2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §15-808  Technology assisted project‑based instruction program; report

A. A technology assisted project-based instruction program shall be instituted on a pilot basis to meet the needs of pupils in the information age. Until June 30, 2003, the state board of education shall select up to four existing traditional public schools, at least one of which shall serve pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through twelve, and beginning July 1, 2003, the state board of education shall select seven existing traditional public schools and the state board for charter schools shall select seven charter schools to participate in the program based on the following criteria:

1. The depth and breadth of curriculum choices.

2. The variety of educational methodologies employed by the school and the means of addressing the unique needs and learning styles of targeted pupil populations including computer assisted learning systems, virtual classrooms, virtual laboratories, electronic field trips, electronic mail, virtual tutoring, on-line help desk, group chat sessions and noncomputer based activities performed under the direction of a certificated teacher.

3. The availability of an intranet or private network to safeguard pupils against predatory and pornographic elements of the internet.

4. The availability of filtered research access to the internet.

5. The availability of private individual electronic mail between pupils, teachers, administrators and parents in order to protect the confidentiality of pupil records and information.

6. The availability of broadcast quality television production and editing facilities on campus.

7. The availability of faculty members who are experienced in broadcast television production.

8. The availability of faculty members who are experienced with computer networks, the internet and computer animation.

9. The extent to which the school intends to develop partnerships with universities, community colleges and private businesses.

10. The services offered to developmentally disabled populations.

11. The grade levels that will be served by the program.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, any school that was previously approved to participate is required to reapply every five years for participation in the program. The state board of education and the state board for charter schools shall review the effectiveness of each participating school and other information that is contained in the annual report prescribed in subsection C of this section to determine whether to renew a school's participation in the technology assisted project-based instruction program. At least eighty per cent of the pupils who are accepted each academic school year in each school participating in the program must have been previously enrolled in and attended a public school in the previous school year. Kindergarten pupils shall not participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program, except that a kindergarten pupil may participate in the program if the pupil has a sibling who is currently enrolled in and attending the program. Pupils who participate in the program are subject to the testing requirements prescribed in chapter 7, article 3 of this title. Upon enrollment, the school shall notify the parents or guardians of the pupil of the state testing requirements. If a pupil fails to comply with the testing requirements and the school administers the tests pursuant to this subsection to less than ninety-five per cent of the pupils in the program, the pupil shall not be allowed to participate in the program.

C. Each school selected by the state board of education to participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program shall submit an annual report to the state board of education and the joint legislative budget committee. The state board of education and the state board for charter schools shall collaborate to develop a uniform reporting format to be used by all schools that participate in the program. Beginning July 1, 2003, each school selected by the state board for charter schools to participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program shall submit an annual report to the state board for charter schools and the joint legislative budget committee. The reports shall be submitted by August 1 and shall include the following information:

1. A description of the educational services that are offered under the program and that specifically relate to the depth and breadth of the curriculum choices offered by the school.

2. A description of the effects of media and technology on the delivery of specific educational services to specific pupil populations.

3. Academic advancement as measured in grade level equivalents each academic year based on a standardized norm-referenced achievement test.

4. Data identified by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools, as appropriate, that compares the academic performance of pupils who participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program with other pupils in this state and with pupils in that school who do not participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program.

5. The results of a survey of pupil satisfaction with the program, including:

(a) Pupils' attitudes about delivery modalities employed by the school.

(b) Changes in pupils' attitudes toward learning in general.

(c) Changes in pupils' attitudes about their own ability to learn and about their own academic progress.

(d) Pupils' attitudes about the school they attend.

6. The results of a survey of parental satisfaction with the program, including:

(a) Parents' and their children's attitudes about the delivery modalities employed by the school.

(b) Changes in their children's attitudes about learning in general.

(c) Changes in their children's attitudes about their ability to learn and about their academic progress.

(d) Parents' and their children's attitudes about the school that the child attends.

7. A description of the availability and equitable distribution of educational services provided under the program including specific descriptions of the effectiveness of technology tools and modalities used to address the needs of any underserved populations targeted by the school.

8. A description of the operational and administrative efficiency of the program.

9. A description of the cost-effectiveness of the program.

D. The state board of education and joint legislative budget committee shall collaboratively compile and evaluate the information submitted in the annual reports by schools participating in the pilot program, pursuant to subsection C of this section. The state board of education and the joint legislative budget committee shall report their findings to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate by November 15 of each year.

E. Each school selected for the technology assisted project-based instruction program shall ensure that a daily log is maintained for each pupil who participates in the program. The daily log shall describe the amount of time spent by each pupil participating in the program pursuant to this section on academic tasks. The daily log shall be used by the school district or charter school to qualify the pupils who participate in the program in the school's average daily attendance calculations pursuant to section 15-901.

F. If a pupil is enrolled in a school district or charter school and also participates in the technology assisted project-based instruction program, the sum of the average daily membership, which includes enrollment as prescribed in section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivisions (a) and (b) and daily attendance as prescribed in section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 6, for that pupil in the school district or charter school and in the technology assisted project-based instruction program shall not exceed 1.0. If the pupil is enrolled in a school district or a charter school and also participates in the technology assisted project-based instruction program and the sum of the daily membership or daily attendance for that pupil is greater than 1.0, the sum shall be reduced to 1.0 and shall be apportioned between the school district or charter school and the technology assisted project-based instruction program based on the percentage of total time that the pupil is enrolled or in attendance in the school district or charter school and the technology assisted project-based instruction program. The uniform system of financial records shall include guidelines for the apportionment of the pupil enrollment and attendance as provided in this subsection.

G. If at any time the superintendent of public instruction determines that a school district that was previously admitted to the technology assisted project-based instruction program is not meeting the criteria prescribed in subsection A of this section, the superintendent of public instruction may recommend that the state board of education replace that school district with a school district of the superintendent of public instruction's choice that meets the criteria prescribed in subsection A of this section. The state board of education shall consider and take formal action on the superintendent of public instruction's recommendation.

H. The enrollment of pupils that participate in the technology assisted project-based instruction program in each school that was previously approved to participate in the program shall not grow more than one hundred per cent in any fiscal year.

I. If the academic achievement of a pupil declines while the pupil is participating in the technology assisted project-based instruction program, the pupil's parents, the pupil's teachers and the principal or head teacher of the school shall confer to evaluate whether the pupil should be allowed to continue to participate in the program.