15-809

15-809. AIMS intervention and dropout
prevention program; program termination; definitions

A. The department of education shall establish an AIMS intervention and dropout
prevention program. The department of education shall develop application procedures,
selection criteria and minimum performance standards for service providers that wish to
participate in the program. Service providers that receive monies to participate in the
program shall demonstrate that their dropout prevention program is offered in the public
schools in this state and meets all of the following requirements:

1. Serves at-risk pupils in grade seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve and for
twelve months following the pupil's exit from the program.

2. Serves pupils who both:

(a) Are most likely to drop out of high school without graduating.

(b) Have documented academic, personal or vocational barriers to success in high
school and the workplace.

3. Consists of all of the following for each participating pupil:

(a) At least nine consecutive months of academic support, including tutoring and
remediation, to ensure that participating pupils meet the academic standards adopted by
the state board of education.

(b) Comprehensive instruction on Arizona workplace skills adopted by the state board
of education.

4. Requires pupils who participate in the program to earn credits toward graduation
from high school. Pupils who participate in the program shall perform volunteer
activities or community service or shall be engaged in employment during summer vacation
periods. Each pupil who participates in the program shall continue to participate in the
program for twelve months after graduation from high school during which the service
provider shall provide follow-up assistance that is designed to assist the pupil's
transition to postsecondary education, vocational or job training, military service or
employment. A participating school district may develop a dual credit course program in
order to meet the requirements of this paragraph.

B. The service providers selected to participate in the AIMS intervention and
dropout prevention program shall annually report at least the following information to
the department of education:

1. The percentage of pupils who participate in the program and who graduate from
high school or obtain a general equivalency degree on or within twelve months after the
scheduled graduation date for the pupil's classmates.

2. The percentage of pupils who participate in the program, who graduate from high
school or obtain a general equivalency degree and who begin participation in
postsecondary education, employment, vocational or job training or military service
within twelve months after the scheduled graduation date for the pupil's classmates.

3. The percentage of pupils who participate in the program and who are either
enrolled full time at a postsecondary education institution, employed full time, enrolled
in a full-time vocational or job training program or on active duty in the armed forces
of the United States, or any combination of these activities that in totality amounts to
full-time activity, within twelve months after the scheduled graduation date for the
pupil's classmates.

4. The percentage of pupils who participate in the program and who pass each AIMS
component.

C. The department of education shall contract with a private entity to conduct an
annual performance audit of the AIMS intervention and dropout prevention program.

D. Beginning in 2001, the department of education shall submit an annual report
concerning the AIMS intervention and dropout prevention program to the governor, the
president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives by December 15
that includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program. The department of
education shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state and the director
of the Arizona state department of library, archives and public records.

E. The department of education may use monies appropriated by the legislature for
the AIMS intervention and dropout prevention program to purchase materials designed to
assist students to meet the Arizona academic standards and to achieve a passing score on
the AIMS.

F. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2010, pursuant to
section 41-3102.

G. For the purposes of this section:

1. "AIMS" means the Arizona instrument to measure standards test prescribed in
section 15-741.

2. "Service providers" means all of the following:

(a) Public agencies, including schools and school districts, that have demonstrated
documented success in delivering dropout prevention services as prescribed in this
section.

(b) Private entities that are certified by the department of education and that
have demonstrated documented success in delivering dropout prevention services as
prescribed in this section.