Assembly Bill A9110

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

                                  9110

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 17, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Education

AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to  establish  an  online
  learning  advisory committee to make recommendations on establishing a
  statewide online and blended learning program

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

  Section  1.  Legislative intent. The legislature recognizes that there
is a demonstrated need to reevaluate the delivery of  education  in  New
York  state  in  light of educational advancements and a more technolog-
ically driven economy. In light of academic discrepancies for  those  in
the  most  rural  and underrepresented areas within the state as well as
the unstable economic times, we believe that there is a need to  advance
emerging  technologies  and the potential for implementation of a state-
wide online and blended learning program. This will provide an  opportu-
nity  to  highlight  the  state's most successful programs and make them
universally accessible. A statewide online and blended learning  program
will  not  only have the potential to provide equal educational opportu-
nities to the most remote areas of the state, but help all  students  as
they transition into a competitive marketplace.
  S  2. The commissioner of education, in consultation with the New York
state broadband program office of the empire  state  development  corpo-
ration, the New York state energy research and development authority and
the  public service commission, shall establish an online learning advi-
sory committee which shall develop recommendations for establishment  of
a statewide online and blended learning program. Such advisory committee
shall  be composed of 12 members appointed by the commissioner of educa-
tion. Provided that  of  such  12  members:    three  members  shall  be
appointed  upon  the recommendation of the governor, three members shall
be appointed upon the recommendation of the temporary president  of  the
senate,  three members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the
speaker of the assembly, and the remaining members shall be appointed in
the sole discretion of the commissioner of education. The members of the
committee shall have demonstrated experience with or expertise in one of
the following areas: private or public online  providers,  accreditation
of  programming,  boards  of  cooperative  educational  services, school
administration, educational delivery in a rural setting, existing online
              

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10800-10-4

A. 9110                             2

and blended learning program development, institutions of higher  educa-
tion,  or as a teacher certified pursuant to article 61 of the education
law. The recommendations of the advisory committee  shall  include,  but
not be limited to:
  (a) definitions of online and blended learning;
  (b)  connecting  modules  throughout  the  state  in order to create a
statewide online and blended learning system including, but not  limited
to, remote and rural school districts;
  (c)  model school district policies, as well as model agreements to be
used by school districts in implementation  of  an  online  and  blended
learning  program including, but not limited to, agreements that address
billing, fees, responsibilities of online course  providers  and  school
districts;
  (d)  best  practices from throughout the state that can be modeled and
replicated;
  (e) implementation guidelines and policies for schools without  online
and blended learning programs;
  (f)  state  and  federal  funding opportunities for online and blended
learning programs, as well as a review of state aid to online and blend-
ed learning programs;
  (g) regulatory review and development of new regulations pertaining to
online and blended learning programs;
  (h) content and course evaluation;
  (i) identifiable academic programming suited for  online  and  blended
learning that have been eliminated from course offerings within the past
five  years  including,  but  not  limited to, foreign language courses,
technology  classes,  art  and  music,  and  career  and  college  ready
programs;
  (j)  partnerships  with institutions of higher education for workforce
opportunities using online and blended learning;
  (k)  teaching  and  professional  development  requirements  including
recommendations  regarding  licensure, and compliance with current state
laws;
  (l) technology support, including but not  limited  to,  technological
delivery  and broadband access to remote and underrepresented geographic
areas;
  (m) quality assessment and licensing of online providers;
  (n) operational and administrative support guidelines;
  (o) addressing barriers to the implementation of  online  and  blended
learning programs; and
  (p)  local  school  district flexibility including recommendations for
compliance with seat-time and graduation requirements.
  S 3. The members of the advisory committee shall  receive  no  compen-
sation  for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and neces-
sary expenses incurred in the performance of their  duties  pursuant  to
this act.
  S  4. The advisory committee shall convene on or before August 1, 2014
to develop its recommendations.  On  or  before  January  1,  2015,  the
committee  shall  submit a preliminary report of its recommendations for
consideration in the executive budget for the 2015-16 state fiscal year,
and, on or before October 1, 2015, shall submit a final  report  of  its
recommendations  to the governor, the temporary president of the senate,
the speaker of the assembly and the chairs of the legislative commission
on the development of rural resources.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.