Reducing Youth Violence, Increasing Graduation Rates

 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Pursuant to WAC 392-700-035, youth are eligible for enrolling in an Open Doors [1418] youth reengagement program when they meet the following criteria: 

  1. Under twenty-one (21) years of age, but at least sixteen (16) years of age, as of as of September 1,
  2. Has not yet met high school graduation requirements, 
  3. Has been found to be credit deficient pursuant to WAC 392-700-035(c)

2. Has been found to be credit deficient pursuant to WAC 392-700-035(c):

(c) At the time the student enrolls, is significantly behind in credits based on the student's cohort graduation date. The cohort graduation date is established as the end of the fourth school year after a student first enrolls in the ninth grade.

  1. A student who is more than twenty-four months from their cohort graduation date and has earned less than sixty-five percent of the high school credits expected to be earned by their cohort or has a ratio of earned credits to attempted credits that is less than sixty-five percent. A cohort is the group of students that enter the ninth grade in the same school year;
  2. A student who is between twelve and twenty-four months from their cohort graduation date and has earned less than seventy percent of the high school credits expected to be earned by their cohort or has a ratio of earned credits to attempted credits that is less than seventy percent;
  3. A student who is less than twelve months from their cohort graduation date or who has passed their cohort graduation date by less than twelve months and has earned less than seventy-five percent of the high school credits expected to be earned by their cohort or has a ratio of earned credits to attempted credits that is less than seventy-five percent;
  4. A student who is passed their cohort graduation date by twelve months or more and has not met their district, tribal compact school, or charter school graduation requirements; or
  5. A student who has never attended the ninth grade and has earned zero high school credits.

If determined not to be credit deficient as outlined in WAC 392-700-035(c), has been recommended for enrollment by case managers from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the juvenile justice system, district approved school personnel, or staff from community agencies which provide educational advocacy services. 

3. Additionally, prior to enrollment in the Program, all students must:

  1. Have been withdrawn from their last high school, AND
  2. Have been released from their resident district and accepted by the District, if the District is not the student’s resident district.  

4. Once determined eligible for reengagement programming, a student will retain eligibility, regardless of breaks in enrollment, until the student does one of the following:

  1. Earns a high school diploma.  NOTE: Students who earn their General Educational Development (GED) retain their eligibility and may continue to participate in the Program.
  2. Earns an Associate Degree.
  3. Becomes ineligible because has turned age twenty-one (21) on or before September 1 of a new school year.