SCS/SBs 584, 539, 630, 777, 796, 918 & 927 - This act makes several changes to educational policy.

MATH INSTRUCTION It establishes a four-year competitive grant program for school districts to improve math curriculum and instruction through grade 8. This provision is similar to SB 584.

PARENT TRAINING It directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to administer a grant program to expand the availability of training and information provided to parents of children with disabilities. The program will be developed in consultation with a state-level advisory panel.

The grant program has two parts: (1) grants to local districts; and (2) a Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC).

The core content of the training program will be developed and implemented cooperatively by the Department, the Parent Training and Information Center and the Missouri Council for Administrators in Special Education. The core content will include information about eligibility criteria for special education, state and local policies and procedures, available services, and training for effective interaction with professionals.

To be eligible for grants, school districts must agree to form Parent Advisory Committees (PACs), use the core content with modifications for local needs, and use parent-educator teams from the local district to provide training. The contents of the local district grant proposal are specified. Districts may apply for grants of up to ten dollars for each student with a disability. This provision is similar to SB 927.

The Parent Training and Information Center is eligible for a grant amount up to 5% of the total appropriation for the program to support development and training. The Department and the Parent Training and Information Center must develop an evaluation model to measure participation, adequacy of training, and degree of satisfaction with the training.

MAP TEST FUNDING The act also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests to school districts free of charge using funds appropriated for that purpose. This provision is similar to SB 630.

SCIENCE ACADEMY This act establishes the Missouri Engineering and Science Academy for high school students with high ability and interest in math and science. The Academy curriculum will by developed by faculty of the University of Missouri - Rolla (UMR), and the program will be managed and funded through UMR. The program will be taught, managed and funded by UMR. Participation in the program can be included in a teacher's Career Ladder development plan, if approved by the school board. This provision is similar to SB 777.

DRIVER'S EDUCATION This act further requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide each school district $80.00 for each pupil who completes a driver's education course. This provision is similar to SB 539.

READING ASSESSMENT The act requires schools to assess student reading abilities and where necessary to require students to attend summer school and undertake an individualized reading plan. Certain special needs students are exempt. Schools are required to provide the remedial programs, and may not be penalized on school assessments because of student participation in such remedial programs. This section carries an emergency clause. This provision is similar to SB 918.

DEAF EDUCATION This act also provides that certain students eligible to attend the Missouri School for the Deaf may instead attend local schools and receive direct financial aid to do so, contingent upon documentation of educational expenses. Different levels of support are available depending upon the severity of the student's hearing loss. This section is the same as SB 931.

TEACHER SALARIES The act also changes the minimum salary law for public school teachers. The act creates a new, voluntary 5-level minimum salary program for teachers, funded by a separate appropriation, as follows: $22,000 for 5 or less years experience; $25,000 for Master's (or higher) + 6-10 years or Bachelor's + 6-19 years); $28,000 for Bachelors + 20 or Master's (or higher) + 11-19 years; $34,000 for Master's (or higher) + 20-29 years; $40,000 for Master's (or higher) + 30 or more years.

Eligibility requirements for state minimum salary payments under the new program established in this act: a) Maintain an operating levy no lower than the rate for the 1999-2000 school year except as required under reassessment; b) No increase in a voluntary rollback; c) No illegal transfers for capital purposes; d) Employ all teachers under board policy and salary schedule; e) Place new teachers (with experience in other districts) on salary schedule using all of the new teacher's public school teaching experience; f) Pay returning teachers no less than they were paid the previous year (on an FTE basis).

State payments to a district will be reduced if the district's extra duty pay is more than 8.5% or if end-of-year operating balances are over 15%. State minimum salary levels will be increased by $1,000 when state cost decreases to 85% of the full funding amount of the first year's cost. Expenditure of state minimum salary revenues shall not be counted toward compliance with teacher salary expenditure requirements under Section 165.016, RSMo. This section is identical to SB 748.

ST LOUIS SCHOOL BOARD The act also revises the election of the Board of Directors of St. Louis Public Schools. Current law requires a candidate be a citizen and resident for at least three years prior to the election. The act requires a candidate to be a citizen and resident and resident of the subdistrict for at least one year preceding election. This act revises current law and applies to board members in office on August 28, 2000. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Mayor of St. Louis City, and the act requires that the appointee be a resident of the subdistrict of the vacant office.

Current law provides for a transition from the former 12- member board to a 7-member board elected from subdistricts. The act specifies that the three members to be elected in the 2001 board election shall be from the even-numbered subdistricts and the four members elected in the 2003 board election shall be from the odd-numbered subdistricts.

Current law specifies the wards contained in each subdistrict. The act provides that if the total number of wards changes, wards in a subdistrict become separated or the wards are no longer as nearly equal in population as practicable upon redistricting following the decennial census, the subdistricts shall be redrawn by the State Board of Education. This section is the same as SB 752.

HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE This act also makes several changes to student and faculty representation on the boards of certain state colleges and universities. For the University of Missouri, the bill provides that the faculty representative may attend all meetings, including closed meetings, while the student representative may be excluded from closed meetings upon a unanimous vote of the other members. Confidentiality rules are made consistent for all colleges and universities. This provision is similar to SB 796 and SB 825.
DAVID TALLMAN

SA 1 - PROVIDES THAT FRANCIS HOWELL SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY REPAY EXCESS STATE AID DISTRIBUTION OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS.

SA 2 - ALLOWS TRANSFER OF SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDS BETWEEN INCIDENTAL AND CAPITAL ACCOUNTS.

SA 3 - ALLOWS ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OF MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS. SSA 1 FOR SA 4 - PROVIDES REIMBURSEMENT TO TEACHERS WHO PURSUE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION.