| 15 | | - | SECTION 1. Section 30A.101(c), Education Code, is amended |
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| 16 | | - | to read as follows: |
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| 17 | | - | (c) A nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation is |
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| 18 | | - | eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the |
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| 19 | | - | nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation: |
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| 20 | | - | (1) complies with all applicable federal and state |
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| 21 | | - | laws prohibiting discrimination; |
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| 22 | | - | (2) demonstrates financial solvency; and |
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| 23 | | - | (3) provides evidence of prior successful experience |
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| 24 | | - | offering online courses to kindergarten or elementary, middle, or |
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| 25 | | - | high school students, with demonstrated student success in course |
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| 26 | | - | completion and performance, as determined by the commissioner. |
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| 27 | | - | SECTION 2. Section 30A.104(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 28 | | - | to read as follows: |
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| 29 | | - | (a) A course offered through the state virtual school |
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| 30 | | - | network must: |
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| 31 | | - | (1) be in a specific subject that is part of the |
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| 32 | | - | required curriculum under Section 28.002(a); |
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| 33 | | - | (2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills |
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| 34 | | - | identified under Section 28.002(c) for a grade level at or above |
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| 35 | | - | kindergarten [grade level three]; and |
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| 36 | | - | (3) be the equivalent in instructional rigor and scope |
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| 37 | | - | to a course that is provided in a traditional classroom setting |
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| 38 | | - | during: |
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| 39 | | - | (A) a semester of 90 instructional days; and |
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| 40 | | - | (B) a school day that meets the minimum length of |
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| 41 | | - | a school day required under Section 25.082. |
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| 42 | | - | SECTION 3. Section 30A.151(f), Education Code, is amended |
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| 43 | | - | to read as follows: |
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| 44 | | - | (f) For a full-time electronic course program offered |
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| 45 | | - | through the state virtual school network for a grade level at or |
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| 46 | | - | above kindergarten [grade level three] but not above grade level |
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| 47 | | - | eight, a school district or open-enrollment charter school is |
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| 48 | | - | entitled to receive federal, state, and local funding for a student |
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| 49 | | - | enrolled in the program in an amount equal to the funding the |
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| 50 | | - | district or school would otherwise receive for a student enrolled |
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| 51 | | - | in the district or school. The district or school may calculate the |
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| 52 | | - | average daily attendance of a student enrolled in the program based |
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| 53 | | - | on: |
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| 54 | | - | (1) hours of contact with the student; |
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| 55 | | - | (2) the student's successful completion of a course; |
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| 56 | | - | or |
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| 57 | | - | (3) a method approved by the commissioner. |
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| 58 | | - | SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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| 59 | | - | school year. |
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| 60 | | - | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect only if a specific |
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| 61 | | - | appropriation for the implementation of the Act is provided in a |
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| 62 | | - | general appropriations act of the 85th Legislature. |
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| 63 | | - | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 8 | + | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is |
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| 9 | + | amended by adding Section 30A.116 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | + | Sec. 30A.116. STUDY ON EXPANSION TO CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS. |
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| 11 | + | (a) The agency, using existing resources, shall conduct a study |
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| 12 | + | regarding the feasibility of offering a full-time electronic course |
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| 13 | + | program for a grade level at or above kindergarten and below grade |
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| 14 | + | level three. The study must consider: |
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| 15 | + | (1) whether offering courses through the virtual |
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| 16 | + | school network to students in those grade levels is appropriate; |
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| 17 | + | and |
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| 18 | + | (2) the academic impact on students in those grade |
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| 19 | + | levels of offering courses through the virtual school network to |
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| 20 | + | those students. |
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| 21 | + | (b) Not later than September 1, 2018, the agency shall |
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| 22 | + | submit to the commissioner and each legislative standing committee |
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| 23 | + | with primary jurisdiction over public education a report that |
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| 24 | + | includes: |
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| 25 | + | (1) the results of the study conducted under this |
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| 26 | + | section; and |
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| 27 | + | (2) recommendations regarding offering courses |
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| 28 | + | through the virtual school network to students in a grade level at |
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| 29 | + | or above kindergarten and below grade level three. |
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| 30 | + | (c) This section expires January 1, 2019. |
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| 31 | + | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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