I.    PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide information to the Minnetonka School District employees regarding the instructional guidelines and parameters of homebound instruction.

II.    GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

The Minnetonka School District’s curriculum centers instructional practices on challenging and supporting all students in the pursuit of their highest academic and personal achievement. The District shall provide teachers and staff with a framework for ensuring that students receive educational instruction to progress in their individual curriculum.

The District must provide regular education, special education, or both, to a pupil in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade, when students are prevented from attending their regular school for extended periods of time, due to care and treatment.

If a student is unable to attend regular classes at the normal school site because of illness, injury, or placement in some type of treatment facility the student, as classified by the homebound criteria, the student can be defined as a homebound student. To ensure that the student continues to make educational progress in their individual curriculum, a licensed instructor provides homebound instruction as soon as practicable under treatment conditions of these students.

III.    DEFINITIONS

Homebound: The student is prevented from attending the student’s normal educational site, and is in need of alternative educational instruction.

Instruction: a teacher-led process, which transforms well planned curriculum into student learning. Instruction is standards-focused teaching for the purpose of providing meaningful learning experiences that enables students to master academic content and meet graduation requirements.

“Student with an IEP” or “special education student”: means a student who is eligible to receive special education services and related services, pursuant to the terms of an individual education plan (IEP) or an Individual Interagency Intervention Plan (IIIP).

IEP Team: A special education student’s IEP team comprised of, at minimum, the following individuals: the student, parent(s) or guardian(s), special education teacher, administrator or designee, and a regular education teacher. Additional team members may comprise the IEP team as applicable based on the number of service providers and instructors that work with the student. The IEP team is responsible for developing a plan that provides for an appropriate education for students with disabilities.

“Student with a 504 Plan: means a student who is eligible to receive accommodations and/or supplementary services, pursuant to the terms of the 504 Plan

IV.    ELIGIBILITY OF HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION

Students who are enrolled in a school are eligible for homebound instruction. Eligibility for homebound instruction shall include children with disabilities as defined under the mandatory provision of Minnesota Statute §120.03 (Special Instruction for Children with a Disability) and Minnesota Statute §125.05 (Method of Special Instruction), and students who meet the definition of having a disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Eligibility for homebound instruction may also include students who are excluded from attendance in the regular school program under provisions of Policy 417 Chemical Use Policy, policy 506 Student Discipline and Code of Conduct, and Minnesota Statute §127. 26 – 127.39 (Pupil Fair Dismissal Act).

Minnesota Rule 3525.2325 states that education services must be provided to a regular education student who is:

• absent/prevented from attending for 15 consecutive days;
• predicted to be absent for 15 consecutive days according to the placing authority, such as a medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, judge, or other court-appointed authority; or
• health-impaired and in need of special education and predicted by the team to be absent from the normal school site for 15 intermittent school days, education services must be provided by the District.

A pupil or regular education student shall begin receiving homebound instruction as soon as is practicable under treatment conditions to ensure that the student continues to make educational progress.

Students receiving homebound instruction will be eligible for credit toward graduation, contingent on satisfactory completion of assignments, as determined by the instructors and/or the building principal.

V.    IMPLEMENTATION AND POLICY REVIEW

The Superintendent or designee is directed and authorized to approve applications for homebound instruction, and shall develop the necessary guidelines for the implementation of this policy.