Bill Text: IA HF204 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to open enrollment of students in online learning programs. (Formerly HF 97)

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-02-18 - Subcommittee, Quirmbach, Dvorsky, and Johnson. S.J. 326. [HF204 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF204-Introduced.html

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House File 204 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO HF 97)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to open enrollment of students in online
  2    learning programs.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1074HV (2) 86
    je/sc

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph c, Code
  1  2 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    c.  Adopt rules that limit the statewide enrollment of
  1  4 pupils in educational instruction and course content that are
  1  5 delivered primarily over the internet to not more than eighteen
  1  6 one=hundredths of one percent of the statewide enrollment of
  1  7 all pupils, and that limit the number of pupils participating
  1  8 in open enrollment for purposes of receiving educational
  1  9 instruction and course content that are delivered primarily
  1 10 over the internet to no more than one percent of a sending
  1 11 district's enrollment. Until June 30, 2015, students Such
  1 12 limitations shall not apply if the limitations would prevent
  1 13 siblings from enrolling in the same school district or if a
  1 14 sending district determines that the educational needs of
  1 15 a physically or emotionally fragile student would be best
  1 16 served by educational instruction and course content that are
  1 17 delivered primarily over the internet. Students who meet
  1 18 the requirements of section 282.18 may participate in open
  1 19 enrollment under this paragraph "c" for purposes of enrolling
  1 20 only in the CAM community school district or the Clayton Ridge
  1 21 community school district.
  1 22    (1)  School districts providing educational instruction
  1 23 and course content that are delivered primarily over the
  1 24 internet pursuant to this paragraph "c" shall annually submit
  1 25 to the department, in the manner prescribed by the department,
  1 26 data that includes but is not limited to student achievement
  1 27 and demographic characteristics, retention rates, and the
  1 28 percentage of enrolled students' active participation in
  1 29 extracurricular activities.
  1 30    (2)  The department shall conduct annually a survey of not
  1 31 less than ten percent of the total number of students enrolled
  1 32 as authorized under this paragraph "c" and section 282.18, and
  1 33 not less than one hundred percent of the students in those
  1 34 districts who are enrolled as authorized under this paragraph
  1 35 "c" and section 282.18 and who are eligible for free or reduced
  2  1 price meals under the federal National School Lunch Act and the
  2  2 federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. {{1751=1785, to
  2  3 determine whether students are enrolled under this paragraph
  2  4 "c" and section 282.18 to receive educational instruction and
  2  5 course content primarily over the internet or are students who
  2  6 are receiving competent private instruction from a licensed
  2  7 practitioner provided through a school district pursuant to
  2  8 chapter 299A.
  2  9    (3)  The department shall compile and review the data
  2 10 collected pursuant to this paragraph "c" and shall submit its
  2 11 findings and recommendations for the continued delivery of
  2 12 instruction and course content by school districts pursuant
  2 13 to this paragraph "c", in a report to the general assembly by
  2 14 January 15 annually.
  2 15    (4)  This paragraph "c" is repealed July 1, 2015.
  2 16 School districts providing educational instruction and
  2 17 course content that are delivered primarily over the internet
  2 18 pursuant to this paragraph "c" shall comply with the following
  2 19 requirements relating to such instruction and content:
  2 20    (a)  Monitoring and verifying full=time student enrollment,
  2 21 timely completion of graduation requirements, course credit
  2 22 accrual, and course completion.
  2 23    (b)  Monitoring and verifying student progress and
  2 24 performance in each course through a school=based assessment
  2 25 plan that includes submission of coursework and security and
  2 26 validity of testing.
  2 27    (c)  Conducting parent=teacher conferences.
  2 28    (d)  Administering assessments required by the state to all
  2 29 students in a proctored setting and pursuant to state law.
  2 30                           EXPLANATION
  2 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2 32 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2 33    Current law requires the state board of education to adopt
  2 34 rules for online learning, including rules prohibiting the
  2 35 open enrollment of students whose educational instruction and
  3  1 course content are delivered primarily over the internet. An
  3  2 exception to that prohibition requires the board to adopt rules
  3  3 allowing such enrollment, with limitations on how many students
  3  4 may be enrolled statewide and per school district. The
  3  5 exception also limits such open enrollment to the CAM community
  3  6 school district or the Clayton Ridge community school district
  3  7 until June 30, 2015. This exception to the prohibition of open
  3  8 enrollment in online learning is repealed by its own terms July
  3  9 1, 2015.
  3 10    This bill strikes the repeal, allowing the exception to
  3 11 remain in effect. The bill strikes the expiration of the
  3 12 limitation of open enrollment to the CAM community school
  3 13 district or the Clayton Ridge community school district,
  3 14 allowing the limitation to remain in place.
  3 15    The bill also provides that the limitations on how many
  3 16 students may be enrolled statewide or per district shall not
  3 17 apply if the limitations would prevent siblings from enrolling
  3 18 in the same school district or if a sending district determines
  3 19 that the educational needs of a physically or emotionally
  3 20 fragile student would be best served by educational instruction
  3 21 and course content that are delivered primarily over the
  3 22 internet.
  3 23    The bill provides requirements for school districts
  3 24 providing educational instruction and course content that are
  3 25 delivered primarily over the internet, including monitoring
  3 26 and verifying student enrollment and student progress and
  3 27 performance, conducting parent=teacher conferences, and
  3 28 administering state=required assessments.
  3 29    The bill strikes a requirement that the department of
  3 30 education conduct a survey of students who participate in open
  3 31 enrollment who are eligible for free or reduced price school
  3 32 meals under federal law.
       LSB 1074HV (2) 86
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