(a) The following entities are eligible to serve as
course providers in the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN) statewide
course catalog:
(1) a school district that is rated acceptable as described
in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.054. A Texas school district
may provide an electronic course through the TxVSN to:
(A) a student who is enrolled in that district or school;
(B) a student who is enrolled in another school district
or school in the state; or
(C) a student who resides in Texas who is enrolled
in a school other than a public school district or charter school.
(2) a charter school that is rated acceptable as described
in the TEC, §39.054. A charter school may provide an electronic
course through the TxVSN to:
(A) a student who lives within its service area;
(B) a student who is enrolled in another school district
or school in the state through an agreement with the school district
in which the student resides; or
(C) a student who is enrolled in another school district
or school in the state if the student receives educational services
under the supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas
Juvenile Justice Department, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
through an agreement with the applicable agency;
(3) an institution of higher education, as defined
by 20 United States Code, Section 1001;
(4) an education service center that adheres to the
general provisions of the TEC, Chapter 8; and
(5) a nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation
approved by the commissioner of education.
(A) To be approved as a TxVSN course provider, a nonprofit
entity, private entity, or corporation must, in accordance with guidelines
established by the Texas Education Agency, provide evidence of:
(i) compliance with all applicable federal and state
laws prohibiting discrimination;
(ii) financial solvency; and
(iii) prior successful experience offering online courses
to middle or high school students, with demonstrated success in course
completion and performance as determined by the commissioner.
(B) A nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation
is not eligible to serve as a course provider in the TxVSN Online
School program.
(b) An entity other than a school district or charter
school is not authorized to award course credit or a diploma for courses
taken through the TxVSN.
(c) TxVSN course providers shall:
(1) provide the TxVSN receiver district in which each
TxVSN student is enrolled with written notice of a student's performance
in the course at least once every 12 weeks;
(2) provide the TxVSN receiver district in which each
TxVSN student is enrolled with written notice of a student's performance
at least once every three weeks if the student's performance in the
course is consistently unsatisfactory, as determined by the TxVSN
course provider;
(3) notify students in writing upon enrollment to participate
in the TxVSN course with specific dates and details regarding enrollment;
(4) meet all federal and state requirements for educating
students with disabilities;
(5) provide a contingency plan for the continuation
of instructional services to all TxVSN students allowing them to complete
their TxVSN courses in the event that the contract or agreement through
which the electronic courses are provided are terminated or the TxVSN
courses become unavailable to students;
(6) ensure a maximum class size limit of 40 students
in a single section of a course and ensure that the class size does
not exceed the maximum allowed by law and a charter school's charter,
as applicable, whichever is less; and
(7) meet all reporting requirements established by
TxVSN central operations, including timely submission of student performance
reports, course completion results, catalog data, data required to
verify instructor qualifications, and all data necessary for the TxVSN
Informed Choice Report required under §70.1031 of this title
(relating to Informed Choice Reports).
|