A+ ListServ - January 7, 2011
We have received several questions regarding the transition of the A+ program to the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The funding for the A+ program was moved to the Missouri Department of Higher Education at the end of August 2010. That means MDHE is paying the community colleges and career/technical schools for the classes eligible A+ students are taking. Funding for A+, as always, is subject to legislative appropriations, so we don’t know if that funding will change or not. Always make parents and students aware of that fact.
The A+ program still requires schools to go through a designation process that takes two to three years starting with the submission of the Notification of Commitment form. All schools seeking A+ designation are asked to complete the designation checklist. Once completed the district will need to submit a Final Notification of Assurances form to DESE in the spring of their designation year, stating they have met all the requirements on the checklist and will sustain the program.
Requirements for student eligibility remain the same as past years for school years 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. An education committee assembled by the governor’s office has composed a list of recommended student requirements that must go through an approval process before they are adopted. New requirements written for the MDHE rule, when approved, will be used starting with the 2013-2014 school year. It is our understanding that there will be an additional comment period before the new requirements become final.
This has been a transitional period for both DESE and the MDHE. Once guidelines for the program have been finally determined, there will be more communication about it. Additional questions or comments regarding the A+ program may be sent to Ingrid Caldwell.