SB72 Summary

• Each local board of education must adopt a policy by the 2016-2017 school year providing a virtual education option for eligible students in grades 9-12, with options for scope, delivery, eligibility criteria, performance monitoring, and attendance requirements.

• Full-time virtual students are counted in average daily membership, participate in state testing and accountability through their local school system, and receive diplomas from their local school upon meeting graduation requirements.

• Virtual students may participate in extracurricular activities at their local school attendance zone and are subject to the same requirements as traditional public school students, including Alabama High School Athletic Association rules.

• Local boards are exempt from traditional instruction requirements including physical presence, staffing, transportation, facility, space, time, and physical education requirements that conflict with virtual program delivery.

• State Department of Education must provide the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) platform to local systems at no cost with required courses for grades 9-12 graduation, and a legislative task force must review and recommend changes to ACCESS funding, structure, and curriculum by the 2016 Regular Session.