---

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 Counseling/Guidance 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 Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate 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 Mentoring/Tutoring 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 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--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 Remediation (K-12) Rural Scheduling/School Calendar IL Signed into law 08/2011 P-12 Full-Year School Plan H.B. 1415 Provides that if certain specified schools remain on academic watch status for two years, subject to the availability of federal appropriation money, the state board must allow the local school board to operate the school on a state board-approved pilot full-y... More... MN Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Length of School Year H.F. 26 Establishes a minimum number of hours for student instruction.  Sets the hours at 425 hours per year for kindergarten pupils, 935 hours for pupils in grades 1 to 6 and 1,020 hours per year for pupils in grades 7 to 12. Clarifies that this section does not supe... More... CA Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 School Calendar Reduction for 2011-12 School Year A.B. 114 - School Calendar Reduction for 2011-12 School Year Adds new Section 46201.3 to specify (only if subdivision (c) of Section 3.94 of the Budget Act of 2011 is operative) that for the 2011–12 school year, the minimum number of instructional days and minutes school districts, county offices of education, and chart... More... NC Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Study Length of School Year H.B. 765 Establishes a Blue Ribbon Task Force to study the length of the school year, cost of implementation, current cost of remediation, effects current calendar has of math and science scores. Provides that a report is due to the General Assembly by December 31, 201... More... NV Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 School Year A.B. 117 Under existing law, each school district is required to schedule and provide annually a minimum of 180 days of school and a charter school is required to provide at least as many days of school as are required for other public schools in the school district in... More... TN Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 School Closures S.B. 449 Prohibits charging a teacher with a day of leave for any day on which the teacher's school or school district is closed because of natural disaster, inclement weather, serious outbreak of contagious illness or other unexpected event. http://state.tn.us/sos/ac... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Exception to School Start Date H.B. 1555 Permits a district to begin instruction before the fourth Monday of August at a single campus or at not more than 20% of campuses in the district if the district has an enrollment of 190,000 or more, provides with local funds additional days of instruction at ... More... GA Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Remediation H.B. 192 - Remediation Extends for 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years a provision waiving the state from specified reimbursement for additional days of instruction for low-performing students. Page 8 of 11: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/116810.pdf... More... GA Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Middle School Program H.B. 192 - Middle School Program Amends grade configurations and other criteria that qualify schools for participation in the middle school program. Repeals provision requiring minimum 5 hours of instruction in middle schools to include, for students not performing on grade level, remedial in... More... HI Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Length of Instructional Year H.B. 945 Excludes multi-track public schools from the 180-day school year requirement. Repeals provision requiring the 180-day instructional year to include 915 instructional hours for the elementary grades and 990 instructional hours for the secondary grades. Repeals ... More... NC Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 School Calendar H.B. 197 Requires each board of education to adopt a school calendar with a minimum of either 180 days or 1,000 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months (previous law required a minimum of 180 days and 1,000 hours). Requires the local board to design... More... NH Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Definition of Length of School Year H.B. 112 Provides that the number of days in the school year may be defined by the department of education in rules which specify an equivalent number of hours. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2011/HB0112.html... More... AZ Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 School Calendar S.B. 1256--School Calendar Amends Arizona Revised Statute Section 15-802 to state that if a child attends a school that is operated on a year-round basis, the child shall regularly attend during school sessions that total not less than 180 days or 200 school days, as applicable, or the ... More... HI Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Exception to Single School Calendar for All Schools S.B. 1171 Provides that the single school calendar for all public schools does not apply to schools designated by the board of education in furtherance of a plan to improve educational outcome in students. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/Bills/SB1171_.HTM... More... ND Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Emergency Closures H.B. 1030 Provides that if a public school or district remains closed or provides less than a full day of instruction because of severe weather or other emergency conditions, the Governor may waive the rescheduling in whole or in part. Although the governor has been pro... More... OH Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Calamity Days H.B. 36 To amend sections 3313.482, 3314.08, and 3317.01 of the Revised Code to excuse up to five, instead of three, calamity days for the 2010-2011 school year, to broaden schools' authority to make up calamity days by lengthening remaining days in the school year, t... More... AR Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Studying Extended School Year S.B. 711 Directs the interim Senate Committee on Education and the interim House Committee on Education to jointly study issues relevant to the adoption of an extended school year and report the committees' findings to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Sp... More... CA Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Shortening School Year by 5 Days S.B. 70 - Sec. 46201.2 Extends through 2014-15 school year the provision allowing a school district, county office of education or charter school to shorten its instructional year by up to 5 days without incurring fiscal penalties. Page 45 of 81: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/... More... KS Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 School for the Deaf and Blind H.B. 2078 Allows the School for the Blind to conduct training programs year round. Current law does not prohibit the School for the Deaf from conducting training sessions at any time during the year. http://kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/year1/measures/documents/hb2078_e... More... KY Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Lost Instructional Days H.B. 427 - Lost Instructional Days Section 2: Permits the commissioner of education to grant up to the equivalent of 10 instructional days for school years 2010-11 and 2011-12 for districts that have missed an average of 20 or more days in the previous three years and use alternative methods of... More... MS Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Veterans' Day S.B. 2659 Directs public schools to conduct exercises in honor of Armistice Day (Veterans' Day). http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2011/pdf/SB/2600-2699/SB2659SG.pdf... More... VA Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 "Good Cause" Waiver from post-Labor Day Opening H.B. 1483 Adds to the ''good cause" circumstances for which school divisions may be granted a waiver from the post-Labor Day school opening schedule a school division that is entirely surrounded by a school division that has an opening date prior to Labor Day in the sch... More... AR Signed into law 02/2011 P-12 Scheduling First Day of School H.B. 1099 Allows districts flexibility in establishing first day of school, to be on or after the Monday of the 24 week in which August 19 falls; (ii) Not earlier than August 14; and (iii) no Not later than August 26. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bi... More... AR Signed into law 02/2011 P-12 Common Spring Break H.B. 1224 Extends through the 2013 school year the term and duties of the advisory committe on common spring break. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bills/HB1224.pdf... More... MS Signed into law 02/2011 P-12 Exemption from Minimum School Calendar H.B. 1156 Exempts certain school districts from the requirement to operate schools for the minimum of 180 days in the event of extreme weather conditions. Allows affected districts to receive per-pupil expenditure payments from the state department of education for up t... More... VA Issued 02/2011 P-12 Efficacy of Year-Round Schools H.J.R. 646 Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the efficacy of year-round schools, specifically reviewing: (i) the Board of Education's procedure for approving year-round schools; (ii) which school divisions have implemented year-round scho... More... 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--Military Standards Standards--Common Core State Standards State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement 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