By: Shapiro S.B. No. 933
(In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2003; March 11, 2003, read
first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 10, 2003,
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 3; April 10, 2003, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 933 By: Shapiro
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a virtual charter school administered by a public
senior college or university.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 12.002, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 12.002. CLASSES OF CHARTER. The classes of charter
under this chapter are:
(1) a home-rule school district charter as provided by
Subchapter B;
(2) a campus or campus program charter as provided by
Subchapter C; [or]
(3) an open-enrollment charter as provided by
Subchapter D; or
(4) a college or university charter as provided by
Subchapter E.
SECTION 2. Sections 12.151, 12.152, and 12.153, Education
Code, are amended to read as follows:
Sec. 12.151. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this subchapter:
(1) "Educational activity" means an activity of a
student enrolled in a virtual charter school that is considered for
purposes of a student's minimum hours of instruction required by a
charter granted under this subchapter or rules adopted under this
subchapter.
(2) "Public [, "public] senior college or university"
has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(3) "Virtual charter school" means a charter school
authorized and operating under this subchapter that uses
technology, including the Internet, to deliver a significant
portion of the school's instruction outside of a central campus.
Sec. 12.152. AUTHORIZATION. [(a)] In accordance with this
subchapter and Subchapter D, the State Board of Education may grant
a charter on the application of a public senior college or
university for:
(1) an open-enrollment charter school to operate on
the campus of the public senior college or university or in the same
county in which the campus of the public senior college or
university is located; or
(2) a virtual charter school administered by a public
senior college or university to operate from an administrative
office in the same county in which the campus of the college or
university is located.
Sec. 12.153. RULES. (a) The commissioner may adopt rules
to implement this subchapter.
(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer
virtual charter schools under this subchapter. For purposes of
charter school funding under Section 12.106, the commissioner shall
determine the number of hours of virtual charter school educational
activities that are the equivalent of one day of school attendance.
SECTION 3. Subchapter E, Chapter 12, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 12.157 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.157. VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL. (a) A virtual
charter school must:
(1) provide each student enrolled in the school with
access to a secular curriculum that meets or exceeds state academic
standards;
(2) allow each student to work at a grade level other
than the grade level in which the student is enrolled;
(3) an average of at least once each week during the
school year, assess each student's performance in each subject in
the foundation curriculum in which the student is enrolled;
(4) ensure that a parent or legal guardian of each
student verifies the number of hours of educational activities
completed by the student each school year;
(5) make available to the parent or legal guardian of
each student:
(A) a computer and printer;
(B) physical copies of any instructional
materials related to the student's curriculum; and
(C) reimbursement for any fees related to
Internet access used for educational activities; and
(6) maintain a student/teacher ratio of not less than
one teacher for each 60 students in average daily attendance.
(b) A student enrolled in a virtual charter school shall
complete:
(1) at least 720 hours of educational activities each
school year if the student is enrolled in grade two or lower; and
(2) at least 900 hours of educational activities each
school year if the student is enrolled in grade three or higher.
(c) A teacher employed by a virtual charter school:
(1) must be appropriately certified under Subchapter
B, Chapter 21; and
(2) shall, at least four times each school year, be
available to meet with the parent or legal guardian of each student
enrolled in the teacher's class.
(d) A virtual charter school is entitled for each student in
average daily attendance to funding at a level equal to an
open-enrollment charter school.
(e) A public senior college or university that holds a
charter for a virtual charter school shall annually conduct an
evaluation of the school, including an analysis of:
(1) any increase in student achievement, as measured
using state academic standards and standards described by the
charter;
(2) the academic, fiscal, and operational performance
of the school; and
(3) the performance of any students who are assessed
using an assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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