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)
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol
+ Attendance
+ Attendance--Truancy
+ Background Checks
- Bilingual/ESL
LAAdopted 12/2008P-12Establishes reasonable guidelines for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students to achieve English proficiency. Allows districts to focus limited resources on those students in greatest in greatest need of services.
http://doa.louisiana.gov/osr/lac/28v83/28v83.doc
Title: LAC 28:LXXXIII.4001
Source: http://doa.louisiana.gov/

UTAdopted 11/2008P-12Provides a formula to allocate funds appropriated by the 2008 Legislature for school districts and charter schools to provide English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers. http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277-715.htm
Title: R277-715
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet

ILSigned into law 08/2008P-12Repeals the Professional Development Block Grant. Amends requirements related to annual census for special education, such that census must include students age 3 to 21 (rather than birth to 21) receiving special education services. Eliminates requirement that state board of education annually report on "children of non English background" receiving special education services. Eliminates provision authorizing the state board to provide matching grants to districts to support technology-related investments. Eliminates provision directing the state board to adopt rules for the administration of the School Technology Program.

Authorizes student biometric information to be destroyed without notification to or the approval of a local records commission within 30 days after use of the information is discontinued due to student graduation, withdrawal, or a written request from the individual having legal custody of a student.

Establishes circumstances under which a district may levy a tax or issue bonds for facilities alteration or reconstruction. Adds provision requiring that summer session costs be reimbursed based on the actual expenditures for providing these services.

Deletes certain provisions related to clock hour requirements for teachers' continuing education units.

Authorizes school student records to be released, transferred or disclosed to the state board or another state government agency or among state government agencies to evaluate or audit federal and state programs or perform research and planning, but only to the extent that the release, transfer, disclosure, or dissemination is consistent with the federal FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

Authorizes the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy to develop additional campuses throughout the state, but specifies that any additional campus does not need to serve as a residential institution. Adds to the board of trustees of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy to include the superintendent of the district where each campus is located.

Abolishes the board of trustees of the Illinois Summer School for the Arts on the effective date of this legislation. Transfers to the state board of education all of the board of trustees' powers, duties, assets, liabilities, employees, contracts, property, records, pending business, and unexpended appropriations.

Repeals 105 ILCS 420, the Council on Vocational Education Act and 105 ILCS 423, the Occupational Skill Standards Act. Eliminates provision requiring the state board of education's annual report on vocational education to include recommendations on programs and policies to overcome sex bias and sex stereotyping in vocational education programming and an assessment of the state's progress in achieving such goals prepared by the state vocational education sex equity coordinator pursuant to the Federal Vocational Education Law.

Requires a school enrolling a student to make a copy of the student's certified birth certificate and return the original to the person enrolling the child. Provides that once a school has received a certified copy of the child's birth certificate, the school need not request another such certified copy with respect to that child for any
other year in which the child is enrolled in that school.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/SB/PDF/09500SB2482lv.pdf
Title: S.B. 2482
Source: www.ilga.gov/legislation

ORApproved by voters 08/2008P-12Provides that English immersion be required in public schools; provides that public school students, who are not proficient in English and students for whom English is a second language, shall be immersed in English, not sidelined for an extended period of time, but mainstreamed with English speaking students in the shortest time possible.
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/irr/2008/019text.pdf
Title: Ballot Measure 58
Source: http://www.sos.state.or.us/

OKSigned into law 06/2008P-12Relates to schools; provides a school district which has a certain amount of students participating in a summer reading program may be allocated a base amount of moneys for the program which shall be in addition to the per-student reimbursement amount provided; provides a student in a certain grade who is an English language learner and is found not to be reading at a certain level shall be eligible to participate in a summer reading remediation program. One section slated NOT to be codified requires the state department to conduct a survey of districts to determine their ability to administer the criterion-referenced tests at 8th grade and the end-of-instruction tests at the secondary level online and within the limitations of the testing window dates established by the state board of education. Requires the department to report to the legislature and governor by December 2008 and to recommend solutions.
http://www.sos.state.ok.us/documents/Legislation/51st/2008/2R/SB/1769.pdf
Title: S.B. 1769
Source: http://www.sos.state.ok.us

AZSigned into law 04/2008P-12Appropriates money for deposit in the State Structured English Immersion Fund to fund English language learner instruction, in the same manner as state aid, pursuant to the research based models of structured English immersion programs adopted by the English language learners task force. Chapter 34
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1096h.pdf
Title: S.B. 1096
Source: http://www.azleg.gov

WASigned into law 04/2008P-12Existing student learning plans (required for 8-12th grade students) must also include information on the student's results on the Washington assessment of student learning (WASL), if the student's score on the Washington language proficiency test II (for students in bilingual transitional programs), credit deficiencies, attendance rates for the previous two years, the progress made toward meeting state and local graduation requirements, remediation strategies and alternative education options available to students, alternative assessment options available to students, district programs, high school courses and career and technical education (CTE) options available to meet graduation requirements and available programs offered through skill centers or community and technical colleges.

The bill creates the extended learning opportunities program for eligible 11 and 12th grade students not on track to meet graduation requirements as well as 8th grade students not on track to meet the standard on the WASL. Under the program, districts must make available to 12th grade students who have failed to meet graduation requirements the option of continuing enrollment in the district, and may fund through basic education program funding. Instructional services provided under the program may be offered during the regular school day, evenings, on weekends or any other time deemed appropriate.

Subject to funding, the office of the superintendent of public instruction (OSPI) is directed to explore online curriculum support in languages other than English currently available. By December 2008, OSPI must report to the legislature recommendations for online support in other languages that would assist the state's English learners.

Grant recipients of the Lorraine Wojahn dyslexia pilot reading program are directed to report to OSPI on the lessons learned regarding effective assessment and intervention programs, best practices for professional development and strategies to build capacity and sustainability. By December 2008, the superintendent must aggregate and report the recommendations to the legislature.

The bill directs the professional educator standards board to convene a working group to develop recommendations for increasing teacher knowledge, skills and competencies to address the needs of English language learners (ELL). The group must identify gaps and weaknesses in current knowledge and skills standards for teacher preparation and competencies. The group must submit its report by December 2008 to the governor and the legislature.

In addition to funds allocated to districts through the learning assistance program based on family income factors, enhanced funds are to be made available to districts where more than 20% of students are eligible for and enrolled in the transitional bilingual instruction program. Enhanced funding is determined using the formula set forth in statute.
Title: S.B. 6673
Source: http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature

UTSigned into law 03/2008P-12Establishes the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers to:
(1) Increase parent involvement
(2) Communicate with parents who are not proficient in English concerning required and optional activities at the school, in the parents' preferred language to the extent practicable
(3) Increase academic achievement, literacy skills and language gains in all ethnic groups of students and their families
(4) Coordinate with school administrators, educators, families and students
(5) Support and coordinate with other language acquisition instructional services and language proficiency programs in the public schools.

Directs the state board of education, after consultation with school districts and charter schools, to adopt a formula that allocates the money appropriated by the legislature for the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program to school districts and charter schools in a fair and equitable manner. Provides that money appropriated for the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program must be used by school districts and charter schools to pay for costs of English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers.

Directs the state board of education to make a report to the Education Interim Committee on the effectiveness of the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program before November 30, 2011.
Pages 36-37 of 43: http://le.utah.gov/~2008/bills/sbillenr/sb0002.pdf
Title: S.B. 2 - Section 24
Source: le.utah.gov

WAIssued 02/2008P-12Orders the Washingtons New Americans Policy Council established; makes recommendations to the Governor on strategies to help legal permanent residents become naturalized; the acquisition of English language skills integral to the process of becoming citizens; ways to recognize or transfer the skills, certifications and professional credentials people earn in other countries into Washington's economy; strategies that are needed to support the success for naturalization, English language acquisition and recognition or transference of certifications and professional credentials; facilitating public-private partnerships for the integration of people seeking to become New Americans into the very fabric of our state, thus creating a more vibrant, prosperous and vital society.
http://www.governor.wa.gov/execorders/eo_08-01.pdf
Title: Executive Order No. 08-01
Source: http://www.governor.wa.gov/

+ 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
+ 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
+ High School--International Baccalaureate
+ Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices
+ Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling
+ Instructional Approaches--Single-Sex Education
+ Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools
+ 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
+ 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--Completion Rates (Statistics)
+ Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation
+ Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation
+ Private Schools
+ Privatization
+ Promotion/Retention
+ Public Involvement
+ Reading/Literacy
+ Religion
+ Religion--Scientific Creationism (Evolution)
+ 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
+ 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
+ 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
+ Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
+ Student Supports--Mentoring/Tutoring
+ Student Supports--Remediation
+ 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
+ Whole Child