Bill Text: TX HB3141 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: 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.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-16 - Left pending in committee [HB3141 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3141-Introduced.html
86R10191 SOS-D | ||
By: Guillen | H.B. No. 3141 |
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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 [ |
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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 [ |
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AUTHORITY. The commissioner shall contract with a public or | ||
private entity [ |
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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 [ |
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reasonable costs of evaluating and approving electronic courses. | ||
If funds available to the administering authority [ |
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purpose are insufficient to pay the costs of evaluating and | ||
approving all electronic courses submitted for evaluation and | ||
approval, the administering authority [ |
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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 [ |
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the costs of evaluating and approving a submitted electronic course | ||
will not be paid by the administering authority [ |
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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 [ |
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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 [ |
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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. |