Section 210.75  Program Approval Criteria

All complete applications to establish an IHOPE program shall be reviewed in accordance with the following criteria and approved based upon the extent to which:

a)         the proposed program is structured to meet the individual needs of the students anticipated to be served, includes approaches shown to be successful in serving dropouts, and will be located at a site that will be educationally beneficial for the students to be served;

b)         the curriculum is tied to State and district standards, its pace and sequence will likely lead to academic progress in a timely way, and the specific educational goals and accompanying procedures for assessing student progress are clearly defined and measurable;

c)         support services are appropriate and necessary for students to improve their academic achievement and will not unduly interrupt the ability of the students to progress academically;

d)         evidence is presented that the staff to be employed meet the requirements of Section 210.40(e) of this Part and that any not-for-profit entity proposed to provide instructional services is recognized by the State Board of Education (see Section 210.40(a)(2) of this Part); and

e)         the financial plan to support the program is cost-effective, as evidenced by the numbers to be served and services to be provided, and includes evidence that local, State or federal funds and other sources of revenue will be coordinated to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of program services and activities.