SB 1059 - This act establishes the Missouri Education Intervention Task Force for the purpose of providing academic and financial oversight to help districts in need, as such term is defined in the act, ensure that students achieve academic success. Each year the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall provide to the Governor a list of the ten school districts that achieved the lowest scores on the annual performance report for the immediately preceding school year. The Governor may designate any of these school districts as districts in need. All districts in need shall be placed under the governance of the task force established in the act.
The task force shall consist of five members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The act describes the qualifications of task force members and terms of office. Task force members and their staff shall be compensated subject to appropriations.
The Governor may cause the termination of the designation of a school district as a district in need at any time upon a determination that the task force has accomplished the purposes for which it was established and is no longer needed to govern such district. The Governor may cause the reestablishment of a district in need at any time upon a determination that it is necessary for a district in need to be reestablished. The termination or reestablishment of a district in need shall become effective thirty days following such determination.
The act outlines the responsibilities and powers of the task force in each district in need, including creating an academic accountability plan; overseeing all employment decisions involving teachers and administrators; and overseeing the use of state funds.
The task force shall develop a comprehensive school improvement plan and establish student performance standards consistent with the standards established by the State Board of Education.
All students in the district in need who do not achieve grade-level standards shall be required to attend summer school, and no student shall be promoted to a higher grade level unless that student has a reading ability at or above one grade level below the student's grade level, except that these provisions shall not apply to students who receive special educational services.
The task force shall develop, implement, and annually update a professional development plan for teachers and other support staff.
To the extent practicable, the task force shall ensure that per-pupil expenditures and pupil-teacher ratios shall be the same for all schools serving students at a given grade level in the same district in need.
The task force shall ensure that early childhood education and vocational education instruction are provided throughout the district in need.
The task force shall establish an accountability officer whose duty shall be to ensure that academically deficient schools within the district in need are raised to acceptable condition within two years.
The task force shall not take any action in violation of state or federal law, or recommend that districts in need take any action in violation of state or federal law.
The task force shall compile an annual report of its activities for submission to the Governor and the General Assembly. The report shall identify patterns and commonalities among districts in need that have a detrimental impact on students' academic achievement, and shall include any recommendations the task force may have for legislative action.
Finally, the act provides that a district in need shall not spend or transfer any state funds without prior authorization from the task force. The act outlines the process for a district in need to apply for permission to use state funds and the process for the task force to approve or deny any such request. Neither the task force nor a district in need shall be authorized to spend or transfer state funds in violation of state or federal law.
OLIVIA SHANNON