ECS
From the ECS State Policy Database
2003 State Policies / Activities

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 2003. 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--Compulsory
+ Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower)
+ Attendance--Truancy
+ Background Checks
+ Bilingual/ESL
+ Business Involvement
+ Career/Technical Education
+ Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Closings
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Cyber Charters
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research
+ Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment
+ Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Vouchers
+ Civic Education
+ Civic Education--Character Education
+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
+ Curriculum--Alignment
+ Curriculum--Arts Education
+ Curriculum--Drivers Education
+ Curriculum--Environmental Education
+ Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed.
+ Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language
+ Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education
+ Curriculum--International Education
+ Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling
+ Curriculum--Mathematics
+ Curriculum--Multicultural
+ Curriculum--Physical Education
+ Curriculum--Science
+ Curriculum--Sex Education
+ Curriculum--Social Studies/History
+ Demographics
+ Demographics--Enrollments
+ Desegregation
+ Economic/Workforce Development
+ Equity
+ Federal
+ Finance
+ Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost
+ Finance--Bonds
+ Finance--District
+ Finance--Equity
+ Finance--Facilities
+ Finance--Federal
+ Finance--Funding Formulas
+ Finance--Litigation
+ Finance--Local Foundations/Funds
+ Finance--Lotteries
+ Finance--Performance Funding
+ Finance--Private Giving
+ Finance--Resource Efficiency
+ Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures
+ Finance--Student Fees
+ Finance--Taxes/Revenues
+ Finance--Taxes/Revenues--Alternative Revenues
+ Governance
+ Governance--Deregulation/Waivers/Home Rule
+ Governance--Ethics/Conflict of Interest
+ Governance--School Boards
+ Governance--School Boards--Training
+ Governance--Site-Based Management
+ Governance--State Boards/Chiefs/Agencies
+ Health
+ Health--Child Abuse
+ Health--School Based Clinics or School Nurses
+ Health--Suicide Prevention
+ Health--Teen Pregnancy
+ High School
+ High School--Advanced Placement
+ High School--College Readiness
+ 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--Homework/Study Skills
+ Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools
+ Leadership
+ Leadership--District Superintendent
+ Leadership--District Superintendent--Compensation and Diversified Pay
+ 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
+ Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Tenure
+ 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--Finance
+ No Child Left Behind--Parent Involvement
+ 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
+ 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 Accountability--Accreditation
+ Postsecondary Accountability--Diploma Mills
+ 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--Compensation
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Intellectual Property
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Tenure
+ Postsecondary Finance
+ Postsecondary Governance and Structures
+ Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges
+ Postsecondary Institutions--For-Profit/Proprietary
+ Postsecondary Online Instruction
+ Postsecondary Participation--Access
+ Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements
+ Postsecondary Students--Disabled
+ Postsecondary Success--Completion
+ Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation
+ Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation
+ Private Schools
+ Privatization
+ Promotion/Retention
+ Public Involvement
+ Purposes of Public Education
+ Reading/Literacy
+ Religion
+ Scheduling/School Calendar
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Day/Class Length
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Summer School
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Week
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Year
+ School Safety
+ School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution
+ School Safety--Expulsion/Suspension
+ School Safety--No Child Left Behind--Safe Schools
+ School Safety--Sexual Harassment and Assault
+ School Safety--Special Education
+ 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--Shared Services
+ School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation
+ Service-Learning
+ Special Education
+ Special Education--Federal Law/Regulations
+ Special Education--Finance
+ Special Education--Inclusion (Mainstreaming)
+ Special Education--Placement
+ Special Education--Transition
+ Special Populations--Corrections Education
+ Special Populations--Gifted and Talented
+ Special Populations--Homeless Education
+ Special Populations--Immigrant Education
+ Standards
+ Standards--Implementation
+ State Longitudinal Data Systems
+ State Policymaking
+ State Policymaking--Ballot Questions
+ State Policymaking--Politics
+ State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions
+ Student Achievement
+ Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap
+ Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
+ Student Supports--Mentoring/Tutoring
+ Student Supports--Remediation
+ Students
+ Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities
+ Students--Employment
+ Students--Mobility
+ Students--Records/Rights
- Teaching Quality
DERule Adoption 11/2003P-12Teacher Certification
14 DAC 321 thru 1542 (non-seq)
Establishes rules concerning the requirements for standard certificates for educational personnel. Amends existing requirements for standard...

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CASigned into law 10/2003P-12
Community College
Classified Employees: Notice of Layoff
A.B. 290
Requires that classified employees of school districts and community college districts who are to be laid off be given written notice on or ...

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CASigned into law 10/2003P-12Classified School Employees
A.B. 1038
Sets forth the employment rights of classified school employees who are terminated, reassigned, or transferred, or become the employee of an...

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CASigned into law 10/2003P-12Classified School Employees
A.B. 424
Provides, in a school district with a pupil population over 400,000, authorization for an appointment for a school-based classified position...

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CASigned into law 09/2003P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Classified Employees
A.B. 918
Requires a regular classified employee who is assigned to perform an assignment or service in addition to his or her regular assignment to b...

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CASigned into law 09/2003P-12Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program
A.B. 1266 § 8
Amends the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program designed to recruit paraprofessionals to participate in a program to ...

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UTRule Adoption 09/2003P-12Employment of Substitute Teachers
R277-508
Amends rules to provide for student teachers and paraprofessionals to be used as substitute teachers. Provides language to protect the integ...

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CASigned into law 08/2003P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Classified School Employees: Reclassification
A.B. 1070
Decreases all 3 year time requirements to reclassify classified school employees under a merit system of a school district or community coll...

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CASigned into law 08/2003P-12Confidential Employees and Employee Organizations
S.B. 253
Revises the definition of confidential employee to mean any employee who is required to develop or present management positions with respect...

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MISigned into law 08/2003P-12Obtaining Teacher Certification Credits through Substitute Teaching
H.B. 4391 (multiple provisions)
The department shall authorize teacher preparation institutions to provide an alternative program by which up to 1/2 of the required student...

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MISigned into law 08/2003P-12Teacher Retirement Requirement
H.B. 4453
Eliminates number of days required for year of retirement credit for teachers and replaces it with an hour requirement of 1,020 hours in a f...

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ILSigned into law 07/2003P-12Non-certified Personal
H.B. 2350
Provides the state board of education shall accept, as qualifications for non-certified personnel, relevant life experiences as determined b...

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ILSigned into law 07/2003P-12Teachers Medicare Coverage
H.B. 79
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Directs the System to conduct a divided Medicare coverage referendum, ope...

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ILSigned into law 07/2003P-12Speech and Language Pathologist
H.B. 2797
Amends the School Code. Changes definition of speech-language pathologist. Allows a school district or cooperative to contract for speech pa...

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ILSigned into law 07/2003P-12School Service Personnel Certificates
H.B. 2864
Amends the School Code. Provides that a School Service Personnel Certificate with a speech-language pathologist endorsement shall be issued ...

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LASigned into law 07/2003P-12Teachers' Bill of Rights
H.B. 1342
Establishes the Teachers' Bill of Rights. The teachers' rights enumerated include: 1) The right to teach free from the fear of frivolous law...

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COSigned into law 06/2003P-12School District Retirement System
S.B. 250
Authorizes a school district retirement system to enter into an agreement to merge into another public employee retirement system including ...

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COSigned into law 06/2003P-12Retirement and Nonlicensed School Employees
H.B. 1327
Concerns an extension of the time in which retirees of the public employees retirement association may be employed to work as nonlicensed em...

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GASigned into law 06/2003P-12Sick Leave
H.B. 25
Relates to sick and personal leave for teachers and other personnel; provides for restoration of certain forfeited sick and personal leave a...

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LASigned into law 06/2003P-12Teachers-Medical Leave Sabbaticals
H.B. 846
Eliminates provision that teachers at regular and special public schools are eligible for medical leave sabbaticals only if they have 25 day...

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IDSigned into law 05/2003P-12Teacher Expenses
H.B. 390
Disallows the deduction of expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers allowable under the Internal Revenue Code. http://www3.state...

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MDVetoed 05/2003P-12Study Commission on Educators' Time and Paperwork
H.B. 873
Establishes a Study Commission on Educators' Time and Paperwork. Specifies the composition, powers, and duties of the commission. Provides a...

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MDVetoed 05/2003P-12Educators' Time and Paperwork
S.B. 558
Establishes a Study Commission of Educators' Time and Paperwork; establishes membership of commission. Requires the commission to: (1) cond...

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MESigned into law 05/2003P-12Substitute Teacher Fingerprinting
H.P. 749 (LD 1032)
Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, requires a person employed as a substitute teacher and a person who is a regular school employee a...

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ARSigned into law 04/2003P-12Personnel Policies for Teachers
H.B. 2516
Concerns the definition of personnel policies that all school district policies must have pertaining to the terms and conditions of teacher'...

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ARSigned into law 04/2003P-12School Children Protection Act
S.B. 691
Expands the Arkansas school children protection act to include teacher sexual contact with a student; requires termination of employment upo...

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COSigned into law 04/2003P-12Immunity for Educators
H.B. 1127
Concerns allegations against education providers; provides immunity from suit for an educational entity and its employees for any actions ta...

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CTSigned into law 04/2003P-12Paraprofessional Pay
H.B. 5289
Allows school districts to pay paraprofessional on a year round basis; defines paraprofessional as an employee of a local or regional board ...

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ARSigned into law 03/2003P-12Teacher's Daily Planning Period
S.B. 349
Amends statutes requiring teacher's daily planning period be provided in increments of no less than forty (40) minutes.http://www.arkleg.sta...

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ARSigned into law 03/2003P-12Funds School Districts Give Teachers for Supplies
H.B. 1619
Increases the amount that school districts must give to teachers for the purchase of classroom supplies. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftpro...

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ILSigned into law 03/2003P-12Chicago Educational Labor Relations
S.B. 19
Provides that amendatory Act may be referred to as the Chicago Education Reform Act of 2003. Amends requirements for Chicago area charter sc...

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KYSigned into law 03/2003P-12Eligibility for Emergency Substitute Teaching Certificate
H.B. 252
Creates new section allowing any individual who has a bachelor's degree in any subject area from a regionally or nationally accredited posts...

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+ Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure
+ Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative
+ Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Assignment
+ 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--Pay-for-Performance
+ 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--Recruitment and Retention--At-Risk Schools
+ Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights
+ Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract
+ Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining
+ Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining--Strikes
+ Technology
+ Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware
+ Technology--Equitable Access
+ Technology--Funding Issues
+ Technology--Internet Safety
+ Textbooks and Open Source
+ Urban--Governance