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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to providing by contract for a public or private entity to |
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act as the administering authority for the state virtual school |
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network and to the duties of the administering authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 30A.001(1), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(1) "Administering authority" means the entity |
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contracted with [designated] under Section 30A.053 to administer |
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the state virtual school network. |
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SECTION 2. Section 30A.051(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall: |
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(1) administer the state virtual school network in |
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coordination with the administering authority; and |
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(2) ensure: |
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(A) high-quality education for students in this |
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state who are being educated through electronic courses provided |
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through the state virtual school network; and |
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(B) equitable access by students to those |
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courses. |
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SECTION 3. Section 30A.053, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 30A.053. CONTRACT FOR [DESIGNATION OF] ADMINISTERING |
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AUTHORITY. The commissioner shall contract with a public or |
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private entity [designate an agency employee or a group of agency
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employees] to act as the administering authority for the state |
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virtual school network. |
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SECTION 4. The heading to Section 30A.105, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 30A.105. EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC |
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COURSES. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 30A.105(c) and (d), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The administering authority [agency] shall pay the |
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reasonable costs of evaluating and approving electronic courses. |
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If funds available to the administering authority [agency] for that |
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purpose are insufficient to pay the costs of evaluating and |
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approving all electronic courses submitted for evaluation and |
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approval, the administering authority [agency] shall give priority |
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to paying the costs of evaluating and approving the following |
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courses: |
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(1) courses that satisfy high school graduation |
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requirements; |
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(2) courses that would likely benefit a student in |
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obtaining admission to a postsecondary institution; |
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(3) courses, including dual credit courses, that allow |
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a student to earn college credit or other advanced credit; |
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(4) courses in subject areas most likely to be highly |
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beneficial to students receiving educational services under the |
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supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas Juvenile |
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Justice Department, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; |
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and |
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(5) courses in subject areas designated by the |
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commissioner as commonly experiencing a shortage of teachers. |
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(d) If the administering authority [agency] determines that |
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the costs of evaluating and approving a submitted electronic course |
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will not be paid by the administering authority [agency] due to a |
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shortage of funds available for that purpose, the administering |
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authority may assess and the school district, open-enrollment |
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charter school, public or private institution of higher education, |
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or other eligible entity that submitted the course for evaluation |
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and approval may pay a fee equal to the amount of the costs in order |
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to ensure that evaluation of the course occurs. The administering |
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authority [agency] shall establish and publish a fee schedule for |
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purposes of this subsection. |
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SECTION 6. Section 30A.108(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Each report under this section must describe each |
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electronic course offered through the state virtual school network |
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and include the following information: |
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(1) course requirements; |
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(2) the school year calendar for the course, including |
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any options for continued participation outside of the standard |
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school year calendar; |
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(3) the entity that developed the course; |
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(4) the entity that provided the course; |
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(5) the course completion rate; |
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(6) from information provided by the agency, aggregate |
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student performance on an assessment instrument administered under |
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Section 39.023 to students enrolled in the course; |
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(7) from information provided by the agency, aggregate |
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student performance on all assessment instruments administered |
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under Section 39.023 to students who completed the course |
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provider's courses; and |
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(8) other information determined by the commissioner. |
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SECTION 7. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 30A.1081 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 30A.1081. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY AGENCY FOR INFORMED |
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CHOICE REPORTS. For purposes of including the information under |
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Sections 30A.108(b)(6) and (7) in the report required under that |
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section, the agency shall provide that information to the |
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administering authority in sufficient time for the administering |
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authority to comply with the reporting requirement under that |
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section. |
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SECTION 8. Section 30A.1121(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The administering authority [agency] shall review each |
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professional development course sought to be provided by a course |
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provider under Subsection (a) to determine if the course meets the |
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quality standards established under Section 30A.113. If a course |
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meets those standards, the course provider may provide the course |
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for purposes of enabling a teacher to comply with Section |
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30A.111(a)(2). |
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SECTION 9. Section 30A.115, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 30A.115. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. The commissioner by |
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rule may establish procedures for providing additional resources, |
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such as an online library, to students and educators served through |
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the state virtual school network. The administering authority may |
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provide the additional resources only if the commissioner or |
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administering authority receives an appropriation, gift, or grant |
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sufficient to pay the costs of providing those resources. |
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SECTION 10. Section 30A.152(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner or the administering authority may |
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accept a grant for purposes of this chapter from a public or private |
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person and shall use those funds in accordance with the |
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commissioner's or the administering authority's duties, as |
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applicable, regarding the state virtual school network. |
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SECTION 11. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the commissioner of education shall advertise a |
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request for proposals for an administering authority for the state |
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virtual school network under Section 30A.053, Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 12. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |