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From the ECS State Policy Database 2011 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 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 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 IL Signed into law 08/2011 P-12 Fiscal Efficiency and Shared Services S.B. 2134 Encourages each regional superintendent of schools to offer districts the opportunity to share in joint educational or operational programs, and to urge school districts to participate in such programs when the school district determines that such participatio... More... CA Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Allocation of Federal Funds to Districts A.B. 169 Clarifies that for purposes of state board allocation of federal funds to districts, "districts" are defined to include school districts, county offices of education, and other educational agencies or entities deemed eligible pursuant to state and federal law.... More... IN Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Operational Efficiency S.B. 1 - Operational Efficiency Reviews Requires the state department to develop a program to provide training and evaluations for school corporations in operational efficiency. Authorizes the department to contract with an outside entity to provide quality training. Requires any school corporation ... More... ME Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Creates Innovative Public School Zones and Innovative Public School Districts S.P. 466 Provides for the creation, submission, review and approval of innovation plans to establish innovative public school zones and innovative public school districts. Requires an innovative public school zone and an innovative public school district to demonstrate... More... TX Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Public Information Requests S.B. 8 - Public Information Requests From bill summary: Authorizes a district to require a person who requests public information provided by the district to pay the estimated charges for the request before the request is fulfilled. Page 17 of 19: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/821/billtext... More... ME Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Process for Energy Service Companies Contracting with Maine Schools H.P. 583 Removes provisions of law that allow school administrative units to use a process other than a competitive bid process in selecting energy service providers for the design, installation, operation, maintenance and financing of energy conservation or combined e... More... NC Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Permits Local Boards of Education to Jointly Establish Regional Schools S.B. 125 Authorizes local boards of education to jointly establish a regional school to serve enrolled students in two or more local school districts that will expand student opportunities for educational success through high quality instructional programming. Provides... More... NC Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Classroom Placement for Multiple Birth Siblings S.B. 726 Allows the parent of multiple birth siblings who are assigned to the same grade level and school to request a consultative meeting with the school principal to consider that the initial school placement of the siblings be in the same classroom or in separate c... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Powers of Political Subdivisions H.B. 153 - Powers of Political Subdivisions Section 9.482: Authorizes a political subdivision (including a school district), when authorized by their respective legislative authorities, to enter into an agreement with another political subdivision to allow the contracting political subdivision to exerci... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Local Government Innovation Program H.B. 153 - Local Government Innovation Program Creates new sections 189.01 through 189.09. Creates the local government innovation program to provide loans and grants for local government innovation projects. Creates the local government innovation council to establish criteria for and make loans and award... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Minimum Operating Standards for School Districts H.B. 153 - Minimum Operating Standards for School Districts Makes permissive rather than mandatory certain minimum operating standards for school districts established by 2009 H.B. 1, and found in Sec. 3301.07(D)(3). Replaces references to "organizational units" with references to "buildings" in this passage of 3301.07... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Educational Service Centers H.B. 153 - Educational Service Centers Authorizes an educational service center's governing board to task an executive committee of the governing board with performing specified actions. Provides that the appointed members of an educational service center governing board may be representative of th... More... OR Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Office of Regional Educational Services S.B. 250 Allows certain school districts of an education service district to withdraw from the education service district. Requires the education service district to distribute to school districts that withdrawn the school district's prorated amount of specified funds ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 District Employees and Charitable Contributions H.B. 1682 Prohibits district boards or employees from requiring or coercing any employee to make a contribution to a charitable organization or in response to a fund-raiser, or attend a meeting to solicit charitable contributions. Also prohibits district boards or emplo... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Prohibition of District Operation of a Hotel S.B. 764 Prohibits the board of trustees of an independent school district from using district funds, property, employees or other resources, or acquiring property for the design, construction, renovation, or operation of a hotel. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs... More... ME Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 School Closures/Annual Student Counts/Private Schools Annual Audit H.P. 959 Exempts certain reformulated school administrative districts that did not operate a K-12 program from the requirement to maintain such a program. Clarifies that the vote regarding the closure of an elementary or secondary school in a regional school unit is re... More... OK Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Task Force on Creating Administrative Efficiencies S.B. 536 Creates the Task Force on Creating Administrative Efficiencies until November 30, 2011. The seven-member task force must examine ways to reduce administrative costs and the impact on cost reductions on school district operations and student learning. http://we... More... AR Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Training on Audit Procedures H.B. 1708 Requires school district board members to obtain professional development concerning audit procedures. Defines scope and content of training and when a school board member must undergo training. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Acts/Act1213.pd... More... AR Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Districts with Fewer than 350 Students S.B. 383 Requires the Department of Education to annually publish a List of all school districts with fewer than three hundred 350 students according to the school district average daily membership in the school year immediately preceding the current school year. Prohi... More... AZ Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Ethics H.B. 2002 Prohibits school districts from paying for membership in an association that attempts to influence the outcome of an election. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/50leg/1r/bills/hb2002s.pdf... More... ID Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Records H.B. 21 Amends existing law relating to education to provide that accurate records or minutes of certain proceedings shall be kept, and shall be available for public inspection at the office of the affected school district. http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation... More... ID Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 School closure S.B. 1066 Specifies provisions for school discontinuation. Amends existing law relating to discontinuing a school to specify procedures and to provide for an exception if the school constitutes an imminent public safety hazard or if the school district board of trustees... More... NM Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 School Enrollment for Children of Military Personnel H.B. 14 Allows priority school enrollment within the attendance area to students whose parents are active duty military personnel in New Mexico. http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/11%20Regular/final/HB0014.pdf... More... OH Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Financial Reporting and Certain Standards for Operation of K-12 Programs H.B. 30 - Financial Reporting and Certain Standards for Operation of K-12 Programs Permits the state superintendent to issue waivers from certain financial reporting standards for districts and educational service centers, and certain state board standards for the operation of K-12 programs defined in divisions (B)(2) and (D) of Section 3301... More... UT Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Schools, Districts Prohibited from Hiring Lobbyist S.B. 123 Amends the definition of "agency" to include a school, a school district or a charter school. Prohibits a school, a school district or a charter school from expending state-appropriated money to pay a contract lobbyist. http://le.utah.gov/~2011/bills/sbillenr/... More... UT Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Regional Service Centers H.B. 92 From bill summary: Allows and encourages local school boards to enter into an interlocal agreement to create a regional service center to provide education related services. Requires a regional service center to be formed by an interlocal agreement to receive ... More... 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