Sec. 30A.105. APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC COURSES. (a) The administering authority shall:

(1) establish a submission and approval process for electronic courses that occurs on a rolling basis; and

(2) evaluate electronic courses to be offered through the state virtual school network.

(a-1) The administering authority shall publish the submission and approval process for electronic courses established under Subsection (a)(1), including any deadlines and guidelines applicable to the process.

(a-2) The evaluation required by Subsection (a)(2) must include review of each electronic course component, including off-line material proposed to be used in the course.

(b) The administering authority shall establish the cost of providing an electronic course approved under Subsection (a), which may not exceed $400 per student per course or $4,800 per full-time student.

(c) The agency shall pay the reasonable costs of evaluating and approving electronic courses. If funds available to the agency for that purpose are insufficient to pay the costs of evaluating and approving all electronic courses submitted for evaluation and approval, the agency shall give priority to paying the costs of evaluating and approving the following courses:

(1) courses that satisfy high school graduation requirements;

(2) courses that would likely benefit a student in obtaining admission to a postsecondary institution;

(3) courses, including dual credit courses, that allow a student to earn college credit or other advanced credit;

(4) courses in subject areas most likely to be highly beneficial to students receiving educational services under the supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; and

(5) courses in subject areas designated by the commissioner as commonly experiencing a shortage of teachers.

(d) If the agency determines that the costs of evaluating and approving a submitted electronic course will not be paid by the agency due to a shortage of funds available for that purpose, the school district, open-enrollment charter school, public or private institution of higher education, or other eligible entity that submitted the course for evaluation and approval may pay a fee equal to the amount of the costs in order to ensure that evaluation of the course occurs. The agency shall establish and publish a fee schedule for purposes of this subsection.

(e) The administering authority shall require a course provider to apply for renewed approval of a previously approved course in accordance with a schedule designed to coincide with revisions to the required curriculum under Section 28.002(a) but not later than the 10th anniversary of the previous approval.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1337 (S.B. 1788), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328 (H.B. 3646), Sec. 31, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 61.05, eff. September 28, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1386 (H.B. 1926), Sec. 15, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 30, eff. September 1, 2015.