Bill Text: AZ SB1197 | 2016 | Fifty-second Legislature 2nd Regular | Engrossed
Bill Title: Schools; cursive writing requirement
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 22-10)
Status: (Vetoed) 2016-03-30 - Governor Vetoed [SB1197 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2016-SB1197-Engrossed.html
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Senate Engrossed |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-second Legislature Second Regular Session 2016
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SENATE BILL 1197 |
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AN ACT
amending sections 15‑701 and 15-741, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school instruction.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-701, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-701. Common school; promotions; requirements; certificate; supervision of eighth grades by superintendent of high school district; high school admissions; academic credit; definition
A. The state board of education shall:
1. Prescribe a minimum course of study, as defined in section 15‑101 and incorporating the academic standards adopted by the state board of education, to be taught in the common schools. The minimum course of study shall include instruction in cursive reading and writing to ensure that pupils, by the end of grade five, are able to create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting.
2. Prescribe competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the eighth grade and competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the third grade incorporating the academic standards in at least the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Notwithstanding section 15‑521, paragraph 4, the competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the third grade shall include the following:
(a) A requirement that a pupil not be promoted from the third grade if the pupil obtains a score on the reading portion of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test, or a successor test, that demonstrates that the pupil's reading falls far below the third grade level or the equivalent as established by the board. A pupil may not be retained if data regarding the pupil's performance on the Arizona instrument to measure standards test, or a successor test, is not available before the start of the following academic year. A pupil who is not retained due to the unavailability of test data must receive intervention and remedial strategies pursuant to subdivision (c) of this paragraph if the third grade assessment data subsequently demonstrates that the pupil's reading ability falls far below the third grade level or the equivalent.
(b) A mechanism to allow a school district governing board or the governing body of a charter school to promote a pupil from the third grade who obtains a score on the reading portion of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test, or a successor test, that demonstrates that the pupil's reading falls far below the third grade level for any of the following:
(i) A good cause exemption if the pupil is an English learner or a limited English proficient student as defined in section 15‑751 and has had fewer than two years of English language instruction.
(ii) A pupil who is in the process of a special education referral or evaluation for placement in special education, or a pupil who has been diagnosed as having a significant reading impairment, including dyslexia, or a pupil who is a child with a disability as defined in section 15‑761 if the pupil's individualized education program team and the pupil's parent or guardian agree that promotion is appropriate based on the pupil's individualized education program.
(c) Intervention and remedial strategies developed by the state board of education for pupils who are not promoted from the third grade. A school district governing board or the governing body of a charter school shall offer at least one of the intervention and remedial strategies developed by the state board of education. The parent or guardian of a pupil who is not promoted from the third grade and the pupil's teacher and principal may choose the most appropriate intervention and remedial strategies that will be provided to that pupil. The intervention and remedial strategies developed by the state board of education shall include:
(i) A requirement that the pupil be assigned to a different teacher for reading instruction.
(ii) Summer school reading instruction.
(iii) In the next academic year, intensive reading instruction that occurs before, during or after the regular school day, or any combination of before, during and after the regular school day.
(iv) Online reading instruction.
3. Provide for universal screening of pupils in preschool programs, kindergarten programs and grades one through three that is designed to identify pupils who have reading deficiencies pursuant to section 15‑704.
4. Develop intervention and remedial strategies pursuant to paragraph 2, subdivision (c) of this subsection for pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through three who are identified as having reading deficiencies pursuant to section 15‑704.
5. Distribute guidelines for the school districts to follow in prescribing criteria for the promotion of pupils from grade to grade in the common schools. These guidelines shall include recommended procedures for ensuring that the cultural background of a pupil is taken into consideration when criteria for promotion are being applied.
B. School districts and charter schools shall provide annual written notification to parents of pupils in kindergarten programs and first, second and third grades that a pupil who obtains a score on the reading portion of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test, or a successor test, that demonstrates the pupil is reading far below the third grade level will not be promoted from the third grade. If the school has determined that the pupil is substantially deficient in reading before the end of grade three, the school district or charter school shall provide to the parent of that pupil a separate written notification of the reading deficiency that includes the following information:
1. A description of the current reading services provided to the pupil.
2. A description of the available supplemental instructional services and supporting programs that are designed to remediate reading deficiencies. Each school district or charter school shall offer at least one intervention strategy and at least one remedial strategy for pupils with reading deficiencies. The notification shall list the intervention and remedial strategies offered and shall instruct the parent or guardian to choose the strategy that will be implemented for that child.
3. Parental strategies to assist the pupil to attain reading proficiency.
4. A statement that the pupil will not be promoted from the third grade if the pupil obtains a score on the reading portion of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test, or a successor test, that demonstrates the pupil is reading far below the third grade level, unless the pupil is exempt from mandatory retention in grade three or the pupil qualifies for an exemption pursuant to subsection A of this section.
5. A description of the school district or charter school policies on midyear promotion to a higher grade.
C. Pursuant to the guidelines that the state board of education distributes, the governing board of a school district shall:
1. Prescribe curricula that include the academic standards in the required subject areas pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section. The curricula shall include instruction in cursive reading and writing.
2. Prescribe criteria for the promotion of pupils from grade to grade in the common schools in the school district. These criteria shall include accomplishment of the academic standards in at least reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies, as determined by district assessment. Other criteria may include additional measures of academic achievement and attendance.
D. The governing board may prescribe the course of study and competency requirements for promotion that are in addition to or higher than the course of study and competency requirements the state board prescribes.
E. A teacher shall determine whether to promote or retain a pupil in grade in a common school as provided in section 15‑521, paragraph 4 on the basis of the prescribed criteria. The governing board, if it reviews the decision of a teacher to promote or retain a pupil in grade in a common school as provided in section 15‑342, paragraph 11, shall base its decision on the prescribed criteria.
F. A governing board may provide and issue certificates of promotion to pupils whom it promotes from the eighth grade of a common school. Such certificates shall be signed by the principal or superintendent of schools. Where there is no principal or superintendent of schools, the certificates shall be signed by the teacher of an eighth grade. The certificates shall admit the holders to any high school in the state.
G. Within any high school district or union high school district, the superintendent of the high school district shall supervise the work of the eighth grade of all schools employing no superintendent or principal.
H. A school district shall not deny a pupil who is between the ages of sixteen and twenty‑one years admission to a high school because the pupil does not hold an eighth grade certificate. Governing boards shall establish procedures for determining the admissibility of pupils who are under sixteen years of age and who do not hold eighth grade certificates.
I. The state board of education shall adopt rules to allow common school pupils who can demonstrate competency in a particular academic course or subject to obtain academic credit for the course or subject without enrolling in the course or subject.
J. A school district may conduct a ceremony to honor pupils who have been promoted from the eighth grade.
K. For the purposes of this section, "dyslexia" means a brain-based learning difference that impairs a person's ability to read and spell, that is independent of intelligence and that typically causes a person to read at levels lower than expected.
Sec 2. Section 15-741, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-741. Assessment of pupils
A. The state board of education shall:
1. Adopt rules for purposes of this article pursuant to title 41, chapter 6.
2. Adopt and implement an Arizona instrument to measure standards test to measure pupil achievement of the state board adopted academic standards in reading, writing and mathematics in at least four grades designated by the board. The board shall determine the manner of implementation. The board may administer assessments of the academic standards in social studies and science, except that a pupil shall not be required to meet or exceed the social studies or science standards measured by the Arizona instrument to measure standards test.
3. Ensure that the tests prescribed in this section are uniform throughout the state.
4. Ensure that the tests prescribed in this section are able to be scored in an objective manner and that the tests are not intended to advocate any sectarian, partisan or denominational viewpoint.
5. Include within its budget all costs pertaining to the tests prescribed in this article. If sufficient monies are appropriated, the state board may provide achievement test services to school districts that request assistance in testing pupils in grades additional to those required by this section.
6. Survey teachers, principals and superintendents on achievement related nontest indicators, including information on graduation rates by ethnicity and dropout rates by ethnicity for each grade level. Before the survey, the state board of education shall approve at a public meeting the nontest indicators on which data will be collected. In conducting the survey and collecting data, the state board of education shall not violate the provisions of the family educational rights and privacy act (P.L. 93‑380), as amended, nor disclose personally identifiable information.
7. Establish a fair and consistent method and standard by which test scores from schools in a district may be evaluated taking into consideration demographic data. The board shall establish intervention strategies to assist schools with scores below the acceptable standard. The board shall annually review district and school scores and shall offer assistance to school districts in analyzing data and implementing intervention strategies. The board shall use the adopted test and methods of data evaluation for a period of at least ten years.
8. Participate in other assessments that provide national comparisons as needed.
B. The achievement tests adopted by the state board as provided in subsection A of this section shall be given at least annually. Nontest indicator data and other information shall be collected at the same time as the collection of achievement test data.
C. Local school district governing boards shall:
1. Administer the tests prescribed in subsection A of this section.
2. Survey teachers, principals and superintendents on achievement related nontest indicator data as required by the state board, including information related to district graduation and dropout rates. In conducting the survey and collecting data, the governing board shall not violate the provisions of the family educational rights and privacy act (P.L. 93‑380), as amended, nor disclose personally identifiable information.
D. Any additional assessments for high school pupils that are adopted by the state board of education after November 24, 2009 shall be designed to measure college and career readiness of pupils.
E. A test for penmanship or for the cursive reading and writing requirement pursuant to section 15-701 shall not be required pursuant to this article.
