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].

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UTAdopted 12/2008P-12Provides consistent statewide procedures and criteria for homeschool, online school and private school students' participation in public school activities, including dual enrollment. Provides that student participation fees for charter school and online school students must be waived as they already are for private school and homeschool students, although charter or online schools are responsible for payment of waived fees to the resident school district.

Adds provision that if a student with disabilities who attends a charter or online school desires to participate in dual enrollment, the charter/online school is responsible for accommodations or extra costs to the student's resident school for the student's participation.
Title: R277-438
Source: www.lexis.com

ALAdopted 08/2008P-12Amends rules to remove the pilot status of the Early College Enrollment Program for juniors and seniors effective the 2008-2009 school year. Provides that program guidelines are found in the Career and Technical Education Methods of Administration Manual.
Title: 290-3-1-.02
Source: www.lexis.com

PASigned into law 07/2008P-12
Postsec.
Sets the school finance distribution formula based primarily on what it will take for students to meet the state's academic standards. The amount is based largely on the findings of the 2007 Costing-Out Study. Provides for a transferring pupil's disciplinary record to be transmitted to the transferring public or private school, upon request. Provides for school employee background checks, budgets, classroom placement of twins, bullying, scholastic records, educational support, early learning programs, virtual high schools, charter schools, school transportation, educational empowerment districts, community colleges, educational improvement business tax credits, public records, libraries and special education.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 
The 2008-09 education budget invests $86.4 million in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, a 15 percent increase from 2007-08, to enable 800 more children to participate in the commonwealth's hallmark, voluntary pre-kindergarten initiative and to respond to parents' requests for more full-day enrollment opportunities among some of the existing half-day programs. 
CLASSROOMS FOR THE FUTURE 
The budget includes $45 million for technology and $15 million for professional development to continue the multi-year rollout of Classrooms for the Future.
SCIENCE: IT'S ELEMENTARY 
The effort to promote science learning in elementary schools will receive $14.5 million – a 7.4 percent increase – in 2008-09, enabling thousand of more students to benefit from this hands-on learning experience and be ready for higher-order science classes in middle and high school.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
Pennsylvania's Dual Enrollment program is designed to serve a wide-range of students, but particularly those who attend college at disproportionately low rates. The budget continues the $10 million in annual funding for Dual Enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses through community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. By encouraging the participation of students who might otherwise be unlikely to attend college, the Dual Enrollment program helps ensure all students have the opportunity to earn a post-secondary degree and become self-sufficient, productive taxpayers.
HIGHER EDUCATION 
The budget continues to invest in the commonwealth's higher education institutions to offer affordable and accessible post-secondary education in Pennsylvania. State funding for student tuition grants through PHEAA will increase by $21.2 million, or 5.5 percent. The state's community colleges will receive a 3 percent operating increase. An additional $14.5 million will be provided to the State System of Higher Education to keep down tuition increases.   
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2007&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=1067&pn=4199

Title: H.B. 1067
Source: http://www.legis.state.pa.us

LASigned into law 06/2008P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Provides that any student enrolled in a Louisiana high school, at least 15 years old, in grade 11 or 12, and meets other criteria established by the board of regents is eligible to participate in a dual enrollment program. Expands eligibility in dual enrollment to include students in nonpublic high school and home school programs. Specifies that state funds may not be used to pay the tuition costs of a dually enrolled homeschool or private school student. Provides, however, that such students must pay the same tuition as is paid by the state on behalf of a student attending a public high school.

Directs the board of regents, in consultation with the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission, to study and report in writing to the senate and house education committees prior to the convening of the 2009 legislative session on the estimated cost of providing state dollars, beginning with the 2009-2010 fiscal year, to fund participation in the dual enrollment program of otherwise eligible students who attend nonpublic high schools or home study programs, both state-approved programs as well as others, in the same manner as provided for eligible students attending public high schools. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=503478
Title: S.B. 482
Source: www.legis.state.la.us

LASigned into law 06/2008P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Provides for the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive system of articulation of Carnegie units earned in a secondary school and college credit hours earned in a postsecondary institution. Requires postsecondary education management boards to provide for the adoption and implementation of a system of course articulation between all institutions for all college credit units earned in such institutions. Requires high school/postsecondary and inter-postsecondary articulation plans to be implemented by July 1, 2010. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=503474
Title: S.B. 537
Source: www.legis.state.la.us

TNSigned into law 06/2008P-12
Postsec.
Makes changes to eligibility requirements for HOPE scholarships; enacts the "Helping Heroes Act of 2008" to provide scholarships for veterans; enacts the "Tennessee Rural Health Act of 2008" to provide scholarships to students in health care fields who agree to practice in health resource shortage areas; creates pilot project to provide laptop computers to 100 students in each grand division (students, who are juniors and seniors in high school and who are eligible for dual enrollment grants under this section, in enrolling in dual enrollment courses that require a computer to facilitate the offering of such course or as necessary equipment for such course.) - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/Chapter/PC1142.pdf 
Title: H.B. 653
Source: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us

GASigned into law 05/2008P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Revises provision relating to the determination of resident status of students for tuition or fees. Adds public or private schools located in another state and accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools as "eligible high schools" as regards HOPE scholarships and grants. Amends residency requirements for HOPE scholarship eligibility at public and private postsecondary institutions, as regards students who have left Georgia after graduating from high school, have moved to Georgia after graduating from a high school outside the state, or who have left the state after completing a freshman, sophomore or junior year. Provides that a dependent child of military personnel stationed in Georgia must be considered a legal resident of Georgia and, subject to meeting all other eligibility requirements, must be eligible to receive the HOPE scholarship as a freshman if the student graduated from a Georgia high school or an approved home study program in Georgia.

Specifies that the maximum number of attempted quarter or semester hours covered by the HOPE scholarship eligibility include all postsecondary level course hours taken prior to high school graduation if such student does not qualify for the HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman based solely on his or her grade point average. Provides that the term 'postsecondary level course hours' means hours accepted by the student´s eligible postsecondary institution for credit when the student enters as a freshman.

Specifies that for purposes of HOPE scholarships and grants, eligible postsecondary institutions include a unit of the University System of Georgia; a branch of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education; a private independent nonprofit postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants; or a private proprietary postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants.

Amends policy such that attempted hours do not include hours for courses taken and paid for by a HOPE grant while a student is participating in dual credit enrollment with both an eligible high school and an institution within the University System of Georgia or the Department of Technical and Adult Education. Requires the Department of Technical and Adult Education or the University System of Georgia to verify that a student is enrolled in an eligible high school and notify the Georgia Student Finance Commission of the student´s participation in dual credit enrollment.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/pdf/sb492.pdf
Title: S.B. 492
Source: www.legis.state.ga.us

IASigned into law 05/2008P-12Selected provisions:
• Creates the Senior Year Plus Program to increase access of high school students to college credit and
advanced placement coursework. (Page 40, Line 23 through Page 64, Line 10)
• Requires postsecondary institutions providing Senior Year Plus programming to supply data concerning
the proportion of women and minorities enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) programs. The Department of Education is to annually report its findings and recommendations
to the General Assembly by January 15. (Page 50, Line 7)
• Permits preschool programs to receive supplemental aid or modified allowable growth if approved by the
School Budget Review Committee. (Page 64, Line 23)
• Requires program approval by the Department of Education to receive preschool aid funding in a
program's second and subsequent years. (Page 64, Line 34)
• Requires nonreversion of Preschool Program funds appropriated to the Department of Education.
(Page 65, Line 30)
• Provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly that if funding is made available for implementing a
Statewide Early Childhood Professional Development System in FY 2008 or FY 2009, the System will
be implemented by the Department with the collaboration of Area Education Agencies.
(Page 66, Line 13)
• Requires the Iowa Empowerment Board to conduct a study of the role the Empowerment Program can
play in strengthening child care provided voluntarily and at no cost by family members, friends, and
neighbors. The Board must convene a working group to provide advice and must submit a report to the

From fiscal analysis: Significant changes to Iowa Code: • Prohibits local Community Empowerment boards from carrying forward more than 20.0% of their annual
allocation to the following fiscal year. (Page 26, Line 12)
• Requires local Community Empowerment boards to consider whether support services for children's
health needs are being provided to child care facilities in their communities. (Page 27, Line 17)
• Requires grant awards in the Before and After School Grant Program to be at least $30,000 and not more
than $50,000. Increases the required local match funding for Before and After School Grants from
20.0% to a dollar-for-dollar match. Requires the local match to be cash or in-kind contributions.
Eliminates an allocation of $100,000 from the Before and After School Grant Program for employment
of a contractor for long-term planning and development. Specifies that programs serving middle and
high school youth are eligible for the Program. Permits grants to be used for multiple fiscal years.
(Page 27, Line 26 through Page 28, Line 16)
• Requires Area Education Agencies (AEAs) to transfer 84.0% of Medicaid payments received to the
Department of Education, with the exception of reimbursements for services provided under Part C of the
federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (Page 28, Line 17)
• Shifts funding for the Reading Recovery Program to the University of Northern Iowa, where the Program
is now centered. (Page 29, Line 7)

For other details, see full text section of this database record.
Title: H.F. 2679
Source: http://www3.legis.state.ia.us

NMAdopted 04/2008P-12Allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses offered by a public post-secondary institution that may be academic or career technical but not remedial or developmental. Outlines agreements and requirements.
http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title06/06.030.0007.pdf
Title: NMAC 6.30.7
Source: http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/

INSigned into law 03/2008P-12
Postsec.
The bill established the concurrent enrollment partnership to coordinate dual credit programs among high schools and state educational institutions. The commission on higher education is directed to provide support for the partnership. Also creates the interim study committee on education matters to make recommendations on the following: 1. Availability of virtual learning; 2. how virtual learning services are provided in other states; 3. standards of quality and alignment to Indiana's content standards; 4. accreditation standards and pricing; and, 5. funding.
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2008/HE/HE1246.1.html
Title: H.B. 1246
Source: http://www.in.gov/legislative/

KSSigned into law 03/2008P-12Expands ''Concurrent enrollment pupil'' definition from 11th and 12th to include 10th. http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/421.pdf
Title: S.B. 421
Source: http://www.kslegislature.org

WASigned into law 03/2008P-12
Postsec.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction (OSPI) is directed to compile information about online learning programs for high school students to earn college credit and place the information on its website. Directs high schools to ensure that teachers and counselors have information about online programs and that they are able to assist parents and students in accessing infformation. High schools must also provide opportunities for parents and students to learn more about dual enrollment online programs. School districts must provide general information about online courses to parents and students in grades 10, 11 and 12. These provisions will become null and void June 30, 2008 if funding is not secured through the omnibus approriations act.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202008/3129-S2.SL.pdf
Title: H.B. 3129
Source: http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature

NMSigned into law 02/2008P-12
Postsec.
Community College
Relates to education; includes state-supported schools in the dual credit program; provides for dual credit courses to be taken in the summer term; provides eligibility factors for students to qualify; requires the adoption of rules to implement the program to include the courses eligible for dual credit.

Allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses offered by a public post-secondary educational institution that may be academic or career-technical but not remedial or developmental, and simultaneously to earn credit toward high school graduation and a post-secondary degree or certificate.
http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/08%20Regular/final/SB0031.pdf
Title: S.B. 31
Source: http://legis.state.nm.us/LCS/default.asp

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