SB1217 - 452R - House Bill Summary

House of Representatives

SB 1217

~~technology assisted instruction program~~

NOW: technology assisted instruction program; expansion

Sponsors: Senators Smith, Bennett

X	Committee on Education
	Committee on Appropriations
	Caucus and COW
	Third Read
	As Passed the House

SB 1217 expands the Technology Assisted Project-Based Instruction Program (Program) to include two additional school districts and two additional charter schools. An academic profile must be established for each participating pupil. The funding amount for the new schools shall be limited to the statewide average per pupil expenditure for the previous fiscal year.

History

The Program is aimed at improving student achievement and extending academic options beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. Currently, before selecting public schools to participate in the program, the State Board of Education and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee must review the proposed curriculum of each potential pilot school and evaluate the projected costs of operating the program.

Currently, there are two school districts and two charter schools enrolled in the Program: Mesa Unified School District, Deer Valley Unified School District, PPEP TEC Charter School and Sequoia Choice Charter School. This bill caps the per-student funding at the statewide average per student expenditure of the prior school year. According to the Superintendent’s Annual Report for FY 1999-2000, the per student statewide expenditure was $5,011 for traditional public schools and $4,943 for charter schools.

Student participants in the Program include migrant, home schooled, private schooled pupils, as well as public school students who need to make up credits in time to graduate, former dropouts and gifted students. Additionally, the Program offers options for distance learning students to take courses via the Internet. This provides home schooled students and students from remote school districts and private schools with more learning options and access to specialized courses that would normally not be available due to teacher shortages in rural areas. For other students, Program courses extend academic options within the classroom by providing them with access to self-paced, computer assisted courses that may not be available in the traditional classroom setting. Program sites supplement students with books and other instructional material. Current law limits the number of participating students within the state to 500.

Provisions

· Expands the Program, beginning in FY 2002-03, to include two additional school districts and two charter schools with the following criteria beyond current statute:

· An academic profile must be established for each pupil to reflect the pupil’s relative placement in each of the academic standard subject areas.

· Determine a specific funding amount between the school and the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to advance each pupil one full academic year in each academic standard, based on the pupil’s academic profile. The funding amount must not exceed the statewide average per pupil expenditure for the previous fiscal year, but the contract may include incentives and sanctions.

· The four new schools must provide information to the State Board of Education and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the average amount of time required to advance a pupil ahead one full academic year by grade level.

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· 45th Legislature