View Daily Data Tracking History
View Bill Text
View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
H0534..........................................................by EDUCATION
DIGITAL LEARNING ACADEMY - Adds to existing law to create the Idaho Digital
Learning Academy; to provide legislative findings and to state the goal of
the academy; to create an academy board of directors; to provide duties of
the academy board; to define terms; to provide for the design, development
and accreditation of courses; to provide for registration and
accountability; and to provide funding.
01/31 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/01 Rpt prt - to Educ
02/07 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/08 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/14 3rd rdg - PASSED - 67-0-3
AYES -- Aikele, Barraclough, Barrett, Bedke, Bell, Bieter, Black,
Block, Boe, Bolz, Bradford, Bruneel, Campbell, Clark, Collins, Crow,
Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Ellis, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(13),
Field(20), Gagner, Gould, Hadley, Harwood, Henbest, Higgins,
Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones, Kellogg, Kendell, Kunz, Lake, Langford,
Loertscher, Mader, Martinez, McKague, Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen,
Moyle, Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy, Raybould, Ridinger, Roberts,
Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Sellman, Shepherd, Smith(33), Smith(23),
Smylie, Stevenson, Stone, Tilman, Trail, Wheeler, Wood, Young
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Callister, Hammond, Mr. Speaker
Floor Sponsors - Aikele & Boe
Title apvd - to Senate
02/15 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Educ
03/07 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/08 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/13 3rd rdg - PASSED - 27-5-3
AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Branch(Bartlett), Brandt, Bunderson,
Burtenshaw, Darrington, Deide, Frasure, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Ingram,
Ipsen, King-Barrutia, Little, Lodge, Marley, Richardson, Risch,
Sandy, Sims, Sorensen, Stennett, Thorne, Wheeler, Williams
NAYS -- Davis, Keough, Noh, Schroeder, Stegner
Absent and excused -- Cameron, Dunklin, Hawkins
Floor Sponsor - Andreason
Title apvd - to House
03/14 To enrol
03/15 Rpt enrol - Sp signed
Pres signed
03/15 To Governor
03/19 Governor signed
Session Law Chapter 105
Effective: 03/19/02
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ||||
Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2002
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 534
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO THE IDAHO DIGITAL LEARNING ACADEMY; AMENDING TITLE 33, IDAHO CODE,
3 BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW CHAPTER 55, TITLE 33, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE A
4 SHORT TITLE, TO CREATE THE IDAHO DIGITAL LEARNING ACADEMY, TO PROVIDE LEG-
5 ISLATIVE FINDINGS AND TO STATE THE GOAL OF THE ACADEMY, TO CREATE AN ACAD-
6 EMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TO PROVIDE DUTIES OF THE ACADEMY BOARD, TO DEFINE
7 TERMS, TO PROVIDE FOR DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND ACCREDITATION OF COURSES, TO
8 PROVIDE FOR REGISTRATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDING; AND
9 DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
11 SECTION 1. That Title 33, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby amended
12 by the addition thereto of a NEW CHAPTER, to be known and designated as Chap-
13 ter 55, Title 33, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
14 CHAPTER 55
15 IDAHO DIGITAL LEARNING ACADEMY
16 33-5501. SHORT TITLE. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
17 "Idaho Digital Learning Academy Act of 2002."
18 33-5502. CREATION -- LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS -- GOAL. (1) There is hereby
19 created within the state department of education the Idaho digital learning
20 academy, a school-choice learning environment which joins the best technology
21 with the best instructional practices.
22 (2) The legislature finds that it is in the best public interest to cre-
23 ate the Idaho digital learning academy based on findings that indicate:
24 (a) Technology continues to impact all facets of life, including the edu-
25 cation of students of school age and adult learners;
26 (b) Systems for delivery of education are as diverse as the learners;
27 (c) Public school systems are seeking high quality educational choices
28 within the public system, and are aligning curriculum and assessment with
29 state achievement standards; and
30 (d) The development of a comprehensive digital learning environment is
31 cost prohibitive for individual school districts.
32 (3) The goal of the digital learning academy is to provide choice, acces-
33 sibility, flexibility, quality and equity in curricular offerings for high
34 school-aged students in this state.
35 33-5503. ACADEMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. (1) There is hereby created an acad-
36 emy board of directors which shall be responsible for the development and
37 oversight of the Idaho digital learning academy.
38 (2) The academy board of directors shall be comprised of seven (7) voting
39 members and two (2) nonvoting members as follows:
40 (a) Three (3) members shall be superintendents, each elected to a three
2
1 (3) year term and each representing two (2) educational classification
2 regions as established by the state board of education. One (1) superin-
3 tendent shall be elected from among the superintendents in regions one and
4 two on a rotating term basis between the two (2) regions; one (1) superin-
5 tendent shall be elected from among the superintendents in regions three
6 and four on a rotating term basis between the two (2) regions; and one (1)
7 superintendent shall be elected from among the superintendents in regions
8 five and six on a rotating term basis between the two (2) regions;
9 (b) Two (2) members shall be high school principals, each elected to a
10 three (3) year term by the governing body of the Idaho association of sec-
11 ondary school administrators;
12 (c) Two (2) members shall be citizens at-large who are not professional
13 educators, appointed by the members of the academy board, each to a term
14 of three (3) years; and
15 (d) Two (2) members shall be ex officio, nonvoting members: (i) the state
16 superintendent of public instruction who shall serve concurrently with the
17 term of office to which the state superintendent is elected, and (ii) a
18 member appointed by the academy board of directors to serve as secretary
19 to the academy board.
20 (3) For purposes of establishing staggered terms of office, the initial
21 term of office for the superintendent position representing educational clas-
22 sification regions one and two shall be one (1) year, and thereafter shall be
23 three (3) years. The initial term of office for the superintendent position
24 representing educational classification regions three and four shall be two
25 (2) years, and thereafter shall be three (3) years. The superintendent posi-
26 tion representing educational classification regions five and six shall be
27 three (3) years. The initial term of office for one (1) high school principal
28 position shall be one (1) year and thereafter shall be three (3) years, and
29 the initial term of office for the other high school principal position shall
30 be two (2) years and thereafter shall be three (3) years. The initial term of
31 office for one (1) member at-large shall be one (1) year and thereafter shall
32 be three (3) years, and the term of office for the other member at-large shall
33 be three (3) years.
34 (4) No voting member shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive full
35 terms. Members of the board who are appointed to fill vacancies which occur
36 prior to the expiration of a former member's full term shall serve the unex-
37 pired portion of such term.
38 (5) The board shall meet in person at least three (3) times annually;
39 none of these three (3) meetings shall be conducted by telephone or video
40 conferencing.
41 33-5504. DUTIES OF THE ACADEMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The board shall be
42 responsible for ensuring that academy procedures and courses are in compliance
43 with the rules of the state board of education and applicable statutes of the
44 state of Idaho. In addition, the board shall:
45 (1) Recommend policies to be established by rule of the state board for
46 effecting the purposes of this chapter.
47 (2) Employ staff as follows:
48 (a) A director who shall be responsible for staff development, staff
49 evaluation, program development and oversight, and quality assurance;
50 (b) A professional development coordinator who shall be responsible for
51 training faculty in online course design, development and delivery, and
52 shall assist the director in quality assurance;
53 (c) Clerical staff as necessary to manage student information, maintain
54 student records, manage academy correspondence, and oversee basic finan-
3
1 cial accounting as directed;
2 (d) Appropriate technology staff who shall support faculty in understand-
3 ing and applying the technical aspects of online course development and
4 delivery;
5 (e) Faculty and teaching staff who are fully certificated Idaho teachers,
6 to design and deliver planned curriculum content. Such staff shall be pro-
7 vided appropriate and sufficient training as necessary. The number of such
8 staff shall largely be dictated by the number of courses under develop-
9 ment, the number of courses offered, and the number of students partici-
10 pating in academy programs.
11 (3) Obtain housing with a host school district where actual operations of
12 the academy are conducted by academy staff. Housing should be minimal and rea-
13 sonably portable so that it can be transferred from one (1) host district to
14 another without disruption of the program.
15 (4) Contract with a service provider for delivery of academy courses
16 online which shall be accessible twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days
17 a week.
18 (5) Ensure that the academy is accredited by the state of Idaho and the
19 northwest accreditation association.
20 (6) Develop policy for earning credit in courses based on mastery of the
21 subject, demonstrated competency, and meeting the standards set for each
22 course.
23 (7) Provide for articulating the content of certain high school courses
24 with college and university courses in order to award both high school and
25 undergraduate college credit.
26 (8) Develop policies and practices which provide strict application of
27 time limits for completion of courses.
28 (9) Develop policies and practices on accountability, both by the student
29 and the teacher, and in accordance with the provisions of section 33-5507,
30 Idaho Code.
31 (10) Manage the moneys disbursed to the academy board from the superin-
32 tendent.
33 33-5505. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:
34 (1) "Academy board," also referred to in this chapter as "the board"
35 means the board of directors of the Idaho digital learning academy as such
36 board is created in section 33-5503, Idaho Code.
37 (2) "Host district" means an Idaho school district where the operations
38 of the Idaho digital learning academy are housed. The host district shall also
39 act as the fiscal agent for the academy.
40 (3) "Idaho digital learning academy" means an online educational program
41 organized as a fully accredited high school with statewide capabilities for
42 delivering accredited courses to Idaho resident students in grades nine (9)
43 through twelve (12) at no cost to the student or school district. Participa-
44 tion in the academy by public school students shall be in compliance with
45 academy and local school district policies. Adult learners and out-of-state
46 students shall pay tuition commensurate with rates established by the state
47 board with the advice of the superintendent.
48 (4) "State board" means the Idaho state board of education. The board is
49 authorized and directed, with the advice and recommendation of the academy
50 board of directors, to promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this
51 chapter.
52 (5) "Superintendent" means the Idaho state superintendent of public
53 instruction.
4
1 33-5506. COURSES -- DEVELOPMENT -- BROKERED -- CREDIT -- ACCREDITATION.
2 Online courses shall reflect state of the art in multimedia-based digital
3 learning. Courses offered shall be of high quality in appearance and presenta-
4 tion, and shall be designed to meet the needs of all students regardless of
5 the student's level of learning.
6 (1) All courses developed under the auspices of the academy are the prop-
7 erty of the academy. Courses may be developed by qualified Idaho teachers who
8 possess the necessary technical background and instructional expertise. Such
9 persons may also be hired to deliver the course online. Nothing shall prevent
10 the board from providing additional training to teachers in the development
11 and online delivery of courses.
12 (2) At the discretion of the board with consideration for necessity, con-
13 venience and cost effectiveness, brokered courses developed by outside sources
14 may be obtained for use by the academy; however, such courses shall be taught
15 online by Idaho teachers unless special circumstances determined by the direc-
16 tor require a waiver of this requirement.
17 (3) Credit earned in courses shall be based on such criteria as mastery
18 of the subject, demonstrated competency, and meeting the standards set for
19 each course, in contrast to credit earned in a traditional classroom based on
20 time spent in the classroom.
21 (4) All courses shall meet criteria established by the state of Idaho and
22 the northwest accreditation association as necessary for accreditation of the
23 academy.
24 33-5507. REGISTRATION -- ACCOUNTABILITY. (1) A student may register with
25 the academy upon recommendation from a traditional school counselor or admin-
26 istrator, or may register directly with the academy if there is no current
27 public school affiliation. However, in order for course work completed through
28 the academy to be recorded on the student's transcript, the student shall
29 indicate which high school is to receive and record credits earned.
30 (2) Students who register for courses shall provide the name of a respon-
31 sible adult who shall be the contact person for the academy in situations
32 which require consultation regarding the student's conduct and performance. A
33 designated responsible adult for students with a school affiliation may be a
34 teacher, a counselor or a distance learning coordinator. For home schooled
35 students, a parent or guardian may be designated.
36 (3) Policies of accountability as established by rule of the state board
37 shall address the special conditions which exist in an environment where there
38 is reduced face-to-face contact between student and teacher; where students
39 access courses at any time of day, from any location and at the student's own
40 pace; where online etiquette and ethics should be clearly understood and
41 required of all participants; and where all students' participation is moni-
42 tored by online teachers and academy personnel.
43 (4) Policies shall be established by rule of the state board for student-
44 related issues including taking exams, proctored or unproctored; ensuring that
45 the work is being done by the student; and ensuring that ethical conduct and
46 proper etiquette are always observed by all participants.
47 33-5508. FUNDING. Funding for the program shall be provided from an
48 annual budget request to the legislature from the superintendent of public
49 instruction. The superintendent shall disburse the funds to the Idaho digital
50 learning academy board of directors who shall use the moneys to develop
51 courses and maintain operations of the academy.
52 SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby
5
1 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
2 passage and approval.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 11620
This legislation creates the Idaho Digital Learning Academy
(IDLA), providing access to a continuum of learners in a virtual
learning environment. As a school choice within the public
schools, the IDLA will provide learning experiences for any Idaho
students needing remediation and credit recovery, gifted talented
enhancements, and concurrent enrollment in higher education
options. The IDLA will be governed by a board of directors, and
will be hosted by an Idaho school district, with all districts
having the opportunity to enroll students. The courses will meet
Idaho student achievement standards; courses specifically
designed for the IDLA will be designed and taught by Idaho
certificated teachers.
FISCAL IMPACT
The students enrolled in the Idaho Digital Learning Academy will
be funded through the public school appropriation as dual-
enrolled students in the local school district. The legislation
calls for an appropriation to develop courses and operations of
the IDLA ($750,000 in the FY03 request), however, if the
legislation is adopted, but not funded, the enactment would
enable the IDLA board of directors to seek private and corporate
funding.
Contact
Name: Dr. Mike Friend, Idaho Association of School Administrators
Phone: 208-345-1171
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE H 534