JHB - Home and Hospital Instruction

1. PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY

The Board of Education recognizes the importance of providing instruction to students who are confined to home or hospital. The Board also recognizes the need to maintain contact between the school and the home during the time when these students are unable to attend school. The District will provide instruction to convalescing students in grades one through twelve to alleviate concern over grades and credits, to maintain the knowledge and skills necessary for returning to the classroom, and to assure ongoing contact between school and home during the term of the illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstance. 

2. QUALIFICATIONS FOR SERVICES

Students must meet the following criteria to be considered for home or hospital instruction. Satisfaction of these criteria does not guarantee that a student will receive home or hospital instruction. Home and hospital instruction is at the sole discretion of the District. 

The student lives within the boundaries of Nebo School District and is enrolled in a Nebo District school.

The student is confined at home or in a hospital due to physical or emotional illness, injury, disability, or other extenuating circumstances. 

The student has missed or expects to miss ten (10) or more consecutive days of school.

The student's condition will not allow attendance during the school day.

Home or hospital instruction is recommended by the student's physician, medical professional, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychotherapist, or legally directed services, and is requested by the parent(s)/guardian(s). 

3. REQUESTING SERVICES

The parent must notify an administrator at the student’s school of the need for home or hospital services. The school administrator will initiate the required procedures to begin the home and hospital services. 

The student's physician, medical professional, licensed social worker, or licensed psychotherapist shall be asked to estimate the length of time that home and hospital instruction services will be needed. Minimum duration of services is two (2) weeks and maximum service is nine (9) weeks without additional follow-up with the referring medical provider.

Provision of services will be initiated at the school by the administrator. The administrator shall complete the Request for Home and Hospital Instruction form and submit it together with applicable medical documentation to the Coordinator of Student Services prior to commencement of home or hospital instruction. If the student is receiving services or accommodations under an IEP or Section 504 Plan, the form must also be submitted to the Director of Special Education or Section 504 Coordinator, respectively. 

Home and hospital instruction services shall be provided for pregnant girls only when complications make it inadvisable or impossible for the student to participate at her boundary school or Legacy School.

Home and hospital instruction services may be denied or discontinued if it appears that the services are worsening the student's condition, increasing or prolonging school phobia or anxiety, or otherwise having a harmful impact upon the student.

In most cases, the duration of services shall be determined by the administrator after consultation with the medical professional requesting home and hospital services.

If it appears that the program is being abused by the parent or student, the administrator will initiate a review with the Coordinator of Student Services.

Instruction for students who are suspended is not covered under this policy but should be arranged through the Coordinator of Student Services. 

4. ASSIGNMENT OF TEACHERS

Students shall be taught by a certified teacher as assigned by the school administrator.

School administrators shall make home and hospital teaching assignments on the basis of teacher interest, availability, and curriculum qualifications.

Teachers shall be reimbursed for providing home and hospital instruction at their current hourly base rate. All required documentation will be submitted to the Coordinator of Student Services prior to teacher reimbursement.

One half hour of preparation time is allowed for each two hours of actual instruction. 

Teachers shall receive a mileage reimbursement at the current district rate.  Mileage is based upon the distance from the school to the student's home or other designated public location and to the instructor’s home.  If visiting multiple students on the same trip, mileage shall also be paid for the distance between students’ homes/locations when necessary. Time required for travel is not part of the two-hour instruction time.

Teachers shall submit the required documentation each month prior to being reimbursed for services.

The administrator shall submit time sheets for home and hospital instruction along with the designated copy of the Home and Hospital Teaching Record Form. 

5. INSTRUCTION

Home Instruction

Instruction shall be provided at the student's home. Under exceptional circumstances the instruction may be provided at an alternate public location. Generally, one two-hour instruction session shall be provided per week. With administrator approval, two one-hour sessions may be provided if it is deemed in the best interest of the student. (One-hour sessions are generally only used with elementary-age students.) In no case shall a student receive less than two hours of instruction per week. 

A parent or other responsible adult must be present in the home during the instruction session. If the parent or guardian fails to provide proper supervision, the instruction session shall be canceled.

Textbooks shall be furnished by the school where the student is enrolled. 

Hospital Instruction

Nebo District shall provide teachers, textbooks, and instructional materials for students confined to approved, non-accredited facilities. 

The instruction of students confined to hospitals with accredited educational facilities will be coordinated with the District on a case-by-case basis. 

6. GRADES AND CREDIT FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Students who are receiving home and hospital instruction shall be counted as attending school.

Secondary teachers must prepare assignment sheets for students in their classes who are receiving home and hospital instruction. Teachers are accountable to provide instruction consistent with adopted Utah state core standards. Substitute assignments will be provided if the regular class activities cannot be completed at home. Upon consultation with the school administration, the teacher can give the student an "incomplete" for the course when it cannot be appropriately taught through home and hospital instruction. In this case, the District would provide an opportunity for the student to make up the missed credit through an alternative class or program. 

Junior high and high school students who receive home and hospital instruction for five weeks or more during any one quarter shall receive attendance credit and grades for work completed. 

7. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Home or hospital instruction for a student with an IEP must be approved by the Director of Special Education or designee. 

Home or hospital instruction for a student with a Section 504 plan must be approved by the District Section 504 Coordinator. 

Students for whom a parent has requested home or hospital instruction and who do not have an IEP or 504 plan should be evaluated for eligibility under the IDEA or Section 504. Not all students who need home or hospital instruction will have a qualifying disability under those laws, but the need for lengthy home or hospital instruction may be an indication that a student should be evaluated.