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Subcommittee backs referral to expand hybrid 'flex' Evolve pathway after pilot reengaged dropouts
Summary
A pilot hybrid/flex pathway served 16 students this year and reengaged several dropouts; the subcommittee voted to refer a plan to expand the program to the full committee and pursue a student learning time waiver to grow capacity to 50 students next year.
The subcommittee reviewed a year-long pilot of a hybrid/flex pathway run through Durfee High School’s Evolve program and voted to refer an expansion proposal to the full committee. Presenters said the pilot enrolled 16 students with significant attendance, mental-health or work-related barriers; most participants were older (average age 17) and had documented physical or mental-health challenges.
Program options included asynchronous virtual coursework aligned to project-based, competency-based curriculum; mixed virtual/in-person hybrid schedules; and an after-dark in-person support block. The district reported positive results: 12 of 16 students showed strong credit accumulation, eight were on track to graduate and five of six previously disengaged students returned and were graduating. Presenters said the pilot was revenue positive under the district’s enrollment assumptions and that the program is a candidate for a Department of Education student learning time waiver needed to expand the flex model.
The administration asked permission to submit a student learning time waiver to the state and to scale the pathway to 50 students next year, with a three-year plan to grow to 75 and then 100 students. The program team also reported a $150,000 sustainability grant from the Barr Foundation to support teacher stipends and curriculum development aligned to competency-based TLEs (project-based learning).
Committee members asked about eligibility (current rule: students a year-and-a-half off track in credits; eligibility may be broadened for ninth grade going forward), space and outreach. Presenters said current capacity exists for the coming year but expansion would require additional space, and they are exploring local sites (including community college space) and partnerships. The subcommittee referred expansion to the full committee for consideration and requested a plan for recruitment, eligibility criteria, and identified space and budget implications.
Why it matters: The flex pathway targets students at risk of dropping out or who do not succeed in traditional schedules; committee members cited the option’s role in reengaging students and in offering alternatives to fully virtual charter/online programs.
No final expansion or waiver was approved at the subcommittee level; the referral asks the full committee to review the waiver application, expansion timeline, and funding and space plan.
