Course Receivers FAQ

• If my district participated in the Texas Virtual School Network statewide catalog last year, is that same agreement acceptable or must a new agreement be completed each school year?

• Districts and open‐enrollment charter schools that had an agreement for the previous school year do not have to complete a new agreement if TXVSN central operations has made no changes to the document. However, since all staff in the MyTXVSN system have access to FERPA‐protected student and financial data, the district‐designated administrator must login to MyTXVSN and verify information for staff is current and correct.

• Who awards credit for courses taken through the TXVSN statewide catalog?

• The district or open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled awards credit based on the final grade supplied by the selected catalog course provider.

• How do I know which statewide catalog provider or course to select?

• There is a variety of informed choice data available to assist stakeholders. The parent and student survey results are incorporated in the catalog entries for each course and provider. In addition, success rate data is available in the reports section and will soon be incorporated into the catalog entries under the Performance Tab.

• Does my district have to provide a certified teacher to mentor the students taking TXVSN statewide catalog courses?

• No. The selected course provider’s instructor is a Texas-certified teacher. The local campus mentor should be a responsible adult designated by the district with the skills to encourage and support the students.

• Can students drop a statewide catalog course during the semester?

• Yes. Students may drop a TXVSN statewide catalog course at any time during the semester. However, the course drop window published in the catalog determines if a student’s district or open-enrollment charter school is responsible for all or part of the course cost. The drop window is contingent on the type and pace of the course, as well as the instructional start date. Refer to the annual TXVSN agreement for details on course drops.

• Do I have to let my students take TXVSN statewide courses and is the district responsible for the course cost?

• Texas Education Code 26.003, “Rights Related to State Virtual School Network”, states that a school district or open‐enrollment charter school may deny a request to enroll a student in an TXVSN statewide catalog course if:

  • a student attempts to enroll in a course load that is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation plan or requirements for college admission or earning an industry certification;
  • the student requests permission to enroll in an electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the enrollment period established by the school district or open‐enrollment charter school providing the course; or
  • the district or school offers a substantially similar course.

  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may decline to pay the cost for a student of more than three yearlong electronic courses, or the equivalent, during any school year. This does not:

  • limit the ability of the student to enroll in additional electronic courses at the student's cost; or,
  • apply to a student enrolled in a full-time online program that was operating on January 1, 2013.
• May a school district select the course provider when parents request that students take TXVSN statewide catalog courses?

• A school district or open‐enrollment charter has discretion to select a course provider.

• What must a school district or open-enrollment charter school tell parents about the TXVSN statewide catalog?

• At least once per school year, it must send parents of middle or high school students, a copy of the written policy noting that students have the opportunity to enroll in courses provided through the TXVSN statewide catalog . A district or school may send the policy with any other information. This local policy must be consistent with TEC Chapter 26.0031.

• How is successful course completion defined?

• The Texas Education Agency Student Attendance Accounting Handbook defines successful completion as earning credit for the TXVSN semester course.

• How is a TXVSN statewide catalog course recorded in PEIMS?

• On the PEIMS 300 Campus Course Section, select C182 Non‐Campus‐Based‐Instruction Code, then enter 05 for a TXVSN catalog course. For further information on the 300 Campus Course Section, see the current PEIMS Data Standards on the Texas Education Agency website at www.tea.texas.gov.

• What are attendance accounting rules for the TXVSN statewide catalog?

• Refer to the current Texas Education Agency (TEA) Student Attendance Accounting Handbook for detailed guidance. The document is located on the TEA website at www.tea.texas.gov.

  Key concepts include:

  • enrollment in TXVSN catalog courses may apply toward ADA eligibility status regardless of whether or not the student is physically present at the school when taking the online course, provided a student successfully completes a TXVSN course,
  • successful completion is defined as earning credit for the online semester course.
  • each TXVSN catalog course is considered to be 55 minutes of daily instructional time for purposes of the 2‐through‐4‐hour rule. A student enrolled in a TXVSN catalog course who did not successfully complete the course, is no longer considered to have been scheduled for and receiving instruction for 55 minutes each day for that course, and
  • a total of no more than three yearlong courses taken through the TXVSN statewide course catalog may be used in determining a student’s ADA eligibility.