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From the ECS State Policy Database 2003 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 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 Counseling/Guidance 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 AR Rule Adoption 11/2003 P-12 Arkansas Fiscal Assessment & Accountability Program ADE 158 Establishes rules identifying and governing the Arkansas Fiscal Assessment and Accountability Program. http://arkedu.state.ar.us/pdf/ade%20158%20fiscal%20assessment.pdf... More... IL Bill dead - amendatory veto 11/2003 P-12 Special Educational Funding H.B. 1180 Amends the School Code. Relates to provisions concerning the special educational services block grant for a school district having a population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants. Removes the extraordinary and private tuition components of the special education pro... More... IL Amendatory veto by Governor - Bill Dead 11/2003 P-12 School Improvement and Student Achievement S.B. 207 Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer a student achievement improvement grant program to provide 2- year grants to school districts on the academic watch list and other school districts that have the lowest a... More... IL Amendatory Veto - Overridden by Legislature 11/2003 P-12 Funding for Specific Types of Students S.B. 1333 Amends the School Code with respect to reimbursement to school districts for certain costs relating to children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes, and State housing units. Repeals provisions that provide that total reimbursement is limited... More... CA Signed into law 10/2003 P-12 Instructional Materials S.B. 469 Authorizes a school district to use its allowance from the Materials Funding Realignment Program to purchase adopted instructional materials for the visual and performing arts, foreign language, health or any other curricular area if it certifies that it has p... More... CA Vetoed 10/2003 P-12 Education Finance S.B. 588 Authorizes a school district to sell, lease or leaseback certain surplus real and personal property and to deposit the proceeds into the general fund of the school district or county office of education, and to use the proceeds from this transaction for any on... More... CA Signed into law 09/2003 P-12 Public School Employers: Unlawful Acts A.B. 109 Defines the prohibition on the refusal or failure to meet and negotiate in good faith to include the knowing provisions by a public school employee to an exclusive representative of inaccurate information regarding its financial resources, whether or not it is... More... NV Adopted 09/2003 P-12 Calculating Basic Support NAC 387.345 Revises the number of courses certain pupils must be enrolled in for the purpose of calculating basic support. NEVADA REG 3129 (SN)... More... UT Rule Adoption 09/2003 P-12 Pupil Accounting R277-419 Amends rules to allow school districts to count in membership students participating in released time for appropriate individual learning activities. UTAH REG 26436 (SN)... More... IL Signed into law 08/2003 P-12 Chicago School Finance Authority S.B. 1368 Amends the School Finance Authority Act of the School Code. Provides that the powers and responsibilities granted to or imposed upon the Chicago School Finance Authority and the Chicago Board of Education are suspended until December 31, 2010. http://www.legis... More... OR Signed into law 08/2003 P-12 Collection of Amounts Owed by Students H.B. 3044 Allows a school district to seek payment of an amount of money owed by a student from parent or guardian of student; directs school district boards to adopt policies on collection of amounts that are $50 or more; directs such districts to withhold grade report... More... IL Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 School District Additional or Supplemental Budgets H.B. 3101 Provides if a school district adopts, in a fiscal year, an additional or supplemental budget as a result of the voters in the school district having voted in favor of an increase in the annual tax rate for educational or operations and maintenance purposes or ... More... NH Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 School Administrative Unit Budget H.B. 336 This bill sets forth the procedure for an alternative method of adopting the school administrative unit budget and requires that the school administrative unit board shall prepare a preliminary budget for approval at a joint meeting of the school districts in ... More... AL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Foundation Program and Instructional and Support Staff S.B. 1 To establish the Foundation Program funding divisors for the state allocation of teacher units and to express intent that adequate instructional support and classified staff be provided for the public schools, the Department of Youth Services School District a... More... AL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Public Schools Financial Practices S.B. 24 Relates to public schools; provides for the School Fiscal Management and Responsibility Act; requires the State Superintendent of Education to employ a chief education financial officer to oversee the financial integrity of schools; requires school boards to a... More... AR Rule Adoption 06/2003 P-12 School Districts in Fiscal Distress Uncodified Establishes rules and regulations for how the department of education and the state board will evaluate, assess, identify, classify and address school districts in fiscal distress. http://arkedu.state.ar.us/pdf/fiscal%20distress%20final%20draft.pdf... More... CO Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Loans to School Districts H.B. 1274 Concerns modifications to the program under which the State Treasurer makes loans to school districts with general fund cash deficits; authorizes the Treasurer to issue tax and revenue anticipation notes. http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/fsbillco... More... FL Vetoed 06/2003 P-12 K-12 Public Education Instructional Materials S.B. 1838 Changes date by which school superintendents must notify Department of Education regarding certain instructional materials;requires publishers to provide and price adopted instructional materials on an individual basis for purchase by school districts; revises... More... ME Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 School Budget Referendum Language H.P. 77 (LD 69) Requires school budget referendum language to provide voters with a simple definition for "foundation allocation," "debt service" and "additional local funds." http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/billdocs/LD006901.doc... More... OK Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 School District Finance H.B. 1767 (Fiscal Components) Deals with various fiscal issues related to school districts' financial struggles. Among other items, this bill: Authorizes the State Board of Education to continue to waive penalties on class size violations if the violation is a result of economic hardship; ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Reimbursing Classroom Teachers H.B. 1844 Relates to reimbursing classroom teachers for personal funds expended on classroom supplies. ... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Nonstate Aid School Districts H.B. 2126 Allow a "non-state aid" school district to increase its property tax rate in order to fund anticipated enrollment growth, subject to certain limitations. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2126 ... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Shool District Budget Correction Procedures H.B. 2175 Requires school districts that miscalculated the school district's budget during FY 2001-2002 to correct the errors over a five-year period beginning in FY 2002-2003 if specified conditions exist and provides for accrued interest to be paid at a rate determine... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Classroom Site Funds Administrative Use H.B. 2462 Stipulates that monies distributed from the Classroom Site Fund for class size reduction, Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) intervention programs and dropout programs must only be used for instructional purposes. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/Docum... More... CA Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Oakland Unified School District: Emergency Loan S.B. 39 Appropriates funds to provide the Oakland Unified School District with an emergency loan. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to appoint a trustee to oversee the operations of the district and to approve disbursements. Requires the district to de... More... GA Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Assessment, Maximum Class size, Instruction, Revenue S.B. 249 Revises provisions relating to payment of fees for advanced placement tests; revises provision relating to the release of certain test questions; deletes provision that students with alternate assessments shall not count for accountability purposes; changes pr... More... IL Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Impact fees H.B. 528 -- Public Act 93-330 Adds a new authorization to the Counties Code and Municipal Code for purposes of implementing ordinances regarding developer donations or impact fees and only for the expenditures thereof. "Public grounds for schools" is defined as including land or site impr... More... ND Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Funds Carryover S.B. 2421 (Fourth of Four New Sections) The board of a school district may carryover moneys to the ensuing fiscal year to meet the cash requirements of all funds or purposes to which the credit of the school district may be legally extended. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2003, and ... More... NV Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Group Insurance S.B. 28 Provides that certain money set aside for group insurance for officers and employees of school districts must not be used for other purposes. (BDR 23-195)... More... OK Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 District Funds H.B. 1572 Authorizes school districts which receive gifts, grants, or donations of monies for noncapital expenditures to place the monies in the general fund, and such monies shall not be required to be used during the year in which the money was received but may accum... More... OK Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 School Sales Tax Exemption H.B. 1002 Deletes the sales tax exemption for sales of tangible personal property by accredited public and private schools to allow for the sale of rings, bracelets, necklaces and other similar items that exceed a certain cost under such exemption.... More... OR Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Amount to be Accrued H.B. 2650 Modifies the method of calculating the amount allowed to be accrued as revenues on budget and financial statements by school district or and education service district that uses an accrual basis method of accounting; modifies the method of calculating the amou... More... TN Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Local Education Agencies Purchases S.B. 878 Under present law, any municipality, county, utility district or other local government unit of the state may, upon request, purchase supplies, equipment and services for any other local government unit. Such purchases are made on the same terms and under the ... More... AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Financial Management Systems Applications S.B. 845 Requires public schools educational cooperatives to use certain financial management software systems applications of the Arkansas Public School Computer Network. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/SB845.pdf... More... AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Quality Education Act of 2003 - Districts in Fiscal Distress H.B. 2697 (Omnibus Bill) Adds §§ 6-20-1901- 6-15-1911. Creates the Arkansas Fiscal Assessment and Accountability Program; to establish and implement a program at the Department of Education to identify, assess and address school districts in fiscal distress. http://www.arkleg.state.ar... More... AZ Became law without GOVERNOR'S signature. 04/2003 P-12 School Financial Audits H.B. 2276 Requires annual and biennial financial statement audits of school districts that are not required to comply with the federal Single Audit Act of 1996 and that meet specified criteria.  Requires audit contracts to include a systematic review of average daily me... More... CO Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School District's Bond Redemption Fund S.B. 237 Requires a school district board of education to select a third party trustee to administer the school district's bond redemption fund, unless the county treasurer maintains the accounts and funds of the school district or the school district has given notice ... More... CO Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Sale of School District Property S.B. 158 Concerns the sale of property of a school district related to fiscal shortfall. http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/sl2003a/sl_166.htm... More... CO Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School District Accounting Practices S.B. 149 Requires the board of education of a school district to use the modified accrual basis as its basis of budgetary accounting and to use generally accepted accounting principles in keeping its financial records; specifies that a school district budget shall not ... More... IA Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School Health Insurance Reform Team Study and Recommendations S.F. 386 Requires the insurance division of the department of commerce to establish a school health insurance reform team study and to make recommendations to the general assembly; provides for review of affordable health insurance coverage for school district employee... More... KS Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Capital Outlay Fund S.B. 83 Concerns school districts; relates to the capital outlay fund. Allows districts greater freedom when attempting to win voter approval of a millage vote for capital cost. http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2004/83.pdf... More... MS Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Payments to School Districts H.B. 742 Allows the department to pay districts from the common school fund and the adequate education fund on a date earlier than December 15 if it is deemed in the best interest of the districts to do so. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2003/html/HB/0700-0... More... NM Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Acceptable Cash Balances H.B. 745 Relates to public school finance; limits school districts and charter school cash balances. http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/03%20Regular/FinalVersions/house/HB0745ECS.html... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Funds 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/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB1619.pdf... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 School Districts S.B. 764 Clarifies the signatures required for disbursements by school districts.http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/SB764.pdf... More... CO Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Interest Free Loan Program H.B. 1032 Concerns a school district education board's oversight of a school district's participation in the interest-free loan program.http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/pubhome.nsf... More... ND Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Student Fees S.B. 2169 A school board may not charge a fee for textbooks or other items necessary for completion of a specific course required for grade advancement or graduation. Does allow student fees for the use of musical instruments. http://www.state.nd.us/lr/assembly/58-200... More... SC Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 District Personnel Furlough S.B. 375 (Joint Resolution) Provides that the school districts of this state may furlough district personnel to the extent necessary to avoid a year end deficit and a reduction in force; provides the terms and conditions of a furlough pursuant to this provision.... More... VA Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 School Funding H.B. 2151 Codifies and broadens existing budget language to direct the Department of Education to collect annually necessary data to make calculations at the beginning and end of each school year to ensure that each school division has appropriated sufficient funds to s... More... NY Pocket veto by governor 02/2003 P-12 Board of Education Surplus Funds S.B. 6520 Increases the allowable amount of unexpended surplus funds which may be retained by a board of education.... More... 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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 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