Bill Text: NY A08845 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of education to establish an online learning advisory council to make recommendations for establishment of a statewide online and blended learning program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-18 - substituted by s5509c [A08845 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A08845-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8845
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 20, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. NOLAN, RUSSELL -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Education
       AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to  establish  an  online
         learning  advisory committee to make recommendations on establishing a
         statewide online and blended learning program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Legislative intent. The legislature recognizes that there
    2  is a demonstrated need to reevaluate the delivery of  education  in  New
    3  York  state  in  light of educational advancements and a more technolog-
    4  ically driven economy. In light of academic discrepancies for  those  in
    5  the  most  rural  and underrepresented areas within the state as well as
    6  the unstable economic times, we believe that there is a need to  advance
    7  emerging  technologies  and the potential for implementation of a state-
    8  wide online and blended learning program. This will provide an  opportu-
    9  nity  to  highlight  the  state's most successful programs and make them
   10  universally accessible. A statewide online and blended learning  program
   11  will  not  only have the potential to provide equal educational opportu-
   12  nities to the most remote areas of the state, but help all  students  as
   13  they transition into a competitive marketplace.
   14    S  2. The commissioner of education, in consultation with the New York
   15  state broadband program office of the empire  state  development  corpo-
   16  ration, the New York state energy research and development authority and
   17  the  public service commission, shall establish an online learning advi-
   18  sory committee which shall develop recommendations for establishment  of
   19  a statewide online and blended learning program. Such advisory committee
   20  shall  be composed of 12 members appointed by the commissioner of educa-
   21  tion. Provided that  of  such  12  members:    three  members  shall  be
   22  appointed  upon  the recommendation of the governor, three members shall
   23  be appointed upon the recommendation of the temporary president  of  the
   24  senate,  three members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the
   25  speaker of the assembly, and the remaining members shall be appointed in
   26  the sole discretion of the commissioner of education. The members of the
   27  committee shall have demonstrated experience with or expertise in one of
   28  the following areas: private or public online  providers,  accreditation
   29  of  programming,  boards  of  cooperative  educational  services, school
   30  administration, educational delivery in a rural setting, existing online
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10800-09-4
       A. 8845                             2
    1  and blended learning program development, institutions of higher  educa-
    2  tion,  or as a teacher certified pursuant to article 61 of the education
    3  law. The recommendations of the advisory committee  shall  include,  but
    4  not be limited to:
    5    (a) definitions of online and blended learning;
    6    (b)  connecting  modules  throughout  the  state  in order to create a
    7  statewide online and blended learning system including, but not  limited
    8  to, remote and rural school districts;
    9    (c)  model school district policies, as well as model agreements to be
   10  used by school districts in implementation  of  an  online  and  blended
   11  learning  program including, but not limited to, agreements that address
   12  billing, fees, responsibilities of online course  providers  and  school
   13  districts;
   14    (d)  best  practices from throughout the state that can be modeled and
   15  replicated;
   16    (e) implementation guidelines and policies for schools without  online
   17  and blended learning programs;
   18    (f)  state  and  federal  funding opportunities for online and blended
   19  learning programs, as well as a review of state aid to online and blend-
   20  ed learning programs;
   21    (g) regulatory review and development of new regulations pertaining to
   22  online and blended learning programs;
   23    (h) content and course evaluation;
   24    (i) identifiable academic programming suited for  online  and  blended
   25  learning that have been eliminated from course offerings within the past
   26  five  years  including,  but  not  limited to, foreign language courses,
   27  technology  classes,  art  and  music,  and  career  and  college  ready
   28  programs;
   29    (j)  partnerships  with institutions of higher education for workforce
   30  opportunities using online and blended learning;
   31    (k)  teaching  and  professional  development  requirements  including
   32  recommendations  regarding  licensure, and compliance with current state
   33  laws;
   34    (l) technology support, including but not  limited  to,  technological
   35  delivery  and broadband access to remote and underrepresented geographic
   36  areas;
   37    (m) quality assessment and licensing of online providers;
   38    (n) operational and administrative support guidelines;
   39    (o) addressing barriers to the implementation of  online  and  blended
   40  learning programs; and
   41    (p)  local  school  district flexibility including recommendations for
   42  compliance with seat-time and graduation requirements.
   43    S 3. The members of the advisory committee shall  receive  no  compen-
   44  sation  for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and neces-
   45  sary expenses incurred in the performance of their  duties  pursuant  to
   46  this act.
   47    S  4. The advisory committee shall convene on or before August 1, 2014
   48  to develop its recommendations.  On  or  before  January  1,  2015,  the
   49  committee  shall  submit a preliminary report of its recommendations for
   50  consideration in the executive budget for  the  2015-2016  state  fiscal
   51  year,  and, on or before October 1, 2015, shall submit a final report of
   52  its recommendations to the governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the
   53  senate,  the  speaker  of the assembly and the chairs of the legislative
   54  commission on the development of rural resources.
   55    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.