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DLN State Report 6.14

Blog Posts14 Jun 2013

Top Highlights

Connecticut

Bill: HB 6358/Public Act No. 13-108
Status: 06/06/2013 – Signed by the Governor
Relevant Elements: 4
Connecticut HB 6358/Public Act No. 13-108 was signed by Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy on June 6 and will take effect July 1, 2013. The law permits an additional, non-traditional method for high school students to earn academic credit toward graduation by demonstrating mastery based on competency and performance standards adopted by the state Board of Education. By law, a student may already earn non-traditional credit by completing coursework at a Connecticut public institution of higher education, or online, in accordance with local or regional board of education policy. Public Act 13-108 eliminates certain requirements related to the Open Choice inter-district attendance program.

Iowa

Bill: HF 215
Status: 06/03/2013 – Signed by Governor. H.J. 9999
Relevant Elements: 1, 4, 5, 7
Iowa HF 215 was signed by Republican Gov. Terry Branstad on June 3. It is the education reform bill containing various effective dates and its centerpiece is a series of teacher leadership, mentorship and professional development programs.

  • Establish a competency-based education grant award for no more than 10 school districts annually for the purposes of developing, implementing and evaluating competency-based education pilot and demonstration projects.
  • Establish a competency-based instruction task force.
  • Appropriate $1.5 million per year for administering the state online learning initiative.

Michigan

Bill: HB 4228
Status: 06/13/2013 – Assigned PA 60’13 with immediate effect
Relevant Elements: 1, 2, 9, 10
Michigan HB 4228 was signed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder on June 14. The budget includes course access provisions and would appropriate to:

  • Technology infrastructure improvement: maintain 2012-13 levels of $50 million.
  • Michigan Virtual University: increases to $5 million. Previous versions would have level-funded MVU.
  • Provide that students enrolling in a district offering online learning would not need permission from the resident district first and allow students in grades 5-12 to enroll in up to two online courses.
  • Expand the MVU including professional development and training for at least 500 teachers and establish an internet platform to create learning tools and resources.
  • Establish an online course catalog.

Vermont

Bill: SB 130
Status: 06/06/2013 – Signed by Governor
Relevant Elements: 1, 2, 3
Vermont SB 130 was signed by Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin on June 6. The law expands existing secondary school programs, including dual enrollment and early college, into a flexible pathways initiative. Specifically the law:

  • Creates the high school completion program for students who are not enrolled in school to allow them to create a personalized learning plan and high school diploma.
  • Creates opportunities for students to pursue flexible pathways to graduation that include virtual and blended learning, dual enrollment and early college.
  • Creates the dual enrollment program to be a potential component of a student’s flexible pathway. The program will include online courses and courses offered at a postsecondary institution and courses offered by a postsecondary institution on the campus of a secondary school.
  • Requires each student in grade 7-12 to develop a personalized learning plan by 2014 and each student in K-6 by 2012. Students may participate in the dual enrollment program if their PLPs permit this.

Bills Signed

  • Connecticut HB 6358/Public Act No. 13-108 was signed by Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy on June 6 and will take effect July 1, 2013. The law permits an additional, non-traditional method for high school students to earn academic credit toward graduation by demonstrating mastery based on competency and performance standards adopted by the state Board of Education.
  • Iowa HF 215 was signed by Republican Gov. Terry Branstad on June 3. It is the education reform bill containing various effective dates and its centerpiece is a series of teacher leadership, mentorship and professional development programs.
  • Vermont SB 130 was signed by Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin on June 6. The law expands existing secondary school programs, including dual enrollment and early college, into a flexible pathways initiative

State Updates

Kansas

Bill: SB 171
Status: 06/06/2013 – Senate Enrolled and presented to Governor on Thursday, June 06, 2013
Relevant Elements: 8, 9
In Kansas, the conference committee report of the budget SB 171 was adopted 63-51 by the House on June 1 and in the Senate 21-15 on June 2. It was enrolled on June 6 and sent to Republican Gov. Sam Brownback who has until June 16 to sign or veto the bill or it becomes law without signature. It would hold funding for elementary and secondary education steady for the year but still is about $500 million short in meeting a constitutional requirement to adequately fund its public schools based on a court ruling.   According to the adopted conference committee report, it would for:

  • Add $85,811, all from special revenue funds, for FY 2014 to fund the Educational Technology Coordinator position and request that the Department of Education provide data on the number of school districts served and cost savings for those districts in FY 2014 in order to assess the cost effectiveness of the position.

Louisiana

Bill: HB 1
Status: 06/11/2013 – Sent to the Governor for executive approval
Relevant Elements: 2, 7, 9
In Louisiana, HB 1, sponsored by House Appropriations Committee Chair James Fannin, D-Jonesboro, emerged from conference committee on June 6. The Senate voted 38-1 and the House 104-0 to adopt the conference committee report. It was enrolled the same day and on June 11 it was sent to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal who will have until July 1 to act or it becomes law. The $25.4 billion budget came together hours before the legislature was set to adjourn and was the work of compromises from both parties, according to The Times-Picayune. It is expected that Governor Jindal will use a line-item veto.

  • Louisiana Virtual School – $3 million.

Oregon

Bill: HB 3093
Status: 06/12/2013 – (H) Chapter 327, (2013 Laws): Effective date June 6, 2013
Relevant Elements: 6, 9
Oregon HB 3093 was signed on June 6 by Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber and the bill became effective immediately. The bill sets forth circumstances in which for-profit entities may hire employees at virtual public charter schools.

Pennsylvania

Relevant Elements: 1, 2, 4, 7
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a new full time online school is scheduled to open this fall that the district hopes will offer customized learning and flexibility in academics needed and wanted by both students and families, according to Education Week. Officials of the district hope the new virtual program will give the city school system the ability to compete with “cyber charters” and other options that parents might choose for their students. By creating its online program, Philadelphia joins other larger urban school districts creating their own virtual schools in order to keep parents and students in the district or to lure them back from other alternatives. Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, reports that the number of individual school districts creating online programs is on the rise. The Philadelphia Virtual Academy, which has a targeted enrollment of between 500-1000 students for the first year, hopes to win back some of the 4,864 students who live in the district but have chosen to take full-time online classes through cyber charters around the state. District Superintendent William R. Hite said the academy is part of a bigger plan that seeks to create school models that offer “innovation in educational delivery” which is something that appeals to both parents and students. This innovation has previously only been found in cyber charter schools and now perhaps parents and students will be willing to come back to the district. “Our goal is to draw families back to the district by making Philadelphia Virtual Academy the preferred choice for parents and students who want a quality online education.”

Bill: HB 618
Status: 06/04/2013 – Removed from table
Relevant Elements: 2, 4, 6, 7
Pennsylvania HB 618, sponsored by Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Nazareth, was reported as amended on June 3.

As amended it would:

  • Permit a school district, charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school, or area vocational technical school to enter into an agreement with one or more institutions of higher education to allow students to attend the institution while in high school and allow the student to receive credit for the class.
  • Define charter school entity as a charter school, regional charter school or cyber charter school.
  • Grant charters for an initial period of five years.
  • Not enforce a cap for regional or cyber charter schools.

Bill Updates:

  • A Louisiana conference committee agreed on changes to HB 115 on June 6 and the bill was enrolled and sent to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal on June 7. Governor Jindal has until June 27 to act on the bill or it becomes law. The bill would give parents the power to petition to shift control of a school from a Recovery School District (RSD) back to local school authority.
  • Maine LD 995, sponsored by Senate President Justin Alfond, D-Portland, saw the House fail to pass the bill with the required two-thirds majority for emergency measures. The Senate has not yet had a final vote on the bill. It would prohibit the Maine Charter School Commission from authorizing a virtual public charter school until legislation is enacted that would give express authority for the operation of virtual public charter schools.
  • New York SB 5509 passed the Senate and was referred to the Assembly Education Committee on June 11. It would direct the Education Commissioner to establish an online learning committee to make recommendations for the establishment of a statewide online and blended learning program.
  • The Ohio budget, HB 59, was reported out of the Senate Finance Committee as a substitute amendment on June 5. On June 6 the Senate passed the bill 23-10 along party lines. On June 12, the House unanimously rejected the Senate Amendments.