Bill Text: MO HB2170 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the 8 in 6 Program within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-05-16 - Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H) [HB2170 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2014-HB2170-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CURTIS.
6434L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 161, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the establishment of the 8 in 6 program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 160, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 161.980, to read as follows:
161.980. 1. There is hereby established within the department of elementary and secondary education a program to be known as the "8 in 6 Program". Under this program, the two years of seventh and eighth grade, the four years of high school, and the first two years of college or professional-technical preparation that normally take eight years to complete are compressed into six years by taking full-course loads during the school year and one or two online courses during the summer or as online overload courses. Students who successfully complete the program will conclude high school with an associates degree. For purposes of this section, the following terms mean:
(1) "Full-course load", no fewer than fourteen credits per school year;
(2) "Overload course", a course taken that is in excess of or more than the number of courses taken in the normal school day as a normal school day is defined for purposes of average-daily attendance under section 163.011;
(3) "Parent", parent or parents or guardian or guardians;
(4) "School district", a Missouri school district or a public charter school that provides education to any grades 7 through 12;
(5) "School year", the normal school year that begins upon the conclusion of the break between grades and ends upon the beginning of the same break of the following year.
2. Under the 8 in 6 program, the department of elementary and secondary education shall pay for a portion of the cost of summer online courses and online overload courses as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection from moneys appropriated for this purpose. In order to participate in the program, a student and his or her parent shall sign an agreement that the student will:
(1) Take and successfully complete dual credit or professional-technical education courses for at least a portion of the student's courses during the eleventh and twelfth grade years. Funding for this requirement will not be provided by the 8 in 6 program; and
(2) Take and successfully complete at least one summer online or online overload course and a full-course load of at least fourteen credits per-school year. The state shall pay two hundred twenty-five dollars per-one credit summer online course or one-credit online overload course taken in this program. Provided however, that if the Missouri K-12 Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP) receives a state guarantee or appropriation of at least five million dollars for fiscal year 2015, the state shall pay no moneys for the 8 in 6 program for that fiscal year, and MoVIP shall provide the online courses necessary to meet the needs of the 8 in 6 program for that fiscal year, at a cost not to exceed seventy-five dollars per course. The state shall pay for no more than two credits of online overload courses per student per-school year. The state shall pay for no more than two credits of summer online courses per student per summer. The state shall pay for no more than a combined total of four credits of summer online or online overload courses per student per year. The state shall pay for no more than a combined total of eight credits of summer online and online overload courses per student during such student's participation in the program.
3. There is hereby created in the state treasury the "8 in 6 Program Fund". The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state treasurer may approve disbursements. The fund shall be a dedicated fund and, upon appropriation, money in the fund shall be used solely for the administration of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080, to the contrary, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the general revenue fund. The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be credited to the fund.
4. Participation in the 8 in 6 program shall be limited to no more than twenty-five percent of students in each grade 7 through 12. Such limitation shall be applied initially on a school district-by-school district, grade-by-grade basis. If any grades do not fully utilize their available participation slots, the school district shall reallocate said participation slots to those grades in which more than twenty-five of the students have applied for participation in the program. If any school districts do not fully utilize their available participation slots by July first, the department of elementary and secondary education shall reallocate the participation slots to those districts in which more than twenty-five percent of the students have applied for participation in the program. Students accepted into the program shall remain in the program from year to year unless they sign a withdrawal form developed by the department of elementary and secondary education. If a participating student transfers from one school district to another, such student shall remain enrolled in the program, the twenty-five percent participation limitation of the student's new school district notwithstanding. The department of elementary and secondary education shall maintain a list of participants.
5. If the number of students applying for participation in the program exceeds the number of participation slots available in the school district, the school district shall establish participation preference criteria. Such criteria shall include students who have successfully completed at least one online course prior to participating in the program, and may include any of the following:
(1) Grade-point average;
(2) State achievement test results;
(3) Other school district administered student assessments.
6. If a student participating in the program fails to complete with a grade of C or better one or more summer online or online overload courses while in the program, the student shall pay for and successfully complete a summer online or online overload course with a grade of C or better before continuing in the program.
7. The school district shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who considers participating in the program considers the challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program. Such efforts by the district shall be performed prior to a student participating in the program.
8. To qualify as an eligible course for the program, the course must be offered by a provider accredited by the organization that accredits Missouri high schools or an organization whose accreditation of providers is recognized by the organization that accredits Missouri high schools. Dual credit, advanced placement, and concurrent enrollment courses are not eligible under the program.
9. The department of elementary and secondary education may promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2014, shall be invalid and void.
10. Under section 23.253 of the Missouri sunset act:
(1) The provisions of the new program authorized under this section shall automatically sunset six years after the effective date of this section unless reauthorized by an act of the general assembly; and
(2) If such program is reauthorized, the program authorized under this section shall automatically sunset twelve years after the effective date of the reauthorization of this section; and
(3) This section shall terminate on September first of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the program authorized under this section is sunset.
•
