- Committee -

SCS/SB 1059 - The act states that the Governor will recognize schools, as identified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), that demonstrate high student achievement and designate such institutions as 'performance' schools. Said performance schools (or districts) will be eligible for waivers of certain administrative rules.

DESE will identify as 'priority' schools, or school districts, that are either: academically deficient; unaccredited; provisionally accredited; or not meeting any of the accreditation standards on student performance based upon the statewide assessment system. In order to address these areas of deficiency, the board of education of any priority school district will submit an accountability compliance statement to DESE on or before August 15 that: identifies and analyzes areas of deficiency in student performance by school, grade and academic content area; provides a comprehensive strategy for addressing these areas of deficiency; and assures disclosure of deficiency areas in the school accountability report card.

The comprehensive strategy for addressing these areas of deficiency will include: aligning curriculums to address areas of deficiency; focusing professional development funds on the areas of greatest academic need; establishing school accountability councils; developing a resource reallocation plan for the district; and creating programs to improve teacher and administrator effectiveness. Further, the comprehensive strategies will develop for any student who is not already receiving special education services and is performing at the lowest level of proficiency in any subject area under the statewide assessment an individual performance plan in that subject area that will: be developed by teachers in consultation with the child's parents or guardian; outline responsibilities for the student, parent or guardian, teachers and administrators in implementing the plan; and require those students performing at the lowest levels of proficiency in any subject area be provided with additional instruction time before they retake the assessment.

Plans to improve teacher and administrator effectiveness exempt individuals who meet any of several requirements, including national board certification, mentors in approved programs, and those who achieve qualifying scores in professional assessments. Nonexempt individuals must complete a mentoring program, a training program for assessment scorers, or work toward national board certification.

Any resource reallocation plan must include at least one of the following elements: reduction in class size for areas of academic concern; establishment of full-day kindergarten or preschool programs; establishment of after-school, tutoring and other programs offering extended time for learning; employment of national board-certified teachers or regional resource teachers, along with appropriate salary enhancements for such teachers; establishment of programs of teacher home visitation; or the creation of "school within a school" programs to achieve smaller learning communities within priority schools.

DESE will develop a program of administrator mentoring which focuses on the needs of priority schools and priority school districts.

DESE shall withhold funds to be paid to the school district until such time as the district submits an accountability compliance statement meeting the standards authorized pursuant to this section within the timelines established.

DONALD THALHUBER