School Distance Education Responsibilities
Distance Education is a formal instructional process in which the student and teacher are separated by physical distance and a variety of communication technologies are used to deliver instruction in the theory portion of the course curriculum to the student. Courses taught by distance education do not satisfy the requirements of the practical portion of the course curriculum.
- A school must properly account for the distance education hours granted and reported for each student.
- A school must not engage in any act directly or indirectly that grants or approves student credit that is not accrued in accordance with Chapter 83 rules.
- A school must maintain all relevant documents that account for a student’s accrued hours.
- A school must track distance education using the same verification method used for tracking student attendance and time.
- A school must report distance education hours by submitting to the department an electronic record of each student’s hours in a manner prescribed by the department.
Note: Distance Education hours are the only form of hours which can be completed without the physical presence of an instructor. If a student accrues regular hours by clock or credit, the same time system should be used to account for distance education hours to eliminate the possibility of duplicate credit for students. A new application for curriculum approval will be required if any changes are made to the approved distance education hours.
What to expect during an inspection
- Inspector will verify your Certificate of Approval to confirm you have been approved to offer distance education.
- Inspector will confirm the number of hours which have been approved for distance education.
- A school must provide documentation of student completion of distance education using the same approved tracking system being used for regular attendance and time.
- A school must provide documentation clearly showing the number of hours completed in distance education for each student.
For additional information and questions, please contact the Education and Examination Division via webform, where you can submit your application, request assistance or include attachments as needed.
You can reach our Customer Service line at (800) 803-9202 [in state only], (512) 463-6599, Relay Texas-TDD: (800) 735-2989. Customer Service Representatives are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Central Time (excluding holidays).
