Frequently Asked Questions ?
- What is a charter non-public school?
The Learning Spectrum is/will be chartered by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) on behalf of the State Board of Education.
A chartered nonpublic school is a school chartered by the state board of education pursuant to section 3301.16 of the Revised Code and that meets the minimum standards for chartered nonpublic schools cited in the “Operating Standards for Ohio’s Elementary and Secondary Schools” (February 2006) in rule 3301-35-12 of the Administrative Code.
- How did TLS become a charter school?
The administration of TLS submitted a significant amount of evidence documenting our adherence to the Operating Standards for Ohio Schools. The “charter” establishing the school is a performance contract that details the mission of TLS, its program, students served, performance goals and methods of assessment to be used.
- What will the curriculum look like when TLS becomes a charter school?
TLS will be held to the same state academic standards as public schools, but have the flexibility to define our own curriculum. The curriculum will include all of the usual subject areas (English Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, science, etc.) as well as technology, foreign language (sign language) and health. As always, instruction will be guided by individual IEPs and learning needs.
- Will my student need to participate in state assessments?
As a charter, non-pubic school, TLS will comply with Ohio’s requirement for regular, periodic assessment and evaluation of student academic achievement, including state mandated assessments. Each student’s IEP describes what type of testing (standard, alternate), and accommodations are required for testing.
- Are students on the Autism Scholarship still exempt from testing?
The short answer is yes. The exception occurs for high school students who are seeking graduation with a high school diploma.
- Upon graduation will my child receive a high school diploma?
The short answer is YES! As a charter school, high school students at TLS will be able to earn a regular high school diploma (something that was not available prior to achieving charter status). Additionally, students in grades 7-12 can earn high school and college credit simultaneously by taking courses at participating Ohio colleges or universities. Tuition is free if your student takes classes at a public college.
- What does my student need to do in order to earn a high school diploma?
Students must take and earn a state minimum of 20 credits in:
English language arts 4 credits
Health ½ credit
Mathematics 4 credits
Physical education ½ credit
Science 3 credits
Social studies 3 credits
Electives 5 credits
Students also must receive instruction in economics and financial literacy and complete at least two semesters of fine arts.
After completing the required coursework, students must choose 1 of 3 graduation pathways:
- Ohio’s State Tests: Earn at least 18 points on seven end-of-course state tests. End of-course tests are:
Algebra I or Integrated Math I
Geometry or Integrated Math II
American Government
American History
English I
English II
Biology
Each test score earns you up to 5 graduation points. You must have a minimum of 4 points in math, 4 points in English and 6 points across science and social studies.
- Industry credential or workforce readiness: Earn a minimum of 12 points by receiving a State Board of Education-approved, industry-recognized credential or group of credentials in a single career field and earn the required score on WorkKeys, a work-readiness test. The state of Ohio will pay one time for you to take the WorkKeys test.
- Or earn remediation-free scores in mathematics and English language arts on either the ACT or SAT.
The following link will take you to additional information about graduation requirements from the Ohio Department of Education’s website.
- What does charter mean in terms of school attendance policies?
As a charter school, TLS will adhere to all requirements of House Bill 410 (passed by the Ohio General Assembly in December, 2016) to support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. Absences are no longer counted as how many days missed, but by how many hours of school missed. Therefore, if a student misses 38 or more hours within a given month, or 65 or more hours within the year, excused or unexcused, we are required to send a letter to notify you of the hours missed. Our notification is not a judgment on the reason for the absence, simply the application of the law. We are required by law to send the first notification at 30 consecutive hours missed or when the student reaches the 38 hours within the month, excused or unexcused.
This link will lead you to additional information about House Bill 410 and what it means for your student’s education.
- Will TLS still accept the Autism Scholarship and the Jon Peterson Scholarship?
Absolutely. TLS will continue to be an approved provider for Ohio scholarship programs for students with special needs.
- Will fees increase as a result of becoming a charter non-public school?
No. Tuition will increase due to the costs incurred during routine maintenance of facilities, to upgrade our buildings and playgrounds, as well as hire and retain professionally trained and qualified staff.
- As a charter non-public school, will TLS receive local or state tax dollars?
No. Although TLS will not be supported by local or state tax dollars as a charter non-public school, we will be eligible for the Administrative Cost Reimbursement Program and Auxiliary Services Program. Auxiliary funds may be used to purchase valuable student resources including consumable and non-consumable text books and supplements, math and science equipment and materials, computer software, library materials and other materials that will positively impact the quality of your student’s instruction.
- Charter status means my child can receive transportation services, right?
Maybe. Parents of students attending TLS may request transportation to and from school by completing a Transportation Request Form (available from your public school district of residence) and returning it to their public school district for consideration. Parents should submit the completed request prior to the start of the school year, but it cannot be submitted until your student’s site is fully chartered. At this time (January 2019), the TLS Central location is chartered for all grade levels. Canal Winchester and Johnstown locations are expected to be fully chartered prior to the start of the 2019-20 school year.
Transportation request forms are available for download on your public school district’s website. Visit the Transportation Department link.
The Board of Education of the school district of residence may declare it impractical to provide transportation to non-public, private or charter schools based on the following criteria established by the Ohio Department of Education:
- The time and distance required to provide the transportation
- The number of pupils to be transported (minimum of 20)
- The cost of providing transportation in terms of equipment, maintenance, personnel and administration
- Whether similar or equivalent services are provided to other pupils eligible for transportation
- Whether and to what extent the additional service unavoidably disrupts current transportation schedules
- Whether other reimbursable types of transportation are available.
If your public school district declines to provide bus transportation to TLS, you may be eligible for a yearly stipend to help defray the cost of driving your child to and from school. The stipend is determined by the public school district.
- TLS North East and South will receive conditional charter status beginning February 26, 2019.