FAQ

Who is eligible for the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP)?

• An Eligible Student is defined as:
  1. A student enrolled in a secondary environment (grades 6-12) in a district school or charter school in Utah, or
  2. A student:
     • who attends a private school or home school; AND
     • whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a resident of Utah.
• If a student is not currently enrolled in a district school or charter school in Utah, they must be younger than 18 years old, and have a home school release.
• Youth Offenders and students residing in residential treatment centers in this state, whose families are state residents, may be eligible to participate provided they meet other eligibility standards.
• Students who attend a home school must have a Home School release which is current when course-work commences, and extends through standard date of course completion.Any public school enrollment nullifies a home school release, in that courses will be declared as a portion of public school enrollment, reducing hours for which the student is released to parent care.
• Carson Smith Scholarship recipients are eligible.
• A student who attends a private school outside the state of Utah may be eligible if they have:
  1. A custodial parent who is either a permanent resident in the state of Utah, or
  2. A custodial parent who can demonstrate permanent residence during a period of temporary residence outside of Utah; Residency determination is a local decision made by a program provider.
• Public and private school students enrolling prior to the 9th grade are required to have:
  1. Public school students, a graduation plan on file with their counselor which includes a plan for Early Graduation, and approval, from the high school from which they intend to graduate that credit earned prior to the 9th grade will be accepted for purposes of high school graduation.
  2. Private school students must also have approval from the high school from which they intend to graduate that credit earned prior to the 9th grade will be accepted for purposes of high school graduation at that school.

Terms and Conditions

This document outlines the agreement between the Primary LEA, Provider LEA, Student, and Parent(s) regarding the Course Credit Acknowledgement (CCA) and adhering to Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-726 (the Rule) and Utah State Code sections 53F-4 Chapter 5.

• ASSESSMENTS: The Provider will conduct all required assessments for the course. Families are obligated to complete assessments as a condition of public-school enrollment, however requests for accommodation of a parent or guardian’s desire to exempt a student from testing may be accommodated using a form the provider will supply.
• COURSE FEES AND PAYMENT TO PROVIDERS: The Provider LEA must amend this CCA to reflect performance stages to receive fee distributions, as defined by Utah State Code. Timely record changes are essential for this process.
• CREDIT AND GRADES: The Provider LEA agrees to transmit the grade and credit for each .25 credit increment within 30 days of course completion or remediation. Reporting must be completed by June 30.
• COURSE START AND END: To continue participation, students must meet active participation standards set by the course provider. Courses start on the "Course Start Date" and have defined completion dates: (a) Semester courses end 9 weeks after a traditional semester; (b) Full Year courses end one year from the start date.
• REQUIRED CHANGES IN ENROLLMENT RECORDS:
  1. Pending CCA Parties have 72 Business Hours (8 business days) to accept or reject a CCA after receipt.
  2. Enrollment Complete The CCA is digitally signed by all parties and submitted to Utah State Board of Education (USBE) for processing. Instruction starts after completion. Withdrawal is allowed within 20 days of course start date.
  3. Confirmed CCA Provider LEA confirms student participation following the 20-day Withdrawal period, and USBE processes fee distribution as indicated by changes in enrollment records made by a provider.
• SPECIAL EDUCATION AND 504 ACCOMMODATIONS: If a student has an IEP or 504 Accommodations, the Counselor the Primary LEA forwards relevant information to the online course provider within 72 business hours. An IEP team may determine that further planning is necessary thereafter to meet student needs; the IEP team must invite a representative of the Provider to collaborate in this process.
• ACTIVE PARTICIPATION: Online Providers notify students of participation expectations, cooperate with USBE, and agree to refund of payments for withdrawals within 20 days.
• WITHDRAWAL: Primary Schools and Providers should inform USBE of student withdrawal intent by email within 20 days.

Instruction and funding commence following USBE issuance of a notice of enrollment. Changes impacting course enrollment must be promptly communicated to the Provider. Acknowledgement terms may be revised by USBE without explicit notice. Participation is subject to USBE review, verification, and audit.