The Beaverton School Board on June 2 heard a report from district teaching-and-learning staff on efforts to keep students on track to graduate, including expanded credit-recovery options, reengagement supports and changes under Policy JECA that extend district enrollment for some students to age 21.

District leaders told the board the programs are intended to offer flexible, individualized pathways for students who fall behind in credits, face social-emotional or medical barriers, or require schedule flexibility to graduate. Presenters emphasized that the system can appear “messy” on paper because the programs intentionally overlap to meet varied student needs.

Why it matters: Board members were shown district data linking the work to higher completion rates and were told the changes support groups that the district said were most affected by earlier age limits, including English-language learners and newcomer students. The programs also offer specific supports for teen parents, justice-involved youth and students needing workplace credentials.

Todd Corsetti, of the district’s Teaching and Learning Department, said the district uses a broad definition of “alternative education” that includes on-site and online options and a range of individualized supports. “Alternative ed really encompasses programs and systems that expand on what our comprehensive K-12 system can provide,” Corsetti said, adding that student agency, strong student–educator relationships and staff professional development are essential components.

Beaverton High School Principal Andrew Curl described the school’s Beaverton Academic Reengagement Center (BARC), a credit-recovery program that now includes a full-time counselor, a dedicated credit-recovery teacher, a grad mentor and learning-target monitors from each academic department. Curl said the Success Seminar and a partial-day BARC option have helped students reengage; the district reported 11 BARC graduates this year, including students in fifth- and sixth-year high-school plans and several returning from the Oregon Youth Challenge Program (OYCP).

Lehi Online School and Lehi Credit were presented as districtwide resources that offer rolling enrollment, asynchronous online coursework, optional one-on-one support and shared course offerings across sites. Staff said flex credit is funded through Measure 98 and is used by students identified by counselors as at risk of not graduating because of credit gaps or course availability. Presenters gave enrollment examples: 49 students from Beaverton High, 36 from Community School and 78 from Lehi Online participated in flex credit this year.

Passages, the district’s reengagement program housed at Merlot Station Campus, serves students ages 16–21 and offers multiple entry points: an “interval” program for students reentering after an absence, a “connect” option for older students finishing a small number of credits, GED (including GED en Español) options, OYCP transition supports and a college-track pathway allowing students to take classes at Portland Community College while in high school. The presenters said the district served 710 students across seven program components last year and that many of the district’s improvement in five-year cohort completion can be attributed to reengagement efforts.

Staff highlighted specific credentialing options used for credit recovery or workforce readiness, including the STAMP (world language proficiency), WorkKeys (reading, writing and math workplace skills) and GED tests. Beaver Lodge, described as a reengagement hub, reported 157 students earning STAMP credentials and 37 earning WorkKeys credentials this year.

Policy update: Presenters reviewed revisions to Policy JECA (Admission of Resident Students), adopted for the 2023–24 school year, which extended the maximum age of enrollment from 19 to 21 for students who do not receive special education services. The district said the extension is expected to benefit English-language learners and newcomer students; staff told the board they anticipate 29 students ages 19–21 will earn a diploma this year and six will complete a GED under the extended-age provision.

Board members asked about program details including summer offerings, caps on sections, attendance and “10-day” drop procedures, supports for justice-involved youth and daycare for parenting students. Presenters said flex credit offers an intensive asynchronous summer option (this summer will include personal finance, a new graduation requirement) and that some summer programs are capped because they are self-funded; waivers are available for families who cannot pay. Staff said the state’s attendance guidance for online programs requires two-way interaction daily and that once a student reaches the 10-day drop point the student loses access to the home-site program, but the district’s reengagement teams and counselors pursue outreach and may refer students to Passages or BARC for continued engagement.

Board member commentary: Several board members praised the range of options and the district’s focus on keeping students connected to school. Board member Susan recounted personal experience using multiple district options for her child and urged continued attention to outreach. Board member Tammy asked whether summer courses carry a fee; staff said they do but that waivers are available. Justice, Sunita and Melissa asked about special-education pathways, supports for justice-system–involved youth and attendance-tracking practices; presenters said services are provided across diploma pathways and that the district has a teacher-on-special-assignment (TOSA) focused on transitions for students returning from juvenile justice or hospitalization.

What’s next: District staff invited board questions and said they will provide additional details on caps, summer-section limits and specific enrollment processes. The presentation concluded and the board moved to begin its business meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Ending: Board Chair Dr. Perez thanked staff and adjourned the work session at 6:40 p.m.