Phoenix, Arizona
accountability
for schools and pupils
(NOW: schools and pupils; accountability)
Modifies annual achievement profile requirements relating to school accountability and failing schools.
Proposition 301, approved in November 2000 by the State’s general electorate, set forth a six-tenths of one percent sales tax increase for purposes relating to new accountability measures including the establishment of annual achievement profiles for all schools used to determine a standard measurement of acceptable student progress at the school (Laws 2000, 44th Legislature, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 1).
Current law requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to compile an annual achievement profile for each school using the following measurements to establish the school designation: (1) the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test, (2) adequate yearly progress data and (3) the dropout rate. Schools that meet specified criteria demonstrate adequate yearly progress while schools that fail to annually produce acceptable progress are designated as underperforming schools. Schools that remain underperforming schools for a second consecutive year are designated as failing schools.
H.B. 2658 makes a number of changes to statutes relating to accountability measures and the annual achievement profiles established under Proposition 301.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state general fund associated with this bill.
1. Replaces provisions relating to the annual achievement profile for all public schools.
2. Requires the achievement profile for K-8 schools or any combination of K-8 grades to include specified school academic performance indicators including: (1) the Arizona measure of academic progress and (2) the AIMS test.
3. Requires the ADE to compute the percentage of pupils enrolled in the school for at least one academic year who have achieved one year of academic progress.
4. Requires the achievement profile for high schools or any combination of high school grades to include specified school academic performance indicators including: (1) the AIMS test, (2) the annual dropout rate and (3) the annual graduation rate.
5. Requires the ADE to determine the criteria for each school classification using a research based methodology, subject to adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE) and prescribes the components that shall be included in the methodology. Defines “research based methodology.”
6. Establishes five classifications of schools under the achievement profile including the following: (1) an excelling school, (2) an improving school, (3) a maintaining school, (4) an underperforming school and (5) a failing school. Defines an “excelling school.”
7. Requires the classification for each school and the criteria used to determine the school’s classification to be included on the school report card.
8. Requires the ADE to develop a parallel achievement profile for accommodation schools, alternative schools and small schools, subject to adoption by the SBE.
9. Stipulates the improvement plan for an underperforming school shall include necessary components identified by the SBE.
10. Requires the school district governing board of an underperforming school to provide written notification of the underperforming classification to each residence within the attendance area of the school, within 30 days of receiving the designation. Requires the notice to explain the improvement plan process and information about the special public meeting to be held in each underperforming school.
11. Requires a charter school that has been designated an underpeforming school to notify the parents of the students attending the school of the designation within 30 days. Stipulates requirements for the underpeforming charter school’s improvement plan.
12. Prohibits an underpeforming school (including an underperforming charter school) that has not submitted an improvement plan from being eligible to receive monies from the classroom site fund for each day that a plan has not been received by the State Superintendent within specified timelines.
13. Requires the SBE to require the school district superintendent to testify before the SBE to explain the non-submission of the underperforming school’s improvement plan. If the underperforming school is a charter school, requires the charter holder to appear before the sponsoring board and explain the non-submission of the school’s improvement plan.
14. Requires the ADE to visit the school site of a school that remains an underperforming school for a second consecutive year to confirm the data for the classification and to review the implementation of the school’s improvement plan. Establishes notification requirements relating to schools that remain underperforming schools.
15. Renames the team assigned to assist failing schools from a “trouble” solutions team to a solutions team. Requires the solutions team to consider the existing improvement plan to assess the need for changes to curriculum, professional development and resource allocation.
16. Transfers the application process for failing schools tutoring fund monies from the ADE to the SBE.
17. Requires the school district governing board of a failing school to evaluate needed changes to the existing improvement plan and consider the solutions team recommendations.
18. Prohibits a failing school (including a failing charter school) that has not submitted an improvement plan from being eligible to receive monies from the classroom site fund for each day that a plan has not been received by the State Superintendent within specified timelines.
19. Requires the SBE to require the school district superintendent to testify before the SBE to explain the non-submission of the failing school’s improvement plan.
20. Requires, for failing charter schools, the ADE to notify the school’s sponsor of the designation and the sponsor must take action to either restore the school to acceptable performance or revoke the charter. Provides for requirements to notify parents of the school’s classification and of any public meetings to review the issue.
21. Requires the ADE to evaluate a school that remains a failing school for two consecutive years to determine if the school failed to properly implement its improvement plan, academic standards, teacher training, budget prioritization or other academic performance strategies. Requires the ADE to submit a recommendation to SBE on whether the school should continue as a failing school or be subject to a public hearing.
22. Establishes a process by which the SBE may determine the manner by which a school that remains a failing school operates. Requires the SBE to determine whether governmental, nonprofit and private organizations may submit applications to fully or partially manage the failing school and establishes requirements to be included in the SBE’s determination.
23. Requires the SBE to periodically review the status of a school that is being managed by a non-school district entity to determine whether the school should be returned to the school district governing board. Provides for a process for the school district governing board to submit an improvement plan and for the SBE to review and comment on the plan.
24. Requires the SBE to adjust specified budget related areas of a school district to reflect any reduction in the district services no longer being provided to a school that is being managed by an alternative operation plan. Allows the SBE to modify a school district’s budget to correspond to any reduction in services. Requires the SBE to retain the state aid portion otherwise due to the school district for the school and to distribute that portion to the appropriate organization operating the failing school.
25. Stipulates that if the SBE determines that a charter school failed to properly implement its improvement plan, the sponsor of the failing charter school must revoke the school’s charter.
Report
26. Requires the Department of Education to submit a report to the Legislature on the average progress of pupils expressed as one year's academic progress and a report on the actual versus the predicted academic performance of schools. Requires copies of the reports to be provided to the chairpersons of the Senate and the House Education Committees.
27. Provides that the publication of the report is subject to the availability of funds and shall not interfere with other state or federal reporting requirements and repeals the reporting requirement on January 1, 2005.
28. Contains technical, conforming and clarifying changes.
29. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Removes stipulated requirements for the ADE to measure academic progress.
2. Requires ADE to report to the Legislature on the average progress of pupils expressed as one year's academic progress and report on the actual versus the predicted academic performance of schools. Provides that the report's publication is subject to the availability of funds and shall not interfere with other state or federal reporting requirements.
Amendments
Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Removes stipulated requirements for the Department of Education to measure academic progress.
2. Requires the Department of Education to submit a report to the Legislature on the average progress of pupils expressed as one year's academic progress and a report on the actual versus the predicted academic performance of schools. Requires copies of the reports to be provided to the chairpersons of the Senate and the House Education Committees.
3. Provides that the publication of the report is subject to the availability of funds and shall not interfere with other state or federal reporting requirements and repeals the reporting requirement on January 1, 2005.
4. Removes the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Reducing Dropout Rates in Arizona's K-12 School System and related references.
ED 3/25/02 DPA 9-1-0-0-0 ED 4/18/02 DPA 8-0-0
APPROP 4/02/02 DPA/SE 12-1-0-3-0 3rd Read 5/08/02 20-8-2-0
3rd Read 4/08/02 50-0-10-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
May 9, 2002