BILL REQ. #:  H-3814.1 

Read first time 01/15/10.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to college-level online learning by high school students; and amending RCW 28A.250.010 and 28A.250.060.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.250.010 and 2009 c 542 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1)(a) "Multidistrict online provider" means:
     (i) A private or nonprofit organization that enters into a contract with a school district to provide online courses or programs to K-12 students from more than one school district;
     (ii) A private or nonprofit organization that enters into contracts with multiple school districts to provide online courses or programs to K-12 students from those districts; or
     (iii) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a school district that provides online courses or programs to students who reside outside the geographic boundaries of the school district.
     (b) "Multidistrict online provider" does not include:
     (i) A school district online learning program in which fewer than ten percent of the students enrolled in the program are from other districts under the interdistrict student transfer provisions of RCW 28A.225.225((. "Multidistrict online provider" also does not include));
     (ii) Regional online learning programs that are jointly developed and implemented by two or more school districts or an educational service district through an interdistrict cooperative program agreement that addresses, at minimum, how the districts share student full-time equivalency for state basic education funding purposes and how categorical education programs, including special education, are provided to eligible students; or
     (iii) A public institution of higher education in Washington or an in-state or out-of-state institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the higher education coordinating board under chapter 28B.85 RCW, only as long as the online course or program being delivered generates college credits.
     (2)(a) "Online course" means a course that:
     (i) Is delivered primarily electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods; and
     (ii) Is taught by a teacher primarily from a remote location. Students enrolled in an online course may have access to the teacher synchronously, asynchronously, or both.
     (b) "Online school program" means a school program that:
     (i) Is delivered primarily electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods;
     (ii) Is taught by a teacher primarily from a remote location. Students enrolled in an online program may have access to the teacher synchronously, asynchronously, or both;
     (iii) Delivers a part-time or full-time sequential program; and
     (iv) Has an online component of the program with online lessons and tools for student and data management.
     (c) An online course or online school program may be delivered to students at school as part of the regularly scheduled school day. An online course or online school program also may be delivered to students, in whole or in part, independently from a regular classroom schedule, but such courses or programs must comply with RCW 28A.150.262 to qualify for state basic education funding.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.250.060 and 2009 c 542 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, school districts may claim state basic education funding, to the extent otherwise allowed by state law, for students enrolled in online courses or programs only if the online courses or programs are:
     (a) Offered by a multidistrict online provider approved under RCW 28A.250.020 by the superintendent of public instruction;
     (b) Offered by a school district online learning program if the program serves students who reside within the geographic boundaries of the school district, including school district programs in which fewer than ten percent of the program's students reside outside the school district's geographic boundaries; ((or))
     (c) Offered by a regional online learning program where courses are jointly developed and offered by two or more school districts or an educational service district through an interdistrict cooperative program agreement; or
     (d) Offered for college credit by a public institution of higher education in Washington or an in-state or out-of-state institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the higher education coordinating board under chapter 28B.85 RCW.
     (2) Criteria shall be established by the superintendent of public instruction to allow online courses that have not been approved by the superintendent of public instruction to be eligible for state funding if the course is in a subject matter in which no courses have been approved and, if it is a high school course, the course meets Washington high school graduation requirements.