ARIZONA STATE SENATE

LAURA BENITEZ

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 25, 2022

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2588, relating to online instruction; hours

Purpose

            Applies the base support level (BSL) funding calculations for a pupil in a remote setting under an instructional time model (ITM) to a pupil enrolled full-time or part-time in Arizona online instruction (AOI).

Background

A school district's or charter school's BSL funding is calculated by multiplying the district's or school's weighted average daily membership (ADM) by the statutory per-pupil base level amount. A school district's BSL may increase for the teacher experience index (TEI) and additional teacher compensation. School districts and charter schools also receive district additional assistance (DAA) and charter additional assistance (CAA) as prescribed (A.R.S. §§ 15-183;
15-941; 15-943; 15-952; and 15-961).

For a full-time pupil in a school district or charter school that is not an AOI (brick-and-mortar school) to generate 1.0 ADM, the pupil must be enrolled in the following minimum number of instructional hours: 1) 720 hours for high school students; 2) 890 hours for grades 4 through 8; and 3) 712 hours for grades 1 through 3. Kindergarten students must be enrolled in 356 instructional hours and generate 0.5 ADM (A.R.S. § 15-901).

A full-time AOI pupil's BSL is 95 percent of the BSL that would be calculated if the pupil were enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school and a part-time AOI pupil's BSL is 85 percent. DAA and CAA are calculated in the same manner as if the student were enrolled in the district or charter school. A full-time AOI pupil must be enrolled in the following minimum number of instructional hours: 1) for high school students, 900 hours; 2) for grades 7 and 8, 1,068 hours; 3) for grades 4 through 6, 890 hours; 4) for grades 1 through 3, 712 hours; and 5) for kindergarten pupils, 346 hours (A.R.S. § 15-808).

A school district may adopt an ITM to fulfill brick-and-mortar or AOI instructional time requirements: 1) in any day, week and course length; 2) through direct instruction or project-based, independent or mastery-based learning; 3) through a combination of in-person and remote instruction; and 4) by reallocating per course instructional time on a per-student basis and staggering student schedules. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the BSL for any remote instruction under an ITM provided above 40 percent of the school's total instructional time is funded at 95 percent of the BSL that would otherwise be calculated (A.R.S. § 15-901.08).

If increasing AOI BSL funding for the first 40 percent of instructional time to the same level as brick-and-mortar BSL funding and to 95 percent of the brick-and-mortar BSL funding levels for the remaining 60 percent of instructional time results in an increase to Basic State Aid costs, there may be a fiscal impact to the state General Fund.

Provisions

1. Funds a full-time or part-time AOI pupil in the same manner as funding is provided for a student in a remote setting under a brick-and-mortar school's instructional time model, rather than at 95 percent for full-time pupils or 85 percent for part-time pupils.

2. Replaces the requirement that an AOI school report in a daily log for each pupil the time the pupil spends on academic tasks with a requirement that the AOI school ensure statutory instructional time and instructional hour requirements are met.

3. Specifies that an AOI school may use any method allowed under an adopted ITM for the purposes of ADM calculations.

4. Makes technical and conforming changes.

5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.