Missouri Senate

Perfected

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION STANDARDS: The State Board of Education must convene work groups composed of education professionals whenever it develops, evaluates, modifies, or revises either academic performance standards or learning standards. This act creates a new selection process for individuals who serve on work groups to develop and recommend academic performance standards. Work groups will consist of fourteen members. This act removes the requirement that the majority of work group members be active classroom teachers.

Separate work groups must be convened for the subject areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and history and governments. For each subject area, the State Board must convene two separate work groups, one for grades kindergarten through five and another for grades six through twelve. The following organizations and persons will each select one member for each work group: professional teacher organizations, a statewide association of Missouri school boards, a statewide association of charter schools, a statewide association of school administrators, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Commissioner of Higher Education and the heads of state-approved baccalaureate-level teacher preparation programs located in Missouri. The professional teacher organizations and the heads of the state-approved baccalaureate-level teacher preparation programs will collectively select one member each to serve on each work group. Teachers do not need to be members of a professional teacher organization to serve on a work group. Each work group member must be a Missouri resident for three years and have either taught in the work group's subject area for ten years or have ten years of experience in that subject area. A person may serve on more than one work group. Four members will be parents of currently enrolled students in grades kindergarten through twelve. The President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives will each select two parents.

The State Board must hold at least three public hearings whenever it develops, evaluates, modifies, or revises either academic performance standards or learning standards, as described in the act. The State Board must also solicit feedback and comments from the Joint Committee on Education and academic researchers. All comments must be made publicly available.

Local school districts and charter schools may adopt their own education standards, in addition to those already adopted by the state, provided any additional standards are in the public domain. (Section 160.514)

By October 1, 2014, the State Board of Education must convene work groups of education professionals to develop and recommend new academic performance standards in place of the Common Core State Standards. The State Board of Education must convene separate work groups for the following subject areas: English language arts; mathematics; science; and history and governments. For each subject area, the State Board must convene two work groups, one for grades kindergarten through five and one for grades six through twelve.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must pilot assessments from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium during the 2014-2015 school year for each school district and charter school. The results of the statewide pilot will not be used for high stakes accountability or public school district accreditation decisions or teacher evaluation for the 2014-2015 school year.

The work groups must develop and recommend new academic performance standards that meet the needs of the students of the state to the State Board of Education by October 1, 2015. The work groups must report on their progress to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on a monthly basis.

The State Board of Education must adopt and implement new academic performance standards beginning in the 2016-2017 school year. The State Board must align the statewide assessment system to the new standards as needed within three years of adopting new academic performance standards.

Any person performing work for a district or charter school who is required to be certified under the teacher or administrator certification laws must be an employee of the district or charter school. Evaluations of certified teachers must be maintained in the teacher's personnel file and must not be shared with any state or federal agency. (Section 161.855)

These provisions are similar to SB 798 (2014) and SB 514 (2014).

TERM LIMITS FOR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS: This act provides that after August 28, 2014, no member of the State Board of Education can serve more than two terms. Any member who has already served two or more terms on the board will be ineligible to serve an additional term. Service of less than four years on the board will not be counted for purposes of this limitation.

This section is identical to SB 726 (2014) and HB 1549 (2014). (Section 161.022)

MICHAEL RUFF