Bill Text: AZ SB1056 | 2018 | Fifty-third Legislature 2nd Regular | Engrossed


Bill Title: Schools; letter grades; absenteeism; illnesses

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2018-03-22 - House LARA Committee action: Discussed and Held, voting: (0-0-0-0-0-0) [SB1056 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2018-SB1056-Engrossed.html

 

 

Senate Engrossed

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-third Legislature

Second Regular Session

2018

 

SENATE BILL 1056

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending sections 15‑241 and 15‑346, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the state board of education.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 15-241, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-241.  School, charter school and school district accountability; annual achievement profiles; classification; letter grade system; profiles; appeals process; failing schools tutoring fund; definition

A.  The department of education shall compile an annual achievement profile for each public school and local education agency.

B.  Each school, charter holder and school district shall submit to the department any data that is required and requested and that is necessary to compile the achievement profile.  A school or local education agency that fails to submit the information that is necessary is not eligible to receive monies from the classroom site fund established by section 15‑977.

C.  The annual achievement profile compiled by the department shall be used to determine a standard measurement of acceptable academic progress for each school and local education agency and a school and local education agency classification pursuant to subsection F of this section.  Any disclosure of educational records compiled by the department of education pursuant to this section shall comply with the family educational rights and privacy act of 1974 (20 United States Code section 1232g).

D.  The annual achievement profile for schools and local education agencies shall include, at a minimum, the following academic performance indicators:

1.  Multiple measures of academic performance or other academically relevant indicators of school quality that are appropriate to assess the educational impact of a school during the academic year as determined by the state board of education.

2.  Academic progress on statewide assessments adopted pursuant to section 15‑741 in English language arts and mathematics.

3.  Academic progress on the English language learner assessments administered pursuant to section 15‑756, subsection B and sections 15‑756.05 and 15‑756.06.

4.  Progress toward college and career readiness for all schools and local education agencies that offer instruction in any of grades nine through twelve.

E.  Subject to final adoption by the state board of education, the department shall determine the criteria for each school and local education agency classification label using a researched‑based methodology.  The methodology developed in collaboration with a coalition of qualified technical and policy stakeholders, at a minimum, shall include the performance of pupils at all achievement levels, account for pupil mobility, account for the distribution of pupil achievement at each school and local education agency and include longitudinal indicators of academic performance.  For the purposes of this subsection, "researched‑based methodology" means the systematic and objective application of statistical and quantitative research principles to calculate the indicators used to determine A through F letter grades.

F.  The annual achievement profile shall be used to determine a school and local education agency classification based on an A through F letter grade system adopted by the state board of education in which a letter grade of A reflects an excellent level of performance and a letter grade of F reflects a failing level of performance.  The A through F letter grade system shall indicate expected standards of performance for all schools and the manner in which schools may rise above or fall below those expected standards of performance.  The state board of education may also assign a school a letter grade of F if the state board of education determines that the school is among the "persistently lowest-achieving schools" in the state under the federal school accountability requirements pursuant to section 1003(g) of the elementary and secondary education act (20 United States Code section 6303).

G.  The classification for each school and the criteria used to determine classification pursuant to subsections E and F of this section shall be included on the school report card prescribed in section 15‑746.

H.  Subject to final adoption by the state board of education, the department of education shall use achievement profiles appropriately to assess the educational impact of accommodation schools, alternative schools and extremely small schools, may develop profiles for schools that participate in the board examination system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title and schools that participate in Arizona online instruction pursuant to section 15‑808 and may develop other exceptions as prescribed by the state board of education for the purposes of this section.

I.  The department of education shall establish a process for a school or local education agency to correct student data used to determine the school's or local education agency's annual achievement profile.  The state board of education shall establish an appeals process to allow a school or local education agency to appeal the school's or local education agency's final letter grade based on mitigating factors identified by the board.  The board may delegate the administration of the appeals process to the department of education.

J.  The failing schools tutoring fund is established consisting of monies collected pursuant to section 42‑5029, subsection E as designated for this purpose.  The department of education shall administer the fund.  The department of education may use monies from the fund to purchase materials designed to assist students to meet the Arizona academic standards and to achieve a passing score on assessments adopted by the state board of education.

K.  If the state board of education uses chronic absenteeism as a factor in determining annual achievement profiles or letter grade classifications pursuant to this section, a pupil who is absent due to a chronic health problem as defined in section 15-346 is not considered chronically absent for the purpose of this determination.

K.  L.  For the purposes of this section, "academic progress" means measures of both proficiency and academic gain. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Section 15-346, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-346.  Policies and procedures concerning pupils with chronic health problems; definition

A.  The governing board shall adopt policies and procedures concerning pupils with chronic health problems in consultation with parents, teachers and at least one health professional.  The policies and procedures shall be designed to provide continuing learning for pupils with chronic health problems while they are absent from school and to provide for the integration of pupils with chronic health problems into the regular education program as much as possible.  The policies and procedures shall include provisions for:

1.  Homework availability to ensure that pupils with chronic health problems have the opportunity to keep up with assignments and avoid losing credit because of their absence from school.

2.  Flexibility in physical education activity requirements so that pupils with chronic health problems may participate in the regular physical education program to the extent that their health permits.

B.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to obstruct, interfere with or override the rights of parents or guardians concerning the education and health care of pupils with chronic health problems.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize school personnel to either:

1.  Authorize absences from school for a pupil with a chronic health problem without the prior consent of the pupil's parent or guardian.

2.  Recommend, prescribe or provide medication to a pupil with a chronic health problem without the prior consent of the pupil's parent or guardian.

C.  For the purposes of this section, "pupils with chronic health problems" means:

1.  Pupils who are not homebound, but who are unable to attend regular classes for intermittent periods of one or more consecutive days because of illness, including mental illness, disease, pregnancy complications or accident as certified by a health professional who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 13, 14, 17 or 25 or a registered nurse practitioner who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15. 

2.  Pupils who suffer from a condition requiring management on a long‑term basis as certified by a health professional who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 13, 14, 17 or 25 or a registered nurse practitioner who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15.

3.  Pupils who have an infant with a severe health problem as certified by a health professional who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 13, 14, 17 or 25 or a registered nurse practitioner who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15. END_STATUTE

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