Bill Text: TX SB1695 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to online courses and programs offered by a public school, including courses and programs offered through the state virtual school network.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-26 - Referred to Education [SB1695 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1695-Introduced.html
87R5900 KJE-D | ||
By: Paxton | S.B. No. 1695 |
|
||
|
||
relating to online courses and programs offered by a public school, | ||
including courses and programs offered through the state virtual | ||
school network. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 29.9091 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 29.9091. ONLINE COURSES. (a) A school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school may develop online courses outside | ||
the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A to be offered to | ||
students enrolled in the district or school. | ||
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school is | ||
entitled to funding under Chapter 48 or in accordance with the terms | ||
of a charter granted under Section 12.101 for the student's | ||
enrollment in an online course in the same manner that the district | ||
or school is entitled to funding for the student's enrollment in | ||
courses in a traditional classroom setting. | ||
(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules regarding attendance | ||
accounting for courses offered under this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 30A.1011 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 30A.1011. FULL-TIME ONLINE PROGRAM. A school district | ||
or open-enrollment charter school may operate a full-time online | ||
program through the state virtual school network if the district or | ||
school is eligible to act as a course provider under Section | ||
30A.101. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 30A.103(d), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(d) The criteria must be in place at least six months before | ||
[ |
||
evaluating an electronic course under Section 30A.105 or 30A.1053. | ||
SECTION 4. The heading to Section 30A.105, Education Code, | ||
is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 30A.105. APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC COURSES BY | ||
ADMINISTERING AUTHORITY. | ||
SECTION 5. Sections 30A.105(a), (b), and (c), Education | ||
Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) Subject to Section 30A.1053, the [ |
||
authority shall: | ||
(1) establish a submission and approval process for | ||
electronic courses that occurs on a rolling basis; and | ||
(2) evaluate electronic courses to be offered through | ||
the state virtual school network. | ||
(b) The administering authority shall establish the cost of | ||
providing an electronic course approved under Subsection (a) or | ||
Section 30A.1053, which may not exceed $400 per student per course | ||
or $4,800 per full-time student. | ||
(c) The agency shall pay the reasonable costs of evaluating | ||
and approving electronic courses under this section. If funds | ||
available to the agency for that purpose are insufficient to pay the | ||
costs of evaluating and approving all electronic courses submitted | ||
for evaluation and approval, the agency shall give priority to | ||
paying the costs of evaluating and approving the following courses: | ||
(1) courses that satisfy high school graduation | ||
requirements; | ||
(2) courses that would likely benefit a student in | ||
obtaining admission to a postsecondary institution; | ||
(3) courses, including dual credit courses, that allow | ||
a student to earn college credit or other advanced credit; | ||
(4) courses in subject areas most likely to be highly | ||
beneficial to students receiving educational services under the | ||
supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas Juvenile | ||
Justice Department, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; | ||
and | ||
(5) courses in subject areas designated by the | ||
commissioner as commonly experiencing a shortage of teachers. | ||
SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 30A.1053 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 30A.1053. APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC COURSES BY DISTRICT | ||
OR SCHOOL. (a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that is eligible to act as a course provider under Section 30A.101 | ||
may establish a process by which the district or school evaluates | ||
and approves electronic courses developed by the district or school | ||
to be offered through the state virtual school network. | ||
(b) A process established under Subsection (a) must require | ||
an electronic course to comply with the requirements under Sections | ||
30A.103 and 30A.104. | ||
(c) The agency shall review each electronic course approved | ||
by a school district or open-enrollment charter school under this | ||
section to ensure that the course meets minimum accessibility | ||
standards, as established by commissioner rule. | ||
(d) The administering authority shall include in the state | ||
virtual school network electronic courses approved by a school | ||
district or open-enrollment charter school and reviewed by the | ||
agency under this section. | ||
SECTION 7. Section 30A.153(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) A [ |
||
which a student is enrolled is entitled to funding under Chapter 48 | ||
or in accordance with the terms of a charter granted under Section | ||
12.101 for the student's enrollment in an electronic course offered | ||
through the state virtual school network in the same manner that the | ||
district or school is entitled to funding for the student's | ||
enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting, | ||
provided that the student successfully completes the electronic | ||
course. | ||
SECTION 8. The following provisions of the Education Code | ||
are repealed: | ||
(1) Section 26.0031(c-1); and | ||
(2) Section 30A.153(a-1). | ||
SECTION 9. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 10. 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 September 1, 2021. |