comments or response to the report is appreciated. Questions regarding the report can be directed to Drew Schuckman, State Coordinator for Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth at (717) 705-6908 or by email at dschuckman@pa.gov

2006-2007 AEDY Annual Report (PDF)

Act 48 of 1999, allows Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) approved private alternative education institutions or individuals (also referred to as private providers) to enter into contracts with public schools (school districts, intermediate units, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools, special program jointures, and consortia of these schools) to provide educational and/or counseling services for Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth programs under Act 30 of 1997 for middle school and high school students. Programs must be designed to work towards promotion and/or a high school diploma.

The three-year renewal application is mailed directly to the private provider at the beginning of the school year for which the renewal is needed.

Initial applications require basic contact information, a mission statement, capacity of the provider including staffing and site information, services available to the public schools, a financial statement, background checks, a list of the training/professional development in which three key staff members have participated and their experience with at-risk students, an indication of the type or name of other licenses held by the entity and/or other locations, and an assurance statement indicating that all required federal and state laws and state guidelines will be followed.

Renewal applications require the same information provided initially, but in updated form, with a summary of services already provided. Additionally, renewal applications require letters of reference from public schools that have utilized the private provider's services for alternative education. Private providers who have not contracted within the previous three-year period need to submit a letter explaining why they wish to seek renewal.

Recommendation of approval/denial of the application to become an approved private provider is made by the program coordinator.

Approvals

1. If the application is approved, the Division Chief, Bureau Director, or other party designated by the Secretary provides written notification to the private provider. A copy of the Guidelines is mailed with each initial approval letter.
2. The private provider is added to the official PDE database on the alternative education web site and to the email distribution list. Invitations to meetings and additional information are sent to all approved private providers on the web site.
3. Renewal applications, if approved, allow the private provider to contract with public schools to provide alternative education services for an additional three years from the date of the last approval. The web site is updated accordingly with all current renewal and contact information.

Denials

1. If the application is denied, the Division Chief, Bureau Director, or other party designatedby the Secretary provides written notification to the private provider contact person listed on the application with the reason(s) for the denial.
2. Any private provider who has been denied approval (either initial or renewal) may appeal the decision to the Secretary of Education or his/her designee.
3. The application may reapply for approved private provider status beginning with the next school year after the school year for which the initial approval or renewal was denied. Demonstration that issues arising during the denial phase have been corrected is the responsibility of the applicant. If the burden is met, the Secretary, or his/her designee, may place conditions on the approval of the provider including, but not limited to, a shorter approval period.

Sample Contract (PDF) - This sample is provided for your convenience. You DO NOT have to use this contract sample, however, you must ensure that all requirements of the state guidelines for contracts are incorporated into the contract that you use to receive approval and funding. Please do not just fill in the blanks, but review the contract and specifically spell out who is responsible for what items so that it is clear if any concerns are raised.

For information about education tax credits go to www.newpa.com and use the dropdown menu to look for Education Improvement Tax Credits.

Private Provider Applying for Approval to Provide AEDY Services

• Guidelines (PDF)
• Directions and Application (PDF)
• Private Provider Staff Information Sheet (PDF)
• Private Provider Site Information Sheet (PDF)
• Spreadsheet (Excel)
• Financial Statement (to be used when no audit report is available) This is a file in PDF, which can be printed from this link to be completed and mailed to PDE if no audit report is available.
• Deadline - If your approved status expires at any time during the 2009 or 2010 calendar year, we will be sending out notification detailing the process and timeline for renewal. If you are a new applicant, you must submit the initial application by close of business on December 31st in the year preceding the school year in which you intend to provide AEDY services to the LEAs. (example:  Due date December 31, 2009; eligible to provide services 2010-2011 school year)