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From the ECS State Policy Database 2005 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 2005. 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--Computer Based Assessment--End-of-Course Assessment--Formative/Interim Assessment--High Stakes/Competency Assessment--Value Added 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 Career/Technical Education Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Cheating Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Charter Districts 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--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--Censorship 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--International Education Curriculum--Language Arts 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 Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Litigation Finance--Local Foundations/Funds Finance--Lotteries 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--Nutrition Health--School Based Clinics or School Nurses Health--Suicide Prevention High School High School--Advanced Placement High School--College Readiness High School--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates High School--Dual/Concurrent Enrollment High School--Early Colleges/Middle Colleges High School--Exit Exams High School--GED (General Education Development) High School--Graduation Requirements Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling Instructional Approaches--Single-Sex Education Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate Leadership Leadership--District Superintendent Leadership--Principal/School Leadership 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--Tenure Mentoring/Tutoring Middle School Minority/Diversity Issues Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian 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--Reauthorization Issues/Waivers 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 Evaluation/Economic Benefits P-3 Family Involvement P-3 Finance P-3 Grades 1-3 P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten P-3 Preschool LA Signed into law 11/2005 P-12 Class Size Ratio Exemption H.B. 19A Exempts LA 4 (prekindergarten) classes from class size ratio for the 2005-2006 school year if the district or charter school enrolled any students during the 2005-2006 school year who were displaced that year due to school closures as a result of natural catas... More... RI Adopted 09/2005 P-12 Early Childhood Certificate Requirements Section I Adopts rules regarding the requirements for an Early Childhood Education in public schools in grades PK-2 certificate. Outlines rules for Certificate of Eligibility for Employment (CEE) be valid for three years and Professional Certificates be valid for one or... More... WV Adopted 07/2005 P-12 Universal Access to Early Education System Title 126, Series 28 Policy 2525 sets the standards for implementing high quality universal pre-kindergarten programs. This policy covers all public school preschool programs and any community program such as Head Start or child care that contracts with the county school system to... More... CO Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Date for Counting Preschoolers and 3- and 4-Year-Olds with Disabilities S.B. 32 Makes an accomodation for counting preschoolers and 3- and 4-year olds with disabilities enrolled (for state funding purposes) by letting schools count them on November 1 or the school date closest to November 1, instead of October 1. http://www.leg.state.co.... More... HI Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Improving Early Childhood Education H.B. 1300 The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Improve early childhood education by establishing and appropriating funds for a temporary early childhood education task force to develop a framework to increase access to early childhood education, improve the quality of ear... More... HI Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Temporary Private Preschool Licensing and Accreditation Task Force S.B. 1018 Creates a temporary private preschool licensing and accreditation task force to develop recommendations for licensing and accreditation standards, policies, and procedures for private elementary schools serving children under the age of five. Requires the task... More... TX EFFECTIVE ON 9/1/05 06/2005 P-12 Incentives for Coordination S.B. 23 From fiscal note: The bill authorizes the commissioner of education to establish a program to provide incentives to providers of early childhood care and education that provide coordinated services with prekindergarten and Head Start programs.  The bill does n... More... FL Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Records of Children in Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program H.B. 1695 Creates exemption from public records requirements for individual records of children enrolled in Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Specifies that such records include assessment data, health data, records of teacher observations, and personal ident... More... MD Rule Adoption 05/2005 P-12 Kindergarten admissions COMAR 13A.08.01.01, .02, .02-2 Proposes to adopt rules to the Board of Education. Provides for transfers to public kindergarten. Requires local boards of education to establish regulations for early admission in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. MARYLAND REG 10189 (SN)... More... MO Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 S.B. 266 The current definition of "teacher" in the teacher tenure act includes certified teachers who teach at the pre-kindergarten level. This act modifies the aforementioned definition by requiring that such prekindergarten teachers, in order to fit the definition o... More... OH Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Postsec. Community College Partnership for Continued Learning S.B. 6 Establishes the "Partnership for Continued Learning" to promote systemic approaches to education.  The Partnership must (1) support regional efforts to foster collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education, (2) identify the workforc... More... TN to governor 05/2005 P-12 Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act of 2005 H.B. 2333 Amends title 49, chapter 6, part 1 to establish the "Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act of 2005". Based on the success of Tennessee's existing pilot pre-kindergarten programs, these programs may be expanded on a voluntary basis by local education agencies and t... More... TN Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Urges Expansion of Early Childhood Education H.J.R. 131 General Assembly expresses its unwavering support for an increase in funding for the expansion of the early childhood education program. Urges and encourages the Governor to include such an earmarked appropriation within the administration's general appropriat... More... CO Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Full-Day Kindergarten S.B. 200 (Section 15) Increases from 1,000 to 1,500 the number of children a district may apply to the department for authorization to serve through a full-day kindergarten component of the district's preschool program. http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/FB3... More... MD Rule Adoption 04/2005 P-12 State Board Of Education COMAR 13A.02.06.02, 13A.0801.01, .08.02.01 Revises the Maryland Student Records System Manual (MSRSM) as a result of recent changes regarding health and graduation requirements. State assessments, prekindergarten requirements, kindergarten and prekindergarten phase-in dates, enrollment and transfers, a... More... MD (S) THIRD READING PASSED (46-0) 04/2005 P-12 State Department of Education - Early Learning and Child Care Programs H.B. 1491 Requiring the State Department of Education to develop a plan to accredit certain early learning programs and child care programs that are planning to provide or are providing specified kindergarten or prekindergarten programs to specified children; requiring ... More... NM Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Pre Kindergarten Act H.B. 337 Relates to the Pre-Kindergarten Act; provides for voluntary participation in pre-kindergarten programs; provides for requests for proposals; provides for reimbursement of eligible provers that are public school programs. The legislature finds that research pr... More... FL Signed into law 01/2005 P-12 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education H.B. 1A Establishes the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, to take effect in each county at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year. Every child in the state who turns 4 on or before September 1 is eligible and remains eligible until the child enters kind... More... P-3 Teaching Quality/Professional Development Parent/Family Parent/Family--Parent Rights Partnerships--University/School 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--Teaching Assistants Postsecondary Finance Postsecondary Governance and Structures Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges Postsecondary Institutions--For-Profit/Proprietary Postsecondary Institutions--Private/Independent Postsecondary Online Instruction Postsecondary Participation--Access Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements Postsecondary Participation--Affirmative Action Postsecondary Participation--Outreach Postsecondary Students--Disabled Postsecondary Students--Minority Postsecondary Success--Completion Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation Private Schools Privatization Promotion/Retention Reading/Literacy Religion Religion--Prayer/Meditation Remediation (K-12) Rural Scheduling/School Calendar Scheduling/School Calendar--Day/Class Length Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs Scheduling/School Calendar--Summer School Scheduling/School Calendar--Year 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--Special Education 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--Shared Services School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation Service-Learning Special Education Special Education--Federal Law/Regulations Special Education--Finance Special Education--Placement Special Education--Transition Special Populations--Corrections Education Special Populations--Gifted and Talented Special Populations--Homeless Education Standards State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap Students Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Mobility 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--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--Recruitment and Retention--High-Needs Subjects Teaching Quality--Reduction in Force Teaching Quality--Teacher Attitudes Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining--Strikes Technology Technology--Computer Skills Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Equitable Access Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Internet Safety Textbooks and Open Source