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
LASigned into law 07/2008P-12The recovery district shall retain jurisdiction over any school transferred to it for academic crisis purposes for a period of not less than five school years not including the school year in which the transfer occurred if the transfer occurred during a school year. At the end of the initial transfer period, the school may be returned to the system from which it was transferred unless the school is continued in the recovery district.

Requires that a public hearing be conducted within the jurisdiction of the parish, municipality, or other local public school board from which the school was transferred prior to expiration of an initial or subsequent transfer period.
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=504081

Title: H.B. 909
Source: http://www.legis.state.la.us/

AZSigned into law 04/2008P-12Relates to intervention in mismanaged school districts.
A. Provides the Department of Education shall investigate a school district for systemic educational mismanagement if: 1) fifty percent or more of the schools in the district are designated underperforming or failing to meet academic standards; or 2) at least one school in the district has been designated a school failing to meet academic standards pursuant to Section 15-241.

B. Provides for the procedure to be followed if those conditions are found. The department of education shall immediately recommend a person to serve as the superintendent of the school district to the state board of education. The state board must approve or deny the recommendation. If the state board approved the recommendation, the person shall be immediately appointed the superintendent of the school district. The department of education must develop and adopt a list of persons qualified to serve as superintendents for the purposes of this section.

C. On appointment of the superintendent of the school district, the superintendent is to begin a full review and investigation of the school district's educational affairs and submit to the state board of education a detailed report listing the findings of that investigation. The report is to include a detailed educational improvement plan showing how the school district will improve the educational management of the school district and how the school district will raise the level of academic achievement so that all of the schools in the school district are designated as performing schools or better pursuant to Section 15-241. The plan must include a proposed timetable for improving academic achievement. The superintendent is to submit the report within 120 days after appointment. The state board of education shall appoint the superintendent for a term of three years.

The educational improvement plan approved by the state board of education may authorize the superintendent to do any of the following:
1) Override any decisions of the school district's governing board concerning the management, operation, curriculum and instruction of the school district, and initiate and make decisions concerning the management and operation of the school district.
2) Hire personnel, terminate personnel and cancel existing employment contracts, to the extent permitted by law. The superintendent may refuse to reemploy an certificated teacher who has not been employed by the school district for more than the major portion of three consecutive school years as provided in Section 15-536.

D. The superintendent shall promptly report any violations of law to the state board of education.

E. On review and approval of the state board of education, the superintendent shall take all necessary steps to implement the educational improvement plan utilizing those powers identified in the plan as prescribed in Subsection C of this section.

F. The salary and benefits of the superintendent and any officers or employees appointed by the superintendent or the state board of education are to be paid by the school district. The state board of education is to determine the salary for the superintendent and any officers or employees appointed by the superintendent based on amounts recommended by the state board.

G. The superintendent is to submit a quarterly progress report to the state board of education beginning ninety days after the report required pursuant to Subsection C of this section.

H. The state board of education is to formally review the superintendent's progress every six months. If, based on the quarterly progress reports, the state board may remove the current superintendent and appoint another superintendent or officer for the school district. If, based on the quarterly progress reports, the state board determines that the school district no longer has systemic educational mismanagement and has achieved adequate academic progress, the state board may remove the powers identified in the plan as prescribed in Subsection C of this section.

I. The state board of education may dismiss the superintendent for cause or on a majority vote of no confidence in the superintendent of the state board.

J. The assumption of control of the school district by the superintendent shall in no way interfere with the election of school district governing board members.

K. For the purposes of this section, "superintendent" means the chief executive officer of the school district.

Chapter No. 139
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hb2711h.pdf
Title: H.B. 2711
Source: http://www.azleg.gov

+ 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
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+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
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+ 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
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+ Health
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+ High School
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+ High School--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates
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+ 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
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+ 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
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+ Postsecondary
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+ Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Undocumented Immigrants
+ Postsecondary Faculty
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+ Postsecondary Finance
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+ Postsecondary Online Instruction
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+ Reading/Literacy
+ Religion
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+ Rural
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+ School Safety
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+ School Safety--Code of Conduct
+ School Safety--Corporal Punishment
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+ 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
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+ Special Education
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+ 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
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+ Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
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+ Student Supports--Remediation
+ Students
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+ 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