ECS
From the ECS State Policy Database
2011 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 2011. 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--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
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol
+ Attendance
+ Attendance--Compulsory
+ 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--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
+ Choice of Schools--Vouchers--Privately Funded
+ Civic Education
+ Civic Education--Character Education
+ Civic Education--Civic Knowledge and Literacy
+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
+ Curriculum--Arts Education
+ Curriculum--Drivers Education
+ Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed.
+ Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language
+ Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education
+ Curriculum--Language Arts
+ Curriculum--Mathematics
+ Curriculum--Physical Education
+ Curriculum--Science
+ Curriculum--Sex Education
+ Curriculum--Social Studies/History
+ Data-Driven Improvement
+ Demographics--Enrollments
+ Desegregation
+ Economic/Workforce Development
+ Equity
+ Federal
+ Finance
+ Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost
+ Finance--Aid to Private Schools
+ Finance--Bonds
+ Finance--District
+ Finance--Facilities
+ Finance--Federal
+ Finance--Funding Formulas
+ Finance--Local Foundations/Funds
+ Finance--Lotteries
+ Finance--Performance Funding
+ 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
+ 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--Professional Development
+ Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Tenure
+ Middle School
+ Minority/Diversity Issues
+ Minority/Diversity Issues--African American
+ Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian
+ No Child Left Behind--Adequate Yearly Progress
+ No Child Left Behind--Assessment
+ No Child Left Behind--Consequences for Schools
+ 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 Ensuring Quality
+ P-3 Finance
+ P-3 Governance
+ P-3 Grades 1-3
+ P-3 Health and Mental Health
+ P-3 Kindergarten
+ P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten
+ P-3 Preschool
+ P-3 Special Ed./Inclusion
+ P-3 Teaching Quality/Professional Development
+ Parent/Family
+ Postsecondary
+ Postsecondary Accountability
+ Postsecondary Accountability--Accreditation
+ Postsecondary Accountability--Student Learning
+ Postsecondary Affordability
+ 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
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Compensation
+ Postsecondary Faculty--Intellectual Property
+ 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--Four-Year Baccalaureate
+ Postsecondary Institutions--HBCUs/Minority-Serving Institutions
+ Postsecondary Institutions--Private/Independent
+ Postsecondary Online Instruction
- Postsecondary Participation--Access
ILSigned into law 08/2011Postsec.Directs the board of higher education to include in a specified annual report to the governor and general assembly information on each public institution's admission, retention and graduation statistics of all students who are the first in their immediate family to attend an institution of higher education. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/97/PDF/097-0588.pdf
Title: S.B. 122
Source: www.ilga.gov

PAAdopted 07/2011Postsec.
Community College
A Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to examine the Commonwealth's programs for post-secondary education in Commonwealth rural communities and to make recommendations for improving the delivery of open admissions and affordable, high-quality community and technical education in such areas.
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=R&billNbr=0147&pn=1446
Title: S.R. 147
Source: http://www.legis.state.pa.us

CTSigned into law 06/2011Postsec.
Community College
Extends in-state tuition benefits. Provides that a person, except a nonimmigrant alien (someone with a visa permitting temporary entrance to the country for a specific purpose), qualifies for in-state tuition if he or she: (1) Resides in Connecticut; (2) attended any educational institution in the state and completed at least four years of high school here; (3) Graduated from a high school or the equivalent in Connecticut; and (4) Is registered as an entering student, or is currently a student at, the University of Connecticut, a Connecticut State University, a community-technical college, or Charter Oak State College. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/ACT/Pa/pdf/2011PA-00043-R00HB-06390-PA.pdf
Title: H.B. 6390
Source: http://www.cga.ct.gov

FLSigned into law 06/2011Postsec.Establishes the Higher Education Coordinating Council and directs the council to make recommendations on: (1) The primary core mission of public and nonpublic postsecondary education institutions in the context of state access demands and economic development goals; (2) Performance outputs and outcomes designed to meet annual and long-term state goals, including, but not limited to, increased student access, preparedness, retention, transfer, and completion; (3) The state's articulation policies and practices to ensure that cost benefits to the state are maximized without jeopardizing quality; and (4) A plan for workforce development education.

Directs the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Chancellor of the State University System, to establish the Articulation Coordinating Committee which will make recommendations related to statewide articulation policies to the Higher Education Coordination Council, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Governors. Details the duties of the committee.

Requires Department of Education to utilize student performance data in subsequent coursework to determine appropriate Advanced Placement, Advanced International Certificate of Education examination, and International Baccalaureate examination scores for the receipt of college credit. Repeals the exemption from the state university system summer term enrollment requirement for students who have earned 9 or more credits through acceleration mechanisms. Requires the State Board of Education to specify by rule provisions for alternative remediation opportunities and retesting policies. Provides access to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual disabilities, by allowing for reasonable substitution for admission and graduation requirements. Repeals the Florida Business and Education Collaborative and the University Concurrency Trust Fund.
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h7151er.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=7151&Session=2011
Title: H.B. 7151
Source: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov

TXSigned into law 06/2011P-12
Postsec.
Requires that the higher education coordinating board provide specified information in its public awareness campaign promoting higher education (previously, provision of the same information was proposed in statute but not mandated). Requires that the higher education coordinating board coordinate with the Texas Education Agency, the P-16 Council, and other appropriate entities, including regional P-16 councils and businesses, to implement the public awareness campaign. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/pdf/HB02909F.pdf#navpanes=0
Title: H.B. 2909 - Public Awareness Campaign Promoting Higher Education
Source: www.capitol.state.tx.us

TXSigned into law 06/2011Postsec.Removes requirement that the plan submitted to the higher education coordinating board for a junior college program to serve persons from backgrounds of economic or educational deprivation include a plan for a financial aid program, or a plan for an annual evaluation report. Pages 26-28 of 38: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/pdf/SB00005F.pdf#navpanes=0
Title: S.B. 5 - Criteria for Programs for the Disadvantaged
Source: www.legis.state.tx.us

MDSigned into law 05/2011Postsec.Establishes a Southern Maryland Higher Education Council to develop a strategy for improving access to higher education for the residents of southern Maryland. Provides that an interim report with a short-term strategy is due by December 1, 2011, and a final report with a long-term strategy is due by December 1, 2012. http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/bills/hb/hb1347t.pdf
Title: H.B. 1347
Source: http://mlis.state.md.us

IASigned into law 04/2011Postsec.Relates to the College Student Aid Commission. Ensure that students receiving state-funded scholarships and grants are attending institutions of higher education that meet all of the following conditions: are not required to register under chapter 261B and are eligible to participate in a federal student aid program authorized under Tit. IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
Requires institutions whose students are eligible for or who receive financial assistance under programs administered by the commission to report numbers of minority students enrolled in and minority faculty members employed at the institution (report is to be submitted to the general assembly, the governor, and the legislative services agency by March 1 annually.) Deletes explicit references to affirmative action. Requires that information on equal opportunity and affirmative action efforts in the recruitment, appointment, assignment, and advancement of personnel at the institution be provided upon request.
http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&hbill=SF122&menu=text&ga=84
Title: S.F. 122
Source: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us

+ Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements
+ Postsecondary Participation--Affirmative Action
+ Postsecondary Participation--Enrollments (Statistics)
+ Postsecondary Students
+ Postsecondary Students--Adults
+ Postsecondary Students--Disabled
+ Postsecondary Students--Foster Youth
+ Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional
+ Postsecondary Students--International
+ Postsecondary Students--Low-Income
+ Postsecondary Students--Military
+ Postsecondary Students--Minority
+ Postsecondary Success
+ Postsecondary Success--Completion
+ Postsecondary Success--Completion--Completion Rates (Statistics)
+ 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
+ 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 Safety--Uniforms/Dress Codes
+ School/District Structure/Operations
+ School/District Structure/Operations--District Consolidation/Deconsolidation
+ School/District Structure/Operations--District Size
+ 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--Staffing Ratios
+ 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--Immigrant 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 Supports
+ Student Supports--Counseling/Guidance
+ Student Supports--Mentoring/Tutoring
+ Student Supports--Remediation
+ Student Surveys
+ Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities
+ Students--Employment
+ Students--Incentives
+ 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--Unions/Collective Bargaining--Strikes
+ Technology
+ Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware
+ Technology--Equitable Access
+ Technology--Funding Issues
+ Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training
+ Textbooks and Open Source
+ Urban--Change/Improvements