Bill Text: TX SB15 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a public school, the satisfaction of teacher certification requirements through an internship teaching certain virtual courses, and the allotment for certain special-purpose school districts under the Foundation School Program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 38-7)
Status: (Passed) 2021-09-09 - Effective immediately [SB15 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB15-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 15 |
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relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a | ||
public school, the satisfaction of teacher certification | ||
requirements through an internship teaching certain virtual | ||
courses, and the allotment for certain special-purpose school | ||
districts under the Foundation School Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 21.051, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: | ||
(g) Rules proposed by the board under Section 21.044(a) or | ||
this section may allow a candidate to satisfy certification | ||
requirements through an internship that provides the candidate | ||
employment as a teacher for courses offered through a local remote | ||
learning program under Section 29.9091 or the state virtual school | ||
network under Chapter 30A. This subsection expires September 1, | ||
2023. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 25.092, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (a-4) to read as follows: | ||
(a-4) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
may adopt a policy to exempt students from the requirements of this | ||
section for one or more courses identified in the policy that are | ||
offered under a local remote learning program under Section | ||
29.9091. This subsection expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 29.9091 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 29.9091. LOCAL REMOTE LEARNING PROGRAM. (a) A school | ||
district or open-enrollment charter school assigned an overall | ||
performance rating of C or higher under Section 39.054 for the | ||
preceding school year or the most recent school year in which a | ||
performance rating was assigned may operate a local remote learning | ||
program to offer virtual courses outside the state virtual school | ||
network under Chapter 30A to eligible students. | ||
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that operates a full-time local remote learning program must: | ||
(1) include in the program: | ||
(A) at least one grade level in which an | ||
assessment instrument is required to be administered under Section | ||
39.023(a), including each subject for which an assessment | ||
instrument is required; or | ||
(B) a complete high school program, including | ||
each course for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is | ||
required to be administered under Section 39.023(c); and | ||
(2) offer the option for a student's parent or person | ||
standing in parental relation to select in-person instruction for | ||
the student. | ||
(c) A virtual course offered under a local remote learning | ||
program: | ||
(1) may be provided through synchronous instruction, | ||
asynchronous instruction, or a combination of synchronous and | ||
asynchronous instruction; and | ||
(2) may be provided in combination with in-person | ||
instruction as appropriate to meet the needs of individual | ||
students. | ||
(d) A student is eligible to enroll in a virtual course | ||
offered under a local remote learning program if the student: | ||
(1) is enrolled in a school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school; | ||
(2) has reasonable access to in-person services for | ||
the course at a district or school facility; and | ||
(3) meets any additional criteria, including minimum | ||
academic standards, established by the school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled. | ||
(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that operates a local remote learning program: | ||
(1) shall periodically assess the performance of | ||
students enrolled in virtual courses under the program; | ||
(2) subject to Subsection (f), may remove a student | ||
from virtual courses under the program and return the student to | ||
in-person instruction if the district or school determines that the | ||
student does not meet the criteria described by Subsection (d); and | ||
(3) may not count a student for purposes of | ||
calculating the district's or school's average daily attendance if | ||
the student has 10 or more unexcused absences in the program in a | ||
six-month period. | ||
(f) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
remove a student from virtual courses under Subsection (e)(2) only | ||
if the district or school establishes a process to ensure that each | ||
student and the student's parent or person standing in parental | ||
relation have sufficient notice and opportunity to provide input | ||
before the student is removed from those courses. | ||
(g) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
contract with another school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
school to allow a student enrolled in the sending district or school | ||
to enroll in virtual courses offered under the local remote | ||
learning program of the receiving district or school. A student | ||
enrolled in virtual courses under an agreement described by this | ||
subsection is considered enrolled in the sending district or school | ||
for purposes of average daily attendance and accountability under | ||
Chapters 39 and 39A. | ||
(h) An assessment instrument administered under Section | ||
39.023 or 39.025 to a student enrolled in a virtual course offered | ||
under a local remote learning program shall be administered to the | ||
student in the same manner in which the assessment instrument is | ||
administered to other school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
school students. | ||
(i) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
offers virtual courses under a local remote learning program for | ||
students receiving special education services, the courses must | ||
meet the needs of a participating student in a manner consistent | ||
with Subchapter A of this chapter and with federal law, including | ||
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section | ||
1400 et seq.) and Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. | ||
Section 794). | ||
(j) A teacher may not provide instruction for a virtual | ||
course offered under a full-time local remote learning program | ||
unless the teacher has completed a professional development course | ||
on virtual instruction. | ||
(k) A district or school may not directly or indirectly | ||
coerce any teacher to agree to an assignment to teach a full-time | ||
local remote learning program. | ||
(l) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
not require a teacher to provide both virtual instruction and | ||
in-person instruction for a course during the same class period. | ||
The commissioner may waive the requirements of this subsection for | ||
courses included in the enrichment curriculum under Section 28.002. | ||
(m) A student enrolled in a virtual course offered under a | ||
local remote learning program may participate in an extracurricular | ||
activity sponsored or sanctioned by the school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled or | ||
by the University Interscholastic League in the same manner as | ||
other district or school students. | ||
(n) Except as otherwise provided under Subsection (e)(3), a | ||
student enrolled in a virtual course offered under a local remote | ||
learning program shall be counted toward the school district's or | ||
open-enrollment charter school's average daily attendance in the | ||
same manner as other district or school students. The commissioner | ||
shall adopt rules providing for a method of taking attendance, once | ||
each school day, for students enrolled in a virtual course offered | ||
under a local remote learning program. | ||
(o) Chapter 30A does not apply to a virtual course offered | ||
under a local remote learning program. | ||
(p) This section does not prohibit a student enrolled in a | ||
school district or open-enrollment charter school that operates a | ||
local remote learning program from enrolling in courses offered | ||
through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A. | ||
(q) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that operates a local remote learning program may not enroll in the | ||
program a number of students that exceeds 10 percent of the total | ||
number of students enrolled in the district or school during the | ||
2021-2022 school year. The commissioner may waive this subsection: | ||
(1) on application by a school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school; or | ||
(2) in response to a public health emergency. | ||
(r) In calculating under Subsection (q) the number of | ||
students that may be enrolled in a local remote learning program, a | ||
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall count | ||
students who spend at least half of the student's instructional | ||
time during the 2021-2022 school year or 2022-2023 school year, as | ||
applicable, enrolled in virtual courses or receiving remote | ||
instruction, other than by enrollment in electronic courses offered | ||
through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A, | ||
including students enrolled in virtual courses or who received | ||
remote instruction during the 2021-2022 school year or 2022-2023 | ||
school year, as applicable, because the student was: | ||
(1) medically fragile; | ||
(2) placed in a virtual setting by an admission, | ||
review, and dismissal committee; or | ||
(3) receiving accommodations under Section 504, | ||
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794). | ||
(s) This section expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.0549 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.0549. EVALUATING VIRTUAL AND LOCAL REMOTE PROGRAMS. | ||
(a) In evaluating under Section 39.054 the performance of a school | ||
district or open-enrollment charter school that operates a | ||
full-time local remote learning program, the commissioner shall | ||
assign the program separate overall and domain performance ratings | ||
as if the program were a campus of the district or school. For | ||
purposes of assigning performance ratings under this subsection, | ||
students who spend at least half of the students' instructional | ||
time receiving virtual or remote instruction are considered | ||
enrolled in the program, including students: | ||
(1) enrolled in virtual courses offered under a local | ||
remote learning program under Section 29.9091; or | ||
(2) receiving remote instruction, regardless of | ||
whether the student is enrolled in a remote learning program | ||
offered under Section 29.9091 and including students receiving | ||
remote instruction who are: | ||
(A) medically fragile; | ||
(B) placed in a virtual setting by an admission, | ||
review, and dismissal committee; or | ||
(C) receiving accommodations under Section 504, | ||
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794). | ||
(b) A performance rating under this section is not subject | ||
to Section 39.054(a-3) or 39.0546. | ||
(c) A performance rating assigned under this section may not | ||
be used for purposes of Section 39.0544 or for determining whether | ||
to impose any intervention or sanction authorized by Chapter 39A. | ||
(d) This section expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 39.301, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows: | ||
(c-1) In addition to the indicators described by Subsection | ||
(c), the indicators for reporting purposes must include, for each | ||
school district and campus, the performance of students who spend | ||
at least half of the students' instructional time: | ||
(1) in virtual courses offered under a local remote | ||
learning program under Section 29.9091; or | ||
(2) receiving remote instruction, regardless of | ||
whether the student is enrolled in a remote learning program | ||
offered under Section 29.9091 and including students receiving | ||
remote instruction who are: | ||
(A) medically fragile; | ||
(B) placed in a virtual setting by an admission, | ||
review, and dismissal committee; or | ||
(C) receiving accommodations under Section 504, | ||
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794). | ||
(c-2) Subsection (c-1) and this subsection expire September | ||
1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 48.005, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (h-1), (m-1), and (m-2) to read as follows: | ||
(h-1) Subject to rules adopted by the commissioner under | ||
Section 48.007(b), time that a student participates in a course or | ||
program provided under Section 48.0071(b) shall be counted as part | ||
of the minimum number of instructional hours required for a student | ||
to be considered a full-time student in average daily attendance | ||
for purposes of this section. This subsection expires September 1, | ||
2023. | ||
(m-1) Except for students enrolled in programs or courses | ||
offered under Chapter 30A or Section 48.053, a school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school may not count for purposes of | ||
calculating the district's or school's average daily attendance a | ||
student who received virtual or remote instruction for a majority | ||
of the instructional days during the preceding school year if the | ||
student: | ||
(1) did not achieve satisfactory performance or higher | ||
or the equivalent in the preceding school year on: | ||
(A) each assessment instrument administered to | ||
the student under Section 39.023 or 39.025; or | ||
(B) if the student was not administered an | ||
assessment instrument that was required to be administered to the | ||
student under Section 39.023 or 39.025 during the preceding school | ||
year, an assessment instrument designed to show grade-level | ||
proficiency in the essential knowledge and skills identified under | ||
Section 28.002 by the State Board of Education for the student's | ||
grade level; | ||
(2) had a number of unexcused absences that exceeds 10 | ||
percent of the number of instructional days in the preceding school | ||
year; or | ||
(3) did not earn a grade of C or higher or the | ||
equivalent in each of the foundation curriculum courses taken | ||
virtually or remotely in the preceding school year. | ||
(m-2) Subsection (m-1) and this subsection expire September | ||
1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 7. Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 48.0071 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 48.0071. OFF-CAMPUS COURSES OR PROGRAMS COUNTED FOR | ||
PURPOSES OF AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE. (a) The commissioner shall | ||
adopt by rule verification and reporting procedures to report | ||
student participation in courses or programs provided under | ||
Subsection (b). | ||
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
provide one or more off-campus electronic courses, an off-campus | ||
electronic program, or an instructional program that combines | ||
in-person instruction and off-campus electronic instruction to | ||
students enrolled in the district or school who have reasonable | ||
access to in-person services at a district or school facility. | ||
Off-campus electronic instruction for a course or program provided | ||
under this subsection may be provided synchronously or | ||
asynchronously. A student enrolled in a course or program provided | ||
under this subsection shall be counted toward the district's or | ||
school's average daily attendance in the same manner as other | ||
district or school students. In adopting rules under Subsection | ||
(a), the commissioner shall provide for a method of taking | ||
attendance, once each school day, for students enrolled in a course | ||
or program provided under this subsection. | ||
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that operated during the 2020-2021 school year a full-time virtual | ||
program outside the state virtual network under Chapter 30A with at | ||
least 10 percent of the enrollment for the program including | ||
students who resided outside the geographic area served by the | ||
district or school may: | ||
(1) continue to operate the virtual program on a | ||
full-time basis; | ||
(2) apply the same enrollment and transfer criteria | ||
used during the 2020-2021 school year; and | ||
(3) offer the program to students in any grade level or | ||
combination of grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12 as | ||
long as the program includes at least one grade level for which an | ||
assessment instrument is administered under Section 39.023. | ||
(d) This section expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 8. Section 48.053, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows: | ||
(b-1) This subsection applies only to a special-purpose | ||
district described by Subsection (a) that existed before September | ||
1, 2019. For a district to which this subsection applies, the | ||
commissioner shall establish an asynchronous progression funding | ||
method that may be used to determine the amount of the district's | ||
entitlement under Subsection (b) based on full and partial semester | ||
course completion. | ||
(b-2) Subsection (b-1) and this subsection expire September | ||
1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 9. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 10. A school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
school that operates a full-time local remote learning program | ||
during the 2021-2022 school year that meets the requirements of | ||
Section 29.9091, Education Code, as added by this Act, is entitled | ||
to funding in the manner prescribed by this Act regardless of | ||
whether the district or school began operating the program before, | ||
on, or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it | ||
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each | ||
house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. | ||
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate | ||
effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of | ||
the legislative session. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 15 passed the Senate on | ||
August 11, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 2; and that | ||
the Senate concurred in House amendments on August 31, 2021, by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 15 passed the House, with | ||
amendments, on August 30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 119, | ||
Nays 7, one present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |