accountability for schools
and pupils
dpa |
Committee on Education |
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dpas/e |
Committee on Appropriations |
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x |
Caucus and COW |
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Third Read |
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As Passed the House |
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HB 2658 establishes achievement profile classifications for schools based upon the baseline achievement profile, requires a school improvement plan for a school designated as failing and increases the compulsory education age to 18 years.
HB 2658 was amended in the Education Committee to replace the term failing with nonperforming, establish a process for the designation of a charter school as underperforming, make the Failing Schools Tutoring Fund and the solutions teams separate options for a nonperforming school, remove a negligent school whose operations have been assumed by another entity from the district’s apportionment of state aid to reflect the reduction of the pupils and the school from the district, establish the 10 member Joint Legislative Study Committee on Reducing Dropout Rates in Arizona’s K-12 School System to study dropout rates and make recommendations regarding solutions by December 1, 2002 and removes the increased age requirement. The Appropriations Committee adopted the strike-everything amendment to HB 2658 that establishes achievement profile classifications for schools based upon the baseline achievement profile, requires a school improvement plan for a school designated as failing and establishes the 10 member Joint Legislative Study Committee on Reducing Dropout Rates in Arizona’s K-12 School System to study dropout rates and make recommendations regarding solutions by December 1, 2002
Education 2000 established a plan for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to compile an annual achievement profile for each school composed of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test scores and passage rates, dropout rates and adequate yearly progress data, which is determined in three separate areas. ADE was required to establish each school’s baseline achievement profile by October 15, 2001 based upon the achievement of pupils who were continuously enrolled in the school during the 1999-2000 school year. School district governing boards of schools designated as underperforming must develop a school improvement plan within 90 days and submit the plan to ADE. Within 30 days of submitting the plan to ADE, the governing board is required to hold a special public meeting in each school designated as underperforming in order to present the improvement plans. Schools that remain underperforming for a second consecutive year shall be designated failing, which is placed on the annual school report card and either:
1. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall assign a trouble solutions team comprised of master teachers, fiscal analysts and curriculum assessment experts who are State Board of Education (SBE) certified as Arizona academic standards technicians. The trouble solutions team is required to work with staff at the school to assist in curricula alignment and to instruct teachers on how to increase pupil academic progress. Additionally, the trouble solutions team shall select two master teachers to be employed by the school.
2. Pupils are allowed to select an alternative tutoring program in academic standards from an SBE-certified provider that can guarantee in writing a stated level of academic improvement for the pupil that includes a timeline for improvement. The timeline shall be agreed to by the parent or guardian of the pupil and the provider shall agree to refund to the State the Failing Schools Tutoring Fund grant monies if the guaranteed level of academic improvement is not met.
Schools designated as failing must develop a school improvement plan within 60 days and submit a copy of the plan to ADE. Within 30 days of submitting the plan to ADE, the governing board is required to hold a special public meeting in each school designated as failing in order to present the improvement plans. School districts with a certain number of failing schools are required to place a statement above the election of governing board members declaring that a specific number of schools within the school district have been designated as failing within the last five years. Additionally, at least twice a year, ADE must publish a list of failing or negligent schools in a newspaper of general circulation in each county.
· Replaces the specific items to be collected by ADE as part of a school annual achievement profile. Currently, ADE is required to collect the AIMS scores and passage rates, adequate yearly progress data and the dropout rate. HB 2658 replaces these items for grades K-8 with the Arizona Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) and the AIMS test, and for grades 9-12 with the AIMS test, the annual dropout rate and the annual graduation rate.
· Repeals the measurements of adequate yearly progress.
· Establishes five separate classifications for schools using the achievement profile as follows:
· An excelling school if:
· In grades K-8, at least 90% of the pupils have achieved one year of academic progress on the MAP and at least 90% of the pupils have met or exceeded the standards on the AIMS test.
· In grades 9-12, at least 90% of the pupils have met or exceeded the standards on the AIMS test, at least 90% of the pupils graduate and the annual dropout rate is 6% or less.
· An improving school.
· A maintaining school.
· An underperforming school.
· A failing school.
· Requires ADE to determine the criteria for each school classification based on a research based methodology.
· Defines the term research based methodology.
· Places the classification of each school and the criteria used to determine the classification in the annual school report card.
· Requires ADE to develop a parallel achievement profile for accommodation schools and schools with less than 100 pupils.
· Declares that school improvement plans for underperforming schools shall include necessary components as determined by the SBE.
· Requires the governing board of an underperforming or failing school, within 30 days of the designation, to provide written notice of the classification to each residence within the attendance area of the school explaining the method to determine the date of the special public meeting required by current law.
· Declares that an underperforming or failing school that fails to submit an improvement plan within the statutory window is not eligible to receive Classroom Site Fund monies until the improvement plan is submitted. Additionally, the superintendent of a school district is required to testify before the SBE and explain the reasons that a plan had not been submitted.
· Clarifies that if a school remains underperforming for a second consecutive year, the school shall be designated as failing and ADE shall visit the school to confirm the classification data and review the implementation of the school’s improvement plan.
· States that a governing board of a school designated as failing must evaluate needed changes to the existing improvement plan and consider recommendations from the solutions team.
· Declares that a school designated as failing for two consecutive years shall be evaluated by ADE, and shall recommend the school continue to be designated as failing or that the school be designated as failing and negligent.
· Requires SBE to hold a public meeting to determine the causes of the failing and negligent school.
· Establishes a plan to transfer operations of a failing and negligent school to a governmental, nonprofit or private organization. The plan shall allow for the transfer of the school back to the school district.
· Declares that a charter school determined to be failing and negligent shall have the charter revoked by the sponsor.
· Increases the compulsory education age from 16 to 18.
HB 2658 was amended in the Education Committee as follows:
· Replaces the term failing with nonperforming.
· Establishes a process for the designation of a charter school as underperforming.
· Makes the failing schools tutoring fund and the solutions teams separate options for a nonperforming school.
· Transfers the Failing Schools Tutoring Fund application process from ADE to SBE.
· Declares that if a school is designated negligent and operations are removed from the district, the district’s apportionment of state aid shall be reduced to reflect the reduction of the pupils and the school from the district.
· Establishes the 10 member Joint Legislative Study Committee on Reducing Dropout Rates in Arizona’s K-12 School System to study dropout rates and make recommendations regarding solutions. The study committee must report by December 1, 2002, and is repealed December 31, 2002.
· Removes the increased age requirement.
· Makes clarifying changes.
· Makes technical and conforming changes.
A strike-everything amendment to HB 2658 was adopted in the Appropriations Committee as follows:
· Replaces the specific items to be collected by ADE as part of a school annual achievement profile. Currently, ADE is required to collect the AIMS scores and passage rates, adequate yearly progress data and the dropout rate. HB 2658 replaces these items for grades K-8 with the Arizona Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) and the AIMS test, and for grades 9-12 with the AIMS test, the annual dropout rate and the annual graduation rate.
· Repeals the measurements of adequate yearly progress.
· Establishes five separate classifications for schools using the achievement profile as follows:
· An excelling school if:
· In grades K-8, at least 90% of the pupils have achieved one year of academic progress on the MAP and at least 90% of the pupils have met or exceeded the standards on the AIMS test.
· In grades 9-12, at least 90% of the pupils have met or exceeded the standards on the AIMS test, at least 90% of the pupils graduate and the annual dropout rate is 6% or less.
· An improving school.
· A maintaining school.
· An underperforming school.
· A failing school.
· Requires ADE to determine the criteria for each school classification based on a research based methodology.
· Defines the term research based methodology.
· Places the classification of each school and the criteria used to determine the classification in the annual school report card.
· Requires ADE to develop a parallel achievement profile for accommodation schools, alternative schools and schools with less than 100 pupils.
· Declares that school improvement plans for underperforming schools shall include necessary components as determined by the SBE.
· Requires the governing board of an underperforming or failing school, within 30 days of the designation, to provide written notice of the classification to each residence within the attendance area of the school explaining the improvement plan process and provide information regarding required public meetings.
· Establishes a process for the designation of a charter school as underperforming.
· Declares that an underperforming or failing school that fails to submit an improvement plan within the statutory window is not eligible to receive Classroom Site Fund monies until the improvement plan is submitted. Additionally, the superintendent of a school district is required to testify before the SBE and explain the reasons that a plan had not been submitted.
· Clarifies that if a school remains underperforming for a second consecutive year, the school shall be designated as failing and ADE shall visit the school to confirm the classification data and review the implementation of the school’s improvement plan.
· States that a governing board of a school designated as failing must evaluate needed changes to the existing improvement plan and consider recommendations from the solutions team.
· Declares that a school designated as failing for two consecutive years shall be evaluated by ADE, and shall recommend the school continue to be designated as failing or that the school be designated as failing and negligent.
· Requires SBE to hold a public meeting to determine the causes of the failing and negligent school.
· Establishes a plan to transfer operations of a failing and negligent school to a governmental, nonprofit or private organization. The plan shall allow for the transfer of the school back to the school district.
· Declares that a charter school determined to be failing and negligent shall have the charter revoked by the sponsor.
· Makes the failing schools tutoring fund and the solutions teams separate options for a failing school.
· Transfers the Failing Schools Tutoring Fund application process from ADE to SBE.
· Declares that if a school is designated negligent and operations are removed from the district, the district’s apportionment of state aid shall be reduced to reflect the reduction of the pupils and the school from the district.
· Establishes the 10 member Joint Legislative Study Committee on Reducing Dropout Rates in Arizona’s K-12 School System to study dropout rates and make recommendations regarding solutions. The study committee must report by December 1, 2002, and is repealed December 31, 2002.
· Makes technical and conforming changes.
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45th Legislature
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Second Regular Session 5 April
3, 2002
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