- Introduced -

SB 1059 - This act specifies that the Governor will recognize schools (as identified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) 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, to be identified by the department of elementary and secondary education.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will identify as 'priority' schools that are either: academically deficient; unaccredited; provisionally accredited; or not meeting any of the accreditation standards on student performance based upon the state-wide assessment system. In order to address these areas of deficiency, priority schools will submit an accountability compliance statement to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 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 these areas of deficiency 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 performing at the lowest level of proficiency in any subject area under the statewide assessment an individual performance plan in that subject area which will: be developed by the teacher in consultation with the child's parents or guardians; outline responsibilities for the student, parents or guardians, teachers and administrators in implementing the plan; and require those students performing at the lowest levels of proficiency in any subject area to retake the assessment.

Any program for improvement of teacher and administrator effectiveness will include policies that link salary increases to participation in one of the following professional development programs: an appropriate mentoring program or supervision by an individual previously designated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a regional resource teacher; successful completion of a training program for certification as a scorer under the statewide assessment program; enrollment and making adequate progress toward national board certification. Exempt from this process are individuals who either: hold qualifying scores in the appropriate professional assessment; elect to take and receive a qualifying score on that assessment; hold national board certification; are certified as a scorer under the state-wide assessment program; are designated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a regional resource teacher; serve as a mentor teacher for one school year in a program meeting standards adopted by the State Board of Education; or complete successfully an appropriate administrator academy program. The act clarifies that no district may use an initial score on any professional assessment as the sole determination for discipline or dismissal.

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 pre-school 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.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will develop a program of administrator mentoring which focuses on the needs of priority schools and priority school districts.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will withhold state funding to any district until that district submits an accountability compliance statement.

DONALD THALHUBER