Purpose

Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to select up to four additional public schools to participate in the Technology Assisted Project-Based Instruction (TAPBI) program beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, and establishes additional program requirements.

Background

The TAPBI program was established in 1998 on a pilot basis “to improve pupil achievement and extend academic options beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom,” according to the TAPBI annual report of 2001. The program is primarily funded through the Average Daily Membership (ADM) counts of the approximately 500 pupils who participate in the program, excluding additional state costs associated with participating pupils who are not counted in the ADM.

Two school districts and two charter schools currently participate in TAPBI: Deer Valley Unified, Mesa Unified, PPEP TEC Charter School (Tucson and 13 other sites) and Sequoia Choice Charter School (Mesa and Show Low).

State law requires each participating school site to submit a report to the SBE and Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) by June 30^th of each year. The SBE and JLBC are required to collaboratively compile and evaluate the information submitted in an annual report to the Governor and Legislature by November 15^th each year.

The fiscal impact to the state general fund associated with this bill is unknown at this time.

Provisions

1. Requires the SBE to select up to four additional public schools to participate in the TAPBI program beginning in the 2002-2003 school year. At least half of the participating schools must be charter schools.

2. Requires selected schools to establish an academic profile that reflects a pupil’s placement in each subject area of the academic standards measured by an Arizona Department of Education assessment tool.

3. Requires selected schools to enter into a contract with the State Superintendent to provide a funding amount to the school for advancing each pupil ahead one full academic year in each subject area of the academic standards based on the academic profile.

4. Prohibits the amount of funding under the contract from exceeding the statewide average per pupil expenditure for the previous school year.

5. Allows the contract to include incentives and sanctions based on pupil academic performance and provisions for prorating the contract amount based on individual pupil criteria.

6. Requires the four participating schools to provide information to the SBE and JLBC that indicates the average time required to advance a pupil one academic year by grade level.

7. Makes conforming changes.

8. Provides for a general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

· Adopted the strike everything amendment.

Senate Action

ED 2/14/02 DPA 5-2-1

JM/KY/ac