Senate Bill S7017

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Creates the New York state web academy and virtual charter schools

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 08, 2010	referred to education

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 56-A §§2900 - 2903, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2011-2012 Legislative Session:: S1133

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates the New York state web academy and virtual charter schools to provide online instruction.

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7017

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to creating the New
York state web academy and virtual charter schools to provide online
instruction


 PURPOSE :

The purpose of this legislation is to develop and implement virtual
charter school courses via the Internet to allow pupils access to
courses they otherwise would not be able to access through
conventional instructional methods.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one amends that the education law by adding a new article
56-A, which creates subparagraphs 2900-2903 of the education law
concerning the Web Academy and Virtual Charter schools.

Sub-paragraph 2900 contains the definitions section, and defines a
"virtual charter school" as a charter school in which at least a
portion of the instruction is provided through means of the Internet.

Sub-paragraph 2901 Provides that the department shall establish the
New York state web academy comprised of virtual charter schools to
partner with school districts, cooperative educational services,
private schools and the chartering entities of charter schools which
will throughout the state to offer online courses at a reasonable fee
for middle and high school students.

Subparagraph 2901 further provides the Board of Regents shall
establish the content of the online courses, provide for online
certification for New York state certified teachers and provide
technical support for the academy. All online courses shall meet New
York state and national standards.

Sub-paragraph 2902 provides that teachers shall be required to undergo
special training before teaching an online course. Furthermore, shall
limit the number of students enrolled in a virtual charter school, and
shall ensure pupils enrolled part-time in online courses have direct
with a teacher, each week school is scheduled, for at least twenty
minutes for each online.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This legislation seeks to expand the options that parents have in
selecting the right school for their children by creating a New York
State Web Academy, within which non-locationally based charter schools
might operate. Certain children do not perform as well inside of
traditional classroom settings due to such things as a lack of
sufficiently challenging academic offerings, or other reasons why a
student might not thrive in a given school district's "brick and
mortar" schools. For those students, "virtual" charter schools can
provide a necessary alternative to traditional location-based
schooling.

Those wishing to be teachers in virtual charter schools must go
through additional educational training in order to provide the
sufficient amount of education to their pupils. Furthermore, enrollees
in the virtual charter schools will be required, similar to other
types of home schooling, to spend socialization time with both
teachers and students at bricks and mortar schools in their physical
school district.
The State of Wisconsin enacted Act 222 in 2007 that allowed virtual
charter schools to operate with public funding. Although New York
State's experiment with virtual charter schools will not begin with
public funding, it is hoped that by establishing in law the right to
create virtual charter schools, the quality of education will increase
for pupils in the state of New York.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
The act shall take effect July, next, succeeding the date on which it
shall have become a law.

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7017

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 8, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to creating the New  York
  state  web  academy  and  virtual  charter  schools  to provide online
  instruction

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The education law is amended by adding a new article 56-A
to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 56-A
                         VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS
SECTION 2900. DEFINITIONS.
        2901. NEW YORK STATE WEB ACADEMY.
        2902. LICENSURE.
        2903. ENROLLMENT.
  S 2900. DEFINITIONS. THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING
MEANINGS:
  1.  "VIRTUAL  CHARTER SCHOOL" SHALL MEAN A CHARTER SCHOOL IN WHICH ALL
OR A PORTION OF THE INSTRUCTION IS PROVIDED THROUGH MEANS OF THE  INTER-
NET,  AND THE PUPILS ENROLLED IN AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF EMPLOYED BY
THE SCHOOL ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER.
  2. "NEW YORK STATE WEB ACADEMY" SHALL MEAN AN  ONLINE  ACADEMY  ESTAB-
LISHED  BY  THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENROLL
IN ONLINE COURSES THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE  TO  TAKE,  WHICH  IS
COMPRISED OF ONLINE COURSES PROVIDED BY VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS.
  S  2901. NEW YORK STATE WEB ACADEMY. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH
THE NEW YORK STATE WEB ACADEMY COMPRISED OF VIRTUAL CHARTER  SCHOOLS  TO
PARTNER WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, PRIVATE
SCHOOLS  AND  THE  CHARTERING ENTITIES OF CHARTER SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE, TO OFFER ONLINE COURSES, AT A REASONABLE FEE TO BE DETERMINED  BY
THE  COMMISSIONER,  FOR  MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE DEPARTMENT
SHALL ADD THE ONLINE COURSES TO A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT'S  MIDDLE  AND  HIGH
SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
  2. THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL, AT A MINIMUM:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD15502-01-0

S. 7017                             2

  A. ESTABLISH THE CONTENT OF THE ONLINE COURSES;
  B.  PROVIDE  FOR  ONLINE  CERTIFICATION  FOR  NEW YORK STATE CERTIFIED
TEACHERS; AND
  C. PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE ACADEMY.
  3. THE ACADEMY SHALL ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE CHARTERING ENTITIES OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
IN DEVELOPING THEIR POLICIES FOR ONLINE LEARNING.
  4. THE ACADEMY'S ONLINE COURSES SHALL MEET NEW YORK STATE AND NATIONAL
STANDARDS.
  5.  ALL  ONLINE  COURSES  OFFERED  BY VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS SHALL BE
OFFERED FOR A REASONABLE COST TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
  6. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE FOR A SAFE AND SECURE ONLINE  ENVIRON-
MENT,  ENSURE  THE  CONFIDENTIALITY OF PUPIL COURSEWORK AND RECORDS, AND
DEVELOP A PROGRAM OR OTHER MEANS TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF A PUPIL'S
COURSEWORK.
  S 2902. LICENSURE. 1. IN  ADDITION  TO  ANY  OTHER  CERTIFICATIONS  OR
LICENSING REQUIRED BY LAW, ALL TEACHERS TEACHING AN ONLINE COURSE, SHALL
ENROLL  IN AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM,
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT, THAT IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE  A  TEACHER  FOR
ONLINE TEACHING PRIOR TO TEACHING SUCH ONLINE COURSE.
  2.  THIS  SECTION SHALL NOT PREVENT TEACHERS ALREADY EMPLOYED TO TEACH
SUCH COURSES FROM TEACHING SUCH ONLINE COURSES, PROVIDED, THEY ENROLL IN
AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAM,  APPROVED
BY  THE  DEPARTMENT,  THAT  IS  DESIGNED TO PREPARE A TEACHER FOR ONLINE
TEACHING PRIOR TO TEACHING SUCH ONLINE COURSE, WITHIN ONE YEAR FROM  THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT.
  S  2903.  ENROLLMENT.  1.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  LIMIT THE NUMBER OF
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL THROUGH AN OPEN ENROLLMENT
PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES AN ONLINE ENROLLMENT APPLICATION FOR PUPILS.
  2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT:
  A. PUPILS ENROLLED PART-TIME IN ONLINE  COURSES  HAVE  DIRECT  CONTACT
WITH  A  TEACHER,  EACH  WEEK  SCHOOL  IS SCHEDULED, FOR AT LEAST TWENTY
MINUTES FOR EACH ONLINE COURSE;
  B. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS  WHO  ARE  ENROLLED  FULL-TIME  IN  ONLINE
COURSES  HAVE  DIRECT CONTACT WITH A TEACHER FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS EACH
DAY THAT SCHOOL IS SCHEDULED;
  C. HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS ENROLLED FULL-TIME IN ONLINE COURSES HAVE DIRECT
CONTACT WITH A TEACHER AT LEAST THIRTY MINUTES EACH DAY THAT  SCHOOL  IS
SCHEDULED; AND
  D. ONLY STATE RESIDENTS ENROLL IN THE WEB ACADEMY PROVIDED PURSUANT TO
THIS ARTICLE.
  S  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7017

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S7017 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments