|
Senate Bill 1788 |
Senate Author: Shapiro et al. |
|
Effective: 9-1-07 |
House Sponsor: Madden |
Senate Bill 1788 amends the Education Code to establish and provide for the operation of a state virtual school network, administered by an authority designated by the commissioner of education, to allow a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or public or private college or university to provide electronic courses, online testing, and other student-teacher interactions and instructional activities over the Internet. The bill sets forth provisions relating to the commissioner's powers and duties with respect to the network's administration; the administering authority's powers and duties with respect to the criteria for and the development, evaluation, approval, listing, and offering of electronic courses; the State Board of Education's responsibility to establish an objective standard criteria for an electronic course to ensure alignment with the essential knowledge and skills and other content requirements; student eligibility requirements for enrollment in one or more electronic courses, eligibility requirements for a school district or charter school to provide electronic courses, and qualification requirements for each teacher of an electronic course. The bill specifies that its provisions do not create or authorize the creation of a telecommunications or information services network, nor does it require or prohibit the furnishing of a home computer or Internet access to a student by a school district, charter school, service provider, or the state. The bill requires the state to pay the costs of operating the network and provides for an allocation of per-pupil funding for districts and charter schools.