---

From the ECS State Policy Database 2012 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 2012. 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 Drive 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--High Stakes/Competency At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education Attendance Attendance--Compulsory Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower) Attendance--Truancy Background Checks Bilingual/ESL Career/Technical Education Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Cheating Choice of Schools 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--Tax Credits Choice of Schools--Vouchers Civic Education Civic Education--Character Education Civic Education--Curriculum/Standards Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance Class Size Counseling/Guidance Curriculum Curriculum--Arts Education Curriculum--Drivers Education Curriculum--Excusal Curriculum--Family Living Education Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed. Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education Curriculum--Language Arts Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Multicultural Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Curriculum--Sex Education Curriculum--Social Studies/History Data-Driven Improvement Economic/Workforce Development Equity Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--Bonds Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Local Foundations/Funds Finance--Lotteries 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--Regional Entities Governance--School Boards Governance--School Boards--Training Governance--Site-Based Management Governance--State Boards/Chiefs/Agencies Health Health--Child Abuse 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 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--Preparation Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Professional Development Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Tenure Mentoring/Tutoring Middle School Minority/Diversity Issues Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian No Child Left Behind No Child Left Behind--Choice/Transfer No Child Left Behind--Consequences for Schools No Child Left Behind--Reauthorization Issues/Waivers 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 Data Systems P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) P-3 Ensuring Quality P-3 Family Involvement 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 Teaching Quality/Professional Development Parent/Family Parent/Family--Parent Rights Partnerships--University/School Postsecondary Postsecondary Accountability Postsecondary Accountability--Accreditation Postsecondary Accountability--Licensing/Program Review and Approval 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--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--Private/Independent Postsecondary Online Instruction Postsecondary Participation Postsecondary Participation--Access Postsecondary Participation--Enrollments (Statistics) Postsecondary Participation--Outreach Postsecondary Students Postsecondary Students--Adults Postsecondary Students--Disabled Postsecondary Students--Foster Youth Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional Postsecondary Students--Military Postsecondary Success Postsecondary Success--Completion Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation Postsecondary Success--Retention/Persistence Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation Private Schools Privatization--Education Management Agencies (EMOs) Proficiency-Based Approaches Promotion/Retention Purposes of Public Education Reading/Literacy Religion Religion--Prayer/Meditation Religion--Scientific Creationism (Evolution) 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--Year School Safety CA Signed into law 09/2012 P-12 Strikes "Pedophilia" from Inclusion under Sexual Orientation in School Safety Law A.B. 401 From bill summary: States legislative intent that public schools have access to supplemental resources to combat bias on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientatio... More... CA Signed into law 09/2012 P-12 Ceiling on Parent Liability for Damages Caused by Minor Pupil A.B. 2662 - Ceiling on Parent Liability for Damages Caused by Minor Pupil From bill summary: Allows $10,000 limit on liability for damages caused by minor pupil's misconduct to be adjusted annually for inflation. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_2651-2700/ab_2662_bill_20120926_chaptered.pdf... More... DE Signed into law 08/2012 pre-K-12 Reporting School Crimes H.B. 243 Simplifies the mandatory report requirements for schools, ensuring that the most serious offenses are reported to law enforcement while giving schools discretion to handle minor offenses without mandatory reporting. Requires that all relevant special education... More... IL Signed into law 08/2012 P-12 Students' Criminal Records and Information about Current Police Investigations H.B. 5602 Clarifies individuals and circumstances by which information surrounding a child's detainment under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 may be used. Specifies such information may be used solely by school principal or officials determined to have a legitimate educa... More... IL Signed into law 08/2012 P-12 High School Course for Preventing Interpersonal, Adolescent Violence (including Dating Violence) H.B. 5689 Creates the Eradicate Domestic Violence Task Force to develop a statewide prevention course for high school students designed to prevent interpersonal, adolescent violence based on the Step Back Program for boys and girls. Establishes specific duties of the ta... More... CA Signed into law 07/2012 P-12 School Police Department A.B. 2368 From bill summary: Authorizes a district governing board to establish a school police department under the supervision of a school chief of police, and authorizes the employment of peace officers to ensure the safety of district personnel and pupils, and the s... More... HI Signed into law 07/2012 P-12 Safe Routes to School Program H.B. 2626 Permanently establishes within the department of transportation the safe routes to school program to, among other purposes, enhance traffic safety around schools, and enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school. Creates the position of safe rou... More... PA Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Intergovernmental Agreements for School Security and Safety H.B. 1901- Section 617 Adds new section entitled Intergovernmental Agreements for School Security and Safety. Allows districts to enter into agreements with other political subdivisions to provide for the safety and security of the school. Allows the district to use funds to share c... More... CO Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Safe School Provisions H.B. 1345 (sec. 22+) Includes, among other provisions, safe school components. Requires local boards to adopt a mission statement that includes making safety for all students and staff a priority in each school. Requires each district to take reasonable measures to ensure that eac... More... CO Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 School Resource Officers and Reporting H.B. 1345 - School Resource Officers, Reporting of Delinquency Includes sections on the use of school resource officers (22-32-146) and requires annual reports on the number of students investigated by the office for delinquent offenses, including the number of students investigated for each type of delinquent offense, th... More... GA Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Electronic Communications Devices S.B. 289 - Electronic Communications Devices Repeals section 20-2-1183, which provided that student possession of an electronic communication device in school is permitted or prohibited as specifically prescribed by local board rule or policy. Page 7 of 7: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/127... More... TN Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 School Safety S.B. 1429 Broadens the purpose of certain statutory restrictions concerning who may enter school grounds during school hours. http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB1429.pdf... More... VT Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 School Resource Officers S.B. 181 Exempts school resource officers from the department of education's rule regulating the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. Encourages school boards and law enforcement agencies to enter into memoranda of understanding relating to the possession and use... More... GA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Electronic Communication Devices in School H.B. 706 - Electronic Communication Devices in School Repeals Section 20-2-1183, which provided that student possession of an electronic communication device in school was to be permitted or prohibited as prescribed by local board policy, and set forth parameters if local policy prohibited or permitted students t... More... ME Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Review of Regulations Governing Timeout Rooms, Therapeutic Restraints and Aversives H.R. 1360 Provides for legislative review of Chapter 33: Regulations Governing Timeout Rooms, Therapeutic Restraints and Aversives in Public Schools and Approved Private Schools, a major substantive rule of the Department of Education. http://www.mainelegislature.org/l... More... OK Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Authority to Remove Individual from School Activities and Field Trips H.B. 2750 Extends superintendent's or principal's authority to allow for the removal of any individual attending an official school activity or field trip where students are present, including an activity or field trip not on school property, when the superintendent or ... More... TN Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 School Safety--Student Removal S.B. 3116 Charges each local board of education with adopting a policy regarding a teacher's ability to relocate a student for that student's safety or the safety of others. Defines use of reasonable or justifiable force. Requires teacher to file a brief report. Stipula... More... VA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Publishing Disciplinary Offense and Outcome Data H.B. 367 Requires the Board of Education to annually publish disciplinary offense and outcome data by race, ethnicity, gender, and disability for each public school in the Commonwealth on its website. http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB367ER+pdf ... More... IN Signed into law 03/2012 P-12 School Discipline Best Practices Study Commission H.B. 1169 Requests the legislative council to establish a study commission on the topic of school discipline best practices. http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/PDF/HE/HE1169.1.pdf... More... VA Signed into law 03/2012 Postsec. Campus Police; Mutual Aid Agreements with Local Law-enforcement Agencies and State Police S.B. 302 Requires campus police to enter into mutual aid agreements with a local law-enforcement agency or the State Police for cooperation in providing assistance with the investigation of deaths and alleged rapes occurring on college campuses. http://lis.virginia.gov... More... VA Signed into law 03/2012 Postsec. Disclosure of Health and Criminal History Records to Private Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education H.B. 1152 Authorizes threat assessment teams established by private nonprofit institutions of higher education to receive health and criminal history records of students for the purposes of assessment and intervention with individuals whose behavior may present a threat... More... WI Signed into law 03/2012 P-12 Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint in Public Schools, Including Charter Schools S.B. 353 Creates a new provision relating to the use of seclusion and physical restraint on pupils in public schools, including charter schools. Defines "covered individual" and limits use of seclusion or physical restraint to those individuals (teachers or student tea... More... AR Adopted 02/2012 P-12 School District Student Discipline and School Safety Policies AR ADC 005.15.17-1.00 to AR ADC 005.15.17-6.00 Sets forth guidelines to assist school districts with developing, reviewing and revising student discipline and school safety policies. Requires that parents, students and school district personnel be involved in the development of district student discipline ... More... VA Signed into law 02/2012 Postsec. Institutions of Higher Education; Crisis and Emergency Management Plans H.B. 305/S.B. 356 Increases the Department of Emergency Management's oversight of institutional crisis and emergency management plans by requiring institutions to certify in writing to the Department that the required annual reviews and functional exercises have been conducted.... More... School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution 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--Facilities School/District Structure/Operations--Food Service School/District Structure/Operations--Org. (K-3/K-8 etc.) School/District Structure/Operations--Personnel (Non-Teaching) 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--Ballot Questions State Policymaking--Constitutional Clauses State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap Student Surveys Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Employment Students--K-12 Exchange Students 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 Contracts (Not Tenure) Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Technology Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Equitable Access Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Internet Safety Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training Textbooks and Open Source Urban