CHAPTER 15
USE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTION BY SCHOOLS
281—15.1(256) Purpose. It is the purpose of this chapter to give guidance and direction for the use of telecommunications as an instructional tool for students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 who are served by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, area education agencies, merged area schools, institutions under the governance of the state board of regents, and independent colleges and universities in elementary and secondary school classes and courses.
281—15.2(256) Definitions.
“Appropriately licensed and endorsed” indicates possession of current and valid licensure by the Iowa board of educational examiners to practice at a prescribed educational level in a specified content area.
“Class size” refers to the total group taught during a time period by a teacher or teaching team with students at one or more sites.
“Department” means the department of education.
“Exclusive instruction” means without the use of any other form of instructional delivery.
“Nonexclusive instruction” provides more than one means for interaction between teacher and student.
281—15.3(256) lnteractivity. Courses delivered primarily via telecommunications shall employ live interactive systems which allow at a minimum one-way video and two-way audio communication. An annual waiver may be granted by the department for a telecommunications system that does not include audio but has an alternative contemporaneous, interactive communication ability and is consistent with sound instructional practice.
281—15.4(256) Course eligibility. Telecommunications may be employed as a means to deliver any course, including a course required for accreditation by the department, provided it is not the exclusive means of instructional delivery.
281—15.5(256) Teacher preparation and accessibility. A teacher appropriately licensed and endorsed for the educational level and content area being taught shall be present and responsible for the instructional program at the receiving site if a presenter of material transmitted via telecommunications is not an appropriately licensed and endorsed teacher for the educational level and content area. If a presenter of material transmitted via telecommunications is an appropriately licensed and endorsed teacher for the educational level and content area, a supervising teacher, or aide to whom a supervising teacher is readily available for consultation, shall supervise and monitor the curriculum and students, and be readily accessible to the students. Prior to being assigned initially to deliver instruction via telecommunications, a teacher shall receive training regarding effective practices which enhance learning by telecommunications.
281—15.6(256) School responsibilities. Each board of a local school district or a nonpublic school employing telecommunications for instruction shall develop policies relative to the use of telecommunications in the delivery of the educational program that are consistent with effective clinical practice. The local school district or nonpublic school shall report its use of telecommunications for instruction annually to the department on forms provided by the department. This report shall include:
	1.	To whom the instruction was delivered including class size, type of class (such as seminar or lecture), and grade level;
	2.	The course description and schedule of instruction;
	3.	The number, assignment, licensure including the licensing folder number, and the training received regarding effective practices which enhance learning by telecommunications of all staff involved in the teaching/learning process at both the origination and the receiving sites.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code subsection 256.7(9).
[Filed 4/13/90, Notice 1/10/90—published 5/2/90, effective 6/6/90]