Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3427 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R11904 MEW-D
2	2	By: Shaheen H.B. No. 3427
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the state virtual school network and a study on digital
8	8	learning.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 26.0031(c), Education Code, is amended
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
13	13	deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course if:
14	14	(1) a student attempts to enroll in a course load
15	15	that is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation
16	16	plan or requirements for college admission or earning an industry
17	17	certification; or
18	18	(2) the student requests permission to enroll in an
19	19	electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the
20	20	enrollment period established by the school district or
21	21	open-enrollment charter school providing the course [; or
22	22	[(3) the district or school offers a substantially
23	23	similar course].
24	24	SECTION 2. Section 30A.153(a), Education Code, is amended
25	25	to read as follows:
26	26	(a) A [Subject to the limitation imposed under Subsection
27	27	(a-1), a] school district or open-enrollment charter school in
28	28	which a student is enrolled is entitled to funding under Chapter 42
29	29	or in accordance with the terms of a charter granted under Section
30	30	12.101 for the student's enrollment in an electronic course offered
31	31	through the state virtual school network in the same manner that the
32	32	district or school is entitled to funding for the student's
33	33	enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting,
34	34	provided that the student successfully completes the electronic
35	35	course.
36	36	SECTION 3. Section 30A.155(a), Education Code, is amended
37	37	to read as follows:
38	38	(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
39	39	charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic course provided
40	40	through the state virtual school network to a student who resides in
41	41	this state and[:
42	42	[(1)] is enrolled in a school district or
43	43	open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student with a course
44	44	load greater than that normally taken by students in the equivalent
45	45	grade level in other school districts or open-enrollment charter
46	46	schools[; or
47	47	[(2) elects to enroll in an electronic course provided
48	48	through the network for which the school district or
49	49	open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled as
50	50	a full-time student declines to pay the cost, as authorized by
51	51	Section 26.0031(c-1)].
52	52	SECTION 4. Sections 26.0031(c-1) and 30A.153(a-1),
53	53	Education Code, are repealed.
54	54	SECTION 5. (a) The Texas Education Agency shall conduct a
55	55	study regarding the effectiveness of digital learning in public
56	56	schools. The study must include:
57	57	(1) methods of providing digital learning to students
58	58	in kindergarten through 12th grade; and
59	59	(2) recommendations regarding the establishment of
60	60	partnerships between school districts or open-enrollment charter
61	61	schools and institutions of higher education and other public and
62	62	private entities to provide digital learning options.
63	63	(b) Not later than September 1, 2018, the Texas Education
64	64	Agency shall submit to the commissioner of education and each
65	65	legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over
66	66	public education a report that includes:
67	67	(1) the results of the study conducted under this
68	68	section; and
69	69	(2) recommendations to improve digital learning,
70	70	including virtual learning under Chapter 30A, Education Code.
71	71	(c) Based on the results of the study and the report
72	72	prepared under this section, the commissioner of education shall
73	73	establish procedures to increase:
74	74	(1) digital learning by students and participation in
75	75	the virtual school network; and
76	76	(2) participation by school districts and
77	77	open-enrollment charter schools in establishing partnerships with
78	78	institutions of higher education and other public and private
79	79	entities.
80	80	(d) This section expires January 1, 2019.
81	81	SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
82	82	school year.
83	83	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
84	84	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
85	85	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
86	86	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
87	87	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.