Bill Text: AZ SB1442 | 2020 | Fifty-fourth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: High school success program; appropriation
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-03 - Senate read second time [SB1442 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2020-SB1442-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: high school success program; appropriation |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020
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SB 1442 |
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Introduced by Senators Bowie: Alston, Boyer, Brophy McGee, Navarrete
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AN ACT
amending Title 15, chapter 7, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 8; appropriating monies; relating to school instruction.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 7, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 8, to read:
ARTICLE 8. HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS PROGRAMS
15-799. Definitions
In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Advanced course" means any of the following:
(a) An honors or higher level course.
(b) A course offered pursuant to article 6 of this chapter.
(c) An academic course that prepares a pupil for a qualifying examination under the college credit by examination incentive program established by section 15-249.06.
(d) A dual enrollment course.
2. "Eligible program" means a program established pursuant to this article.
3. "Eligible school" means a public school that provides instruction to pupils in grades nine through twelve.
15-799.01. High school success grant program fund; application process; report; definition
A. The high school success grant program fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations and grants, gifts, devises and donations from any public or private source. The department of education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. On notice from the department of education, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund. Monies in the fund are subject to state auditing as prescribed by law. The department of education may retain up to one percent of fund monies each fiscal year to administer the grants pursuant to this section.
B. The department of education shall develop an application process and award grants to eligible schools to implement one or more eligible programs. An application for a grant from the high school success grant program fund must include all of the following:
1. The total enrollment of pupils at the eligible school who are in grades nine through twelve.
2. A detailed description of how the eligible school will spend grant monies on eligible expenditures.
3. An explanation of how the eligible school will integrate education and career action plans required pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education.
4. The specific goals that the eligible school expects to achieve.
C. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year and subject to available monies, the department of education shall award five-year grants to eligible schools to implement eligible programs. The department of education shall give priority to eligible schools with the capacity to implement the eligible programs and eligible schools in which at least fifty percent of the pupils qualify for free or reduced-price lunches under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts (42 United States Code sections 1751 through 1793). To the extent possible, grants must be awarded to eligible schools located in both rural and urban areas.
D. An eligible school that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant monies to implement one or more eligible programs and to supplement, not supplant, current expenditures.
E. The department of education shall adopt a reporting process for recipient eligible schools to monitor their progress toward meeting their goals. The department of education may modify or terminate a grant based on a recipient eligible school's progress.
F. On or before December 15 of each year, the department of education shall publish a report on the high school success grant program fund. The report shall contain all of the following:
1. A description of the grants awarded from the high school success grant program fund in the preceding year.
2. A summary of the funded eligible programs.
3. Information on the recipient eligible schools' progress toward achieving their goals.
4. Specific findings on grant-funded strategies and activities and their level of effectiveness for each established eligible program.
G. For the purposes of this section, "eligible expenditures" means:
1. For a ninth grade success program, expenditures relating to implementing the ninth grade success program, including all of the following:
(a) Salary and benefits for additional teachers, counselors and other support staff.
(b) Related computer software to implement data-informed strategies and program evaluation.
(c) Professional development.
(d) Evidence-based, summer or other transition programs for incoming ninth-grade pupils, including pupil and parent orientations, academic planning and remediation.
(e) Tutoring or other academic support strategies for struggling pupils.
(f) Summer programs for credit recovery.
(g) Evidence-based approaches to minimize chronic absenteeism for ninth-grade pupils.
2. For an academic acceleration program, expenditures relating to increasing enrollment in advanced courses, including all of the following:
(a) Salary and benefits for additional teachers and counselors.
(b) Teacher professional development.
(c) Curriculum, textbooks and related materials.
(d) Pupil costs, including examination fees and tuition.
15-799.02. Ninth grade success programs; requirements
A. An eligible school may apply for a grant from the high school success grant program fund established by section 15-799.01 to implement a ninth grade success program to assist pupils enrolled in ninth grade to develop the skills they need to successfully graduate from high school within four years and succeed in their educational and professional careers. At a minimum, a ninth grade success program must include both of the following:
1. A success team that consists of a school counselor, a mental health professional or a social worker, ninth-grade teachers and other support staff engaging in ninth-grade instruction. A teacher shall serve as the success team leader. The success team shall meet at least once every two weeks.
2. Strategies to improve outcomes for ninth-grade pupils who are found to be at risk of dropping out of school before graduation and to address systems-level barriers to success for all ninth-grade pupils. The strategies must be informed by data concerning, at a minimum, ninth-grade pupils' behavior, attendance and grades across demographic categories and pupil groups.
B. In addition to the application requirements prescribed in section 15-799.01, an eligible school that applies for a grant under this section shall include in its grant application at least all of the following:
1. The eligible school's current four-year graduation rate.
2. A description of the proposed success team membership and meeting schedule.
3. A description of how school staff will be organized to ensure, to the extent possible, that ninth-grade classes are taught by a single group of teachers who teach only or mostly ninth-grade classes.
4. A description of how integrated data concerning pupil behavior, attendance and grades across demographic categories and pupil groups will be used, including data related to incoming ninth-grade pupils before the start of the school year.
5. A description of how the eligible school will identify and prioritize services for ninth-grade pupils who are at risk of academic failure in the ninth grade.
6. A description of planned instructional support for ninth-grade pupils, including attendance support, academic interventions, tutoring, credit-recovery programs and social-emotional learning.
15-799.03. Academic acceleration programs; requirements; definition
A. An eligible school may apply for a grant from the high school success grant program fund established by section 15-799.01 to implement an academic acceleration program to increase the number of pupils enrolled in advanced courses to improve overall pupil college and career readiness. An academic acceleration program must include an academic acceleration policy that is adopted by the school district governing board or chapter school governing body and that includes all of the following:
1. A requirement that all eligible pupils be automatically enrolled in the next most advanced course available.
2. A requirement to annually notify parents and legal guardians of high school pupils of the academic acceleration policy and a list of the advanced courses available.
3. A mechanism for the parent or guardian of an eligible pupil to opt the pupil out of the academic acceleration policy and enroll the pupil in an alternative course or program.
4. Any additional eligibility criteria for pupils that the governing board or governing body adopts.
B. In addition to the application requirements prescribed in section 15-799.01, an eligible school that applies for a grant under this section shall include in its grant application at least all of the following:
1. A copy of the school district's or charter school's academic acceleration policy.
2. The current enrollment and demographic data of pupils who are enrolled in advanced courses at the eligible school.
3. The number and descriptions of currently available advanced courses.
4. A comprehensive plan on how to increase enrollment in advanced courses with a specific strategy on how to increase the enrollment of underrepresented pupils.
15-799.04. Program termination
Programs established pursuant to this article end on July 1, 2030 pursuant to section 41-3102.
Sec. 2. Legislative findings
The Legislature declares and finds that:
1. It is in the best interest of this state to increase the number of pupils who enter high school and graduate on time and who are prepared for success in whatever postsecondary pathway they choose to follow.
2. It is in the best interest of pupils and their families in this state to have access to programs promoting success in high school.
3. The purpose of this act is to establish programs to increase the number of pupils who graduate from high school on time and to expand access to coursework that better prepares pupils for success after high school graduation.
Sec. 3. Department of education; review; report; delayed repeal
A. On or before November 15, 2025, the department of education shall conduct a comprehensive review of the overall effectiveness and performance of the programs funded by grants from the high school success grant program fund established by section 15-799.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.
B. On or before December 15, 2025, the department of education shall submit a report of its findings from the review conducted pursuant to subsection A of this section to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.
C. This section is repealed from and after December 31, 2025.
Sec. 4. Appropriation; high school success grant program fund
The sum of $15,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2020-2021 to the high school success grant program fund established by section 15-799.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.
