ECS
From the ECS State Policy Database
2010 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 2010. 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
+ 21st Century Skills
+ Accountability
+ Accountability--Accreditation
+ Accountability--Measures/Indicators
+ Accountability--Reporting Results
+ Accountability--Rewards
+ Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions
+ Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--Takeovers
+ Accountability--School Improvement
+ Adult Basic Education
+ Assessment
+ Assessment--Accommodations
+ Assessment--College Entrance Exams
+ Assessment--Computer Based
+ Assessment--Formative/Interim
+ 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
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Charter Districts
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Closings
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Cyber Charters
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance
+ Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment
+ Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment--Research
+ Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Tax Credits
+ Choice of Schools--Vouchers
+ Civic Education
+ Civic Education--Character Education
+ Civic Education--Civic Knowledge and Literacy
+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
+ Curriculum--Alignment
+ Curriculum--Arts Education
+ Curriculum--Censorship
+ Curriculum--Drivers Education
+ Curriculum--Excusal
+ Curriculum--Family Living Education
+ Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed.
+ Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language
+ Curriculum--Geography Education
+ Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education
+ Curriculum--Language Arts
+ Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling
+ Curriculum--Mathematics
+ Curriculum--Physical Education
+ Curriculum--Science
+ Curriculum--Sex Education
+ Curriculum--Social Studies/History
+ Demographics--Enrollments
+ Economic/Workforce Development
+ Equity
+ Federal
+ Finance
+ Finance--Bonds
+ Finance--District
+ Finance--Facilities
+ Finance--Federal
+ Finance--Funding Formulas
+ Finance--Local Foundations/Funds
+ Finance--Lotteries
+ Finance--Private Giving
+ 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--Mandates
+ 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
+ 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
+ High School--International Baccalaureate
+ Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices
+ Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling
+ Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools
+ 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--Induction Programs and Mentoring
+ Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation
+ Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation--Alternative
+ Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Tenure
+ Middle School
+ Minority/Diversity Issues
+ Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian
+ Minority/Diversity Issues--Hispanic
+ No Child Left Behind--Adequate Yearly Progress
+ No Child Left Behind--Assessment
+ No Child Left Behind--Consequences for Schools
+ No Child Left Behind--Finance
+ No Child Left Behind--Reauthorization Issues/Waivers
+ No Child Left Behind--Report Cards
+ No Child Left Behind--School Support
+ No Child Left Behind--Special Populations
+ 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 Family Involvement
+ P-3 Finance
+ P-3 Governance
+ P-3 Grades 1-3
+ P-3 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 Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Undocumented Immigrants
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Compensation
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Tenure
+ Postsecondary Finance
+ Postsecondary Finance--Efficiency/Performance-Based Funding
+ Postsecondary Finance--Facilities
+ Postsecondary Finance--Revenue and Expenditures
+ Postsecondary Governance and Structures
+ Postsecondary Governance and Structures--Administrative/Leadership Issues
+ Postsecondary Governance and Structures--State Executives/State Agencies
+ Postsecondary Institutions
+ 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 Students--Adults
+ Postsecondary Students--Disabled
+ Postsecondary Students--Foster Youth
+ Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional
+ Postsecondary Students--International
+ Postsecondary Students--Military
+ Postsecondary Students--Minority
+ Postsecondary Success
+ Postsecondary Success--Completion
+ Postsecondary Success--Completion--Completion Rates (Statistics)
+ Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation
+ Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation
+ Private Schools
+ Privatization
+ Promotion/Retention
+ Public Involvement
+ Reading/Literacy
+ Religion
+ 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
+ Scheduling/School Calendar--Year Round
+ School Climate/Culture
+ 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--Sexual Harassment and Assault
+ School Safety--Special Education
+ School/District Structure/Operations
- School/District Structure/Operations--District Consolidation/Deconsolidation
CASigned into law 07/2010P-12From Legislative Counsel's Digest: Existing Section 35542 provides that whenever the boundaries of an elementary school district and a high school district become coterminous, the districts are merged into a new unified district. Existing law also authorizes an elementary school district that has boundaries within a high school district to be excluded from an action to unify those districts if the governing board receives approval from the state board of education.

New provision instead authorizes an elementary school district that has boundaries within a high school district to be excluded from an action to unify those districts if the governing board receives approval from the county committee, if specified conditions are met, or from the state board if these conditions are not met. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_2051-2100/ab_2081_bill_20100715_chaptered.pdf
Title: A.B. 2081
Source: www.leginfo.ca.gov

ILSigned into law 07/2010P-12Amends the School Construction Law. Requires the grant index to be calculated for each of the school districts forming a reorganized school district or cooperative high school if certain conditions are satisfied within the current or prior 2 fiscal years. Requires the total enrollment of member districts forming a cooperative high school to meet certain minimum enrollment requirements. Authorizes a reorganized school district or cooperative high school to use a school construction application that was submitted by a district that formed the reorganized district or cooperative high school if that application has not been entitled for a project by the state board of education and any certain conditions are satisfied within the current or prior 2 fiscal years. Provides that a new elementary district formed from a school district conversion may use only the application of the dissolved district whose territory is now included in the new elementary district and must obtain the written approval of the local school board of any other school district that includes territory from that dissolved district. Provides that a new high school district formed from a school district conversion may use only the application of any dissolved district whose territory is now included in the new high school district, but only after obtaining the written approval of the local school board of any other school district that includes territory from that dissolved district. Provides that a cooperative high school must, under certain circumstances, obtain the written approval of the local school board of the member school district whose application it is using. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/96/PDF/096-1381.pdf
Title: H.B. 5633
Source: www.ilga.gov

VTto governor 05/2010P-12The first part of this bill relates to incentives for voluntary school district merger, virtual merger, and supervisory union duties. The second part directs the commissioner of education to request the Regional Education Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) to research, analyze and, on or before January 15, 2011, report to the senate and house committees on education, the senate committee on finance, and the house committee on ways and means regarding the fiscal impacts on the education fund, the general fund, property tax rates, and school budgets as well as the effects on educational outcomes if the state were to make tuition vouchers available to all Vermont students.
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2010/bills/Passed/H-066.pdf
Title: H.B. 66 - Two Sections
Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us

MESigned into law 04/2010P-12Amends law governing the mandatory school consolidation process, as originally enacted in 2007 to either achieve or allow the following:
(1) An "Alternative Organizational Structure" (AOS) to meet the requirements of the school consolidation law. An AOS is a modified school union-type system where independent school systems share a superintendent, a consolidated administration of special education, transportation, back-office business functions, a common core curriculum and student assessment systems, common school policies and calendar, and "consistent" collective bargaining agreements.
(2) Allows the number of students attending a school from the unorganized territories to be counted as students "served by the school system" for the purpose of meeting consolidation threshold standards.
(3) Allows a regional school unit (RSU) or AOS to be formed that serves just 1,000 students (as opposed to the original 2,500-student threshold) if the proposed RSU or AOS: (a) comprises three or more school units that were in existence prior to July 1, 2008, or (b) the member municipalities of the proposed RSU/AOS are surrounded by already approved RSU or AOS systems and there are no other school systems available to join the proposed RSU/AOS, or (c) the member municipalities of the proposed RSU/AOS include two or more "isolated small schools" as that term is defined in law.
(4) Establishes the procedures for a municipality to withdraw from a RSU by essentially reinstating the procedures that used to be available for a municipality to withdraw from a School Administrative District (SAD). Under the terms of the withdrawal process, neither the withdrawing municipality nor the remaining RSU would be subject to the financial penalties for being noncompliant with the standards of consolidation for a 2-year period after withdrawal. If either the remaining RSU or withdrawing municipality are noncompliant with the standards of consolidation at the end of the 2-year period, penalties would kick-in.
(5) Provides an authority for the RSU school boards to place an article before the voters that would permit the school board to establish a single common date for the beginning term of office for elected board members, who may be elected at different times at their municipal elections.http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/chapters/PUBLIC580.asp
Title: H.B. 408
Source: http://www.mainelegislature.org

SDSigned into law 03/2010P-12Eliminates the consolidation financial incentives for any school districts that consolidate after July 1, 2010.
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bills/HB1181ENR.pdf
Title: H.B. 1181
Source: http://legis.state.sd.us/

+ 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--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--Migrant Education
+ Special Populations--Military
+ Standards
+ Standards--Common Core State Standards
+ State Longitudinal Data Systems
+ State Policymaking
+ State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions
+ STEM
+ Student Achievement
+ Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap
+ Student Supports
+ Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
+ Student Supports--Remediation
+ Student Surveys
+ Students
+ Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities
+ Students--Employment
+ Students--K-12 Exchange Students
+ 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--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
+ Teaching Quality--Working Conditions
+ Technology
+ Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware
+ Technology--Equitable Access
+ Technology--Funding Issues
+ Technology--Research/Evaluation
+ Textbooks and Open Source
+ Whole-School Reform Models