| State |
Status/Date |
Level |
Summary |
|
 MD | Signed into law 05/2012 | Postsec. | Establishes the Northeast Maryland Higher Education Advisory Board to support the development of higher education in two rural counties in Maryland. Requires representatives on Board to include members from the regional business industries and from the county offices of economic development. Determines that the Board must, among other things, assist and support development of higher education in the two counties and provide guidance and support in iddentifying institutions and programs to serve higher education and workforce needs in the counties.http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/bills/hb/hb0362e.pdf
Title: H.B. 362
Source: mlis.state.md.us
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| NY | Issued 04/2012 | P-12 | Establishes the New NY Education Reform Commission to provide guidance and advice to the governor on education policy, performance, and innovation. Directs the commission to study the best national and international public education models and best practices to recommend ways to increase educational productivity and student performance in the state. Directs the commission to comprehensively review and assess the state's education system to ultimately create significant savings while improving student achievement and providing students with a high-quality education. Requires that the review include, but not be limited to:
a. studying teacher recruitment and performance, including incentives to keep the best teachers, and the teacher preparation, certification and evaluation systems;
b. analyzing factors that support P-12 student achievement to ensure all students are on track to graduate from high school ready for college, careers, and active citizenship;
c. evaluating education funding, distribution of state aid, and operating costs to identify efficiencies in spending while maintaining the quality of educational programs, including special education;
d. increasing parent and family engagement, including examining the school calendar and district-level policies that increase parental involvement;
e. examining the unique issues faced by high-need urban and rural districts, including comparing best practices and identifying the different services that these districts might require to be successful;
f. analyzing the availability of technology and its best use in the classroom, including the accessibility of, and obstacles to, using technology in the classroom in light of the requirements and demands of the job market to best prepare our students; and
g. examining the overall structure of the state's education system to determine whether it meets students' needs while respecting the taxpayer.
Directs the commission to compare student achievement outcomes with education spending, focusing on districts that generate higher than average achievement per dollars spent, including high-need districts that are providing students with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education, and identifying how districts can boost student achievement without increasing spending. Directs the commission to submit preliminary recommendations by December 2012, and final recommendations by September 2013, at which time the commission will terminate its work.
http://www.governor.ny.gov/executiveorder/44
Title: E.O. No. 44
Source: www.governor.ny.gov
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| PA | Adopted 07/2011 | Postsec.
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
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| IA | Signed into law 04/2011 | P-12
Postsec. | Establishes a council for agricultural education (advisory). Sets membership and duties. The duties of the council are to review, develop, and recommend standards for secondary and postsecondary agricultural education.
http://search.legis.state.ia.us/NXT/gateway.dll/cl/84th%20ga%20-%20session%201/01___enrolled/001___bills/01___house/hf592.html?f=templates$fn=document-frameset.htm$q=agriculture$x=server$3.0#LPHit1
Title: H.B. 592
Source: http://search.legis.state.ia.us
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| MT | Passed 04/2011 | Postsec. | A joint resolution urging the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Higher Education to study the growing divide between rural and urban communities and to present the findings and recommendations of the study to the legislature's Education and Local Government Interim Committee.
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2011/billpdf/SJ0008.pdf
Title: S.J.R. 8
Source: http://data.opi.mt.gov
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| AL | Issued 01/2011 | P-12 | Makes findings relative to education in rural areas of Alabama. Creates the Alabama Office of Rural Development. Provides the Alabama Office of Rural Development will be managed by a director and to consist of members to be appointed by, and to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. Directs this office, under the leadership of the director, to work with existing department heads, commissioners and directors to coordinate the efforts of their state agencies, departments, and commissions that support, aid or assist, or have the capacity to support, aid or assist in the education, healthcare and economic development in rural areas of Alabama. Rescinds Executive Order #22, issued on August 11, 2004, and Executive Order #50, issued on June 4, 2010. http://governor.alabama.gov/news/news_detail.aspx?ID=4249
Title: Executive Order 5
Source: governor.alabama.gov
| |
| AL | Issued 06/2010 | P-12 | Creates the Alabama Rural Action Commission. Identifies responsibilities of the commission, including to set comprehensive goals and specific objectives for improving the quality of life in rural Alabama, and to identify and assess organizations, authorities, and entities already involved in various aspects of rural education and economic development. http://governorpress.alabama.gov/pr/ex-50-2010-06-04.asp
Title: E.O. 50
Source: governorpress.alabama.gov
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| OR | Signed into law 06/2009 | P-12 | Extends the date by which a school must qualify as a small high school for the purpose of calculating the school district's adjusted daily weighted membership; allows certain school districts to continue to increase property tax rates; excludes amounts attributable to an increase from local revenues of a school district for purposes of calculating State School Fund grants. Chapter 698
http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2500.dir/hb2533.en.pdf
Title: H.B. 2533
Source: http://www.leg.state.or.us/
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| MN | Signed into law 05/2009 | P-12 | Ties course credits to state and local academic standards. Requires Minnesota students to successfully pass state graduation exams effective August 1, 2012, and applicable to 9th grade students beginning in the 2012-2013 school year and later.
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0002.5.html&session=ls86
Title: H.F. 2
Source: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us
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| MN | Signed into law 05/2009 | P-12 | Authorizes a school district that closes a school facility to receive the greater of its sparsity revenue computed under current law or the amount of sparsity revenue it received in the previous year.
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0002.5.html&session=ls86
Title: H.F. 2
Source: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us
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| MN | Signed into law 05/2009 | P-12 | Makes districts in the rural equity region eligible for assistance in developing Q-Comp applications with specific compensation program components. Requires the commissioner to provide technical assistance to rural districts or groups of rural districts.
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0002.5.html&session=ls86
Title: H.F. 2
Source: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us
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| ID | Signed into law 04/2009 | P-12 | Relates to public schools; provides that certain school districts shall be considered rural school districts; provides that certain public charter schools shall be considered rural public charter schools. Chapter 239
http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2009/S1165.pdf
Title: S.B. 1165
Source: http://www.legislature.idaho.govf
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| AR | Signed into law 04/2009 | P-12 | Creates the Mobile Learning Technology Pilot Program to provide for mobile learning in rural school districts; provides that each district participating in the program shall equip school buses with wireless Internet service and purchase a specified number of laptop computers, portable devices for storing video files, a specified number of media screens, and math and science software; provides that the participating school district may use foundation funding for such purposes.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Acts/Act827.pdf
Title: H.B. 1273
Source: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us
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| NY | Signed into law 09/2008 | P-12 | Establishes the New York State Center for Rural Schools to operate the state rural education program. Eliminates the authority of the commissioner of education to run such program; expands the membership of the rural education advisory committee. Provides that the program is to disseminate research findings, information, materials and best practices. Directs the committee to promote community and school involvement and collaboration in the development and implementation of policies and activities, and to prepare an annual report, as well as special focus reports that may result from specific research and other activities. http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S07124&sh=t
Title: S.B. 7124
Source: assembly.state.ny.us
| |
| TX | Signed into law 06/2007 | P-12
Postsec. | Subject to available funds, the office shall establish a grant program under which the Office of Rural Community Affairs awards grants to public institutions of higher education, public high schools, and governmental entities located in a rural county for the development and operation of multi-institutional technology centers.
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/HB02235F.pdf
Title: H.B. 2235
Source: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us
| |
| TX | Signed into law 05/2007 | P-12 | Requires the commissioner to award grants to organizations that provide volunteers for programs to enhance college readiness, workforce readiness, dropout prevention, and personal
financial literacy. Also requires the commissioner of education to review and approve dropout prevention strategies in districts meeting certain criteria. New Section 29.919 requires the commissioner of education to establish a pilot program to provide grants to rural campuses for technology-based supplemental instruction. State funds for the program are limited to $4 million a year, or greater amount as provided by appropriations.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/HB02237F.pdf
Title: H.B. 2237 (Supplemental Help Provisions)
Source: http://www.legis.state.tx.us
| |
| MS | Signed into law 04/2007 | Postsec.
Community College | Establishes the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program to identify and recruit university and college students from rural areas of the state for medical or osteopathic school matriculation. Participating students will be provided with financial assistance. Establishes a commission to operate and establish rules for the program.
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2007/html/HB/1400-1499/HB1465SG.htm
Title: H.B. 1465
Source: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
| |
| ID | Signed into law 04/2007 | P-12 | Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to expend $100,000 of a state appropriation to conduct a study and develop plans that address the challenges of rural schools including, but not limited to, the issues of declining enrollment, inefficiencies in administration and service delivery, and recruitment of qualified teachers. Session Law Chapter 352
http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/S1236.html
Title: S.B. 1236 (Section 7)
Source: www3.state.id.us
| |
| NM | Signed into law 03/2007 | P-12 | Provides grants to improve existing rural libraries' collections and services and provide resources to plan and establish new rural libraries, provides professional development to librarians and other library staff in rural libraries, connects rural libraries to communications networks and improves access to library materials and technology for rural citizens. Creates the rural library development fund.
http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/07%20Regular/final/HB0655.pdf
Title: H.B. 655
Source: http://legis.state.nm.us
| |
| KS | Signed into law 05/2006 | P-12 | Defines 'extraordinary declining enrollment' as a district enrollment which has declined during the preceding three school years at a rate of at least 5% per year or by at least 50 students per year, whichever is greater. Bars the board of any district with extraordinary declining enrollment from authorizing the issuance of any bonds for the construction of a new building without having first advised and consulted with the joint committee on state building construction. Following a hearing between the local board and the committee, directs the committee to make a recommendation on the advisability of the proposed issuance of bonds. Requires a copy of the committee's recommendation to be provided to the district and to the state board of education within 15 days of the date of the hearing.
Provides that if the joint committee recommends against the issuance of any bonds for the construction of a new building and if the district proceeds to issue bonds for such construction, the district is not entitled to state aid for such bonds.
Bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/549.pdf
Conference Committee Report Brief: http://www.kslegislature.org/supplemental/2006/CCRB549.pdf
Title: S.B. 549 - Section 4
Source: www.kslegislature.org
| |
| ID | Signed into law 04/2006 | P-12 | Specifies that $1,100,000 of the appropriation in section 3 of the bill be distributed to the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, as follows:
(1) $200,000 shall be utilized to reduce or eliminate tuition charged by the Idaho Digital Learning Academy to Idaho students. Requires any funds remaining after the elimination of such tuition charges to be used to provide advanced placement coursework.
(2) Of the remaining $900,000, the highest priority shall be to provide remedial coursework for students failing to achieve proficiency in 1 or more areas of the Idaho Standards Achievement Test. Allows funds to be used to provide basic coursework, advanced placement coursework, and other specialized coursework not available in many small school districts.
http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/2006/H0847.html#billtext
Title: H.B. 847 Section 9
Source: www3.state.id.us
| |
| CO | Signed into law 05/2005 | P-12 | Defines "high-poverty school" and "rural school district." Expands teacher loan forgiveness pilot program to include teachers who (1) contract to teach in a high-poverty public elementary school in a rural school district or in a facility school in a rural school district; (2) work at least half-time in a qualified position in a rural district or, beginning in the 2005-2006 school year, full-time in a qualified position if employed in a district other than a rural district; and (3) will be liable for an outstanding balance on a CollegeInvest loan or a loan through a lender with an agreement with CollegeInvest to offer loans.
Specifies that if a teacher qualifies for the teacher loan forgiveness pilot program by working in a high-poverty elementary school in a rural district and in a subsequent academic year the school is no longer classified as a high-poverty elementary school in a rural district, the teacher may continue to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness pilot program if he/she continues to teach in the same school. Adds, however, that a participating teacher who transfers to a nonqualifying school forfeits participant status.
Requires the department to annually identify high-poverty elementary schools in rural districts.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/77BA02C2AD41CBA087256F90007DF598?Open&file=191_enr.pdf
Title: S.B. 191
Source: www.leg.state.co.us
| |
| AR | Signed into law 04/2005 | P-12 | Allows a school district to close an isolated school or part thereof following an annexation or consolidation. Specifies that the state board may approve a motion to close such a school if the closure is in the best interest of the students in the school district as a whole. Bars the state board from allowing an isolated school to be closed if it finds the closure will have any negative impact on desegregation efforts or will violate any valid court order from a court of proper jurisdiction.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/HB1289.pdf
Title: H.B. 1289
Source: www.arkleg.state.ar.us
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| AR | Signed into law 03/2005 | P-12 | Provides special needs funding for certain isolated schools; provides special needs funding for certain school districts with a low student density. ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/bills/2005/public/SB391.pdf
Title: S.B. 391
Source: StateNet
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| MI | Signed into law 09/2004 | P-12 | Ensures a minimum level of funding to small, rural and Upper Peninsula or island districts that are not near other schools or accessible by a bridge.
http://www.michiganlegislature.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2004-SB-1069
Title: S.B. 1069
Source: StateNet
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| CA | Vetoed 09/2004 | P-12
Postsec. | Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and, where appropriate, the State Department of Education, to incorporate into licensure requirements for teacher candidates, professional development requirements for renewal of licenses, and accreditation requirements for preparation programs components to ensure that teachers are capable of teaching children with diverse needs, ethnicities, nationalities, and
languages, of teaching children who bring particular challenges to the learning process, and of teaching in urban and rural settings.
Repeals provisions authorizing the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue or renew emergency teaching or specialist permits in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission and provided that certain conditions are met.
Authorizes the commission to issue or renew acute and anticipated emergency credentials, as defined. Requires an applicant seeking an emergency permit to meet specified criteria, including possession of a baccalaureate degree and passage of the state basic skills proficiency test. Provides that both types of permits shall be valid for only one year, except that the anticipated emergency permit may be renewed for
an additional year if the permitholder meets specified requirements.
Existing law requires that a person employed in a position requiring certification qualifications be classified on a salary schedule on the basis or uniform allowance for years of training and years of experience, as specified. This bill imposes a state-mandated local program by requiring the governing board of a school district to review its compensation policies and revise them as needed to ensure that the continuing professional education for which it grants salary credit is targeted to courses likely to yield clear benefit in terms of the pedagogical instructional leadership, management skills, or academic subject matter knowledge of its employees.]
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to eliminate waivers authorizing the assignment of a credentialholder to a position not authorized by the credential of the holder and that they be authorized only in cases where there is no other alternative but to fill the position with a 30-day substitute teacher. The bill would further express the intent of the Legislature that each teacher serving in a school ranked in the bottom 3 deciles of the Academic Performance Index possess a valid teaching credential authorizing the holder to provide the service to which the holder is assigned.
This bill would also express the intent of the Legislature that this act accomplish specified objectives, including, but not limited to, establishing professional development activities that reward exceptional teachers for continuing to render services in a classroom, collaborations among school districts, professional associations, and postsecondary educational institutions to develop and offer preparation and degree or credential programs that will prepare educational leaders, and that the California State University and the University of California develop technologically delivered professional development and coursework for teachers in geographically isolated areas.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0201-0250/ab_242_bill_20040827_enrolled.pdf
Veto message: http://www.governor.ca.gov/govsite/pdf/vetoes/AB_242_veto.pdf
Title: A.B. 242
Source: www.leginfo.ca.gov
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| CA | Signed into law 09/2004 | P-12 | Repeals the obsolete provisions that established the Commission on Technology in Learning law and specified its duties. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure school districts have access to technical assistance on the implementation of education technology. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to seek a federal waiver to allow eligibility for small and rural school districts to be based on income information used for free and reduced cost meals and not on federal census data and would delete the priorities in the award of grants. Requires the State Department of Education to provide priority scoring to small school districts in reviewing grant applications. Provides for grant funds allocations. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_2701-2750/ab_2706_bill_20040825_enrolled.html
Title: A.B. 2706
Source: California Legislative Web site
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| UT | Rule Adoption 08/2004 | P-12 | Repeals rules concerning special subject certification for small secondary schools. UTAH REG 27208 (SN)
Title: R277-510
Source: StateNet
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| AR | Signed into law 02/2004 | P-12 | Creates the office of education renewal zones; provides for renewal zones to improve student achievement in smaller schools and districts; provides for collaboration with higher education partners, including community and technical colleges; enables small, rural and low-wealth schools to use the latest distance learning technology to enhance curricula and professional development; requires school improvement plans with certain components. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003s2/public/HB1056.pdf
Title: H.B. 1056
Source: Arkansas Legislative Web site
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| MT | Signed into law 03/2001 | P-12 | Revises the procedures for opening or reopening an elementary school; allows parents of at least two pupils to petition the trustees; lowers the required average number belonging to two; allows the trustees to open or reopen the school during the current school fiscal year; requires a school to be classified as isolated before opening of reopening during the current school fiscal year.
Title: H.B. 358
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
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