Schools: average daily attendance: online instruction.

Existing law establishes the public elementary and secondary school system in this state, and further establishes a funding system pursuant to which the state apportions funds to local educational agencies based on, among other factors, the average daily attendance of pupils at the schools operated by those agencies. Numerous statutes and regulations govern the calculation and reporting of average daily attendance. This bill, commencing with the 2014–15 school year, would authorize, for purposes of computing average daily attendance, the inclusion of pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, under the immediate supervision and control of a certificated employee of the school district or county office of education who is delivering synchronous, online instruction, as defined, provided that this instruction meets specified criteria. The bill would require, if a school district or county office of education elects to offer synchronous, online instruction, that the school district or county office of education provide all pupils who choose to enroll in an online course access to the computer hardware or software necessary for the pupil to participate in the course. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish rules and regulations for purposes of implementing these provisions and require those rules and regulations to, at a minimum, address specified matters. The bill would also authorize the Superintendent to provide guidance regarding the ability of a school district or county office of education to provide synchronous, online instruction. The bill would make all of these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2019, and repeal them on January 1, 2020.