Remote Learning

Remote Learning Overview

Local educational agencies (LEAs) currently have multiple options for providing remote learning for partial or full average daily attendance (ADA) outside of the ɬÀï·¬ Virtual Schools Network. These options are outlined in our Non-TXVSN Remote Instruction Overview Document.

Remote ConferencingÌý

Remote Conferencing is a mechanism by which remote instruction can be provided for students experiencing a temporary illness or who have beenÌý in close contact with someone with COVID-19. LEAs may count Remote Conferencing instruction as classroom time for Foundation School Program (FSP) funding purposes. Please reference theÌýRemote Conferencing FAQ for additional information.

Remote Instruction Under SB 15

On September 9, 2021, Senate Bill 15 was signed into law and permits LEAs to receive ADA funding for students enrolled in a local remote learning program that meets specific criteria set forth in SB 15. The ɬÀï·¬ Education Agency has released the following documents that provide an overview for districts that provide remote instruction.

Webinars

TitleÌý(Click to Register) Date Download
SB 15 OverviewÌý 9/17/2021 Ìý´¥ÌýSlides
Asynchronous Instruction and Attendance Tracking Best Practices 10/13/2021 | Slides
Virtual and Hybrid Program Accelerator Informational WebinarÌý 11/02/2021 | Slides
Asynchronous Instruction and Learning Management Systems OverviewÌýWebinar 11/17/2021 | Slides
Synchronous Instruction Best PracticesÌýWebinar 11/18/2021 | Slides
Teacher Professional Development Resources and Best PracticesÌý 01/27/2022 Ìý
PEIMS Reporting and Student Eligibility List 02/24/2022 | Slides
Virtual/Hybrid CDCN Application Overview Webinar 03/24/2022 | Slides
The Future of Virtual and Hybrid Learning: Continuation from the ɬÀï·¬ Summit on Virtual and Hybrid Learning 03/30/2023

Virtual and Hybrid Program Accelerator

ɬÀï·¬is offering resources to support virtual instruction, including the Virtual and Hybrid Program Accelerator (VHPA). For LEAs interested in partnering with a Technical Assistance (TA) provider and learning alongside other LEAs launching virtual or hybrid programs in SY22-23, we invite you to join the VHPA.

Participating LEAs will receive customized technical assistance to design, implement, and continuously improve their virtual or hybrid program.  These supports include, but are not limited to, model design, strategic staffing, academic strategy, family engagement, supporting diverse learners, developing teachers, and other topics related to virtual and hybrid school programs.

All ɬÀ﷬ LEAs that commit to creating a new virtual or hybrid program set to launch in school year 2022-23 are eligible to apply. The application can be downloaded here. Please submit completed applications to VHPA@tea.texas.gov.

Ìý

Virtual and Hybrid Program Accelerator Application Process and Timeline

ɬÀï·¬reserves the right to modify the following deadlines and information.

New Virtual Hybrid Program Accelerator Application Process

Date Event
October 21, 2021

Applications Release:  The application will be available on the Remote Learning webpage.

November 2, 2021

:  Interested LEAs may learn more by registering for and attending a webinar.

November 12, 2021

Application Due: LEAs submit completed applications toÌýVHPA@tea.texas.gov.  These will be processed on a rolling basis until the application deadline.

November 8-19, 2021

Zoom Interviews: ÌýɬÀï·¬staff will conduct zoom interviews with LEA Program leaders to add context to the written application and make an acceptance decision.ÌýÌý

You will receive an invite to interview upon your submission of your application.

December 1, 2021

´¡³¦³¦±ð±è³Ù²¹²Ô³¦±ð: Accepted applicants will be invited to join the program.

December 3, 2021

Cohort Launch-ÌýAll accepted LEAs will participate in a cohort launch webinar.Ìý

Ìý

CDCN Guidance

For LEAs interested in seeking a new CDCN (County District Campus Number) for a full-time virtual campus or a hybrid campus delivering remote instruction under SB 15:

Guidance for LEAs Operating Local Remote Learning Programs

The ɬÀï·¬will grant new CDCNs for full-time virtual or hybrid campuses that meet key criteria with CDCNs starting in school year 2022-2023. ɬÀï·¬defines a full-time virtual campus as one where 100% of instruction is provided via remote learning, whereas a hybrid campus provides instruction via a combination of both face to face and remote learning. Please note that the ɬÀï·¬is unable to grant these new CDCNs to be effective in school year 2021-2022 given the timing of the passage of SB 15 September 9, 2021.ÌýÌý

For those LEAs seeking to be granted a new CDCN, effective in school year 2022-2023, the application will be open in March, with a deadline of June 3, 2022 (originally 4/29/2022). An informational webinar walking through application information and criteria was hosted in March. As an overview, the application process will have two key components:

  1. Submission of an application and virtual/hybrid school plan to the ɬÀï·¬that demonstrates evidence of meeting all key requirements. This includes evidence ofÌýLEA board approvalÌýof the request for a new CDCN and virtual/hybrid school plan.
    • Note: This application and plan will be scored against key rubric criteria (described in a high level manner in a link below, with more information forthcoming in the informational webinar noted above)
  2. Upon ɬÀï·¬approval of application in Step #1 –ÌýComplete this CDCN and submit to AskTED@tea.texas.govÌýor CharterAskTed@tea.texas.gov.Ìý

CDCN Requirements

  1. Assigned Campus Administrator
  2. Has enrolled students who are counted for average daily attendance
  3. Receives public funds as its primary support
  4. Has assigned instructional staff
  5. Provides instructional services to students
  6. Has one or more grades in the range from early childhood education through grade 12 or is ungraded
  7. Is not a program for students enrolled in another public school
  8. May provide a particular academic focus (e.g., magnet or special education campuses)
  9. Complies with ɬÀï·¬ Laws

Please note that in order for open-enrollment charters to request a new CDCN, they must also submit and receive an expansion amendment.
*The application must be submitted by the superintendent or district AskTed Administrator.Ìý

Remote Learning Program CDCN Requirements

In addition to the requirements, below lists out the requirements for requesting a new County District Campus Number for the establishment of a virtual / hybrid new campus.

  1. Overall district-wide performance rating of C or higher in the school year 2018-2019, or the most recent rating receivedÌý
  2. Include at least one ɬÀï·¬-assessed grade level among the grade levels for which local remote learning is offered or include a complete high school program, including each course for which an end-of-course assessment is required to be administered.Ìý
  3. The number of students receiving remote instruction is capped at 10% of all enrolled students within a given LEAÌý
  4. Provide families an on-campus option. Local remote learning may not be the sole option offered to families, in general or for any given day that remote instruction is offered.Ìý
  5. Meet the needs of and comply with all relevant federal and state law and policy with respect to students with disabilities and English learners who are enrolled in a remote program.Ìý

*Comply with all SB 15 LEA and Student Eligibility Criteria noted here.

In addition to the requirements noted above, LEAs must submit as part of their application a school plan that ɬÀï·¬will score against key rubric criteria ɬÀï·¬will seek evidence that the submitted plan is aligned to the Effective School Framework.

For LEAs who meet the requirements listed in 48.0071(c), we are offering an expedited CDCN approval process. ÌýThe requirements, as specified in Senate Bill 15, are listed below:ÌýÌý

48.0071(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school that operated during the 2020-21 school year a full-time virtual program outside the state virtual network under Chapter 30A with at least 10% of the enrollment for the program including students who resided outside the geographic area served by the district or school may:Ìý

  1. Continue to operate the virtual program on a full-time basis;Ìý
  2. Apply the same enrollment and transfer criteria used during the 2020-2021 school year; and Ìý
  3. Offer the program to students in any grade level or combination of grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12 as long as the program includes at least one grade level for which an assessment instrument is administered under Section 39.023.Ìý

(d) This section expires September 1, 2023.Ìý

In order to receive a CDCN that is effective in school year 2022-23, LEAs must:

  1. by 5:00 PM on April 15, 2022. All submissions will be reviewed and verified by April 29, 2022. Note that this verification request will require evidence that:
    • Of your LEAs full-time virtual program enrollment last year, more than 10 percent of students enrolled resided outside of the geographic boundaries of your LEA's
    • Your LEA's full-time virtual program advertised as open to students across the state of ɬÀï·¬Ìý
    • If your LEA meets the criteria, you will be invited to complete the expedited CDCN process in Step 2 of the process.Ìý
  2. After receiving confirmation of approval from ɬÀï·¬in Step 1 of the process –ÌýComplete process to request a new CDCN within theÌýÌýsystem. ɬÀï·¬will provide further instructions to support LEAs in completing this step. LEAs may request for a CDCN for either a K-12 campus or a K-8 and 9th-12th Grade Campus. LEAs may not request more than two CDCNs for their local remote learning programs.Ìý
  3. After CDCN has been established in Step 2 of the process –ÌýAssign students to new CDCN.

Timeline for Requesting an Expedited CDCN for the 2022-23 SY

Date Event
Week of March 21, 2022 Verification Process Opens
April 15, 2022

LEAs Submit Request for Verification via Smartsheet Form

Rolling Basis:ÌýLEAs Notified of Approval or Denial

April 29, 2022

Final LEA Notification of ApprovalÌý

CDCN Application Opens

May 20, 2022

CDCN Applications Processed

Rolling Basis:ÌýNotification of approved CDCNs

Please note that all interested LEAs must meet all requirements detailed in SB 15 TAA and are listed below:Ìý

To be eligible for funding for local remote learning, LEAs must:Ìý Ìý

  • Have an overall district-wide performance rating ofÌýC or higherÌýin school year 2018-19, or the year the latest performance rating was given.
  • Include at least one ɬÀï·¬-assessed grade level among the grade levels for which local remote learning is offered or include a complete high school program, including each course for which an end-of-course assessment is required to be administered.
  • Administer assessments to students enrolled in local remote learning in the same manner as students learning on campus. LEAs must also periodically assess students in the remote learning program to assess progress.
  • Provide students enrolled in remote learning the ability to participate in any extracurricular activity sponsored or sanctioned by the LEA or by the University Interscholastic League in the same manner as other students, with the potential exception of students outside the LEA's geographic boundaries, who should have access to extracurricular activities in the same manner that they did in the LEA's school year 2020-21 program.
  • Meet the needs of and comply with all relevant federal and state law and policy with respect to students with disabilities and English learners who are enrolled in a remote program.Ìý
  • With respect to teachers delivering instruction, LEAs must:
    • Provide professional development on virtual instruction to all teachers delivering instruction in a local remote learning program.ÌýÌý
    • Ensure that teachers delivering instruction in a full-time remote program have not been coerced in any way to take their full-time remote learning instruction position.
    • Ensure teachers are not delivering instruction concurrently; concurrent instruction is instruction delivered to both on-campus and remote learners during the same class period, at the same time.

Critically, LEAs may only count a student toward ADA if that student meets eligibility requirements in the following areas:

Based on student information from theÌýprecedingÌýschool year,Ìýif a student received remote instruction for a majority of their instructional days in the previous school year (e.g., 88+ days in a 175-day instructional year), they also must have:Ìý

  • Achieved satisfactory achievement or higher on each ɬÀï·¬ assessment administered.Ìý
    • If a ɬÀï·¬ assessment was not administered but the student was in a grade/subject for which ɬÀï·¬ should have been administered, a different assessment can be administered that shows grade level proficiency in TEKS (e.g., the ɬÀï·¬ Beginning of Year (BOY) assessment).
    • Had a number of unexcused absences that is 10 percent or fewer out of all instructional days.
    • Earned a grade of C or higher in the foundation curriculum courses taken virtually or remotely in the preceding school year.

If a student didÌýnotÌýreceive a majority of the student’s instructional time in the preceding school year via remote instruction, then the criteria noted above do not apply to determine student eligibility for remote learning. However, criteria noted in the next section apply to all remote instruction students.

Based on student information from theÌýcurrentÌýschool year:Ìý

  • The student isÌýenrolledÌýin a school district or open-enrollment charter school.
  • The student hasÌýfewer than 10 unexcused absences while enrolled in local remote instructionÌýover a six-month period.

For LEAs who meet the requirements listed inÌý48.0071(c), we are offering an expedited CDCN approval process. ÌýThe requirements, as specified in Senate Bill 15, are listed below:ÌýÌý

48.0071(c)ÌýA school district or open-enrollment charter school that operated during the 2020-21 school year a full-time virtual program outside the state virtual network under Chapter 30A with at least 10% of the enrollment for the program including students who resided outside the geographic area served by the district or school may:Ìý

  1. Continue to operate the virtual program on a full-time basis;Ìý
  2. Apply the same enrollment and transfer criteria used during the 2020-2021 school year; and Ìý
  3. Offer the program to students in any grade level or combination of grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12 as long as the program includes at least one grade level for which an assessment instrument is administered under Section 39.023.Ìý

(d) This section expires September 1, 2023.Ìý

In order to receive a CDCN that is effective in school year 2021-22, LEAs must:

  1. Ìýby 5:00 PM on October 13, 2021. All submissions will be reviewed and verified by October 15, 2021. Note that this verification request will require evidence that:
    • Of your LEAs full-time virtual program enrollment last year, more than 10 percent of students enrolled resided outside of the geographic boundaries of your LEA's
    • Your LEA's full-time virtual program advertised as open to students across the state of ɬÀï·¬Ìý
    • If your LEA meets the criteria, you will be invited to complete the expedited CDCN process in Step 2 of the process.Ìý
  2. After receiving confirmation of approval from ɬÀï·¬in Step 1 of the process –ÌýComplete process to request a new CDCN within theÌýÌýsystem. ɬÀï·¬will provide further instructions to support LEAs in completing this step. LEAs may request for a CDCN for either a K-12 campus or a K-8 and 9th-12th Grade Campus. LEAs may not request more than two CDCNs for their local remote learning programs.Ìý
  3. After CDCN has been established in Step 2 of the process –ÌýAssign students to new CDCN, such that students will be counted toward October 29, 2021 enrollment snapshot.

Timeline for Requesting an Expedited CDCN for the 2021-22 SY

Date Event
Week of Sept. 7, 2021 Verification Process Opens
October 13, 2021

LEAs Submit Request for Verification via Smartsheet Form

Rolling Basis:ÌýLEAs Notified of Approval or Denial

October 15, 2021

Final LEA Notification of ApprovalÌý

CDCN Application Opens

October 20,2021

CDCN Applications Processed

Rolling Basis:ÌýNotification of approved CDCNs

October 25, 2021 Last day that LEAs could be Notified of Remote Learning Campus CDCN
October 29, 2021 Final Date for Full-Time Virtual Students to be Assigned to new CDCN

Please note that all interested LEAs must meet all requirements detailed in SB 15 TAA and are listed below:Ìý

To be eligible for funding for local remote learning, LEAs must:Ìý Ìý

  • Have an overall district-wide performance rating ofÌýC or higherÌýin school year 2018-19, or the year the latest performance rating was given.
  • Include at least one ɬÀï·¬-assessed grade level among the grade levels for which local remote learning is offered or include a complete high school program, including each course for which an end-of-course assessment is required to be administered.
  • Administer assessments to students enrolled in local remote learning in the same manner as students learning on campus. LEAs must also periodically assess students in the remote learning program to assess progress.
  • Provide students enrolled in remote learning the ability to participate in any extracurricular activity sponsored or sanctioned by the LEA or by the University Interscholastic League in the same manner as other students, with the potential exception of students outside the LEA's geographic boundaries, who should have access to extracurricular activities in the same manner that they did in the LEA's school year 2020-21 program.
  • Meet the needs of and comply with all relevant federal and state law and policy with respect to students with disabilities and English learners who are enrolled in a remote program.Ìý
  • With respect to teachers delivering instruction, LEAs must:
    • Provide professional development on virtual instruction to all teachers delivering instruction in a local remote learning program.ÌýÌý
    • Ensure that teachers delivering instruction in a full-time remote program have not been coerced in any way to take their full-time remote learning instruction position.
    • Ensure teachers are not delivering instruction concurrently; concurrent instruction is instruction delivered to both on-campus and remote learners during the same class period, at the same time.

Critically, LEAs may only count a student toward ADA if that student meets eligibility requirements in the following areas:

Based on student information from theÌýprecedingÌýschool year,Ìýif a student received remote instruction for a majority of their instructional days in the previous school year (e.g., 88+ days in a 175-day instructional year), they also must have:Ìý

  • Achieved satisfactory achievement or higher on each ɬÀï·¬ assessment administered.Ìý
    • If a ɬÀï·¬ assessment was not administered but the student was in a grade/subject for which ɬÀï·¬ should have been administered, a different assessment can be administered that shows grade level proficiency in TEKS (e.g., the ɬÀï·¬ Beginning of Year (BOY) assessment).
    • Had a number of unexcused absences that is 10 percent or fewer out of all instructional days.
    • Earned a grade of C or higher in the foundation curriculum courses taken virtually or remotely in the preceding school year.

If a student didÌýnotÌýreceive a majority of the student’s instructional time in the preceding school year via remote instruction, then the criteria noted above do not apply to determine student eligibility for remote learning. However, criteria noted in the next section apply to all remote instruction students.

Based on student information from theÌýcurrentÌýschool year:Ìý

  • The student isÌýenrolledÌýin a school district or open-enrollment charter school.
  • The student hasÌýfewer than 10 unexcused absences while enrolled in local remote instructionÌýover a six-month period.
Contact Information

For more information please contactÌýRemote.Learning@tea.texas.gov.

Do you have a question specific to remote learning? You may .

VisitÌýCOVID-19 Support: AcademicsÌýfor more resources regarding remote learning