| 1 | 1 | | 2017S0015-1 11/21/16 |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cosper H.B. No. 4170 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the state virtual school network. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 30A.101(c), Education Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) A nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation is |
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| 12 | 12 | | eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the |
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| 13 | 13 | | nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) complies with all applicable federal and state |
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| 15 | 15 | | laws prohibiting discrimination; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) demonstrates financial solvency; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) provides evidence of prior successful experience |
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| 18 | 18 | | offering online courses to kindergarten or elementary, middle, or |
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| 19 | 19 | | high school students, with demonstrated student success in course |
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| 20 | 20 | | completion and performance, as determined by the commissioner. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. Section 30A.104(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 22 | 22 | | to read as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (a) A course offered through the state virtual school |
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| 24 | 24 | | network must: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) be in a specific subject that is part of the |
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| 26 | 26 | | required curriculum under Section 28.002(a); |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills |
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| 28 | 28 | | identified under Section 28.002(c) for a grade level at or above |
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| 29 | 29 | | kindergarten [grade level three]; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) be the equivalent in instructional rigor and scope |
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| 31 | 31 | | to a course that is provided in a traditional classroom setting |
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| 32 | 32 | | during: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) a semester of 90 instructional days; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (B) a school day that meets the minimum length of |
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| 35 | 35 | | a school day required under Section 25.082. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. Section 30A.151(f), Education Code, is amended |
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| 37 | 37 | | to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (f) For a full-time electronic course program offered |
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| 39 | 39 | | through the state virtual school network for a grade level at or |
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| 40 | 40 | | above kindergarten [grade level three] but not above grade level |
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| 41 | 41 | | eight, a school district or open-enrollment charter school is |
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| 42 | 42 | | entitled to receive federal, state, and local funding for a student |
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| 43 | 43 | | enrolled in the program in an amount equal to the funding the |
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| 44 | 44 | | district or school would otherwise receive for a student enrolled |
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| 45 | 45 | | in the district or school. The district or school may calculate the |
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| 46 | 46 | | average daily attendance of a student enrolled in the program based |
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| 47 | 47 | | on: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) hours of contact with the student; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) the student's successful completion of a course; |
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| 50 | 50 | | or |
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| 51 | 51 | | (3) a method approved by the commissioner. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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| 53 | 53 | | school year. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 55 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 56 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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