Bill Text: IA SF248 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to educational instruction and course content primarily over the internet.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 6)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-14 - Subcommittee: Sinclair, Behn, and Quirmbach. S.J. 282. [SF248 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF248-Introduced.html
Senate File 248 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY CHELGREN, ZAUN, SCHULTZ, SINCLAIR, ROZENBOOM, and GUTH A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to educational instruction and course content 2 primarily over the internet. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1171XS (2) 87 je/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph a, Code 1 2 2017, is amended to read as follows: 1 3a.Adopt rules for online learning in accordance with 1 4 sections256.41,256.42,and 256.43, and criteria for waivers 1 5 granted pursuant to section 256.42. 1 6 Sec. 2. Section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraphs b and c, 1 7 Code 2017, are amended by striking the paragraphs. 1 8 Sec. 3. Section 256.9, subsection 56, Code 2017, is amended 1 9 to read as follows: 1 10 56. Develop and establish an online learning program model 1 11 in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to section 256.7, 1 12 subsection 32,paragraph "a",and in accordance with section 1 13 256.43. 1 14 Sec. 4. Section 256.41, Code 2017, is amended to read as 1 15 follows: 1 16 256.41 Online learning requirements==== legislative findings 1 17 and declarations. 1 18 1.The general assembly finds and declares the following:1 19a. That prior legislative enactments on the use of 1 20 telecommunications in elementary and secondary school classes 1 21 and courses did not contemplate and were not intended to 1 22 authorize participation in open enrollment under section 282.18 1 23 for purposes of attending online schools, contracts to provide 1 24 exclusively or predominantly online coursework to students, or 1 25 online coursework that does not use teachers licensed under 1 26 chapter 272 for instruction and supervision.1 27b. That online learning technology has moved ahead of Iowa's 1 28 statutory framework and the current administrative rules of the 1 29 state board, promulgated over twenty years ago, are inadequate 1 30 to regulate today's virtual opportunities.1 31 A school district providing educational instruction and 1 32 course content delivered primarily over the internet shall 1 33 do all of the following with regard to such instruction and 1 34 content: 1 35 a. Monitor and verify full=time student enrollment, timely 2 1 completion of graduation requirements, course credit accrual, 2 2 and course completion. 2 3 b. Monitor and verify student progress and performance 2 4 in each course through a school=based assessment plan that 2 5 includes submission of coursework and security and validity of 2 6 testing. 2 7 c. Conduct parent=teacher conferences. 2 8 d. Administer assessments required by the state to all 2 9 students in a proctored setting and pursuant to state law. 2 10 2. Online learning curricula shall be provided and 2 11 supervised by a teacher licensed under chapter 272. 2 12 Sec. 5. Section 256.42, subsections 3 and 9, Code 2017, are 2 13 amended by striking the subsections. 2 14 Sec. 6. Section 256.42, subsection 7, unnumbered paragraph 2 15 1, Code 2017, is amended to read as follows: 2 16 The department may waivefor one yearat its discretion 2 17 the provisions of section 256.11, subsection 5, which require 2 18 that specified subjects be offered and taught by professional 2 19 staff of a school district or school, if the school district or 2 20 school makes every reasonable and good=faith effort to employ 2 21 a teacher licensed under chapter 272 for such a subject, and 2 22 the school district or school proves to the satisfaction of 2 23 the department that the school district or school is unable to 2 24 employ such a teacher. The specified subject shall be provided 2 25 by the initiative.TheHowever, the specified subject may 2 26 instead be provided by the school district or school if all of 2 27 the following conditions are met: 2 28 Sec. 7. Section 256.42, subsection 8, Code 2017, is amended 2 29 to read as follows: 2 30 8. The department shall establish fees payable by school 2 31 districts and accredited nonpublic schools participating in 2 32 the initiative. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection 2 33 are appropriated to the department to be used only for the 2 34 purpose of administering this section and shall be established 2 35 so as not to exceed the budgeted cost of administering this 3 1 sectionto the extent not covered by the moneys appropriated 3 2 in subsection 9. Providing professional development 3 3 necessary to prepare teachers to participate in the initiative 3 4 shall be considered a cost of administering this section. 3 5 Notwithstanding section 8.33, fees collected by the department 3 6 that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the 3 7 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for 3 8 expenditure for the purpose of expanding coursework offered 3 9 under the initiative in subsequent fiscal years. 3 10 Sec. 8. Section 256.43, subsection 1, paragraph i, Code 3 11 2017, is amended to read as follows: 3 12 i. Criteria for school districts or schools to use when 3 13 choosing providers of online learning to meet the online 3 14 learning program requirements specified in rules adopted 3 15 pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph "a". 3 16 Sec. 9. Section 256.43, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended 3 17 to read as follows: 3 18 2. Private providers. At the discretion of the school board 3 19 or authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school, 3 20 after consideration of circumstances created by necessity, 3 21 convenience, and cost=effectiveness, courses developed by 3 22 private providers may be utilized by the school district or 3 23 school in implementing a high=quality online learning program. 3 24 Courses obtained from private providers shall be taught by 3 25 teachers licensed under chapter 272. A school district may 3 26 provide courses developed by private providers and delivered 3 27 primarily over the internet to pupils who are participating in 3 28 open enrollment under section 282.18. 3 29 Sec. 10. Section 282.18, subsection 7, Code 2017, is amended 3 30 to read as follows: 3 31 7. a. A pupil participating in open enrollment shall be 3 32 counted, for state school foundation aid purposes, in the 3 33 pupil's district of residence. A pupil's residence, for 3 34 purposes of this section, means a residence under section 3 35 282.1. 4 1 b. (1) The board of directors of the district of residence 4 2 shall pay to the receiving district the sum of the state cost 4 3 per pupil for the previous school year plus either the teacher 4 4 leadership supplement state cost per pupil for the previous 4 5 fiscal year as provided in section 257.9 or the teacher 4 6 leadership supplement foundation aid for the previous fiscal 4 7 year as provided in section 284.13, subsection 1, paragraph "e", 4 8 if both the district of residence and the receiving district 4 9 are receiving such supplements, plus any moneys received for 4 10 the pupil as a result of the non=English speaking weighting 4 11 under section 280.4, subsection 3, for the previous school 4 12 year multiplied by the state cost per pupil for the previous 4 13 year. If the pupil participating in open enrollment is also 4 14 an eligible pupil under section 261E.6, the receiving district 4 15 shall pay the tuition reimbursement amount to an eligible 4 16 postsecondary institution as provided in section 261E.7. 4 17 (2) If a pupil participates in an extracurricular activity 4 18 in accordance with subsection 11A, the district of residence 4 19 may deduct an activity fee from the amount calculated in 4 20 subparagraph (1). The amount of an activity fee shall not 4 21 exceed the lesser of the actual cost of providing the activity 4 22 to the pupil or fifteen percent of the state cost per pupil for 4 23 the previous school year. 4 24 Sec. 11. Section 282.18, Code 2017, is amended by adding the 4 25 following new subsection: 4 26 NEW SUBSECTION. 11A. A pupil participating in open 4 27 enrollment for purposes of receiving educational instruction 4 28 and course content primarily over the internet in accordance 4 29 with section 256.7, subsection 32, may participate in any 4 30 extracurricular activities offered to children in the pupil's 4 31 grade or group and sponsored by the district of residence under 4 32 the same conditions and requirements as the pupils enrolled in 4 33 the district of residence. 4 34 EXPLANATION 4 35 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 1 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 2 This bill eliminates provisions requiring that the state 5 3 board adopt rules prohibiting or limiting the open enrollment 5 4 of students whose educational instruction and course content 5 5 are delivered primarily over the internet. The bill authorizes 5 6 school districts to provide courses developed by private 5 7 providers and delivered primarily over the internet to pupils 5 8 who are participating in open enrollment. 5 9 Current law limits to one year the waiver that the department 5 10 may issue to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools 5 11 relating to the educational program that online schools must 5 12 offer and teach. The bill strikes the one=year limitation on 5 13 the waiver and provides for departmental discretion in issuing 5 14 such a waiver. 5 15 The bill allows a pupil who is participating in open 5 16 enrollment for purposes of online instruction to participate in 5 17 extracurricular activities in the district of residence under 5 18 the same conditions and requirements as pupils enrolled in the 5 19 district of residence. 5 20 The bill permits the school district of residence to deduct 5 21 an activity fee in an amount not to exceed the actual cost 5 22 of providing the activity or 15 percent of the state cost 5 23 per pupil for the previous year from the total amount the 5 24 school district is required to pay to the receiving school 5 25 district when such a pupil participates in any extracurricular 5 26 activities in the pupil's grade or group that is sponsored by 5 27 the district of residence. LSB 1171XS (2) 87 je/rj
