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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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EDUCATION CODE |
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Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION |
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Subtitle F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES |
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Chapter 30A. STATE VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK |
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Subchapter C. PROVISION OF ELECTRONIC COURSES |
Sec. 30A.105. APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC COURSES
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(a) The administering authority shall:
(1) establish a schedule for an annual submission and approval process for electronic courses;
(2) evaluate electronic courses to be offered through the state virtual school network; and
(3) not later than August 1 of each year, approve electronic courses that:
(A) meet the criteria established under Section 30A.103; and
(B) provide the minimum instructional rigor and scope required under Section 30A.104.
(a-1) The administering authority shall publish the schedule established under Subsection (a)(1), including any deadlines specified in that schedule, and any guidelines applicable to the submission and approval process for electronic courses.
(a-2) The evaluation required by Subsection (a)(2) must include review of each electronic course component, including off-line material proposed to be used in the course.
(b) The administering authority shall establish the cost of providing an electronic course approved under Subsection (a), which may not exceed $400 per student per course or $4,800 per full-time student.
(c) The agency shall pay the reasonable costs of evaluating and approving electronic courses. If funds available to the agency for that purpose are insufficient to pay the costs of evaluating and approving all electronic courses submitted for evaluation and approval, the agency shall give priority 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 Youth Commission, 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 agency determines that the costs of evaluating and approving a submitted electronic course will not be paid by the agency due to a shortage of funds available for that purpose, the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or public or private institution of higher education 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 agency shall establish and publish a fee schedule for purposes of this subsection.