HB 2595 Summary

• Beginning July 1, 2014, school districts must allow students in grades 7-12 to enroll in up to two online courses per academic year as part of their regular course load.

• The state board of education shall adopt a master rubric by December 15, 2013 for approving online courses, with the Department of Education maintaining a publicly accessible master list of approved courses on its website.

• School districts receive state funding equivalent to what would be allocated for the same course taken at a physical school location; funding is distributed to the online course provider in two payments: 50% upon course completion with a C- grade or better, and 50% upon demonstrated mastery through approved assessments.

• Online course providers must ensure midterm and final examinations are monitored by a representative physically present in the same room as the student during the entire examination; the maximum price per online course is limited to one-twelfth of the statewide average per-pupil funding for high school students.

• An independent organization shall be contracted to collect feedback, review completion and passing rates, and develop a ranking system for online courses and providers, with provisions to remove consistently underperforming courses and providers from the master list.