(a)The Legislature finds and declares that the provision of many instructional programs in remote areas of the state is a benefit that is uneven and at times totally unavailable, creating wide disparities in the access and opportunities available to high school students and students who may be eligible for transfer among postsecondary educational institutions. These disadvantages take the form of remote geographic access to educational opportunities, and the economies of scale that make it difficult for very small school districts or community college centers to provide a full range of educational programs to meet the needs of their students. This creates serious disadvantages for students who are not able to receive instruction in programs that would make them eligible for college-level work at community colleges and admission to four-year postsecondary educational institutions, or to transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions.

(b)Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to expand existing, and create new, distance learning opportunities that are the product of collaborative activities among school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, and the four-year postsecondary educational institutions of this state. It is the intent of the Legislature that these distance learning programs focus on creating opportunities for students in high schools to access the academic programs that will assist them in becoming eligible for higher education admission, and for students in community colleges to access the academic programs that will assist them in becoming eligible for transfer to a four-year institution in this state.

The Remote Access Distance Learning Incentive Grant Program is hereby created, to be administered by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The following parameters shall be elements of the program, as further regulated by the commission:

(a)The funds appropriated for the purposes of the program shall be distributed by the commission to consortia consisting of school districts, county offices of education, community college districts, the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, or any accredited independent college or university in California.

(b)The consortia described in subdivision (a) may include any combination of districts and institutions, as determined by the commission, and shall provide a match of funds of no less than 20 percent of the cost of the application, with the balance of 80 percent awarded by the commission from funds appropriated for purposes of the program.

(c)The commission shall give priority to funding proposals from consortia that demonstrate the capacity and commitment to expand existing, or create new, distance learning programs that would provide access to educational programs to students in high schools or community colleges that would greatly benefit from that access, and are otherwise prohibited from benefiting from those opportunities only because of their residence in geographically remote parts of the state. These proposals shall ensure that a qualified, credentialed teacher is assigned to supervise students enrolled in online courses.

(d)The commission shall award grants pursuant to this chapter for no more than three years, in amounts not to exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) per year. In addition, priority shall be given to applications from consortia that intend to use the grants for startup costs associated with creating and expanding the distance learning programs described in this chapter, and not for ongoing operations.

The California Postsecondary Education Commission shall provide for an independent evaluation of the Remote Access Distance Learning Incentive Grant Program, and determine the relative success and failure of the program to meet the objectives established pursuant to this chapter and the rules and regulations adopted by the commission. This evaluation shall be completed and submitted by the commission, with any recommendations for the program, to the education policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature no later than January 1, 2006.

It is the intent of the Legislature that an annual appropriation of not less than ten million dollars ($10,000,000) be made in each of the next five fiscal years for support of the Remote Access Distance Learning Initiative Grant Program. From funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, the California Postsecondary Education Commission may retain no more than 5 percent of the annual appropriation for the purpose of administration of this chapter, and for the evaluation required pursuant to Section 66952.