(a) Recruiting and admission.

(b) Learning environments.

(c) Integral development of participating students and their learning.

(d) Program content design.

(e) Assessment of organizational effectiveness.

(f) Organizational competency.

(g) Partnerships and collaborations.

(h) These schools may receive any international, federal, or state accreditation available for the various programs.

(a) All children and youths have the right to quality education.

(b) All school dropouts and at-risk children and youths represent a population with full potential for human development thus requiring an education adjusted to their socioeconomic and educational needs and to their unique interests.

(c) Taking into consideration the high incidence of school dropouts and at-risk children and youths, alternative education shall be considered a curriculum within the educational system in Puerto Rico.

(d) Alternative education for school dropouts and at-risk children and youths should be characterized by its focus on them, the promotion of opportunities for participation, academic preparation, physical and sports training, trust in their capabilities, discipline, respect for human dignity, the opportunity to explore and develop their talents, including the means of artistic expression, occupational education, and technological training that provides them with self-management tools.

(e) The State recognizes the benefits of partnerships with the municipalities of Puerto Rico and municipal consortiums, nonprofit government and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit higher education institutions, both from the government and the nongovernment sectors, and their contributions to improve the quality of life of Puerto Rico. The Government and the entities and institutions that have purposes similar to the purposes of this chapter should establish a partnership so they can work in conjunction to expedite the resources and promote the conditions that shall guarantee the continuity of services.

(f) School dropouts and at-risk children and youths need varied education models of proven effectiveness in satisfying the needs and unique characteristics of this population.

(g) In order to effectively address the unique needs and interests of their students, alternative education entities shall have autonomy and flexibility relating to its administration, operations, and curriculum, in accordance with its objectives and education model, but shall be required to comply with the parameters and meet the requirements established both in this chapter and the regulations adopted thereunder. They shall also meet all the licensing requirements set forth by the Puerto Rico Education Council, pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 1 of July 26, 2010, as amended.

(1) To recognize alternative education as an academic curriculum within the education system of Puerto Rico;

(2) To establish a structure within a clear and efficient legal framework to guarantee the quality of the alternative education offered in Puerto Rico, as well as the availability of funds therefor;

(3) To validate educational services that take into consideration the characteristics of the development stage of school dropouts or at-risk children and youths not being addressed by the mainstream curriculum, in order to allow for the optimum development of their potential, knowledge, attitudes, and competencies through alternative education;

(4) To promote development and support to the career, entrepreneurial, and business training process of participants, taking as basis the business or job expectations and needs of the population, their qualified entry into the changing labor market, and their self-management capabilities, giving priority to those actions geared to their social and financial improvement, and to the involvement of students in the community;

(5) To establish quality standards and accountability mechanisms for alternative education entities by overseeing the use of the funds allocated for such purposes and the attainment of definite results;

(6) To contribute to the documentation of effective alternative education practices to help improve the education system in general; and

(7) To promote the collection of individual historical data of participants of the alternative education programs, and the collection of the pertinent statistics for the benefit of the education system of Puerto Rico.

(a) Partnership.- Means the "Alternative Education Partnership, Inc".

(b) At-risk.- Means those students whose profiles show any of the following indicators, and who do not show any changes upon interventions conducted by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico:

(14) Those other indicators to be identified in the future by the Alternative Education Commission.

(c) Alternative Education Commission.- Means an entity composed of seven (7) persons that shall serve as the regulatory and oversight entity of the public policy on alternative education in Puerto Rico.

(d) Alternative education.- Means a curriculum within the education system geared to the population of school dropouts or at-risk children and youths, in an integrated manner that addresses their unique interests, needs, and development levels in cognitive, academic, biopsychosocial, vocational, and entrepreneurial areas, which promotes values and the optimum development of their potential.

(e) Alternative education entities.- Means educational centers and/or basic level schools, with their corresponding institutional units, whether newly created or existing ones, from the government and non-government sector, that offer alternative education programs in Puerto Rico. These entities shall be held accountable for the use of state funds and shall produce measurable results in accordance with the established indicators and metrics, which shall be developed under quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as comply with the applicable laws and regulations.

(a) To promote the development of alternative education, ensuring that the models and programs to be used and taught are aligned with the purposes of the public policy set forth in this chapter and certified by the Commission.

(b) To submit reports to the Custodian Agency and the Commission, as established in § 3820 of this title.

(c) To render reports to the Commission on the use and results of any other funds, gifts, or public or private transfers received which are directed to the public policy on alternative education established in this chapter.

(d) To collaborate with the Department of Education to promote the permanence of students in school, and the use of effective practices and models to improve the education system in general.

(e) To meet the requirements and rules adopted by the Commission with respect to alternative education in Puerto Rico.

(f) To promote collaboration agreements with municipalities or municipal consortiums in Puerto Rico and other government or nongovernmental organizations to broaden its services.

(g) The operations of alternative education institutions under this chapter shall be subject to the oversight and audits to be conducted by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico.

(c) To receive and evaluate financial reports from the alternative education entities and make the semiannual disbursements as the Custodian Agency of the budget allocation earmarked in this chapter.

(a) The distribution of funds, through per student grants or allocations to organizations of proven effectiveness, to continue with the implementation and development of alternative education programs.

(b) Grants for the creation of new programs or the improvement of recently-created programs.

(c) Grants or contracts for training and technical assistance related to alternative education.

(d) Grants or contracts for the implementation of information dissemination strategies to raise the public's awareness of the alternative education concept.

(e) Grants or contracts for external evaluations, investigations, and studies that contribute to the documentation and collection of statistics on alternative education.

(f) Promotion and networking with alternative education systems or entities in other states of the United States and in other countries.

(g) Contracting of resources to procure additional funding for alternative education in Puerto Rico.

(h) Administrative and/or operating expenses required for the implementation of this chapter.

(i) Any other use related to the purposes of this chapter.

a) This process can only be used by the Principal when:

(1) he knows that student performance is out of compliance with Class II or Class III in accordance with the Children Act, or if the student is to be tried as an adult or is involved in an act that is establishing serious criminal offense, or

(2) when the Principal has grounds to believe that a student may be an actual or imminent harm to another student or other persons or school property.

6) Suspension of one (1) to fifteen (15) school days.

4) Expulsion–permanent separation of the Public Education System.

a. Impeding or limiting other students from completing their homework- all students who obstruct or impede other students from doing their school work will incur this violation

c. Challenge Authority–a student is in violation if they disobey a directive or direct order for lawful purposes and that has been issued by a person with authority to do so. […]

j. Mutiny–It is a violation when two or more students working together, without legal authorization, make use of force and violence to disturb the institutional peace or threaten to use force or violence accompanied by the ability to do it.

a. Assault- Assault–anyone who employs force or violence against another person to do harm.

b. Mutilation–any student who illegally and maliciously deprives or disables and disfigures a person or a body part.