83R4070 JSL-D
By: Hegar, Patrick S.B. No. 1298
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the provision of electronic courses in public schools,
electronic assessment of public school students, the state virtual
school network, and school district digital capabilities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.023, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 28.023. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION. (a) Using guidelines
established by the State Board of Education, a school district
shall develop or select for board review examinations for
acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit for
secondary school academic subjects. The guidelines must provide
for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of the
information presented in the applicable grade level or subject, and
must require a school district to develop multiple versions of an
examination for a particular grade level or subject for each
subsequent administration of the examination in the same school
year. The board shall approve examinations that satisfy board
guidelines.
(b) A school district shall give a student in a primary
grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one
grade level on the basis of a board-approved examination for
acceleration if:
(1) the student scores in the 90th percentile or above
on each section of the examination; and
(2) [a district representative recommends that the
student be advanced; and
[(3)] the student's parent or guardian gives written
approval of the advancement.
(c) A school district shall give a student in grade level
six or above credit for a subject on the basis of a board-approved
examination for credit in the subject if the student scores in the
90th percentile or above on the examination. If a student is given
credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, the district
shall enter the examination score on the student's transcript, and
the student is not required to take an end-of-course assessment
instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) for that subject.
(d) Each district shall administer each examination:
(1) not later than the 30th day after the date the
district receives a written request from the student's parent, if
the test is offered electronically; and
(2) on at least four scheduled occasions per year, if
the examination is not offered electronically [not less than once a
year, at times to be determined by the State Board of Education].
SECTION 2. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
that:
(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the
curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high
school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that
students successfully complete:
(A) four credits in each subject of the
foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), including at
least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in
economics to meet the social studies requirement;
(B) for the recommended high school program, two
credits in the same language in a language other than English under
Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) and, for the advanced high school program,
three credits in the same language in a language other than English
under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); and
(C) for the recommended high school program, six
elective credits and, for the advanced high school program, five
elective credits;
(2) one or more credits offered in the required
curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs
include a research writing component; and
(3) the curriculum requirements for the minimum,
recommended, and advanced high school programs under Subsection (a)
include a requirement that students successfully complete:
(A) one credit in fine arts under Section
28.002(a)(2)(D); [and]
(B) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one
credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C); and
(C) one credit earned in an electronic course
taken in the sixth or a higher grade and offered:
(i) through the state virtual school
network;
(ii) by the student's school; or
(iii) pursuant to an articulation agreement
between the student's school and a college, university, or
technical school for a dual enrollment course.
SECTION 3. Section 30A.001(7), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(7) "Course provider" ["Provider school district or
school"] means:
(A) a school district or open-enrollment charter
school that provides an electronic course through the state virtual
school network to:
(i) students enrolled in that district or
school; or
(ii) students enrolled in another school
district or school; [or]
(B) a public or private institution of higher
education that provides a course through the state virtual school
network; or
(C) any other entity that provides a course
through the state virtual school network and that satisfies
eligibility requirements under Section 30A.101(c).
SECTION 4. Section 30A.002(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(3) [or (b)], a student
is eligible to enroll in one or more courses provided through the
state virtual school network or enroll full-time in courses
provided through the network if the student:
(1) is a dependent of a member of the United States
military;
(2) was previously enrolled in high school in this
state; and
(3) does not reside in this state due to a military
deployment or transfer.
SECTION 5. Section 30A.003, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.003. PROVISION OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT OR INTERNET
SERVICE. This chapter does not:
(1) require a school district, an open-enrollment
charter school, a course provider [school district or school], or
the state to provide a student with home computer equipment or
Internet access for a course provided through the state virtual
school network; or
(2) prohibit a school district or open-enrollment
charter school from providing a student with home computer
equipment or Internet access for a course provided through the
state virtual school network.
SECTION 6. Section 30A.007, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
shall adopt a policy that provides district or school students in
kindergarten through grade 12 with the opportunity to enroll
part-time or full-time in electronic courses provided through
various means, including:
(1) courses provided through the state virtual school
network;
(2) other virtual courses provided by a school
district or open-enrollment charter school for students attending
that district or school; and
(3) virtual courses provided by a school district
other than the one in which the student resides, or an
open-enrollment charter school that the student does not attend.
(a-1) The policy adopted under Subsection (a) must be
consistent with the requirements imposed by Section 26.0031.
SECTION 7. Section 30A.056(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) Each contract between a course provider [school
district, an open-enrollment charter school, or a public or private
institution of higher education] and the administering authority
must:
(1) provide that the administering authority may
cancel the contract without penalty if legislative authorization
for the provider [district, school, or institution] to offer an
electronic course through the state virtual school network is
revoked; and
(2) be submitted to the commissioner.
SECTION 8. The heading to Section 30A.101, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.101. ELIGIBILITY TO ACT AS COURSE PROVIDER [SCHOOL
DISTRICT OR SCHOOL].
SECTION 9. Section 30A.101(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) In addition to satisfying eligibility requirements
under Subsection (c), a [A] school district is eligible to act as a
course provider [school district] under this chapter only if the
district is rated acceptable or higher under Section 39.054.
SECTION 10. Section 30A.101(b), Education Code, as amended
by Chapters 895 (H.B. 3) and 1328 (H.B. 3646), Acts of the 81st
Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, is reenacted and amended to
read as follows:
(b) In addition to satisfying eligibility requirements
under Subsection (c), an [An] open-enrollment charter school campus
is eligible to act as a course provider [school] under this chapter
only if the campus was awarded a distinction designation under
Subchapter G, Chapter 39, for the most recent year for which
accountability ratings are available [is rated recognized or higher
under Section 39.072], except that a campus may act as a course
provider [school] to students receiving educational services under
the supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas
Juvenile Justice Department [Youth Commission], or the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice if the campus is rated
[academically] acceptable under Section 39.054 [or higher. A
campus may serve as a provider school only:
[(1) to a student within the school district in which
the campus is located or within its service area, whichever is
smaller; or
[(2) to another student in the state:
[(A) through an agreement with the school
district in which the student resides; or
[(B) if the student receives educational
services under the supervision of a juvenile probation department,
the Texas Youth Commission, or the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, through an agreement with the applicable agency].
SECTION 11. Section 30A.101, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to read as follows:
(c) An entity that provides virtual education, including a
school district, an open-enrollment charter school, a private
elementary or secondary institution, an education service agency, a
private or nonprofit education provider, and a corporation that
offers vocational or technical course work in the corporation's
field may be a course provider if:
(1) the entity applies to the administering authority;
(2) the entity complies with all local, state, and
federal discrimination prohibitions;
(3) the entity has adopted measures to ensure that the
entity's courses maintain alignment with the essential knowledge
and skills requirements identified or content requirements
established under Subchapter A, Chapter 28, or with any other
quality-related criteria the commissioner has established under
Section 30A.103(b);
(4) the entity satisfies any other criteria that the
commissioner establishes, including accreditation requirements or
course quality standards; and
(5) the administering authority approves the entity's
application.
(d) In addition to satisfying eligibility requirements
under Subsection (c), an entity that is not a school district or
open-enrollment charter school is eligible to be a course provider
only if the entity possesses prior successful experiences offering
online courses that demonstrate student learning gains in each
subject and grade level for which the entity provides courses.
(e) Once approved, a course provider shall:
(1) annually provide to the commissioner student
performance results for each subject area and grade level for which
the entity provides courses;
(2) continually make available to the commissioner and
the public detailed and updated curriculum and student performance
accountability plans for each subject area and grade level for
which the entity provides courses; and
(3) keep published on the entity's Internet website:
(A) updated information and data about the
curriculum of each course the entity offers and about any full-time
or part-time program the entity offers;
(B) updated policies and procedures for each
course;
(C) any relevant certifications, licenses, and
accreditations of the entity;
(D) the physical location of all administrative
and instructional personnel;
(E) the times at which instructional personnel
are available to students and parents;
(F) student-teacher ratios for each of the
entity's courses;
(G) student completion and promotion rates for
students enrolled in the entity's courses; and
(H) student, educator, and school performance
accountability outcomes.
SECTION 12. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 30A.1011 to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.1011. DURATION OF APPROVAL STATUS; APPROVAL
MONITORING AND REPORTING. (a) An entity that is approved as a course
provider may operate as a course provider for an initial
authorization period lasting until the end of the third full school
year after the course provider's approval.
(b) At the expiration of an initial authorization period,
the administering authority may approve a course provider for
subsequent authorization periods using eligibility criteria under
Section 30A.101. A subsequent authorization period may not be for
less than three or more than 10 school years.
(c) Following the second full school year of an initial
authorization period, the administering authority shall review the
course provider's activities and the academic performance of the
students enrolled in courses offered by the course provider using
applicable accountability provisions under Chapter 39. If the
course provider does not comply with applicable standards
established by the commissioner, the administering authority shall
place the course provider on probation. A course provider on
probation:
(1) may continue to offer electronic courses for the
remainder of the authorization period;
(2) shall submit to the administering authority an
improvement plan in accordance with rules adopted by the
commissioner;
(3) shall publish on the provider's Internet website
its probationary status along with a copy of the improvement plan
submitted to the administering authority; and
(4) may be removed from probation after the provider
is able to demonstrate to the administering authority the
provider's compliance with applicable accountability provisions
under Chapter 39.
(d) The administering authority shall continually monitor
and evaluate the course provider in accordance with performance
standards established by the commissioner using student academic
performance as the main criterion.
SECTION 13. Section 30A.102, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.102. LISTING OF ELECTRONIC COURSES. (a) The
administering authority shall:
(1) publish the criteria required by Section 30A.103
for electronic courses that may be offered through the state
virtual school network;
(2) using the criteria required by Section 30A.103,
evaluate electronic courses submitted by a course provider [school
district or school] to be offered through the network;
(3) create a list of electronic courses approved by
the administering authority; and
(4) publish in a prominent location on the state
virtual school network's Internet website [provide public access
to] the list of approved electronic courses offered through the
network and a detailed description of the courses that complies
with Section 30A.108.
(b) To ensure that a full range of electronic courses,
including advanced placement courses, are offered to students in
this state, the administering authority:
(1) shall create a list of those subjects and courses
designated by the board under Subchapter A, Chapter 28, for which
the board has identified essential knowledge and skills or for
which the board has designated content requirements under
Subchapter A, Chapter 28;
(2) shall enter into agreements with course providers
[school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and public or
private institutions of higher education] for the purpose of
offering the courses through the state virtual school network; and
(3) may develop or authorize the development of
additional electronic courses or enter into contracts with course
providers for licensing, development, or purchasing of additional
electronic courses that:
(A) are needed to allow students to:
(i) complete high school graduation
requirements; or
(ii) achieve state academic standards for
any grade; and
(B) are not otherwise available through the state
virtual school network.
(c) The administering authority shall develop a
comprehensive course numbering system for all courses offered
through the state virtual school network to ensure, to the greatest
extent possible, consistent numbering of similar courses offered
across all course providers.
SECTION 14. Section 30A.1021(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) The administering authority shall provide public access
to the comments submitted by students and parents under this
section. The comments must be in a format that permits a person to
sort the comments by teacher, electronic course, and course
provider [school district or school].
SECTION 15. Section 30A.103(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The board by rule shall establish an objective standard
criteria for an electronic course to ensure alignment with the
essential knowledge and skills requirements identified or content
requirements established under Subchapter A, Chapter 28. The
criteria may not permit the administering authority to prohibit
course providers [provider school districts or schools] from
applying for approval for an electronic course for a course for
which essential knowledge and skills have been identified.
SECTION 16. Sections 30A.104(a) and (b), Education Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) A course offered through the state virtual school
network must:
(1) be in a specific subject that is part of the
required curriculum under Section 28.002(a);
(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills
identified under Section 28.002(c) for kindergarten through grade
12 [a grade level at or above grade level three]; and
(3) be the equivalent in instructional rigor and scope
to a course that is provided in a traditional classroom setting
during:
(A) a semester of 90 instructional days; and
(B) a school day that meets the minimum length of
a school day required under Section 25.082.
(b) If the essential knowledge and skills with which an
approved course is aligned in accordance with Subsection (a)(2) are
modified, the course provider [school district or school] must be
provided the same time period to revise the course to achieve
alignment with the modified essential knowledge and skills as is
provided for the modification of a course provided in a traditional
classroom setting.
SECTION 17. Section 30A.1041, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.1041. DRIVER EDUCATION COURSES. (a) A course
provider [school district, open-enrollment charter school, or
public or private institution of higher education] may seek
approval to offer through the state virtual school network the
classroom portion of a driver education and traffic safety course
that complies with the requirements for the program developed under
Section 29.902.
(b) A course provider [school district, open-enrollment
charter school, or public or private institution of higher
education] may not offer through the state virtual school network
the laboratory portion of a driver education and traffic safety
course.
(c) A driver education and traffic safety course offered in
compliance with this section must be the equivalent in
instructional rigor and scope to a course that is provided in a
traditional classroom setting [for a period of 56 hours].
SECTION 18. Section 30A.105, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (a-1), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection
(a-3) to read as follows:
(a) The administering authority shall:
(1) establish a [schedule for an annual] submission
and approval process for electronic courses that occurs on a
rolling basis;
(2) evaluate electronic courses to be offered through
the state virtual school network; and
(3) not later than the 90th day after the date the
course was submitted for approval [August 1 of each year], either:
(A) approve an electronic course [courses] that:
(i) meets [(A) meet] the criteria
established under Section 30A.103; and
(ii) provides [(B) provide] the minimum
instructional rigor and scope required under Section 30A.104; or
(B) if the administering authority does not
approve an electronic course, provide to the course provider that
submitted the course a written explanation of the reason for which
the course was not approved.
(a-1) The administering authority shall publish the
submission and approval process for electronic courses [schedule]
established under Subsection (a)(1), including any deadlines
[specified in that schedule,] and [any] guidelines applicable to
the [submission and approval] process [for electronic courses].
(a-3) If the administering authority determines that
changes may be made to a proposed course to either improve the
course or bring the course into compliance with established
eligibility criteria, the administering authority may grant
approval of that course that is conditional on the course provider
implementing the changes identified by the administering
authority.
(c) The agency shall pay the reasonable costs of evaluating
and approving electronic courses. 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 [Youth Commission], or the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice; [and]
(5) courses in subject areas designated by the
commissioner as commonly experiencing a shortage of teachers; and
(6) courses in subject areas designated by the
commissioner as a high priority.
(d) If the agency determines that the costs of evaluating
and approving a submitted electronic course will not be paid by the
agency due to a shortage of funds available for that purpose, the
course provider [school district, open-enrollment charter school,
or public or private institution of higher education] that
submitted the course for evaluation and approval may pay a fee not
[equal] to exceed the amount of the costs in order to ensure that
evaluation of the course occurs. The agency shall establish and
publish a fee schedule for purposes of this subsection.
SECTION 19. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 30A.1052 to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.1052. INTERSTATE COURSE RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS.
The commissioner shall adopt a process for approving reciprocal
agreements with agencies in other states to allow students residing
in this state to enroll through the state virtual school network in
electronic courses provided in other states. The process must
include provisions that ensure that:
(1) electronic courses provided in other states meet
course eligibility guidelines under Section 30A.104; and
(2) each teacher of an electronic course provided in
another state:
(A) possesses certification credentials similar
to those required under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; and
(B) successfully completes the appropriate
professional development course provided under Section 30A.112 or
30A.1121 before teaching an electronic course offered through the
network.
SECTION 20. Section 30A.106, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.106. APPEAL TO COMMISSIONER. (a) An entity
seeking approval to act as a course provider or a course [A]
provider seeking approval of an electronic course [school district
or school] may appeal to the commissioner the administering
authority's refusal to approve the entity as a course provider
under Section 30A.101 or approve an electronic course under Section
30A.105.
(b) If the commissioner determines that the administering
authority's evaluation did not follow the criteria or was otherwise
irregular, the commissioner may overrule the administering
authority and approve the course provider or place the course on a
list of approved courses. The commissioner's decision under this
section is final and may not be appealed.
(c) If an entity's application and appeal to act as a course
provider are denied, the entity may resubmit an application to
become a course provider at any time.
SECTION 21. Sections 30A.107(a) and (d), Education Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) A course provider [school district or school] may offer
electronic courses to:
(1) students and adults who reside in this state; and
(2) students who reside outside this state and who
meet the eligibility requirements under Section 30A.002(c).
(d) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
not require a student to enroll in an electronic course for any
reason other than to comply with Section 28.025(b-1)(3)(C).
SECTION 22. Section 30A.108(b), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) Each report under this section must be updated not later
than the 30th day after the date an electronic course is approved
and must describe each electronic course offered through the state
virtual school network and include information such as course
requirements and the school year calendar for the course, including
any options for continued participation outside of the standard
school year calendar.
SECTION 23. Section 30A.111(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) Each teacher of an electronic course offered by a course
provider [school district or open-enrollment charter school]
through the state virtual school network must:
(1) be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to
teach that course and grade level; and
(2) successfully complete the appropriate
professional development course provided under Section 30A.112(a)
or 30A.1121 before teaching an electronic course offered through
the network.
SECTION 24. Section 30A.1121, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.1121. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), a course provider
[school district or open-enrollment charter school] may provide
professional development courses to teachers seeking to become
authorized to teach electronic courses provided through the state
virtual school network. A course provider [district or school] may
provide a professional development course that is approved under
Subsection (b) to any interested teacher, regardless of [whether]
the teacher's employer [teacher is employed by the district or
school].
(b) The agency shall review each professional development
course sought to be provided by a course provider [school district
or open-enrollment charter school] under Subsection (a) to
determine if the course meets the quality standards established
under Section 30A.113. If a course meets those standards, the
course provider [district or school] may provide the course for
purposes of enabling a teacher to comply with Section
30A.111(a)(2).
SECTION 25. Section 30A.114, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.114. REGIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE CENTERS. The
commissioner by rule shall allow regional education service centers
to participate in the state virtual school network in the same
manner as course providers [provider school districts and schools].
SECTION 26. Subchapter D, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 30A.154 to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.154. FOUNDATION SCHOOL PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) A
course provider is entitled to funding based on a per-course amount
for each student enrolled in a class provided by the course
provider. The per-course amount is equal to the market rate for
enrollment in an electronic course, as determined by the course
provider and approved by the commissioner, but may not exceed
one-sixth of 90 percent of the state and local funding to which the
school district or open-enrollment charter school in which the
student is enrolled or resides would otherwise be entitled for the
student's enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom
setting. The per-course amount shall be paid to the course provider
as follows:
(1) 50 percent of the per-course amount on the
student's enrollment in the electronic course; and
(2) either:
(A) 50 percent of the per-course amount on the
student's completion of the course if completed within the course's
prescribed course length; or
(B) 40 percent of the per-course amount on the
student's completion of the course if completed after the course's
prescribed course length but before the student graduates from high
school or withdraws from school.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school in
which a student is enrolled or resides is entitled, for each
electronic course in which the student enrolls, to:
(1) funding equal to the amount of one-sixth of 10
percent of the state and local funding to which the school district
or open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled
or resides would otherwise be entitled for the student's enrollment
in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting; and
(2) either:
(A) 10 percent of the per-course amount paid to
the course provider if the student completes the course within the
time prescribed by Subsection (a)(2)(B); or
(B) 50 percent of the per-course amount paid to
the course provider if the student does not complete the course
within the time prescribed by Subsection (a)(2)(A) or (B).
(c) The amount of funding to which a course provider is
entitled for a student's enrollment in an electronic course shall
be reduced proportionally if the student withdraws from the course
during the course's prescribed length.
(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
implement this section, including rules regarding attendance
accounting.
SECTION 27. The heading to Section 30A.155, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.155. FEES AND TUITION.
SECTION 28. Section 30A.155, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (a-1), (b), and (c-1) and adding
Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(a) A course provider [school district or open-enrollment
charter school] may charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic
course provided through the state virtual school network to a
student who resides in this state and:
(1) is enrolled in a school district or
open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student; and
(2) is enrolled in a course load greater than that
normally taken by students in the equivalent grade level in other
school districts or open-enrollment charter schools.
(a-1) A course provider [school district or open-enrollment
charter school] may charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic
course provided through the state virtual school network during the
summer.
(b) A course provider [school district or open-enrollment
charter school] shall charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic
course provided through the state virtual school network to a
student who resides in this state and is not enrolled in a school
district or open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student.
(c-1) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
that is not the course provider [school district or school] may
charge a student enrolled in the district or school a nominal fee,
not to exceed the amount specified by the commissioner, if the
student enrolls in an electronic course provided through the state
virtual school network that exceeds the course load normally taken
by students in the equivalent grade level. A juvenile probation
department or state agency may charge a comparable fee to a student
under the supervision of the department or agency.
(e) A course provider may charge tuition to any student who
enrolls in an electronic course provided by the course provider in
an amount equal to the per-course amount designated under Section
30A.154(a). If a course provider accepts a tuition charge under
this subsection, the provider is not otherwise entitled to funding
from any other source for the student's enrollment in the course.
SECTION 29. Subchapter A, Chapter 32, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 32.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 32.005. STUDY ON SCHOOL DISTRICT NETWORK CAPABILITIES.
(a) The commissioner shall conduct a study to assess the network
capabilities of each school district. The study must gather
sufficient information to determine whether the network
connections of a district and school campuses in the district meet
the following targets:
(1) an external Internet connection to a campus's
Internet service provider featuring a bandwidth capable of a
broadband speed of at least 100 megabits per second for every 1,000
students and staff members; and
(2) an internal wide area network connection between
the district and each of the school campuses in the district
featuring a bandwidth capable of a broadband speed of at least one
gigabit per second for every 1,000 students and staff members.
(b) The commissioner may solicit and accept gifts and grants
from any public or private source to conduct the study. The
commissioner may also cooperate or collaborate with national
organizations conducting similar studies.
(c) The commissioner shall complete the study not later than
December 1, 2014. This section expires December 1, 2015.
SECTION 30. Sections 30A.002(b) and 30A.153, Education
Code, are repealed.
SECTION 31. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014
school year.
SECTION 32. Section 28.025(b-1)(3)(C), Education Code, as
added by this Act, applies beginning with students entering the
ninth grade in the 2013-2014 school year.
SECTION 33. Section 30A.101, Education Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to an entity that seeks to become a course
provider through the state virtual school network on or after the
effective date of this Act.
SECTION 34. Section 30A.1011, Education Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to an entity that becomes a course provider
through the state virtual school network on or after the effective
date of this Act.
SECTION 35. Not later than January 1, 2014, the
commissioner of education shall adopt a process for approving
reciprocal agreements as required by Section 30A.1052, Education
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 36. 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, 2013.