HB2568 - 552R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 8, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-809, to read:

START_STATUTE15-809. Course choice and funding portability program; online catalog; application; definitions

A. The department of education shall establish a course choice and funding portability program to facilitate students in enrolling in classes outside of their school of record. The department shall establish rules for the purposes of carrying out this section. Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, for students in any of grades six through twelve, on or before May 1 before the school year begins the student's parent may inform the student's school of record that the student will participate in the course choice and funding portability program during the upcoming school year pursuant to rules adopted by the department of education. The student's school of record shall do all of the following:

1. Approve the student's program course selections.

2. Ensure that the program course selections are consistent with the state course of study.

3. Review program courses through the school of record's advising system to ensure that a student enrolled in the program stays on track to complete the required coursework before the student's graduation date.

B. On or before July 1, 2023, The department of education shall establish and post on its website an online catalog of eligible program courses and shall update the catalog on or before July 1 of each year thereafter. The state board of education shall approve the catalog before the department posts the catalog on its website. The department shall indicate in the catalog each program course's classification, such as a core subject or an elective subject, and may include a parent and student review section in the catalog for each program course. Each school district and charter school in this state shall post a link to the catalog on its website. The department shall include in the catalog the information described in section 15-808, subsection C, including student outcome data and student ratings.

C. The department of education shall include in the initial online catalog any program course provided via online instruction as of the effective date of this section, including courses provided by online schools as defined in section 15-808 and courses provided by schools that were approved to provide online courses in the 2021-2022 school year or schools with applications still pending. The state board of education may develop a system to review program courses listed in the catalog under this subsection based on a school's performance data and student and parental feedback and may include program courses from the online catalog regardless of the school's letter grade assigned under section 15-241 or the school's status with the state board for charter schools.

D. The state board of education shall establish application policies and procedures for program courses under this section. A school district or charter school shall file notice of its intent to offer program courses with the state board of education and shall include, for each program course, at least the following in its notification:

1. The proposed program course format.

2. The proposed enrollment capacity.

3. The plan for proctoring any tests in the program course.

4. Any equipment or technology required for student participation in the program course.

5. A plan for student support.

E. If a student completes and receives credit for a program course that is included in the online catalog established under this section, the student's school of record shall accept the credit and shall classify the program course as indicated in the online catalog.

F. Program courses may be offered online or via any other format.

G. Any student in this state who is in any of grades six through twelve and who is enrolled full time in a school district or charter school or who has otherwise already generated 1.0 average daily membership may enroll in a number of program courses that is less than half of the student's required courses for graduation per year. The student must take a majority of the courses at the student's school of record.

H. For any student participating in the program, a school of record shall be designated for each student. The school of record shall award the student's diploma and manage any assistance programs, such as individualized education programs. A student shall be considered a student of the school of record for the purposes of athletic participation and academic and any other competitions and may not participate in these activities in the school from which the student is taking a PROGRAM course. Any change of a student's school of record is considered a full transfer, and all extracurricular eligibility requirements and limits apply.

I. A school district or charter school participating in the course choice and funding portability program shall accept any student participating in the program as concurrently enrolled and allow the student to enroll in one or more program courses without being enrolled full time. A student's school of record shall accept any credit received by a student participating in the program in accordance with this section and may not require the student to take a test or to retake a course as a condition of receiving the credit.

J. This section does not affect the operation of section 15-808, except that if a student enrolls in a program course that is provided by an online school as defined in section 15-808, the funding for that program course shall be determined as prescribed in section 15-901.04.

K. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Course choice and funding portability program course" or "program course" means a course that meets both of the following requirements:

(a) Is provided by a school district or charter school in an online or other format.

(b) Is either:

(i) A class in any subject for which credit is required for graduation.

(ii) A retake of a course that a student has already completed or partially completed.

(iii) An intersession course that is offered either over winter break or any time from and after April 30 until the start date of a student's school of record.

(iv) A higher education course made available through campuses with dual enrollment or other intergovernmental agreements.

2. "School of record" means the public school in which a student is or will be primarily enrolled. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 15, chapter 9, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-901.04, to read:

START_STATUTE15-901.04. Course choice and funding portability program; calculation of average daliy membership; definition

A. Each course choice and funding portability program course completed under section 15-809 generates the lesser of the following:

1. An amount of average daily membership equal to 1.0 divided by the total number of courses, including program courses and failed courses that are taken again for credit, that the student is taking that school year.

2. One-sixth average daily membership.

B. Any average daily membership generated under subsection A of this section by a student participating in a program course shall be transferred to the school district or charter school or schools in which the student is taking the program course. The main school district or charter school in which the student is enrolled shall subtract the average daily membership generated under subsection A of this section from its average daily membership calculation.

C. For a student who is primarily enrolled in a school district or charter school and who is also taking at least one program course in another school district or charter school under this section, the sum of the average daily membership, which includes enrollment as prescribed in section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 1, subdivisions (a) and (b) and daily attendance as prescribed in section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 5, may not exceed 1.0. If the student is primarily enrolled in a school district or a charter school and also is taking at least one program course in another school district or charter school under this section and the sum of the daily membership or daily attendance for that student is greater than 1.0, the sum shall be reduced to 1.0 and shall be apportioned between the charter school or school district of record and the schools offering the program courses as prescribed in subsections A and B of this section. The uniform system of financial records shall include guidelines for apportioning the student enrollment and attendance as provided in this section. Funding for students taking program courses is determined pursuant to subsection D of this section.

D. Students participating in the course choice and funding portability program may divide the value of their annual average daily membership as prescribed in subsection A of this section and transfer the value of this funding to any school district or charter school as prescribed in subsection B of this section.

E. For the purposes of this section, "course choice and funding portability program course" or "program course" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-809.END_STATUTE