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From the ECS State Policy Database 2009 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 2009. 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--Accreditation Accountability--Measures/Indicators Accountability--Reporting Results Accountability--Rewards 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--College Entrance Exams Assessment--Computer Based Assessment--End-of-Course Assessment--Formative/Interim Assessment--NAEP (NAEP Results and NAEP Organization) Assessment--Performance Based/Portfolio Assessment--Value Added At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol Attendance Attendance--Compulsory Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower) Attendance--Truancy Background Checks Bilingual/ESL Business Involvement Career/Technical Education Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Cheating Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Closings Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Cyber Charters Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools Choice of Schools--Vouchers Civic Education Civic Education--Character Education Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance Class Size Counseling/Guidance Curriculum WI Signed into law 12/2009 P-12 History of Organized Labor and Collective Bargaining A.B. 172 Requires social studies instruction in public schools to include the history of organized labor in America and the collective bargaining process. Act No. 99 http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/acts/09Act99.pdf... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Agricultural Science Teacher Preparation H.B. 3600 Requires the state board of education, subject to appropriation, to provide grants to institutions of higher education that offer state-approved agricultural science teacher preparations programs and public community colleges that provide an articulated agricu... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Postsec. Disability History and Awareness H.B. 1035 Requires the state board of education to promote an annual campaign about disability history and awareness in the state. Requires a school district to provide instruction on disability history, people with disabilities and the disability rights movement. Requi... More... NC Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Personal Financial Literacy Education Required H.B. 1474 Requires credit education for all students; provides that each student receive personal financial literacy instruction that includes the true cost of credit, choosing and managing a credit card, borrowing money for an automobile or other large purchase, home m... More... HI Veto overridden: legislature has overridden governor's veto 07/2009 P-12 Sex Ed S.B. 777 Requires sexuality health education programs funded by the state to provide medically accurate and factual information that includes education on abstinence, contraception and methods of disease prevention. Bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/... More... LA Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Physical Ed. Requirements H.B. 400 Requires public schools to provide a specified amount of physical activity each school day for students in specified grades; provides for the establishment of school health advisory councils by each city, parish and local public school board; provides that the... More... NC Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Reproductive Health and Safety Education H.B. 88 Removes the requirement that local school administrative units (LEAs) provide only abstinence until marriage education and requires LEAs to provide reproductive health and safety education in grades seven through nine; requires such education to include instru... More... NJ Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Financial Literary Pilot A.B. 1943 Establishes pilot program in Department of Education to provide instruction in personal finance to high school seniors. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/A2000/1943_I1.HTM... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Driver's Education S.B. 1317 Bars the state from issuing a driver's license to a person under the age of 25 unless the person submits a driver education certificate that states that the person has completed and passed a state education agency-approved driver education and traffic safety c... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Driver's Education H.B. 2730 - Sections 12.02 through -.04, 12.08, 12.13 Requires districts to consider offering a driver's education course each school year. Authorizes districts to charge fees for courses or contract with a driver education school. Establishes requirements for minimum hours of behind-the-wheel and observation ins... More... IN Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Financial Literacy H.B. 1581 Requires public schools, charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools to provide instruction in personal financial responsibility to students in grades 9 through 12. Public Law 154. http://www.state.in.us/legislative... More... KS Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Financial Literacy S.B. 84 Requires the State Board of Education to develop state curriculum standards for personal financial literacy for all grade levels within the existing mathematics or other appropriate subject matter curriculum. Also requires the State Board to encourage school d... More... MN Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 World Language Proficiency Certificates H.F. 2  Establishes world language proficiency certificates. Permits all Minnesota schools to awards Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificates or Minnesota World Language Proficiency High Achievement Certificates. Outlines the requirements a student must achi... More... MN Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Implementing Rigorous Course Work Measures Related to Student Performance H.F. 2 Establishes a process for the commissioner and qualified experts and other stakeholders including parents and teachers to develop a model that projects anticipated high school performance on preparation and rigorous coursework measures and compares schools wit... More... ND Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Inclusion of Personal Finance in Curriculum H.B. 1400 - Sec. 25, Personal Finance Beginning July 1, 2010, each school district shall ensure that its curriculum for either economics or problems of democracy includes the exposure of students to concepts of personal finance, including: a. Checkbook mechanics, including writing checks, balancin... More... OH Adopted 05/2009 P-12 Family and Consumer Sciences Programs OAC 3301-61-04 Sets criteria for family and consumer sciences programs in grades 7-12. Requires all such programs to be approved by the department of education. http://www.registerofohio.state.oh.us/pdfs/3301/0/61/3301-61-04_PH_FF_N_RU_20090513_1242.pdf... More... TN Signed into law 05/2009 Postsec. American History/American Government S.B. 1073 Authorizes any student to substitute three semester or three quarter hours of American government for three of the semester or quarter hours in American history required for a baccalaureate degree if offered by the higher education institution (was 6 semester ... More... TX Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Alternative Driver's Education Courses S.B. 858 Authorizes a driver education school to teach all or part of the classroom portion of an approved driver education course by an alternative method of instruction that does not require students to be present in a classroom if the commissioner of education appro... More... AR Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Improving History Education S.B. 452 Creates the State Legislative Task Force on the assessment and improvement of state history education in public schools. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Acts/Act1462.pdf... More... MD Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Standardized Course Numbering in Public Schools H.B. 588 Authorizes the State Department of Education to develop a standardized course numbering system to facilitate the collection of data on student participation in courses offered in the public schools; authorizes each county school system to adopt the standardize... More... MD Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Physical Fitness Measurement Program S.B. 879 Requires each local school system to develop and implement an annual physical fitness measurement program; establishes specified program elements for the fitness measurement programs; requires the State Department of Education to take specified steps to suppor... More... MD Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 School Wellness Policy H.B. 1264; S.B. 879 Authorizes local school systems to develop and implement Wellness Policy Implementation and Monitoring Plans to establish baseline student data for the health-related components of physical fitness and to assist students with personal fitness plans; relates to... More... MT Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Agricultural Education H.B. 464 Each agricultural education program in the state that completes the national quality program standard evaluation as adopted by rule and submits a plan of improvement to the office of public instruction's agricultural education specialist must receive a one-tim... More... ND Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Social Studies Curriclum H.B. 1435 Provides for inclusion of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution in the school social studies curriculum; provides for graduation requirements. http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009/bill-text/JBDQ0500.pdf... More... NM Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Media Literacy Requirement H.B. 342 Requires that media literacy be offered as an elective for public school students in grades six through twelve. http://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/09%20Regular/final/HB0342.pdf... More... OK Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Founding Documents; Religious Materials H.B. 1756 Directs each school district to adopt a policy, with grade-level-appropriate instructional levels, that assures that all students are encouraged, and have the opportunity, to read and study the founding documents of America that are pertinent to understanding ... More... VA Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Education on the Holocaust and Genocide H.B. 2409 Requires the Board of Education to establish objectives for Holocaust education with an emphasis on the causes and ramifications of the Holocaust; provides that such objectives must be infused into the appropriate curriculum areas and Standards of Learning. ht... More... VA Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Driver Safety Course H.B. 1782 Requires that minor applicants for a driver's license show they have successfully completed, with a parent or guardian, an in-person 90-minute or longer driver safety course prescribed by DMV; increases the learner's permit issuance fee. http://leg1.state.va.u... More... VT Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Comprehensive Statewide Approach to Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse S.B. 13 Intended to implement the November 2008 Report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary's 34-Point Comprehensive Plan for Vermont's Sexual Abuse Response System. Puts an emphasis on prevention by implementing a comprehensive statewide approach to the prevention of... More... VA Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Value and Benefits of Marriage S.B. 827 Adds the value and benefits of marriage for men, women, children, and communities to the list of topics to be covered in family life education curricula. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+SB827ER... More... VA Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Benefits of Marriage H.B. 1746 Adds the value and benefits of marriage for men, women, children, and communities to the list of topics to be covered in family life education curricula. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+HB1746ER... More... VA Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Dissemination of Information on Family Life Education H.B. 1980 Requires school divisions to include a detailed statement in the summary already required by law to be issued to parents and guardians to assist them in understanding the family life education program implemented in the school division, if the curriculum of th... More... Curriculum--Arts Education Curriculum--Core Curriculum Curriculum--Drivers Education Curriculum--Environmental Education Curriculum--Family Living Education Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed. Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education Curriculum--Home Economics Curriculum--International Education Curriculum--Language Arts Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Curriculum--Sex Education Curriculum--Social Studies/History Demographics--Condition of Children/Adults Desegregation Economic/Workforce Development Education Research Equity Federal Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--Bonds Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Litigation 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--Early Colleges/Middle Colleges High School--Exit Exams High School--GED (General Education Development) High School--Graduation Requirements Instructional Approaches Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling Instructional Approaches--Problem Based Learning Instructional Approaches--Single-Sex Education Instructional Approaches--Time/Time on Task Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate International Benchmarking Leadership Leadership--District Superintendent Leadership--District Superintendent--Compensation and Diversified Pay Leadership--Principal/School Leadership 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 Minority/Diversity Issues--Hispanic 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--Report Cards No Child Left Behind--School Support 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 Content Standards and Assessment P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) P-3 Ensuring Quality P-3 Evaluation/Economic Benefits P-3 Finance P-3 Governance P-3 Grades 1-3 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--Textbooks Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Prepd/College Savings Plans Postsecondary Faculty Postsecondary Faculty--Compensation Postsecondary Faculty--Intellectual Property Postsecondary Faculty--Teaching Assistants Postsecondary Finance Postsecondary Finance--Efficiency/Performance-Based Funding Postsecondary Finance--Facilities Postsecondary Governance and Structures Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges Postsecondary Institutions--For-Profit/Proprietary Postsecondary Institutions--Private/Independent Postsecondary Online Instruction Postsecondary Participation Postsecondary Participation--Access Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements Postsecondary Participation--Affirmative Action Postsecondary Participation--Outreach Postsecondary Students Postsecondary Students--Foster Youth Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional Postsecondary Students--Military Postsecondary Students--Minority Postsecondary Success--Completion Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation Postsecondary Success--Retention/Persistence Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation Private Schools Privatization Promising Practices Promotion/Retention Public Involvement Reading/Literacy Reading/Literacy--Adult Literacy Religion Religion--Prayer/Meditation 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 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--School Size School/District Structure/Operations--Shared Services School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation Service-Learning Special Education 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--Immigrant Education Special Populations--Military Standards State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap Students Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Employment Students--Mobility Students--Records/Rights Teaching Quality Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Assignment 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 Attitudes Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Teaching Quality--Working Conditions Technology Technology--Computer Skills Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Equitable Access Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training Textbooks and Open Source Urban Urban--Governance