ECS
From the ECS State Policy Database
2008 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 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)
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+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research
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+ Civic Education
+ Civic Education--Character Education
+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
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+ Curriculum--Arts Education
+ Curriculum--Drivers Education
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+ Governance
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+ Governance--School Boards
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+ Governance--Site-Based Management
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+ Health
+ Health--Child Abuse
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+ High School
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+ Leadership
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+ Middle School
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+ No Child Left Behind
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+ No Child Left Behind--Finance
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+ Online Learning--Digital/Blended Learning
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+ P-16 or P-20
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+ Postsecondary Faculty
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+ Postsecondary Finance
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+ Postsecondary Online Instruction
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+ School Safety
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+ Standards
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+ STEM
+ Student Achievement
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- Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
COAdopted 08/2008P-12Establishes rules regarding the School Counselor Corps Grant Program, including application procedures, review criteria and reporting requirements.

Establishes rules for HB 1370 that provides moneys to school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools for increasing the number of school counselors for secondary students and the level of school counseling services provided.
http://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/NumericalSubDocList.do?deptID=4&deptName=300%20Department%20of%20Education&agencyID=109&agencyName=301%20Colorado%20State%20Board%20of%20Education&ccrDocID=2996&ccrDocName=1%20CCR%20301-74%20ADMINISTRATION%20OF%20THE%20SCHOOL%20COUNSELOR%20CORPS%20GRANT%20PROGRAM
Title: 1 CCR 301-74
Source: http://www.sos.state.co.us/

LASigned into law 07/2008P-12Provides that before a student between the ages of 17 and 18 may drop out, the student and student's parent must attend an exit interview, in which the student and parent provide written acknowledgement that withdrawal from school will likely reduce the student's future earning potential and increase the student's likelihood of being unemployed. During the exit interview, requires the student to be provided information supplied by the Louisiana Workforce Commission regarding available training and employment opportunity programs, provided such information is available.

Creates the state High School Dropout Prevention Act of 2008. Directs the state board to work with the school districts that have the lowest four-year cohort graduation rates. Directs the state board to incorporate specific dropout prevention strategies, target resources, and gather data that will improve graduation rates and educational outcomes in all grades in all schools. Directs the state board to develop specific methods of targeted intervention or identify appropriate existing methods for districts with a four-year cohort graduation rate below 70%. Provides that these intervention methods may include:
(a) Early intervention for students who are at risk of failing Algebra I or any 9th grade math class
(b) Alternative programs designed to reengage dropouts
(c) Increased availability of advanced placement courses
(d) Comprehensive coaching for middle school students who are below grade level in reading and math
(e) Teacher advisories such as the use of graduation coaches and other supports designed to specifically address the needs of youth most at risk of dropping out of school
(f) Strategies specifically designed to improve the high school graduation rate of students at highest risk for dropping out, including youth in the foster care system, pregnant and parenting youth, Limited English Proficient students, and students with special education needs
(g) Communicating with students and their parents or legal guardians about the availability of local after school programs and the academic enrichment and other activities the programs offered
(h) Opportunities for credit recovery
(i) Opportunities to participate in the Jobs for America's Graduates program.

Directs the state board to gather the following data to ensure that all programs are research-based and data-driven, and to use such data for continuous program improvement:
(a) Total number of high school suspensions and expulsions
(b) Total number of students enrolled in alternative schools
(c) Total number of students who have failed Algebra I or English I
(d) Total number of students who are repeating the ninth grade
(e) Total number of students required to repeat a ninth grade course.

Directs school districts failing to show a decline in their annual dropout rates to annually submit to the state board a written report that documents:
(a) The outcomes of the dropout prevention strategies to date at the school system level
(b) How the school system dropout prevention strategies and activities will be modified, based on the data.
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=502007
Title: H.B. 1091
Source: www.legis.state.la.us

WVAdopted 06/2008P-12From the introduction to the adopted rules:
"Revisions were needed in Policy 2510 to allow local school districts greater flexibility in the implementation of the rigorous academic standards and high quality programs that characterize West Virginia's 21st century teaching and learning initiative. The intent of these proposed revisions is to place the focus on providing students with excellent learning opportunities that result in student mastery of West Virginia's high quality content standards and objectives (CSOs) rather than on a prescriptive compliance language that may discourage 21st century creativity and innovation. Thus, these revisions were designed to allow counties more
flexibility in the implementation of a rigorous curriculum that is tailored to the unique needs and constraints of each school without compromising the intent and spirit of the 21st teaching and learning initiative.

"Proposed revisions include removing restrictive language requiring 60 minutes of daily uninterrupted reading at grades 3-4, allowing counties/schools greater latitude in scheduling appropriate learning opportunities for students. The requirement for a 225 minute block for core courses for grades 5-8 was removed and replaced with language that requires a 180 minute block for core courses, again to allow greater local flexibility for scheduling learning opportunities for students. Proposed revisions also remove the grade 5-8 requirement for annual implementation of programs and/or separate courses in advisory, guidance and counseling, career exploration and technology. Policy language was revised to clarify the recommendation that all students in the professional pathway be enrolled in Algebra I in 8th grade. Policy language remains that requires a foreign language to be offered for students in grades 7 and 8, but removes prescriptive language that requires counties to use the 1A in grade 7 and 1 B in grade 8th scheduling option. At grades 9-12, language was revised to allow Life Science and Earth Science to satisfy the requirement for chemistry for 9th graders entering in 2008-09 and 2009-10, allowing more time for districts to secure chemistry teachers and lab facilities. Language requiring a college transition English course was removed and language was added to allow counties to determine options for students who need additional time to successfully complete Algebra I and to allow counties to grant up to two math credits for students' successful course completion. Language requiring a specific sequence for required social studies courses was added, and language was revised to allow state-approved Career Technical Education courses to satisfy the Arts requirement for graduation.


Major Revisions or Reasons for New Policy:
 
* Reading requirement for grades 3-4: Policy language was revised to allow local flexibility in the scheduling of a 90 minute uninterrupted reading block that may include reading and language arts instruction provided through whole group, small group and reading center activities.
 
* Reading requirement for grades 5-8: Policy language was revised to reduce the required time for core courses to 180 minutes giving responsibility for determining time allocations that provide adequate time for students to achieve mastery of the WV CSOs to the principal and a team of teachers.
 
* Algebra I in 8th grade: Policy language was changed from use of the word "expect" to the word "recommend" to clarify that the intent of current policy
is to recommend that all students in the professional pathway be enrolled in Algebra I in 8th grade.
 
* Required programs/courses in Advisory, Counseling, Career Exploration and Technology: Policy language requiring these programs to be implemented annually was replaced with language that requires these activities (advisory, career exploration and counseling) to be integrated into an organized advisory program that includes career guidance and counseling and allows local flexibility for scheduling these activities. The intent of the revised language is to allow local decision making for the scheduling of technology applications instruction throughout the grade 5-8 curriculum, rather than in a separate technology course.
 
* Required foreign language course in grades 7 and 8: Policy language requires districts to offer a foreign language course for students in grades 7 and 8 as described in current policy. Language that prescribes the specific method of scheduling this course was removed to allow more flexibility at the local level and to ensure the implementation of quality programs. Additionally, the revised policy language will also provide WVDE/counties/schools flexibility in addressing staffing and scheduling needs in order to support the development of articulated foreign language programs at the elementary level.
 
* Required course in chemistry: Policy language was revised to permit Life Science or Earth Science to satisfy the graduation requirement for chemistry/conceptual chemistry for 9th graders entering in 2008-09 and 2009-10, allowing more time for districts to secure chemistry teachers and lab facilities. (Students entering 9th grade in 2010-11 must have chemistry/conceptual chemistry to meet graduation requirements.)
 
* College transition English course: Policy language was revised to remove the college transition English course requirement with the expectation that instruction in the required English classes will address the needs of student who do not achieve the state assessment college readiness benchmark for English.
 
* Students who need additional time to complete Algebra I: While language in Policy 2510 is consistent with research indicating the best option for scheduling additional time for Algebra I CSO mastery is to do so within the same year, policy language permits the local-level identification of students who need additional time to master Algebra I content standards and objectives. The identification of students for this option must be a data-driven decision and counties may select from a number of scheduling options to assure that students master the Algebra I CSOs. Scheduling options such as "double blocking" Algebra I, Algebra Support and Algebra I, or other similar options may be determined at the local level, as long as the priority of the selected option is to provide students the best possible opportunity to succeed in mastery of the Algebra I CSOs. Counties selecting a scheduling option that places students who need extra time in two separate math courses may grant students up to two math credits toward graduation upon successful course completion. Counties that provide identified students additional time by enrolling them in two separate math courses may award up to two math credits toward graduation requirements upon students' successful completion of each
course. (A student who is identified as being in need of additional time to master Algebra I CSOs, and who has been determined by an IEP Team to be unable
even with extended learning opportunities and significant instructional modifications to meet state and county standard graduation requirements, may, in accordance with Policy 2510, Section 5.6.9.a., receive a modified diploma.)
 
* Social studies course sequence: Policy language was added to indicate a required sequence of social studies courses: World Studies to 1900; United
States Studies to 1900; Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries Studies; Civics for the 21st Century. This sequence is required to assure maximum understanding of the material and alignment of content with state assessment.
 
* Additional courses to satisfy the Arts requirement: Policy language was added to permit students in Skilled Pathway concentrations that complete state approved career/technical courses that reflect creative and innovative arts content may substitute these courses for the arts credit required for graduation. Designation of these courses will be made by state-level administrators of career/technical and arts programs.
Text of new regulations: http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2510_ne.pdf
Title: Title 126, Series 42
Source: www.lexis.com

COSigned into law 05/2008P-12Makes legislative findings concerning the importance of school counseling services for students in middle, junior high, and high schools; creates the School Counselor Corps Grant Program to provide moneys to school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools for increasing the number of school counselors for secondary students and the level of school counseling services provided.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/744186C0692144BE8725740200640365?open&file=1370_enr.pdf
Title: H.B. 1370
Source: http://www.leg.state.co.us/

IASigned into law 05/2008P-12Concerns state and local measures for preparing a student for a career or for postsecondary education, including a mandated statewide core curriculum for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools and a state designated career information and decision making system. Prohibits requiring districts or private schools to adopt any specific textbook, series, particular methodology or other products from a specific vendor. Requires the state department to identify and make available end-of-course and other model assessments. Requires convening of a task to review the national assessment of educational progress (NAEP) standards and assessments used by other states and to consider best practices by content area groups such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Requires a department study of potential expansion of the core curriculum potentially to include fine arts, applied arts, humanities and world languages. Establishes requirement for teaching of financial literacy.
http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&service=billbook&GA=82&hbill=SF2216
Title: S.F. 2216 - Generally
Source: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us

MDAdopted 04/2008P-12Provides the Maryland Career Development Framework standards to guide the implementation of a systematic instructional program in career development and decision making for all students.
http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/13a/13a.04.10.01.htm
Title: COMAR 13A.04.10.01, .02
Source: http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/

NMSigned into law 02/2008P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Relates to public schools; changes the statewide college and workplace readiness assessments; allows the eleventh grade standards-based assessments to serve as the assessment required for graduation; provides that financial literacy shall be offered as an elective course; addresses graduation requirements, student graduation plans and exit exams.
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/2008/SBill460.pdf
Title: S.B. 460
Source: http://legis.state.nm.us/LCS/default.asp

+ Student Supports--Mentoring/Tutoring
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+ Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Natl. Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds.
+ Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Special Education
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+ 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
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+ Teaching Quality--Reduction in Force
+ Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights
+ Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract
+ Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining
+ Technology
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+ Technology--Funding Issues
+ Technology--Internet Safety
+ Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training
+ Textbooks and Open Source
+ Urban
+ Urban--Governance
+ Whole Child