Phoenix
Immokalee and Naples

OVERVIEW
The Phoenix Program is an alternative school program that seeks to provide educational opportunities for students that have been recommended for expulsion from the Collier County Public Schools(CCPS). Students will be able to maintain their academics during the term of their recommendation for expulsion as long as they abide by a Behavior Contract that they enter into upon enrollment into Phoenix.

GOALS
The goals of the program are:

• To provide educational opportunities for students in grades 6-12 that have been recommended for expulsion.
• To reduce the dropout rate by enabling students to maintain their academics during the term of their recommendation for expulsion.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the school year:

1. 90% of the students enrolled in Phoenix will remain in school or graduate.
2. 90% of the students that have been recommended for expulsion and are being served by Phoenix will not be expelled during the current school year.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES
At the end of the school year:

Objective 1: Total program enrollment for the year will be determined. The number of students earning a high school diploma, the right to return to the regular school program or who will remain in the program will be determined.

Objective 2: Total program enrollment for the year will be determined. The number of students that fail to complete the program or are removed from the program and their expulsion forwarded to the School Board will be determined.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Students in grades 6-12 that have been recommended for expulsion are eligible for the program. They must also be recommended by the area Assistant Superintendent and approved by the School Board Chairperson. Students that are deemed a substantial danger to others are not eligible. Admission will be on a space available basis and contingent upon the parents and student agreeing to the conditions and contracts of the program.

STUDENT ADMISSION PROCEDURES
Entry to the program may occur at any time. Exit from the program occurs only at the conclusion of the student’s term of expulsion. Principals will prepare an expulsion packet for their local area Assistant Superintendent. The expulsion recommendation will be reviewed by the Assistant Superintendent to determine if he/she will recommend the student to the Phoenix Program. Once a student is recommended for Phoenix the parent/guardian will be contacted by the Lead Teacher to review the program requirements and contracts. If the parent and student agree to the conditions of the program they will be enrolled into Phoenix. If they do not agree to the program’s conditions and contracts their expulsion recommendation will be forwarded to the School Board.

OPERATING PROCEDURES

Description of Curriculum
The program will maintain the academic course work the student would have taken in the home school to every extent practicable. In addition, activities for personal/social development as well as a work experience course for age appropriate students will be provided. The program constitutes a separate school. Students may not participate in activities of the school from which they have come until earning the right to return to that school.

Special Teaching Strategies or Approaches
The program will be individualized, self-paced and competency or time based. Students will complete their course work with the assistance and facilitation of teachers and tutors. Prescription, guidance and evaluation of progress will be the primary role of the teachers. The student and teacher arrange schedules so that some courses may be competency based or taken on-line while others will be delivered in the traditional classroom manner. An orientation to the program is provided for all parents and students prior to their admission.

Application of Program to Eligible Exceptional Students & Limited English Proficient Students
Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who meet program eligibility criteria will have equal access to the program. Exceptional students who meet the program eligibility criteria will be considered for placement. An IEP review will occur prior to this placement with staff of the Phoenix Program present at the review.

Student Services
An ESE Specialist, from the Alternative Schools, will be assigned to assist this program with following proper procedures and ensuring that proper services are in place before placing an ESE student in Phoenix. The program will also have access to a psychologist, Guidance Counselor, Behavior Specialist and Speech/Language Teacher.

Grade Levels
The program is available to students in grades 6-12.

Number and Description of Program Staff
Naples site has 5 teachers, 5 non-instrucitonal staff and a lead teacher. The Immokalee site has 4 teachers and 3 non-instructional staff. The adult staff and student ratio varies depending upon enrollment.

Description of Facilities
The Naples site is located at the campus of Lorenzo Walker Institute for Technology in a separate building. The Immokalee site is located at The Learning Center.

Number of Class Periods and Length of Periods in Minutes
The program is full time for a minimum of five hours for all students served at Phoenix.

Average Class Size
The pupil/staff ratio for the program varies as does the program’s population.

Length of Stay
Students are enrolled for the term of their expulsion. Admission may occur at any time. Return to the regular school program may occur upon completion of the recommended term of a student’s expulsion. Students that are not successful in the Phoenix Program will be referred back to the area Assistant Superintendent so he/she may process the student’s expulsion recommendation to the Board.

Total Number of Students
Two Hundred and forty (240) students were served during the 2004-05 school year, historically that number increases from year to year.