86R10191 SOS-D
By: Guillen H.B. No. 3141
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to providing by contract for a public or private entity to
act as the administering authority for the state virtual school
network and to the duties of the administering authority.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 30A.001(1), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(1) "Administering authority" means the entity
contracted with [designated] under Section 30A.053 to administer
the state virtual school network.
SECTION 2. Section 30A.051(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The commissioner shall:
(1) administer the state virtual school network in
coordination with the administering authority; and
(2) ensure:
(A) high-quality education for students in this
state who are being educated through electronic courses provided
through the state virtual school network; and
(B) equitable access by students to those
courses.
SECTION 3. Section 30A.053, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.053. CONTRACT FOR [DESIGNATION OF] ADMINISTERING
AUTHORITY. The commissioner shall contract with a public or
private entity [designate an agency employee or a group of agency
employees] to act as the administering authority for the state
virtual school network.
SECTION 4. The heading to Section 30A.105, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.105. EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC
COURSES.
SECTION 5. Sections 30A.105(c) and (d), Education Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(c) The administering authority [agency] shall pay the
reasonable costs of evaluating and approving electronic courses.
If funds available to the administering authority [agency] for that
purpose are insufficient to pay the costs of evaluating and
approving all electronic courses submitted for evaluation and
approval, the administering authority [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.
(d) If the administering authority [agency] determines that
the costs of evaluating and approving a submitted electronic course
will not be paid by the administering authority [agency] due to a
shortage of funds available for that purpose, the administering
authority may assess and the school district, open-enrollment
charter school, public or private institution of higher education,
or other eligible entity that submitted the course for evaluation
and approval may pay a fee equal to the amount of the costs in order
to ensure that evaluation of the course occurs. The administering
authority [agency] shall establish and publish a fee schedule for
purposes of this subsection.
SECTION 6. Section 30A.108(b), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) Each report under this section must describe each
electronic course offered through the state virtual school network
and include the following information:
(1) course requirements;
(2) the school year calendar for the course, including
any options for continued participation outside of the standard
school year calendar;
(3) the entity that developed the course;
(4) the entity that provided the course;
(5) the course completion rate;
(6) from information provided by the agency, aggregate
student performance on an assessment instrument administered under
Section 39.023 to students enrolled in the course;
(7) from information provided by the agency, aggregate
student performance on all assessment instruments administered
under Section 39.023 to students who completed the course
provider's courses; and
(8) other information determined by the commissioner.
SECTION 7. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 30A.1081 to read as follows:
Sec. 30A.1081. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY AGENCY FOR INFORMED
CHOICE REPORTS. For purposes of including the information under
Sections 30A.108(b)(6) and (7) in the report required under that
section, the agency shall provide that information to the
administering authority in sufficient time for the administering
authority to comply with the reporting requirement under that
section.
SECTION 8. Section 30A.1121(b), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The administering authority [agency] shall review each
professional development course sought to be provided by a course
provider 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 may provide the course
for purposes of enabling a teacher to comply with Section
30A.111(a)(2).
SECTION 9. Section 30A.115, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 30A.115. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. The commissioner by
rule may establish procedures for providing additional resources,
such as an online library, to students and educators served through
the state virtual school network. The administering authority may
provide the additional resources only if the commissioner or
administering authority receives an appropriation, gift, or grant
sufficient to pay the costs of providing those resources.
SECTION 10. Section 30A.152(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The commissioner or the administering authority may
accept a grant for purposes of this chapter from a public or private
person and shall use those funds in accordance with the
commissioner's or the administering authority's duties, as
applicable, regarding the state virtual school network.
SECTION 11. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the commissioner of education shall advertise a
request for proposals for an administering authority for the state
virtual school network under Section 30A.053, Education Code, as
amended by this Act.
SECTION 12. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.