Major Online Edu Changes in Georgia

Georgia SB 289 was delivered to Governor Deal on April 9. Deal will have until May 9 to act on the measure, which would take effect on July 1. It would:

• Require the Board of Education to establish rules to maximize the number of students, beginning with those entering grade nine in the 2014-2015 school year, who complete at least one course contacting online learning prior to graduation. The online course would be offered by the Georgia Virtual School (GVS), through a dual enrollment course offered by a college or university, or through an approved provider.

• Require the Board to make all end-of-course assessments available online by 2015-2016 and establish rules to maximize the number of students utilizing online assessments.

• Provide that a local school system could not prohibit any student from taking a course through GVS, regardless of whether the school in which the student is enrolled offers the same course.

• Require the local school system to pay the Department of Education costs for tuition and fees directly related to the approved course taken by a student in its school system through GVS. The amount of tuition charged to the local school system would not exceed $250 per student per semester course.

• Require each local school system to provide at least three program options to all students in grades 3-12 to participate in part-time and full-time virtual instruction programs. Such programs include GVS, entering into a contract with an approved provider, or entering into an agreement with another local school system that provides virtual instruction.