The purposes, authority, and responsibilities of the Educational Approval Board and the regulation of schools by that board

This bill moves the powers and duties of EAB from a chapter of the statutes relating to the Technical College System to its own newly created chapter, reorganizes those powers and duties, and makes various substantive changes with respect to those powers and duties. Specifically, the bill does the following:

1.

Purposes.

Specifies that the purposes of EAB are to protect the general public and to support quality educational options and requires EAB to accomplish those purposes by doing all of the following:

a. Evaluating and approving schools, which the bill redefines to mean, subject to certain exceptions, any individual, partnership, association, corporation, or limited liability company doing business within this state, whether located within or outside this state, that offers, maintains, provides, or conducts for a fee a course of study that provides practical or academic instruction, education, or training leading to a diploma, certificate, degree, or other indicia that a student has acquired knowledge or skills (program), including any private trade, technical, career, distance learning, or degree-granting school.

b. Collecting and disseminating outcome and satisfaction information for the students of schools.

c. Performing annual reviews of schools.

d. Conducting regular on-site evaluations of schools.

e. Holding schools accountable for improving their performance and effectiveness.

f. Supporting options for innovative and quality programs offered by schools.

2.

Accountability.

Requires EAB to develop, periodically review, and, if appropriate, revise a strategic plan and to use the strategic plan to evaluate annually EAB's performance and effectiveness.

3.

Authority.

Requires EAB to approve schools, programs that another state agency or board is not authorized to approve or accept, changes of ownership or control of schools, teaching locations used by schools, and school representatives who, in places other than a school, attempt to secure the enrollment of students in the school if those schools, programs, changes of ownership or control, meet the requirements and standards established by EAB and that comply with rules promulgated by EAB. In the case of a school that offers a program that another state agency or board is authorized to approve or accept, including a program leading to a credential that is required for licensure or a program providing professional development for a licensee, the bill requires EAB to cooperate with that other state agency or board in the approval of the school by EAB and the approval or acceptance of the program by that other state agency or board. The bill also grants to the state superintendent of public instruction the exclusive authority to approve or accept programs offered in this state leading to the licensure of teachers and schools that, in this state, offer only those programs.

4.

Responsibility.

Requires EAB to perform certain actions to hold schools accountable for achieving satisfactory student outcomes and to ensure that programs meet generally accepted educational, occupational, and industry standards, including establishing standards and criteria for approving schools offering programs that are delivered primarily by distance learning and requiring a school, prior to enrolling a student who is a resident of this state, to provide the student with a catalog that includes information about the following:

a. The school's mission, facilities, programs, and instructors.

b. The school's policies concerning enrollment and admissions, academic progress, and student conduct.

c. Student services, including employment assistance services, that the school provides.

d. The school's complaint procedures.

e. Student outcome and satisfaction information.

f. The school's fees, refund policies, and policies concerning the negotiability of promissory instruments received in payment of fees.

g. Any other information EAB considers necessary to hold schools accountable for achieving satisfactory student outcomes and to ensure that programs meet generally accepted educational, occupational, and industry standards.

5.

Reporting.

Requires an approved school to submit annually to EAB all of the following:

a. Information about the school as prescribed by EAB, including a current school catalog, an enrollment contract, if one is used, copies of advertising used by the school, and financial information as EAB considers necessary.

b. Student satisfaction and outcome information, including information on the number of students from the prior year who are continuing in the current year, the number of new students starting in the current year, the number of students who have dropped out or withdrawn since the prior year, the number of students who are anticipated to continue next year, the number of students completing a program, the number of completers successfully employed, and such other information as EAB considers necessary.

c. A report on the school's progress in achieving the goals of its institutional plan.

6.

Recruiting.

Deletes, effective 24 months after the date of publication of the bill, the statutory provisions relating to solicitor's permits, but retains EAB's responsibility to regulate student recruitment and to issue permits to school representatives.

7.

Student protection fund.

Permits EAB to pursue any legal action it considers necessary to recover any losses paid from the student protection fund.