Regulation Of Online Schools

Multi-district online schools - enrollment data - accountability. The act directs the online division in the department of education (department) to prepare an annual report concerning students who withdraw from enrollment in an online school after the annual count date. The report must include the date on which the student withdrew from enrollment, the grade level at which the student was enrolled at the beginning of the school year and when the student withdrew, and, to the extent known, whether during the same school year the student enrolled in another school or graduated or completed high school. The department must submit the report to the state board of education and the education committees of the general assembly.

Before passage of the act, the statute required a school district, a group of school districts, a board of cooperative services, or the state charter school institute that seeks to authorize a multi-district online school to first obtain certification for the multi-district online school from the department. Under the act, if an existing multi-district online school changes authorizers, the new authorizer must obtain a new certification of the multi-district online school.

An online school is subject to the same accountability requirements as apply to other public schools. The act states that if an online school is on performance watch and changes authorizers, either in its original form or as a successor school, or if the online school is created as a successor school with the same authorizer, the online school remains on performance watch. If an online school is closed because of actions taken as a result of accountability, the online school must apply for a new certification before it can operate again either as the original online school or as a successor school, regardless of whether the online school changes authorizers.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)