Senate Study Bill 1197 



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                            EDUCATION BILL BY
                                            CHAIRPERSON SCHMITZ)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act establishing a task force to develop a plan for the
  2    implementation of an online school for certain populations.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 1858XC 83
  5 kh/rj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == ONLINE SCHOOL TASK
  1  2 FORCE.
  1  3    1.  The department of education shall convene a task force
  1  4 to develop a plan for the implementation of an online school
  1  5 for certain populations residing in this state using the
  1  6 internet or another telecommunications system.  The plan shall
  1  7 address, at a minimum, online learning tools, online
  1  8 curricula, online course credit, and the issuance of a high
  1  9 school diploma for coursework successfully completed online.
  1 10 The online school plan shall be designed for populations that
  1 11 include but are not limited to persons who have dropped out,
  1 12 or are at risk of dropping out, of school; persons who are
  1 13 institutionalized underachievers; persons with mental illness,
  1 14 mental retardation, or other developmental disabilities;
  1 15 persons with learning disabilities; and other persons who face
  1 16 barriers to academic achievement.
  1 17    2.  The director of the department of education shall
  1 18 appoint members to the task force which shall include
  1 19 education practitioners and stakeholders, persons who
  1 20 represent the target populations, and educational technology
  1 21 specialists.
  1 22    3.  The task force shall select a chairperson from its
  1 23 membership.  A majority of the members of the task force shall
  1 24 constitute a quorum.
  1 25    4.  The task force shall submit its findings and
  1 26 recommendations in a report to the state board of education
  1 27 and the general assembly by January 15, 2010.
  1 28                           EXPLANATION
  1 29    This bill directs the department of education to convene a
  1 30 task force to develop a plan for the implementation of an
  1 31 online school for certain populations in the state, including
  1 32 but not limited to persons who have dropped out, or are at
  1 33 risk of dropping out, of school; persons who are
  1 34 institutionalized underachievers; persons with mental illness,
  1 35 mental retardation, or other developmental disabilities;
  2  1 persons with learning disabilities; and other persons who face
  2  2 barriers to academic achievement.  The plan must address
  2  3 online learning tools, online curricula, online course credit,
  2  4 and the issuance of a high school diploma for coursework
  2  5 successfully completed online.
  2  6    The director of the department is directed to appoint
  2  7 members to the task force which shall include education
  2  8 practitioners and stakeholders, persons who represent the
  2  9 target populations, and educational technology specialists.
  2 10    The task force must submit its findings and recommendations
  2 11 in a report to the state board of education and the general
  2 12 assembly by January 15, 2010.
  2 13 LSB 1858XC 83
  2 14 kh/rj/5