HB 391: "An Act relating to charter schools; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 391 01 "An Act relating to charter schools; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 04 Sec. 14.03.254. Board-authorized charter schools. (a) The board may 05 authorize a charter school in a school district under regulations adopted by the board. 06 The regulations must include an application procedure and provisions for 07 establishment of an academic policy committee consisting of parents of students 08 attending the school, teachers, and school employees. 09 (b) The board shall contract with a local school board to operate a charter 10 school authorized by the board under (a) of this section. A local school board that 11 contracts with the board to operate a charter school under this subsection shall operate 12 the charter school as provided in AS 14.03.255 - 14.03.290. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 14.07.165(a) is amended to read: 14 (a) The board shall adopt 15 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written
01 goals that are consistent with local needs; 02 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 03 AS 14.03.125; 04 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 05 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 06 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 07 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education program 08 provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of age; the 09 regulations must include 10 (A) standards for a locally designed, evidence-based program 11 that meets Head Start Program Performance Standards and other federal 12 standards required for early education programs to receive federal funding; 13 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program hold a 14 valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 15 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 16 credit hours in early childhood education or complete the minimum 17 credit hours within two years of the date the teacher's employment with 18 the early education program begins; or 19 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching 20 kindergarten or another early education program and have completed 21 additional coursework related to reading instruction, as required by the 22 department; 23 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children four 24 and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for older 25 children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the content of an 26 early education program to be culturally responsive to local communities; 27 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 28 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances; and 29 (E) standards for day in session requirements appropriate for 30 children four and five years of age; 31 (6) regulations establishing standards for day in session requirements
01 appropriate for kindergarten students; 02 (7) regulations regarding the authorization of charter schools 03 under AS 14.03.254. 04 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 05 read: 06 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The state Board of Education and Early 07 Development may adopt regulations necessary to implement the changes made by this Act. 08 The regulations take effect under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before the 09 effective date of the law implemented by the regulation. 10 * Sec. 4. Section 3 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 11 * Sec. 5. Except as provided in sec. 4 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2024.