Bill Text: GA HB175 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Online Clearinghouse Act; enact
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-07-01 - Effective Date [HB175 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-HB175-Introduced.html
12 HB 175/AP
House
Bill 175 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Casas of the
103rd,
Harrell of the
106th,
Davis of the
109th,
Brockway of the
101st,
Nix of the
69th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to other educational programs under the "Quality
Basic Education Act," so as to provide various additional academic and
extracurricular options for students; to enact the "Online Clearinghouse Act";
to create a clearinghouse through which local school systems and charter schools
may offer their computer-based courses to students in other local school systems
and charter schools; to provide for definitions; to provide for procedures and
requirements for offering a course through the clearinghouse; to provide for
enrollment in virtual courses offered through the clearinghouse; to provide for
course fees and payment; to provide for assignment of grades; to provide for
offering of courses as dual enrollment and to nonpublic school students; to
provide for rules and regulations; to provide for statutory construction; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to other educational programs under the "Quality Basic
Education Act," is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"20-2-319.3.
(a)
This Code section shall be known and may be cited as the 'Online Clearinghouse
Act.'
(b)
As used in this Code section, the term:
(1)
'Charter school' means a local charter school, as defined in paragraph (7) of
Code Section 20-2-2062, a state chartered special school, as defined in
paragraph (16) of Code Section 20-2-2062, and a commission charter school, as
defined in paragraph (2) of Code Section 20-2-2081.
(2)
'Clearinghouse' means the clearinghouse established pursuant to subsection (b)
of this Code section.
(3)
'One credit' and 'half-credit' mean the customary academic unit of credit
granted for secondary school courses in this state.
(4)
'Student's school system' means the local school system operating the school in
which the student is lawfully enrolled.
(c)(1)
The department shall establish a clearinghouse of interactive distance learning
courses and other distance learning courses delivered via a computer-based
method offered by local school systems and charter schools for sharing with
other local school systems and charter schools for the fee set pursuant to
subsection (e) of this Code section. The department shall review the content of
each course prior to including it in the clearinghouse to ensure that it meets
state curriculum standards. The department is authorized to approve courses for
inclusion in the clearinghouse if the content meets state curriculum standards,
the applicant meets all technical requirements, and the course is delivered by a
highly qualified teacher who exhibits exceptional teaching skills and
methodology as certified by the local school system or charter school, which
teacher's credentials and skills shall be subject to review and approval by the
department.
(2)
To offer a course through the clearinghouse, a local school system or charter
school shall apply to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the
department. The application for each course shall describe the course of study
in as much detail as required by the department, the qualification and
credentials of the teacher, the number of hours of instruction, the technology
required to deliver and receive the course, the technical capacity of the local
school system or charter school to deliver the course, the times that the local
school system or charter school plans to deliver the course, and any other
information required by the department. The department may require local school
systems and charter schools to include in their applications information
recommended by the State Board of Education.
(3)
The department shall review the technical specifications of each application
submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection and shall determine if
the local school system or charter school can satisfactorily deliver the course
through the technology necessary for that delivery. All such courses shall be
delivered only in accordance with technical specifications approved by the
department.
(4)
The department may request additional information from a local school system or
charter school that submits an application pursuant to paragraph (2) of this
subsection, if the department determines that such information is necessary.
The department may negotiate changes in the proposal to offer a course, if the
department determines that changes are necessary in order to approve the
course.
(5)
The department shall catalog each course approved for the clearinghouse, through
a print or electronic medium, displaying the following:
(A)
Information necessary for a student and the student's parent, guardian, or
custodian and the student's school system or the student's charter school to
decide whether to enroll in the course; and
(B)
Instructions for enrolling in that course, including deadlines for
enrollment.
(6)
The department shall identify the copyright owner of each course in the catalog
and shall assist local school systems and charter schools in understanding the
process of registering copyrights and other protections of intellectual property
under federal law, if requested.
(d)(1)
A student who is enrolled in a school operated by a local school system or in a
charter school may enroll in a course included in the clearinghouse only if both
of the following conditions are satisfied:
(A)
The student's enrollment in the course is approved by the student's school
system or the student's charter school; and
(B)
The student's school system or the student's charter school agrees to accept for
credit the grade assigned by the local school system or charter school
delivering the course.
(2)
For each student enrolling in a course, the student's school system or the
student's charter school shall transmit the student's identification number and
the student's name to the local school system or charter school delivering the
course. The school system or charter school delivering the course may request
from the student's school system or the student's charter school other
information from the student's school record. The student's school system or
the student's charter school shall provide the requested information only in
accordance with state law.
(3)
The student's school system or the student's charter school shall determine the
manner in which and facilities at which the student shall participate in the
course consistent with specifications for technology and connectivity adopted by
the department.
(4)
A student may withdraw from a course prior to the end of the course only by a
date and in a manner prescribed by the student's school system or the student's
charter school.
(5)
A student who is enrolled in a school operated by a local school system or in a
charter school and who takes a course included in the clearinghouse shall be
counted in the funding formula of the student's school system or the student's
charter school as if the student were taking the course from the student's
school system or the student's charter school.
(e)(1)
The department shall set appropriate fees for one-credit and half-credit
courses.
(2)
The department shall proportionally reduce the fee for any student who withdraws
from a course prior to the end of the course pursuant to paragraph (4) of
subsection (d) of this Code section.
(3)
For each student enrolled in a course included in the clearinghouse, and not
later than the last day of that course, the department shall deduct the amount
of the fee for that course from the student's school system or charter school
allotment and shall pay that amount to the local school system or charter school
delivering the course.
(4)
From the funds received pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the local
school system or charter school delivering the course shall pay the teacher
conducting the course such additional amount of compensation as set by the
department based on the number of students taking the course and the course
fee.
(f)
The grade for a student who enrolls in a course included in the clearinghouse
shall be assigned by the local school system or charter school that delivers the
course and shall be transmitted by that school system or charter school to the
student's school system or the student's charter school.
(g)
The department may determine the manner in which a course included in the
clearinghouse may be offered as a dual enrollment program, may be offered to
students who are enrolled in nonpublic schools or a home study program pursuant
to Code Section 20-2-690, or may be offered at times outside the normal school
day or school week, including any necessary additional fees and methods of
payment for a course so offered.
(h)
The department shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of
this Code section. The department may coordinate the clearinghouse established
pursuant to this Code section with the Georgia Virtual School established
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-319.1.
(i)
Nothing in this Code section shall prohibit a local school system or charter
school from offering an interactive distance learning course or other distance
learning course using a computer-based method through any means other than the
clearinghouse established and maintained under this Code
section."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.