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From the ECS State Policy Database 2002 State Policies / Activities

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Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org

The following summary includes policies enacted in 2002. This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the topic of interest. To view all, press the button located at the top labeled "Expand All." Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary Accountability Accountability--Accreditation Accountability--Measures/Indicators Accountability--Reporting Results Accountability--Rewards Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--No Pass No Drive Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--Takeovers Accountability--School Improvement Adult Basic Education Assessment Assessment--Accommodations Assessment--End-of-Course Assessment--Formative/Interim Assessment--High Stakes/Competency Assessment--NAEP (NAEP Results and NAEP Organization) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol Attendance Attendance--Truancy Background Checks Bilingual/ESL Business Involvement Career/Technical Education Cheating Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Charter Districts Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools Choice of Schools--Tax Credits Choice of Schools--Vouchers Civic Education Civic Education--Character Education Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance Class Size Counseling/Guidance Curriculum Curriculum--Arts Education Curriculum--Core Curriculum Curriculum--Drivers Education Curriculum--Environmental Education Curriculum--Family Living Education Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed. Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Multicultural Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Curriculum--Sex Education Curriculum--Social Studies/History Data-Driven Improvement Demographics--Enrollments Desegregation Economic/Workforce Development Education Research Equity Federal Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--Bonds Finance--District Finance--Does Money Matter? Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Local Foundations/Funds Finance--Lotteries Finance--Private Giving Finance--Resource Efficiency Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures Finance--Student Fees Finance--Taxes/Revenues MI Signed into law 12/2002 P-12 Reimbursement of School District S.B. 1417 Modifies state reimbursement to intermediate school districts in renaissance zones. http://www.mileg.org/documents/2001-2002/publicact/pdf/2002-PA-0745.pdf... More... AZ Approved by voters 11/2002 P-12 State School Trust Land Revenues Proposition 300 Directs earnings above the 2000-2001 level to be deposited in the classroom site fund for class size reduction, teacher raises, and other specified purposes; including interest on installment sales of state lands as expendable revenues; requiring fund transfer... More... AZ Approved by voters 11/2002 P-12 Indian Gaming Preservation and Self-Reliance Act Proposition 202 Directs governor to approve new tribal gaming compacts. 1% to 8% of tribes' gross income goes to the state to fund school district programs statewide for classroom size reduction, teacher salary increases, reading and dropout prevention and other non-educati... More... GA Approved by voters 11/2002 P-12 Change school tax homestead exemption for those 62 or older STATEWIDE REFERENDUM A (2001, HB 299) Relates to homestead exemptions from school district ad valorem taxation for educational purposes for residents who are 62 years of age or older; changes the income limitation provisions of such exemption.... More... MO Rejected by voters 11/2002 P-12 Additional tobacco tax for early childhood and other programs Proposition A Imposes an additional tax per cigarette and other tobacco products, with the new revenues placed into a Healthy Families Trust Fund to be used for hospital trauma care and emergency preparedness; health care treatment and access; prescription drug assistance f... More... UT Rejected by voters 11/2002 P-12 Revenue for Education Citizen's Initiative 1 Initiative 1 changes Utah's regulatory and tax framework affecting the disposal and storage of radioactive waste. It provides stricter regulations, certain prohibitions, and new and increased fees and taxes. The initiative distributes 80 percent of all taxes o... More... NY Signed into law 09/2002 P-12 Property Taxes S.B. 6221 Creates a special equalization formula for counties to apply to towns when determining county and school district tax apportionment which balances the local real property tax rate as calculated by the Town Assessor and the market value rate as applied by the S... More... NY Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 Property Tax Relief - Senior Citizens S.B. 7532 Authorizes the legislative body of any county which is a special assessing unit to grant partial abatement of the general county tax upon real property owned by a senior citizen qualified for the enhanced school tax relief exemption; provides such abatement sh... More... OR Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 State School Fund Transfers H.B. 4052C Changes Education Endowment Fund to Educational Stability Fund; allows state treasurer to divert funds from and reduce funds in accounts in Education Stability Fund for purpose of making constitutionally required transfer of funds to State School Fund.... More... OR Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 Task Force H.B. 4063C Creates a Revenue Options, School Funding and Accountability Task Force and a an Advisory Council; directs the task force and council to study revenue, taxation and school funding options. The purpose of the task force is to evaluate and prepare legislative o... More... MD Signed into law 07/2002 P-12 Tobacco Tax for Education S.B. 856 Establishes tobacco tax as well as special fund to dedicate tobacco tax revenues for education funding. Monies are to 1) provide unrestricted grants to districts; 2) assist local lead agencies and Baltimore City under the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program;... More... AZ Became law without governor's signature 06/2002 P-12 Tax Change Resulting from Creation of Joint Education Districts Omnibus--H.B. 2710 Specifies that when districts that wish to form a joint technological education district submit question to electors of each school district, question must describe the tax rate associated with joining the joint district and the estimated cost of that tax rate... More... CO Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Finance Bill - Funding Component H.B. 1349 Amends the Public School Finance Act of 1994 to comply with section 17 of article IX of the state constitution, requires the general assembly to appropriate an amount for the 2002-03 state fiscal year equal to the maintenance of effort base plus an amount equa... More... IL Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Cigarette Tax and School Infrastructure Fund H.B. 539 Amends the Cigarette Tax and the Cigarette Use Tax; increases the tax from 58 cents per pack of cigarettes to 98 cents per pack; provides for payment of $5 million per month into the School Infrastructure Funding beginning April 1, 2003. http://www.isbe.net/go... More... LA Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Income Tax Credits for Child Care and Educational Costs H.B. 238 Revises the individual income tax credit for child care expenses and educational costs.... More... MO Signed by governor 06/2002 P-12 Major Bill: School Funding Portion H.B. 1711 Adds a definition of "district equalized assessed valuation" to the definitions that are used in interpreting the state school funding formula. The definition averages a district's assessed valuation from the first and secon preceding years. Also revises gua... More... MO Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Schools of the Future Fund S.B. 1248 Additional revenue from miscellaneous tax revenues (e.g. unclaimed, abandoned and seized money and property) will go to the Schools of the Future Fund. Transfers $5 million from the Lottery Proceeds Fund and unclaimed lottery prize money for FY 2003 to the Sc... More... SC SENATE override line item veto Nos. 2. 06/2002 P-12 Postsec. School Funding H.B. 4879 Requires funding equal to 1994-95 appropriation to be appropriated to the state department annually to offset any reduction suffered by districts due to a change in the distribution of employee contribution funds. Provides that in the event of an EIA revenue ... More... TN Became law without GOVERNOR'S signature. 06/2002 P-12 Property Tax Abatements H.B. 2672 Directs the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study the overall effect on local public education when property taxes or in lieu of tax payments earmarked for education are abated or reduced and whether the effect on local public education i... More... FL Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Education Code Re-Write: Other Finance Changes S.B. 20E In funds for student transportation, shifts rule authority from commissioner to state board (see bill section 660, page 1239, line 8 ff); permits local boards to establish resolution that can include a convenant to decrease the capital local school property ta... More... IA Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Two percent growth S.B. 2328 Provides for the establishment of the state 2 percent of growth for purposes of the state school foundation program.... More... MD Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Commission on State Fiscal Structure H.B. 1 Establishes a Commission on State's Fiscal Structure; requires the Commission to review and evaluate the State's budget and tax structure; requires the Commission to make recommendations on changes to the State budget process and the State tax structure; relat... More... MD Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Tax to Support Prince George's County Programs H.B. 949 Establishes sales and use tax on telecommunications service in Prince George's County. Net proceeds from the revenue must be used only as supplemental funds for the operation of the Prince George's County School System. The board must consider using such fund... More... MD Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Finance Overhaul S.B. 856 Requires that county board financial audit results be reported to state superintendent, county fiscal authority, and specified house and senate committees. Requries Management Oversight Panel to monitor implementation of audits' recommendations and coordinatio... More... AL Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Barbour County Tax Levy H.B. 645 Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama; levies additional taxes, either an additional ad valorem tax or an additional ad valorem tax and an additional sales and use tax, in Barbour County for public schools or for the county general fund, or both... More... IA Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Postsec. Iowa School Taxes H.B. 2116 Updates the Iowa Code references to the Internal Revenue Code, repealing an adjustment to net income for capital gains from installment sales; relates to an adjustment to income for school district income surtax paid; provides that refunds from the federal reb... More... ME Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Tax Credits H.B. 1655 Establishes a tax credit for individuals or corporations that provide a contribution that promotes the postsecondary educational attainment of State residents or that promotes the migration of college-educated persons to work in the State.... More... MI Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Bond Authority to Fund Deficits H.B. 5415 Amends a section of the Revised School Code relating to a school district's bond authority to fund a deficit.... More... AL Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 City of Cullman Tax Levy H.B. 440 Authorizes the governing body of the City of Cullman to increase the rate at which there is levied and collected by the city, on all taxable property situated within Cullman, the special ad valorem tax for the support and furtherance of education.http://alisdb... More... ID Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Sales Taxes May Refund Some School Bonds S.B. 1424 Amends existing law to authorize the pledge of state sales tax moneys for payment of refunding school bonds issued on and after March 1, 1999, for voter approved bonds which were voted upon by the electorate prior to March 1, 1999.... More... ID Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 H.B. 680 Provides that for school districts, beginning 1/1/02, only the portion of property tax replacement received to replace property exempt from taxation pursuant to specified Idaho Codes, base on the year 2000 tax charges for all maintenance and operation, limited... More... MI Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 H.B. 5412 Makes a technical amendment to the Revised School Code relating to a school district's annual estimates for taxes needed for such district's needs for the ensuing fiscal year.... More... MI Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Expenditure of Tax Monies H.B. 5410 Makes a technical amendment to the provision of law relating to the expenditure of tax monies by schools under the Revised School Code.... More... MI Public Act No. 03/2002 P-12 H.B. 5417 Amends a section of the Revised School Code relating to the money raised from taxes by a school district to pay for discharging the principal and interest of an indebtedness.... More... MS Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Oil and Gas Severance Taxes S.B. 2389 Relates to oil and gas severance taxes; clarify deposit of state's share of revenues into the Budget Contingency Fund and the Minimum Education Program Fund.... More... WA Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Local Effort Assistance Program H.B. 3011 Modifies and studies the local effort assistance program; provides that the purpose of the funds is to mitigate the effect that above average property tax rates might have on the ability of a school district to supplement the state's basic program of education... More... AL Signed into law 02/2002 P-12 Tax Levy for Public Schools H.B. 339 Authorizes the governing body of the City of Athens to increase the rate at which there is levied and collected, on all taxable property situated, the ad valorem tax, to a maximum rate, for any tax year of the City; increases the amount to be used for public s... More... SD Signed into law 02/2002 P-12 Excess Tax Levys S.B. 89 Allows school board to initiate a vote relating to the imposition of an excess tax levy; declares an emergency.... More... SD Signed into law 02/2002 P-12 Excess Tax Levy Votes H.B. 1112 Allows school boards to initiate a vote relating to the imposition of an excess tax levy with the use of a resolution.... More... Finance--Taxes/Revenues--Alternative Revenues Governance Governance--School Boards Governance--School Boards--Training Governance--Site-Based Management Governance--State Boards/Chiefs/Agencies Health Health--Child Abuse Health--Mental Health Health--School Based Clinics or School Nurses High School High School--Advanced Placement High School--Dual/Concurrent Enrollment High School--Exit Exams High School--GED (General Education Development) High School--Graduation Requirements Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling Instructional Approaches--Official English Instructional Approaches--Tracking/Ability Grouping Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate International Benchmarking Leadership Leadership--District Superintendent Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Certification and Licensure Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Compensation and Diversified Pay Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Evaluation and Effectiveness Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Recruitment and Retention Mentoring/Tutoring Middle School Minority/Diversity Issues Minority/Diversity Issues--African American Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian Minority/Diversity Issues--Hispanic No Child Left Behind No Child Left Behind--Adequate Yearly Progress No Child Left Behind--Assessment No Child Left Behind--Choice/Transfer No Child Left Behind--Consequences for Schools No Child Left Behind--Report Cards No Child Left Behind--School Support No Child Left Behind--Supplemental Services Online Learning--Digital/Blended Learning Online Learning--Virtual Schools/Courses P-16 or P-20 P-3 P-3 Child Care P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) P-3 Ensuring Quality P-3 Family Involvement P-3 Finance P-3 Governance P-3 Grades 1-3 P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten P-3 Preschool P-3 Teaching Quality/Professional Development Parent/Family Parent/Family--Parent Rights Postsecondary Postsecondary Accountability Postsecondary Affordability--Financial Aid Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Prepd/College Savings Plans Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Undocumented Immigrants Postsecondary Faculty Postsecondary Faculty--Intellectual Property Postsecondary Faculty--Tenure Postsecondary Finance Postsecondary Governance and Structures Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges Postsecondary Institutions--For-Profit/Proprietary Postsecondary Participation--Access Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements Postsecondary Participation--Affirmative Action Postsecondary Participation--Outreach Postsecondary Students--Disabled Postsecondary Students--Minority Private Schools Privatization Promotion/Retention Public Involvement Reading/Literacy Religion Religion--Prayer/Meditation Remediation (K-12) Scheduling/School Calendar Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs Scheduling/School Calendar--Summer School Scheduling/School Calendar--Year Scheduling/School Calendar--Year Round School Safety School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution School Safety--Code of Conduct School Safety--Expulsion/Suspension School Safety--No Child Left Behind--Safe Schools School Safety--Sexual Harassment and Assault School Safety--Uniforms/Dress Codes School/District Structure/Operations School/District Structure/Operations--District Consolidation/Deconsolidation School/District Structure/Operations--Facilities School/District Structure/Operations--Food Service School/District Structure/Operations--Libraries School/District Structure/Operations--Personnel (Non-Teaching) School/District Structure/Operations--School Size School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation Service-Learning Special Education Special Education--Finance Special Education--Placement Special Populations--Corrections Education Special Populations--Gifted and Talented Special Populations--Homeless Education Standards Standards--Implementation State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Politics State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions Student Achievement Students Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Employment Students--Records/Rights Teaching Quality Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Highly Qualified Teachers Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Natl. Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds. Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Special Education Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--State Prof. Standards Bds. Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Substitute Teachers Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Retirement/Benefits Teaching Quality--Evaluation and Effectiveness Teaching Quality--Induction Programs and Mentoring Teaching Quality--Paraprofessionals Teaching Quality--Preparation Teaching Quality--Professional Development Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Technology Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Equitable Access Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Internet Safety Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training Textbooks and Open Source Urban