HB2434 - 451R - House Bill Summary

House of Representatives

HB 2434

education 2000; changes

Sponsors: Representative Gray

DPA	Committee on Education
W/d	Committee on Appropriation
x	Caucus and COW
	As Passed the House

HB 2434 requires pupil academic achievement to be the primary factor in determining the amount of the performance-based compensation increases allowed for teachers (see Education Committee amendment). HB 2434 also makes clarifying and technical changes to the school accountability and classroom site fund statutes.

History

Laws 2000, 5^th Special Session, Chapter 1 (SB 1007), enacted upon the approval of the voters of Proposition 301 at the November 2000 general election, established a classroom site fund consisting of a portion of the monies generated by an increase to the transaction privilege tax (TPT) rate from 5.0% to 5.6% and from monies transferred from the permanent state school fund. Monies in the classroom site fund are allocated as follows:

1. 40% of the monies for teacher salaries based on performance

2. 20% of the monies for teacher salary base pay increases

3. 40% of the monies for maintenance and operations to be divided by the school district or charter school among its schools on a per pupil basis. The school principal shall tell the district or charter school the school’s priorities among the following:

--class size reduction

--teacher compensation increases.

--AIMS intervention programs

--teacher development.

--dropout prevention programs.

--teacher liability insurance premiums. (Sec. 16)

Laws 2000, 5^th Special Session, Chapter 1 also required the Department of Education (ADE) to compile an annual achievement profile for each public school consisting of AIMS scores and passage rates, adequate yearly progress data and dropout rates (see Education Committee amendment). If a school fails to annually produce acceptable progress on its achievement profile, the Superintendent of Public Instruction must designate the school as an under performing school. If a school remains an under performing school for a second consecutive year, the either of two corrective options is available:

1. The Superintendent, based on need, must assign an instructional “trouble solutions team” to the school comprised of master teachers, fiscal analysts and curriculum assessment experts who are certified by the State Board of Education as “Arizona academic standards technicians” who must work with the staff of the school to assist in curricula alignment and instruct teachers on how to increase pupil academic progress, considering the school’s achievement profile. The team must select two master teachers to be employed by the school.

2. Students may select an alternative tutoring program in academic standards from a provider that is certified by the State Board of Education. The school district must pay for the tutoring program with monies from the classroom site fund. To qualify, the provider must guarantee in writing a stated level of academic improvement for the pupil which includes a timeline for improvement that is agreed to by the parent or guardian of the pupil, and the provider must agree to refund to the state the standards assistance grant monies if the guaranteed level of academic improvement is not met.

HB 2434 bases the performance pay increases from the classroom site fund primarily on the academic achievement measures of the pupils instructed by the teacher (see Education Committee amendment). In addition, HB 2434 makes the assignment of instructional trouble solution team by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to failing school mandatory and provides that both the corrective options discussed above will be implemented at the school.

Provisions

· Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to assign an instructional trouble solutions team to any school that is designated as a failing school.

· Provides that both the instructional trouble solutions team and the individual tutoring program will be available for schools designated as failing schools.

· Provides that academic achievement measures of pupils instructed by an individual teacher shall be the primary factor in the determination of the amount of the performance based compensation increase for that teacher (see Education Committee amendment).

· Provides that the classroom site fund does not require a school district or charter school to allocate monies toward activities that are illegal, fail to comply with federal, state or local laws relating to health, safety and civil rights or that exceed in cost the monies available to a school site.

· Contains technical and conforming changes.

The Education Committee amended HB 2434 as follows:

School Profile Changes

· Creates separate achievement profiles for elementary and high schools.

· The achievement profile for the elementary is as follows:

· The measure of academic progress.

· A three-year rolling average on the AIMS test.

· The achievement profile for the high school is as follows:

· A two-year rolling average on the AIMS test

· The annual dropout rate

· The graduation rate

· The achievement profile shall yield the following classifications for the school: improving school, maintaining school, under performing school, a failing school. The achievement profile shall be reported on the school report card.

· The Department of Education shall determine the criteria for each school classification that uses a research based methodology. The Department shall develop a specialized achievement profile for accommodation schools and small schools with less than 200 students enrolled in the school.

· Repeals 15-707

Classroom Site Fund Changes

· Provides that measurable pupil academic progress shall be the primary component for teacher performance compensation plans. Provides that by school year 2003-2004 an individual performance component will be added to the performance compensation plan and that all performance compensation plans will be developed using a collaborative process with teacher input.

· Clarifies the definition of the general budget limit and unrestricted capital budget limit.

· Exempts the classroom site fund from the general budget limit.

· Includes high school students that reside in an elementary district in the statewide student count estimate for JLBC to calculate the statewide per pupil amount for the classroom site fund. Allows elementary districts that tuition their high school students to receive the per pupil funding for the high school students. The school district must add the classroom site fund to the tuition amount to reimburse the other school district for those high school students.

· Changes the basis of the per pupil calculation for the classroom site fund from weighted student count to unweighted.

· Requires that the 40% maintenance and operations monies be allocated to each school or site on a per pupil basis. Requires that each school district and charter school submit an allocation plan as part of its budget.

· Provides that the school board shall give preference to the priorities recommended by the school site council.

ADM and ADA Definition Changes

· Changes the definition of average daily membership and average daily attendance to reflect the increased number of hours required for grades 9, 10, and 11^. This includes requiring the full-time instruction to be four subjects or instruction in one or more subjects for 25 hours or week and that attendance will be counted based on 75 minutes of instruction.

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· 45th Legislature