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From the ECS State Policy Database 2008 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 2008. 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--Measures/Indicators Accountability--Reporting Results Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--No Pass No Drive Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--No Pass No Play 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 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 Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment Choice of Schools--Innovation Schools 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--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 Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Multicultural Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Curriculum--Sex Education Curriculum--Social Studies/History Demographics--Condition of Children/Adults Demographics--Enrollments Desegregation Economic/Workforce Development Education Research Equity Federal Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--Aid to Private Schools Finance--Bonds Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas 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--Mental Health Health--Nutrition 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--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates 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--Single-Sex Education Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate 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 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--School Support No Child Left Behind--Special Populations 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 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 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 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--Foster Youth Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional Postsecondary Students--Military Postsecondary Students--Minority Postsecondary Success--Completion Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation Private Schools Privatization Promotion/Retention Public Involvement Reading/Literacy Religion Religion--Scientific Creationism (Evolution) 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--Week Scheduling/School Calendar--Year School Safety School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution UT Adopted 12/2008 P-12 Anti-Bullying R277-609 Amends rule addressing bullying. Provides that bullying behavior may include definitions provided in Section 53A-11a-101. Requires districts' anti-bullying policies to provide training and education specific to bullying based upon students' actual or perceived... More... CA Signed into law 09/2008 P-12 Bullying A.B. 86 Specifies that bullying, as used in the Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act of 1985, includes acts that constitute sexual harassment, hate violence, or severe or pervasive intentional harassment, threats, or intimidation and that are committed personal... More... NY Signed into law 09/2008 P-12 Internet Safety and Cyber-Bullying S.B. 7051 Requires the commissioner of education to develop resources and technical assistance for schools to provide to students in grades 3-12 and their parents concerning safe and responsible use of the Internet. Requires the resources to include information regardin... More... IL Signed into law 08/2008 P-12 Internet Safety Education S.B. 2512 Relates to Internet safety education curriculum. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, requires districts to incorporate an age-appropriate component on Internet safety into the school curriculum, to be taught at least once each school year to students in ... More... RI Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 Electronic Bullying H.B. 7213 Expands the definition of harassment, intimidation or bullying within the student discipline codes to include harassment, intimidation or bullying through electronic communications, including any verbal, textual or graphic communication of any kind effected, c... More... RI Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 Conflict Resolution H.B. 7569 Allows training programs in school districts or public schools to teach pupils to resolve conflict without violence, training school staff to promote conflict resolution, use mediation techniques and early detection to reduce incidents of violence and lastly t... More... CT Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Bullying and Student Discipline H.B. 5826 Relates to a school learning environment; provides for in-school suspensions; requires a policy to address bullying in schools; provides that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous report; requires each school to notify paten... More... FL Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Bullying Prevention and Policies H.B. 669 Relates to school safety; prohibits bullying and harassment; creates the Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act which prohibits bullying or harassment during education programs or activities, on school buses, or through use of data or computer software ... More... RI Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Bullying Via Electronic Communications S.B. 2012 Expands the definition of student discipline codes relating to harassment or bullying to include electronic communications. Defines as "Electronic" communications to include any verbal, textual or graphic communication of any kind effected, created or transmit... More... OK Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Lockdown Drills; Electronic Bullying, Threatening Behavior S.B. 1941 Adds provision for annual review of school district and higher education institution emergency plans; revises requirements for school district lockdown drills (from one per year to two per year). Prohibits any lockdown drill from being conducted at the same ti... More... TN Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Instruction on Nonviolence H.B. 2790 Urges all public schools to provide instruction on nonviolence as means to conflict resolution as part of character education curriculum. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB2790.pdf... More... KS Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Cyberbullying H.B. 2758 Defines cyber-bullying. Requires cyberbullying to be addressed in district policies related to bullying. Specifies that district policies must prohibit bullying while using school property (even if a student is off school grounds). http://www.kslegislature.org... More... KY Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 School Safety H.B. 91 Requires any school or local board employee who knows or has cause to believe that a student has been the victim of a violation of any felony offense committed by another student on school premises, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored ... More... MD Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 School Bullying Policies H.B. 199 Requires the State Board of Education to develop a certain model policy prohibiting bullying, harassment and intimidation in schools; requires that the model policy include certain information; requires certain county boards of education to establish certain p... More... UT Adopted 03/2008 P-12 Standards for School District Discipline Plans R277-609 Provides that all charter schools (and schools if district does not have districtwide plan) must develop a school-wide written model for prevention and intervention for student behavior management and discipline procedures for students who habitually disrupt s... More... UT Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Bullying/Hazing H.B. 325 Defines bullying and hazing. Prohibits school employees and students from bullying or hazing, retaliation for reporting bullying or hazing, and making a false report of bullying or hazing. By September 2009. requires local school boards to adopt a bullying or ... More... NE Signed into law 02/2008 P-12 L.B. 205 Requires schools to adopt a bullying policy by July 1, 2009; amends provisions regarding student discipline.Defines bullying as any ongoing pattern of physical, verbal, or electronic abuse on school grounds, in a vehicle owned, leased, or contracted by a scho... More... NJ Signed into law 01/2008 P-12 Postsec. Community College Hate Crime and Bullying Laws S.B. 2975 Revises laws concerning hate crimes and bullying; relates to civil actions for for bias crime victims; adds bias crimes to the list with which a victim may receive compensation; requires police training in bias intimidation crimes; provides for additional pena... More... School Safety--Code of Conduct School Safety--Corporal Punishment School Safety--Disaster/Emergency Preparedness 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 Social/Emotional Learning and Non-Cognitive Skills Special Education Special Education--Federal Law/Regulations Special Education--Finance Special Education--Placement Special Education--Transition Special Populations--Corrections Education Special Populations--Foster Care Special Populations--Gifted and Talented Special Populations--Homeless Education Special Populations--Military Standards State Comparisons/Statistics State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Ballot Questions State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap Students Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Incentives 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 Rights Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Technology Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Internet Safety Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training Textbooks and Open Source Urban Urban--Governance