House Bill 205 - Summary

• State Board of Education must develop approval criteria and processes for multidistrict online providers, with initial approvals valid for four years and first decisions due before April 1, 2013.

• State Department of Education shall establish an Office of Online Learning to maintain a website providing objective information about approved online courses and programs, including teacher qualifications, student-to-teacher ratios, and course completion rates.

• Local school districts must develop policies by August 31, 2013 regarding student access to online courses, including eligibility criteria, types of courses available, support methods, and procedures for granting high school credit.

• Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, school districts may claim state education funding for online courses only if offered by approved multidistrict providers, school district programs, or regional cooperative programs.

• State Department of Education must revise the definition of full-time equivalent students to include those in alternative learning experience online programs, with specific rules requiring licensed staff supervision, weekly student contact, proctored assessments, and annual progress evaluation.