From the ECS State Policy Database Curriculum--Language Arts

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. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary WV Adopted 06/2012 P-12 Defines content standards and instructional goals and objectives for reading and language arts, consistent with West Virginia's move to adopt the common core standards. Broadens scope of curriculum to include 21st century content standards and objectives as well as 21st century standards and objectives for learning skills and technology tools. Organizes around the three major components of a standards-based curriculum: learning standards, instructional objectives and performance descriptorsfor grades 2-12. The standards, objectives and performance descriptors are designed to provide clear, consistent priorities and focus, as well as depth of knowledge. The objectives spiral upward through the grade levels, eliminating repetition of content and increasing in rigor and depth of knowledge throughout the student's academic career. Asserts that the vision of the state board and department includes the triangulation of educational content, learning skills and technology tools standards within each classroom so that students will be able to think critically, analyze information, comprehend new ideas, communicate, collaborate, solve problems and make decisions. Makes all reading and language arts teachers responsible for the integration of Policy 2520.14 21st Century Learning Skills and Technology Tools in their classroom instruction. http://apps.sos.wv.gov/adlaw/csr/ruleview.aspx?document=8570 Title: WV ADC s 126-44A-1, 2, 3, 4 Source: apps.sos.wv.gov CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Sec. 1 - Establishes a task force to address the academic achievement gaps in Connecticut by considering effective approaches to closing the achievement gaps in elementary, middle and high schools. Requires the task force to submit a master plan to the General Assembly by July 1, 2012. Provides that the task force must terminate on January 1, 2020. Sec. 2 - Establishes an Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap (the council) to assist the achievement gap task force, in the development of the master plan to eliminate the academic achievement gaps in Connecticut, implement the provisions of the master plan, and, if necessary, make recommendations for legislation relating to the master plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly. Directs the council to submit annual progress reports on the implementation of the master plan to the General Assembly. Sec. 3 - Permits local or regional boards of education for schools designated as low-achieving under state law to increase the number of school sessions each year and the number of school hours each day in order to improve student performance and remove the school from the list of low-achieving schools. Sec. 4 - Provides that the summer reading program required in priority school districts must be offered to children enrolled in kindergarten who are determined by their school to be substantially deficient in reading based on measures established by the State Board of Education. Directs each priority school district to require the schools under its jurisdiction to assess the reading level of students enrolled in kindergarten at the end of the school year and in grades 1-3 at the beginning, middles and end of the school year (assessment was previously only required in grades 1-3 at the middle and end of the school year). Required individual reading plans must be monitored by school literacy teams that will consist of, but not be limited to, teachers, school reading specialists, internal or external reading consultants, the school principal and the provider of the additional instruction. Adds kindergarten to the grade range for which priority school districts may require students found substantially deficient in reading to attend summer school. Sec. 5 - Permits the Commissioner of Education to identify schools to participate in a pilot study for the purposes of promoting best practices in early literacy and closing the academic achievement gaps. Sec. 6 - Provides that the required statement of educational goals (which identify specific expectations for students in terms of skills, knowledge and competence) prepared by the board of education be annually established. Sec. 7 - Requires, on and after July 1, 2011, any person applying for a certification in the endorsement area of elementary education to achieve a satisfactory evaluation on the appropriate State Board of Education approved mathematics assessment in order to be eligible for such elementary education endorsement. Sec. 8 - Requires, not later than July 1, 2012, the Department of Education to approve and make available model curricula and frameworks in reading and mathematics for grades prekindergarten to grade four, inclusive, for use by boards of education for school districts or individual schools identified by the department as having academic achievement gaps. Sec. 9 - Requires the Connecticut School Reform Resource Center (the Center) to provide a program of professional development activities for teachers to educate such students that includes research-based child development and reading instruction tools and practices. Requires the Center to develop strategies for assisting such students who are in danger of failing and develop culturally-relevant methods for educating students whose primary language is not English. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/ACT/PA/2011PA-00085-R00SB-00929-PA.htm Title: S.B. 929 Source: http://www.cga.ct.gov NV Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Requires the state board of education to develop a model curriculum for the subjects of English language arts and mathematics. Provides for the dissemination of the model curriculum to school districts, charter schools and the regional training programs for the professional development of teachers and administrators. http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/76th2011/Bills/SB/SB14_EN.pdf Title: S.B. 14 Source: http://www.leg.state.nv.us IN Adopted 04/2011 P-12 Amends 511 IAC 6.1-5-2.6 to include the utilization of the reading framework adopted by the state board of education as part of the required elementary curriculum. Adds 511 IAC 6.2-3.1 to define and require elementary schools to submit a reading plan and to define the components of the reading plan. Defines the reading instruction and intervention requirements and specific intervention. Statutory authority: IC 20-19-2-8; IC 20-32-8.5. Title: 511 IAC 6.1-5-2.6; 511 IAC 6.2-3.1 Source: Westlaw/StateNet MI Signed into law 10/2010 P-12 Permits the Michigan Department of Education to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a federally recognized Native American tribe, the board of a school district, or the board of directors of a public school academy (PSA) authorizing the superintendent of public instruction to issue a 3-year letter of approval or continuing approval to allow the tribe, district, or PSA to use teachers who did not possess a valid Michigan teaching certificate to teach a Native American tribal language and culture class. http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/publicact/htm/2010-PA-0168.htm Title: S.B. 1014 Source: http://www.legislature.mi.gov WA Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Requires certification of speech-language pathology assistants; provides that a speech-language pathology assistant may only perform procedures or tasks delegated by the speech-language pathologist and must follow the individualized education program or treatment plan; requires the superintendent of public instruction to report to the department of health any complaints made against educational staff providing speech-language pathology services. Chapter 301 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5410-S.PL.pdf Title: S.B. 5601 Source: http://apps.leg.wa.gov AR Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Adds transcript requirements to provide evidence of end-of-course assessment credit for Algebra I and/or English II for specified future school years. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Acts/Act1307.pdf Title: H.B. 1959 Source: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ NM Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Requires that media literacy be offered as an elective for public school students in grades six through twelve. http://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/09%20Regular/final/HB0342.pdf Title: H.B. 342 Source: http://nmlegis.gov/ CA Vetoed 09/2008 P-12 Relates to the State Board of Education and school curriculum content standards. Requires that prior to the adoption of a curriculum framework, a content standards review panel must be appointed for reading/language arts and history/social sciences. Requires the review panel to review content in its subject area and recommend changes to the state board. Requires hearings on recommended changes to content standards. Amends provisions regarding a repeal. http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm Title: S.B. 1097 Source: http://www.assembly.ca.gov CA Vetoed 09/2008 P-12 Requires the State Board of Education to include a chapter in its regulations concerning the development of curriculum frameworks and the adoption of instructional materials that provides for language and content instruction focusing particularly on those designated to be in the lowest proficiency levels by the English Language Development Test. http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm Title: S.B. 1607 Source: http://www.assembly.ca.gov MO Approved by voters 05/2008 P-12 Postsec. Community College (CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 1;HJR 7 - 2007) Proposes an amendment to the Constitution relating to English as the Official State Language. Title: V. 1 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Vetoed 09/2007 P-12 Authorizes the Department of Education to make a primary language assessment available to public schools for assessing pupils enrolled in dual language immersion programs that include the primary language of the assessments at their own expense. Requires districts to enter an agreement with the state testing contractor. Requires the Superintendent of Public Education to release annually to the public a percentage of test items from any of the state Standards Tests administered in previous years. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1501-1550/ab_1540_bill_20070925_enrolled.pdf Veto message: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_0251-0300/ab_252_vt_20071013.html Title: A.B. 252 Source: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/ CA Became law without governor's signature 07/2007 P-12 Requests the Governor and all state agencies to work together to alleviate the critical shortage of speech-language pathologists in the state. Resolutions points to the increasing number of children in the state with autism and the shortage of skilled pathologists to address the issue. Resolution Chapter No. 104 http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/scr_40_bill_20070412_introduced.html Title: S.C.R. 40 Source: http://info.sen.ca.gov MN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Directs the Department of Education to provide specialized services to the blind and physically handicapped through the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped under a cooperative plan with the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress. http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H2245.2.html&session=ls85 Title: H.F. 2245 [Services to Blind and Physically Handicapped] Source: http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us MS Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Relates to dyslexia screening and remediation pilot programs. Requires state department of education to select a literacy and numeracy screening instrument to be used by districts for K-3 students. Requires all districts to use selected instrument. Districts may not use instrument to determine grade promotion and must report data to the state department annually. Requires the department to annually report on the effectiveness of of the instrument for literacy and numeracy screening purposes. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2007/html/HB/1000-1099/HB1058PS.htm Title: H.B. 1058 Source: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us WV Adopted 10/2006 P-12 Amends rules regarding reading and language arts content standards and objectives for West Virginia schools. http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2520.1_ne.pdf Title: Title 126, Series 44A Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet NM Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, each school district shall offer at least one honors or similar academically rigorous class each in mathematics and language arts in each high school. http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/05%20Regular/final/SB0069.pdf Title: S.B. 69 Source: StateNet VA Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Amends section 22.1-253.13:1 and 22.1-253.13:2 . Specifies that the Standards of Learning form the core of Virginia's educational program and other educational objectives. Specifies that the state board must, at a minimum, define Standards of Learning for English, mathematics, science, history and social science. Specifies that "communication" as included in the Standards of Learning comprises listening, speaking, reading and writing. To passage on public input on proposed revisions to the Standards of Learning, adds that the department must provide and maintain Web capacity to allowing K-12 educators to submit recommendations for improvements to the Standards of Learning, when under review by the state board, as well as to the related assessments. Deletes "career education schools" from language requiring local boards to implement career and technical education programs. Provisions (i) increase from one half-time to one full-time principal in elementary schools with fewer than 300 students; (ii) provide one full-time assistant principal for each 400 students in each school, regardless of grade level; (iv) lower the pupil-teacher ratio from 25:1 to 21:1 in middle and high schools, to ensure the provision of scheduled teacher planning time; (v) reduce the required speech pathologist caseload from 68 to 60 students; (vi) require two technology support positions per 1,000 students in kindergarten through grade 12 divisionwide; and (viii) modify the current funding mechanism for remediation. Requires the state board to submit to the governor and the general assembly a report on the condition and needs of public education in the commonwealth and shall identify any school divisions and the specific schools therein that have failed to establish and maintain schools meeting the existing prescribed standards of quality. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?041+ful+CHAP0955 Title: H.B. 1014 Source: leg1.state.va.us UT Unofficially approved by voters 11/2000 P-12 INITIATIVE A Declares English as Utah's official and sole language for state and local government documents and action; exempts those documents and actions required by the United States and Utah constitutions, federal law and regulations, law enforcement, public safety, and health requirements, public and higher education, certain judicial proceedings, economic development and tourism, and libraries. Title: V. 1 English Only Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Vetoed 08/2000 P-12 Appropriates, without regard to fiscal year, a specified amount from the General Fund to the California Postsecondary Education Commission for the purpose of preparing and submitting to the governor, certain members of the legislature, and prescribed state officials, a long-term self-sustaining strategic action plan for language development, teaching, and learning. Provides conditions for a contract with the Center for Intensive Language and Culture. Title: S.B. 576 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet UT On 11/07/2000 ballot 07/2000 P-12 Establishes English as the official language of the State of Utah. Title: V. 1 Ballot Initiative Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Signed into law 07/2000 P-12 Relates to existing law which requires a school district with pupils who are English learners to conduct annual assessments on the pupils English. Requires that the annual assessment be conducted upon initial enrollment during a period of time determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Establishes, until 01/01/2004, the English Language and Intensive Literacy Program for pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Title: S.B. 1667 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Signed into law 06/2000 P-12 Relates to existing law which establishes the English Language Acquisition Program which is designed for schools maintaining grades 4 to 8, inclusive, and under which English Language Development Professional Institutes provide instruction for school teams from each school participating in the program. Authorizes the institutes to provide instruction to school teams serving English language learners in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Title: A.B. 2881 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet HI Vetoed 06/2000 P-12 Creates standards for the Hawaiian language immersion program; states the Department of Education shall create a separate Office of Hawaiian Language Immersion Instruction for the direction and control of the program. Title: S.B. 2722 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet NE Rejected by voters 05/2000 P-12 (LR 20-1999); Constitutional amendment; eliminates the English language requirement in private, denominational, and parochial schools. Title: V. 4 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet