CSHB 220(FIN): "An Act repealing the secondary student competency examination and related requirements; relating to an annual performance report to the legislature by the Department of Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 220(FIN) 01 "An Act repealing the secondary student competency examination and related 02 requirements; relating to an annual performance report to the legislature by the 03 Department of Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 14.03.078 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 14.03.078. Report. The department shall provide to the legislature by 07 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress 08 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. 09 The report required under this section must include 10 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120(d); 11 (2) [THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN 12 EACH SCHOOL WHO PASS THE EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER AS 13 14.03.075, AND THE NUMBER WHO PASS EACH SECTION OF THE 14 EXAMINATION;
01 (3)] progress of the department 02 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 03 of AS 14.03.123; and 04 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 05 (3) [(4)] a description of the resources provided to each school and 06 school district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each 07 school and school district; 08 (4) [(5)] each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 09 curriculum with state education performance standards; 10 (5) [(6)] a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 11 school that receives a designation of deficient or in crisis; 12 (6) [(7)] a description of intervention efforts by each school district 13 and school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; 14 (7) [(8)] the number and percentage of turnover in certificated 15 personnel and superintendents; 16 (8) [(9)] the number of teachers by district and by school who are 17 teaching outside the teacher's area of endorsement [BUT IN AREAS TESTED BY 18 THE HIGH SCHOOL COMPETENCY EXAMINATION]. 19 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.120(d) is amended to read: 20 (d) Annually, before the date set by the district under (e) of this section, each 21 public school shall deliver to the department for posting on the department's Internet 22 website and provide, in a public meeting of parents, students, and community 23 members, a report on the school's performance and the performance of the school's 24 students. The report shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the department and 25 must include 26 (1) information on accreditation; 27 (2) results of norm-referenced achievement tests; 28 (3) results of state standards-based assessments in reading, writing, and 29 mathematics; 30 (4) a description, including quantitative and qualitative measures, of 31 student, parent, community, and business involvement in student learning;
01 (5) a description of the school's attendance, retention, dropout, and 02 graduation rates, [INCLUDING THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF 03 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A DIPLOMA UNDER A WAIVER FROM THE 04 COMPETENCY EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075(a),] as 05 specified by the state board; 06 (6) the annual percent of enrollment change, regardless of reason, and 07 the annual percent of enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the 08 school district; 09 (7) if Native language education is provided, a summary and 10 evaluation of the curriculum described in AS 14.30.420; 11 (8) [THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN 12 EACH SCHOOL WHO TAKE AND WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AN 13 ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN READING, ENGLISH, OR 14 MATHEMATICS; AND THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS IN 15 EACH SCHOOL WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ALTERNATIVE 16 ASSESSMENT PROGRAM BUT WHO DO NOT REACH THE STATE 17 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AT THE COMPETENCY EXAM LEVEL IN 18 READING, ENGLISH, OR MATHEMATICS; A SCHOOL MAY NOT REPORT 19 RESULTS UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH UNLESS THE SCHOOL COMPLIES 20 WITH THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY 21 REQUIREMENTS OF 34 C.F.R. 99; 22 (9)] the performance designation assigned the school under AS 23 14.03.123 and the methodology used to assign the performance designation, including 24 the measures used and their relative weights; and 25 (9) [(10)] other information concerning school performance and the 26 performance of the school's students as required by the state board in regulation. 27 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.123(f) is amended to read: 28 (f) In the accountability system for schools and districts required by this 29 section, the department shall 30 (1) implement 20 U.S.C. 6301 - 7941 (Elementary and Secondary 31 Education Act of 1965), as amended;
01 (2) implement state criteria and priorities for accountability including 02 the use of 03 (A) measures of student performance on standards-based 04 assessments in reading, writing, and mathematics [, AND INCLUDING 05 COMPETENCY TESTS REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075]; 06 (B) measures of student improvement; and 07 (C) other measures identified that are indicators of student 08 success and achievement; and 09 (3) to the extent practicable, minimize the administrative burden on 10 districts. 11 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.255(a) is amended to read: 12 (a) A charter school operates as a school in the local school district except that 13 the charter school (1) is exempt from the local school district's textbook, program, 14 curriculum, and scheduling requirements; (2) is exempt from AS 14.14.130(c); the 15 principal of the charter school shall be selected by the academic policy committee and 16 shall select, appoint, or otherwise supervise employees of the charter school; and (3) 17 operates under the charter school's annual program budget as set out in the contract 18 between the local school board and the charter school under (c) of this section. A local 19 school board may exempt a charter school from other local school district 20 requirements if the exemption is set out in the contract. A charter school is subject to 21 [SECONDARY SCHOOL COMPETENCY TESTING AS PROVIDED IN AS 22 14.03.075 AND OTHER] competency tests required by the department. 23 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.075 and AS 14.07.165(5) are repealed. 24 * Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 25 read: 26 RETROSPECTIVE ISSUANCE OF A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. (a) At the 27 request of a student, a school district shall issue a high school diploma to a student who did 28 not receive a high school diploma because the student failed to pass all or a portion of the 29 secondary school competency examination but who received a certificate of achievement 30 under former AS 14.03.075. A school district shall mail a notice consistent with this section to 31 each student who qualifies for a diploma under this section to the student's last known
01 address. 02 (b) The Department of Education and Early Development shall post a notice 03 consistent with this section on the department's Internet website with information about how 04 to request a high school diploma. 05 (c) In this section, "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 06 * Sec. 7. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).