Sec. 553a.
(1) An authorizing body may issue a contract to establish a school of excellence that is a cyber school. A cyber school shall provide full-time instruction to pupils through online learning or otherwise on a computer or other technology, and this instruction and learning may occur remote from a school facility.
(2) A contract for a school of excellence that is a cyber school shall include all of the provisions required under section 553 and all of the following:
(a) A requirement that a teacher who holds appropriate certification according to state board rule will be responsible for all of the following for each course in which a pupil is enrolled:
(i) Improving learning by planned instruction.
(ii) Diagnosing the pupil's learning needs.
(iii) Assessing learning, assigning grades, and determining advancement.
(iv) Reporting outcomes to administrators and parents or legal guardians.
(b) A requirement that the cyber school will make educational services available to pupils for a minimum of at least 1,098 hours during a school year and will ensure that each pupil participates in the educational program for at least 1,098 hours during a school year.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act or any rule, if a school of excellence that is a cyber school is in compliance with the requirements of subsection (2)(a) regarding a certificated teacher, any other adult assisting with the oversight of a pupil during the pupil's participation in the cyber school's education program is not required to be a certificated teacher or an employee of the school.
(4) Notwithstanding any rule to the contrary, a cyber school is not required to comply with any rule that would require a pupil's physical presence or attendance in a classroom.
(5) At the end of a cyber school's second complete school year of operations, the authorizing body of a school of excellence that is a cyber school shall submit to the superintendent of public instruction and the legislature, in the form and manner prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction, a report detailing the operation of the cyber school, providing statistics of pupil participation and academic performance, and making recommendations for any further statutory or rule change related to cyber schools and online learning in this state.
History: Add. 2009, Act 205, Imd. Eff. Jan. 4, 2010 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 277, Eff. Mar. 28, 2012
Popular Name: Act 451
Last modified: October 10, 2016