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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 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 CA Vetoed 10/2009 P-12 Creation of Education Finance Districts A.B. 267 Authorizes school districts to create an education finance district that may impose a qualified special tax that applies uniformly to all taxpayers or all real property within the school district or education finance district pursuant to specified procedures. ... More... PA Signed into law 10/2009 P-12 Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program H.B. 1531 Makes amendments to the Tax Reform Code. These amendments include provision that makes changes to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program: Adds students with a disability and special education schools to those benefitting from the program; increa... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Calculation of a District's Spending/Taxation Cap S.B. 2051 Provides that, with respect to equalized assessed valuation data, if a school district has approved or does not approve an increase in its limiting rate, the Extension Limitation Equalized Assessed Valuation of the district must be determined by the use of a s... More... OH Vetoed 07/2009 P-12 Tangible Personal Property Phase-Out Impacted Districts H.B. 1 - Section 3318.011 Excludes tangible personal property phase-out impacted districts from the definition of "average taxable value". Defines "tangible personal property phase-out impacted district" as a school district for which the taxable value of its tangible personal property... More... OH Signed into law 07/2009 P-12 School District Operating Levies H.B. 1 - Section 5705.219, 5705.2110, 5705.211 Makes changes to the methods by which school district operating levies are approved. Pages 2449-2455 of 3120: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText128/128_HB_1_EN_N.pdf... More... OH Signed into law 07/2009 P-12 Conversion Levies H.B. 1 - Section 5705.219 From the DOE summary of H.B. 1: --Authorizes school districts levying current expense taxes with an aggregate effective tax rate exceeding 20 mills on residential/agricultural real property to convert that excess millage, with voter approval, to a single lev... More... OR Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Revenues H.B. 2014 Requires a state agency or state official that issues a permit for structural improvements to collect construction taxes imposed by a school district; exempts long term care facilities, residential care facilities, and continuing care retirement communities fr... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Bonds H.B. 3646 - Sections 69-72 Section 69: Adds new section 45.0531. Authorizes the state board by rule to establish a percentage of the cost value of the permanent school fund to be reserved from use in guaranteeing bonds. Section 70: Requires districts seeking state guarantee of eligible ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 District Finance H.B. 3646 - Sections 66-68 and 86 Section 66: Establishes provisions allowing a school district to adopt a budget after the district adopts a tax rate for the tax year in which the fiscal year covered by the budget begins. Section 86 makes a conforming change in the Tax Code. Section 67: Adds ... More... VT Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Reduces Property Tax Rates H.B. 12 Decreases the educational property tax base rates to $ 1.35 for nonresidential property and $ 0.86 for homestead property. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2010/Acts/ACT060.pdf... More... AL Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 County Education Tax Elections H.B. 253 (Constitutional Amendment) Proposes an amendment to the Constitution to provide that special county education taxes taxes may be levied by a majority vote, not by three-fifths vote, of those voting at the election.... More... NE Signed into law 05/2009 Postsec. Research Tax Credits L.B. 555 Allows any business firm which makes expenditures in research and experimental activities as defined in section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, on the campus of a college or university in this state or at a facility owned by a college or ... More... IN Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Tax Distribution H.B. 1432 Relates to county auditor tax distributions; requires the county auditor to distribute the part of the certified distribution that constitutes property tax replacement credits to other taxing units not later than ten days after the county treasurer receives th... More... TX Adopted 04/2009 P-12 State Aid for Ad Valorem Tax Credits 19 TAC 2.61.AA.61.1019 Establishes rules concerning additional state aid for ad valorem tax credits under the Texas Economic Development Act. Allows the commissioner of education to implement and administer the provisions of the Texas Education Code (TEC), which authorizes an eligib... More... ID Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Finance S.B. 1091 Relates to Urban Renewal Districts; revises application for school levies for supplemental maintenance and operation for calculating the tax rate. Chapter 50 http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2009/S1091PrinterFriendly.htm ... More... NV Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Finance I.P. 1 Imposes an additional tax on the gross receipts from the rental of transient lodging in certain counties to be deposited into the state Supplemental School Support Fund for distribution to school districts and charter schools; requires voter approval. Chapter ... More... SD Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 property tax S.B. 149 Revises the annual property tax levies for the general fund of a school district; provides that any adjustment to the levy for agricultural property shall be based upon the change in the statewide agricultural taxable valuation and the reclassification of agri... More... WI Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Postsec. Act 2 - Finances and Appropriations S.B. 62 Provides a total of $2,630,000 in grant moneys to certain organizations in the building trades to provide job training and retraining programs, including training in green building and the installation of alternative energy systems. The following organizations... 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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