ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

 

HB 2538: live, remote instruction; incentive bonuses

Sponsor: Representative Pingerelli, LD 28

Committee on Education

Overview

Allows a school district or charter school (school) to offer live, remote instructional courses (live courses) for high school students. Adds that College Credit by Examination Incentive Program (CCEIP) incentive bonuses are provided for students who pass an eligible live course. Appropriates a blank amount from the state General Fund (GF) for CCEIP incentive bonuses.

History

Established by Laws 2016, Chapter 124, the CCEIP provides incentive bonuses to teachers and schools for high school students who obtain a passing score on a qualifying exam for college credit. The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) maintains a list of qualifying exams a high school student may take to receive college credit in math, English language arts, social studies or science from any Arizona public university, as well as the score a student must receive on such an exam to obtain college credit.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) must pay an incentive bonus to schools for each high school student who receives a passing score on a qualifying exam. If more than 50% of a school's students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches (FRPL), the school receives $450 per passing score. If less than 50% of the school's students are eligible for FRPL, the school receives $300 per passing score.

A school that receives incentive bonus monies must distribute at least 50% of those monies to the associated classroom teacher(s) for each student who passes a qualifying exam. The remainder of incentive bonus monies are allocated by the school principal and may be used for teacher professional development, student instructional support, reimbursement of exam fees or instructional materials (A.R.S. § 15-249.06).

Schools may adopt an instructional time model (ITM) to meet statutory instructional time and hour requirements. Under an ITM, a school may deliver instructional time or hours to students through different modes of learning, including remote instruction. However, statute limits the percent of remote instruction that may be provided under an ITM. If a school exceeds this limitation, the school's funding is reduced according a statutory formula (A.R.S. § 15-901.08).

Provisions

Live Courses

1.   Authorizes a school, pursuant to a written agreement with a services provider, to offer live courses for its own 9th-12th grade students. (Sec. 2)

2.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteSpecifies a school offering a live course generates average daily membership (ADM) for its own students and that a services provider may not generate ADM for remote students. (Sec. 2)

3.   Directs a services provider to pay the live course instructor a stipend of at least 25% of the contractual amount of per-course, per-student monies. (Sec. 2)

4.   Requires a school offering a live course to:

a)   provide an in-person teacher or instructional aide;

b)   ensure that its own participating students satisfy instructional time and hour requirements; and

c)   provide administrative functions for its own participating students. (Sec. 2)

5.   Defines services provider to mean an Arizona school that provides live courses to:

a)   remote students pursuant to a written agreement with the school in which these students are enrolled; and

b)   students who are enrolled in a school operated by the services provider. (Sec. 2)

CCEIP and Incentive Bonuses

6.   Adds that the CCEIP provides an incentive bonus to teachers and schools for high school students who receive a passing grade in a live course that provides relevant instruction for a student to obtain a passing score on a qualifying exam for college credit. (Sec. 1)

7.   Instructs ADE, beginning in FY 2024, to pay a $500 incentive bonus for each remote student who receives a passing grade in a live course that provides relevant instruction for a qualifying exam identified by ABOR. (Sec. 1)

8.   Directs ADE to pay the incentive bonus to the school that acts as an instructional services provider for the live course. (Sec. 1, 2)

9.   Prohibits a school from receiving an incentive bonus if fewer than 10 remote students receive a passing grade in the live course. (Sec. 1)

10.  Reduces incentive bonus monies for live courses proportionally if the statewide sum of per student bonuses exceeds available appropriated monies. (Sec. 1)

11.  Requires a school that receives an incentive bonus to distribute at least 50% of the bonus monies to the associated classroom for each student who receives a passing grade in a live course. (Sec. 1)

12.  Mandates the remainder of bonus monies received be allocated by the school principal on behalf of students who receive a passing grade in a live course. (Sec. 1)

13.  Adds that ADE, in the annual CCEIP report, must include:

a)   the number of students who receive a passing grade in a live course that provides the relevant instruction for a qualifying exam at each school;

b)   the number and types of live courses for which bonus monies are distributed; and

c)   the amount of bonus monies received by each school for qualifying live courses. (Sec. 1)

14.  Appropriates a blank amount from the state GF in FY 2024 to ADE for CCEIP incentive bonuses. (Sec. 4)

Miscellaneous

15.  Exempts live courses from the statutory remote instructional time limitations for a school's ITM. (Sec. 3)

16.  Adds that a school, in its ITM, may define instructional time and hours to include live, remote instruction. (Sec. 3)

17.  Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

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21.                    HB 2538

22.  Initials CH Page 0 Education

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