CSSSSB 100(EDC): "An Act establishing a grant program to be administered by the Association of Alaska School Boards for the purchase of student equipment and technology services; establishing a grant program for innovative approaches to learning; relating to correspondence study programs and student allotments; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 100(EDC) 01 "An Act establishing a grant program to be administered by the Association of Alaska 02 School Boards for the purchase of student equipment and technology services; 03 establishing a grant program for innovative approaches to learning; relating to 04 correspondence study programs and student allotments; and providing for an effective 05 date." 06 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 07 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 08 Sec. 14.03.127. Personalized learning opportunity grant program. (a) The 09 personalized learning opportunity grant program is established in the department for 10 the purpose of providing technological equipment, technical support, and training in 11 the use of one electronic device for each student. The program shall be administered 12 consistent with state law by the Association of Alaska School Boards recognized 13 under AS 14.14.150 through a direct grant from the department using funds
01 appropriated from the state general fund. As a condition of the grant, the Association 02 of Alaska School Boards shall submit an annual report of its activities under the grant. 03 The department may deny subsequent grants on the basis of the report if the 04 commissioner finds that the Association of Alaska School Boards has not served the 05 purpose of the grant program. 06 (b) A school district may apply for a subgrant under this section by 07 (1) agreeing to grant conditions established by the Association of 08 Alaska School Boards consistent with the purpose of the program; 09 (2) submitting an application on an approved form to the Association 10 of Alaska School Boards; the application must include 11 (A) A description of the grant project; 12 (B) proof of district readiness to fulfill the grant project; 13 (C) project goals; 14 (3) providing written assurances that the district will implement the 15 grant project in a manner that is consistent with the district's grant application and 16 conditions; 17 (4) agreeing to provide a final grant report that compares student 18 performance data before and after the grant period; and 19 (5) providing a matching amount equivalent to 20 percent of the total 20 amount of the grant project costs; the match may be met using 10 percent or less from 21 the value of in-kind services. 22 Sec. 14.03.128. Innovative approach to learning grant. (a) The department 23 shall establish a grant program to make grants for the purpose of encouraging 24 innovative approaches to learning by school districts. 25 (b) A school district may apply to the department for a grant under this section 26 by submitting an application on a form approved by the department in an amount and 27 for a period established by the department. The department shall give priority to grant 28 awards for 29 (1) a district-operated boarding school operated on a regional basis as 30 described in AS 14.16.200; 31 (2) a public correspondence program;
01 (3) a public charter school; 02 (4) a vocational education program in a public school; 03 (5) a pre-elementary demonstration project; 04 (6) other public programs. 05 (c) A grant awarded under this section may be used for planning or 06 implementation of an innovative approach to learning. The department may not award 07 a grant for implementation of a project unless the applicant can demonstrate, to the 08 satisfaction of the department, that the project has been planned and shown to be 09 feasible. 10 (d) A district that has been awarded a grant for implementation of a project 11 under this section shall provide to the department a description of a method for 12 replicating successful results of the grant project. 13 (e) The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature that 14 describes the 15 (1) number and time period of grants awarded; 16 (2) purpose of each grant project; 17 (3) results obtained from each grant project; and 18 (4) methods available to replicate successful results under the project 19 that demonstrate an innovative approach to learning. 20 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 21 Article 3. Correspondence Study Programs. 22 Sec. 14.03.300. Correspondence study programs; individual learning 23 plans. (a) A district or the department that provides a correspondence study program 24 shall annually provide an individual learning plan for each student enrolled in the 25 program developed in collaboration with the student, the parent or guardian of the 26 student, a certificated teacher assigned to the student, and other individuals involved in 27 the student's learning plan. An individual learning plan must 28 (1) be developed with the assistance and approval of the certificated 29 teacher assigned to the student by the district; 30 (2) provide for a course of study for the appropriate grade level 31 consistent with state and district standards;
01 (3) provide for an ongoing assessment plan that includes statewide 02 assessments required for public schools under AS 14.03.123(f); 03 (4) include a provision for modification of the individual learning plan 04 if the student is below proficient on a standardized assessment in a core subject; 05 (5) provide for a signed agreement between the certificated teacher 06 assigned to the student and at least one parent or the guardian of each student that 07 verifies compliance with an individual learning plan; 08 (6) provide for monitoring of each student's work and progress by the 09 certificated teacher assigned to the student. 10 (b) Notwithstanding another provision of law, the department may not impose 11 additional requirements, other than the requirements specified under (a) of this section 12 and under AS 14.03.320, on a student who is proficient or advanced on statewide 13 assessments required under AS 14.03.123(f). 14 Sec. 14.03.320. Student allotments. (a) Except as provided in (e) of this 15 section, the department or a district that provides a correspondence study program may 16 provide an annual student allotment to a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the 17 correspondence study program for the purpose of meeting instructional expenses for 18 the student enrolled in the program as provided in this section. 19 (b) A parent or guardian may purchase nonsectarian services and materials 20 from a public, private, or religious organization with a student allotment provided 21 under (a) of this section if 22 (1) the services and materials are required for the course of study in the 23 individual learning plan developed for the student under AS 14.03.300; 24 (2) textbooks, services, and other curriculum materials and the course 25 of study 26 (A) are approved by the school district; 27 (B) are appropriate for the student; 28 (C) are aligned to state standards; and 29 (D) comply with AS 14.03.090 and AS 14.18.060; and 30 (3) otherwise support a public purpose. 31 (c) Except as provided in (d) of this section, an annual student allotment
01 provided under this section is reserved and excluded from the unreserved portion of a 02 district's year-end fund balance in the school operating fund under AS 14.17.505. 03 (d) The department or a district that provides for an annual student allotment 04 under (a) of this section shall 05 (1) account for the balance of an unexpended annual student allotment 06 during the period in which a student continues to be enrolled in the correspondence 07 program for which the annual allotment was provided; 08 (2) return the unexpended balance of a student allotment to the budget 09 of the department or district for a student who is no longer enrolled in the 10 correspondence program for which the allotment was provided; 11 (3) maintain a record of expenditures and allotments; and 12 (4) implement a routine monitoring of audits and expenditures. 13 (e) A student allotment provided under (a) of this section may not be used to 14 pay for services provided to a student by a family member. In this subsection, "family 15 member" means the student's spouse, guardian, parent, stepparent, sibling, stepsibling, 16 grandparent, stepgrandparent, child, uncle, or aunt. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 14.17.430 is amended to read: 18 Sec. 14.17.430. State funding for correspondence study. Except as provided 19 in AS 14.17.400(b), funding for the state centralized correspondence study program or 20 a district correspondence program, including a district that offers a statewide 21 correspondence study program, includes an allocation from the public education fund 22 in an amount calculated by multiplying the ADM of the correspondence program by 23 one [80 PERCENT]. 24 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect July 1, 2014.