A Microsoft Word version of this letter is available for download and PRINTING.

August 27, 2010

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

Subject: Notice of Application to Participate in the Electronic Course Program (eCP)

The Application for Participation and the Terms of Participation for the 2010-2012 Electronic Course Program (eCP) are now available to interested Texas districts and open-enrollment charter schools. This notice provides an opportunity to expand the current eCP for the 2010-2011 and the 2011-2012 school years. The eCP offers an alternative way to educate Texas public school students through online learning.

Through the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) eCP, Texas districts and open-enrollment charter schools selected to participate in the program will be given the opportunity to provide online learning options to full-time public school students. Students are not required to be located on the physical premises of a school district or open enrollment charter school. A full-time virtual program can offer individualized instruction that is easily adjusted for a student’s own learning pace and schedule.

An eCP subject area or course is defined in the eCP as:

• a subject area or course in which instruction and content are delivered primarily over the Internet, 
• a student and teacher are in different locations for a majority of the student’s instructional period, 
• most instructional activities take place in an online environment, 
• the online instructional activities are integral to the academic program, 
• extensive communication between a student and a teacher and among students is emphasized, and 
• a student participating in the eCP is not required to be located on the physical premises of a school district or open-enrollment charter school.

The eCP is not a grant program. Schools selected for participation are eligible to earn Foundation School Program (FSP) funding for students enrolled through the eCP based on successful completion. The existing eCP includes Grades 3-10. Plans include the addition of Grade 11 in the 2011-2012 school year and Grade 12 in the 2012-2013 school year. For districts, the eCP program can be offered both to students enrolled in the district or to students outside the district. For open-enrollment charter schools, the eCP program can be offered to students within the charter school’s existing geographic service area.

To be eligible to apply to participate in the eCP, school districts must have a current status of Accredited. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools must have an accountability rating of Academically Acceptable or higher and a financial rating of Standard Achievement or higher to be considered. Other criteria are specified in the eCP Terms of Participation.

Requirements to participate in the Electronic Course Program are below:

• Grades 3–8: eCP participants’ instructional program for the 2010-2011 school year shall provide the equivalent of 180 days of instruction to be completed by July 31, 2011.
• Grades 3–8: eCP participants’ instructional program for the 2011-2012 school year shall provide the equivalent of 180 days of instruction to be completed by July 31, 2012.
• Grades 9–11: All courses comprising the required secondary curriculum for the 2010-2011 and the 2011-2012 school years must be submitted to the Course Review process administered by the TEA by December 3, 2010. After receiving approval from the TEA, eCP participants’ instructional program for 2011-2012 shall provide the equivalent of 180 days of instruction to be completed July 31, 2012.
• Course instructors must be certified by the state in the content area and grade level, and they must meet the program’s professional development requirements.
• Districts and open-enrollment charter schools must administer the statewide student assessments according to the standard schedule.

A recorded webinar to explain the program will be available on September 7, 2010 and may be accessed from the eCP website at that time.

Applications for the 2010-2011 school year must be submitted for the eCP by 5:00 p.m. Central Time, October 8, 2010 and will be processed as soon as practical after submission. Districts will be contacted regarding the status of their application within 30 days of receipt.

Applications for the 2011-2012 school year must be submitted for the eCP by 5:00 p.m. Central Time, October 29, 2010. Districts will be contacted regarding the status of their application within 30 days of receipt.

Links to the eCP Terms of Participation and Application to Participate are available below. Questions about the eCP should be sent to ecp@tea.state.tx.us.

Sincerely,

Anita Givens
Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs

Attachments:

1. 2010-2012 Electronic Course Program Background Information
2. Application Instructions
3. Terms of Participation, 2010-2012 Electronic Course Program and Signatures
4. Application Checklist
5. Application A: Contract Information and Signatures, Schedule #1 – Participant Information
6. Application A: Contract Information and Signatures, Schedule #2 – Certification for Shared Services Arrangements
7. Application B: Informed Choice Report
8. Application C: Management and Administration
9. Application D: Budget Summary
10. Application E: Equitable Access and Participation
11. Application F: Program Evaluation
12. Application G: Notice of Intent to Apply for the 2010-2011 School Year
13. Application G: Notice of Intent to Apply for the 2011-2012 School Year
14. Appendix A: National Standards of Quality for Online Courses
15. Appendix B: National Standards for Quality Online Teaching
16. Appendix C: eCP Professional Development Policy
17. Appendix D: Science Lab and Field Investigations Form
18. Appendix E: Example of Physical Activity Documentation