Bill Text: AZ SB1259 | 2012 | Fiftieth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Schools; online courses; requirements; funding
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2012-05-14 - Governor Vetoed [SB1259 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2012-SB1259-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: schools; online courses; requirements; funding |
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State of Arizona Senate Fiftieth Legislature Second Regular Session 2012
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SB 1259 |
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Introduced by Senator Crandall
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AN ACT
amending Title 15, chapter 8, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-808.01; relating to school attendance.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 8, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-808.01, to read:
15-808.01. Online courses; standards; requirements; funding
A. For school years 2012‑2013 and 2013‑2014, School districts and charter schools shall allow each pupil in grades seven through twelve to enroll in up to two online courses each academic year pursuant to this section. After school year 2013‑2014, the state board of education shall determine the maximum number of online courses in which pupils in grades seven through twelve may enroll each academic year. Pupils must be enrolled in a school district or charter school in this state in order to take online courses offered pursuant to this section. The online course provider shall describe the requirements that a pupil must meet in order to satisfactorily complete each course offered by that online course provider.
B. In order to receive funding pursuant to this section, online course providers shall submit proposed online courses to the department of education for approval. In considering whether to approve the online course, the department of education shall determine whether the online course and the assessments for that online course are aligned to state standards. The department of education shall automatically approve online course providers that have previously provided instruction pursuant to section 15‑808, unless that online course provider offers new or different courses from those it previously provided.
C. The allotted funding for each online course shall be equivalent to the total state and local funding that would otherwise have been allocated to the school district or charter school if that pupil had taken a course in the same subject matter at a physical location in the school district or charter school. A school district or charter school shall distribute fifty per cent of the allotted funding for the online course to the online course provider on the tenth day of the pupil's enrollment in the online course. The school district or charter school shall distribute thirty‑five per cent of the allotted funding for the online course to the online course provider when the pupil completes the online course. The school district or charter school shall distribute the remaining fifteen per cent of the allotted funding for the online course to the online course provider when the pupil has demonstrated mastery of the subject matter of the online course through an assessment approved by the department of education. If the online course is an international baccalaureate course or an advanced placement course and the pupil has demonstrated mastery of the subject matter on the assessment associated with that course, the online course provider is eligible for an additional five per cent of the total state and local funding that would otherwise have been allocated to the school district or charter school if that pupil had taken a course in the same subject matter at a physical location in the school district or charter school. For the purposes of this subsection, "demonstrated mastery" means that the pupil obtains one of the following:
1. A passing score on a state assessment that is correlated to that specific online course.
2. If the online course is an advanced placement course, a score of at least three on a scale of one to five on the advanced placement examination.
3. If the online course in an international baccalaureate program, a score of at least four on a scale of one to seven on the international baccalaureate examination.
4. A sufficient score established by the department of education on a college preparation examination that is aligned to the state standards taught in a specific online course.
5. A sufficient score established by the department of education on an external assessment that is aligned to the state standards taught in a specific online course.
D. To receive course-level funding under this section beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, online providers must demonstrate that at least eighty–five per cent of the pupils enrolled previously in that online course and the parents of those pupils have rated the online course as satisfactory or above. The department of education shall collect satisfaction ratings from pupils and parents on the completion of each course beginning in school year 2012-2013. Online course providers with more than three courses that fail to attain an acceptable satisfaction rating are thereafter ineligible to provide online courses under this section.
E. Beginning in the 2015‑2016 school year, online course providers must demonstrate a course-level passage rate of seventy per cent, or a scaled equivalent score on correlated state assessments or approved external assessments. Online course Providers must also demonstrate a sixty per cent completion rate for each online course. Online course providers with more than three courses that fail to attain an acceptable course passage or completion rate are thereafter ineligible to provide online courses under this section.
F. The department of education shall maintain a list of approved online courses, satisfaction ratings and assessment results. Parents may select courses from this approved list. Courses offered from this list shall be funded according to the funding provisions of this section. A School district or charter school shall not prohibit a pupil from enrolling in an online course that is on the list approved by the department of education. A school district or charter school shall accept all academic credits awarded to pupils who satisfactorily complete an online course that is on the list approved by the department of education.
G. Online courses may be offered pursuant to this section by providers who are approved pursuant to section 15‑808 and shall be funded based on the minutes of instruction provided pursuant to section 15-808. Online courses offered pursuant to this subsection need not be listed on the list approved by the department of education pursuant to subsection F of this section. Existing full-time providers of Arizona online instruction pursuant to section 15‑808 may receive the additional five per cent of funding prescribed by subsection C of this section for pupils who demonstrate mastery on an assessment approved by the department of education. Providers who qualify to provide Arizona online instruction pursuant to section 15‑808 after the effective date of this section shall receive eighty‑five per cent of basic state aid for full-time Arizona online instruction pupils and may receive an additional fifteen per cent of basic state aid for pupils who demonstrate mastery on an assessment approved by the department of education.
H. Test scores on state-administered assessments of pupils enrolled in online courses pursuant to this section shall be reported by the school district, charter school or online course provider. The school district, charter school or online provider shall administer state assessments for content areas or courses, or both, when pupils are enrolled in the relevant courses in each instructional setting.
I. Pupils who enroll in online courses pursuant to this section are eligible to participate in interscholastic athletic and extracurricular activities as a pupil in the school district or charter school where the pupil is enrolled in at least fifty per cent of the pupil's total courses.
J. Online courses may be provided in summer school and at other times outside the required number of days of instruction required by section 15‑341.01, except that state and local monies shall not be distributed for online courses that are provided outside the required one hundred eighty days of instruction.
K. The department of education shall issue an initial request for proposals on or before December 31, 2012 for online course providers that wish to offer online courses pursuant to this section. The request for proposals will include the rate the online provider will charge for each online course, including course access, materials, assessment and instruction. The department of education may establish a maximum amount for individual course fees. The initial request for proposals will solicit proposals for online courses that are required for graduation from high school. The second Request for proposals will solicit proposals for online courses that are associated with advanced placement and international baccalaureate requirements and courses that are required for graduation from high school.
