|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to academic accountability ratings for certain school |
|
districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and contracted |
|
entities that offer full-time online programs through the state |
|
virtual school network and revocation of approval to operate or |
|
contract to operate those programs. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 30A, Education Code, is |
|
amended by adding Sections 30A.1011 and 30A.1012 to read as |
|
follows: |
|
Sec. 30A.1011. CONTRACTING FOR FULL-TIME ONLINE PROGRAM. |
|
(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school that |
|
contracts with an entity to operate a full-time online program for |
|
the district or school shall report to the agency: |
|
(1) the identity of the contracted entity each year |
|
the contracted entity operates the full-time online program; and |
|
(2) information required to be reported under Section |
|
48.008 regarding staff and finances as if the full-time online |
|
program were a campus. |
|
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
|
shall revoke a contract with an entity to operate a full-time online |
|
program for the district or school if the entity has received for |
|
the three most recent school years a campus or district |
|
accountability rating of D or F under Subchapter C, Chapter 39. A |
|
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall include a |
|
contract revocation provision in each contract entered into with an |
|
entity to operate a full-time online program for the district or |
|
school under this section. |
|
(c) The agency shall notify a school district or |
|
open-enrollment charter school that the district or school is |
|
subject to Subsection (b) if its full-time online program has |
|
received for the three most recent school years accountability |
|
ratings described by that subsection. Failure to receive notice |
|
under this subsection does not affect the requirement imposed on |
|
the district or school under Subsection (b). |
|
(c-1) For purposes of Subsections (b) and (c), an |
|
accountability rating for a school year before the 2020-2021 school |
|
year may not be considered. This subsection expires September 1, |
|
2023. |
|
(d) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
|
not contract with an entity to operate a full-time online program |
|
for the district or school if the contracted entity operated a |
|
full-time online program for a district or school and the |
|
contracting entity was subject to a contract revocation under |
|
Subsection (b) within the preceding 10 years. |
|
(e) The administering authority shall include a list of |
|
entities subject to a contract revocation under Subsection (b) on |
|
the state virtual school network Internet website. |
|
(f) An entity under this section includes a corporate |
|
affiliate or an entity that is substantially related to the entity. |
|
(g) The provisions of this section may not be waived by the |
|
commissioner. |
|
Sec. 30A.1012. REVOCATION OF APPROVAL FOR FULL-TIME ONLINE |
|
PROGRAM. If the commissioner revokes approval for a school |
|
district or open-enrollment charter school to operate a full-time |
|
online program under this chapter, the district or school may not |
|
operate a full-time online program under this chapter during the |
|
10-year period following the revocation. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 30A.110, Education Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsections (d), (d-1), and (d-2) to read as follows: |
|
(d) An entity that operates a full-time online program shall |
|
receive an accountability rating under Chapter 39. An entity that |
|
operates multiple full-time online programs shall receive an |
|
accountability rating for: |
|
(1) each full-time online program as if the program |
|
were a campus; and |
|
(2) the entity as if the entity were a school district |
|
or open-enrollment charter school and each full-time online program |
|
were a campus of the district or school. |
|
(d-1) This subsection applies only to a school district or |
|
open-enrollment charter school that provides instruction to |
|
students while students are located on the physical premises of a |
|
district or school campus and provides separate instruction to |
|
students enrolled full-time in courses provided through a district |
|
or school full-time online program. In determining the performance |
|
ratings under Section 39.054 of a school district or |
|
open-enrollment charter school subject to this subsection, the |
|
commissioner shall evaluate the performance of students enrolled in |
|
a district or school full-time online program separately from the |
|
performance of other district or school students and assign: |
|
(1) separate district or school overall and domain |
|
performance ratings for the district's or school's full-time online |
|
program; and |
|
(2) separate campus overall and domain performance |
|
ratings for each full-time online program. |
|
(d-2) Subsection (d-1) and this subsection expire September |
|
1, 2023. |
|
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
|
school year. |
|
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, 2021. |