00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 194(EDC) 01 "An Act providing for a school improvement and revitalization procedure in the 02 Department of Education and Early Development; establishing advisory councils for 03 school improvement; and requiring reports to the legislature." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05  * Section 1. AS 14.03.123(d) is amended to read: 06 (d) A public school or district that is designated as a low-performing school  07 or district [RECEIVES A LOW PERFORMANCE DESIGNATION UNDER THIS 08 SECTION] shall prepare and submit to the department a school or district 09 improvement plan, as applicable, and shall cooperate with the department, in 10 accordance with AS 14.03.124 and regulations adopted by the board. The 11 improvement plan must be prepared with the maximum feasible public participation of 12 the community, including, as appropriate, interested individuals, teachers, parents, 13 parent organizations, students, tribal organizations, local government representatives, 14 and other community groups. 01  * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.123(g) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 02 (3) "low-performing" means the bottom three percent in the state for 03 performance based on the accountability measures described in (f)(2) of this section. 04  * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.123 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 05 (h) The department shall work with and evaluate a public school or district 06 that receives a low performance designation under (d) of this section to improve the 07 school or district as follows: 08 (1) supply the school or district with a person who has training and 09 experience in education and who can provide one-on-one assistance to enhance the 10 quality of education in the school or district; 11 (2) provide an operations audit to identify possible programmatic 12 savings and review the manner in which financial resources are being directed; 13 (3) direct the local school board to use state and federal funds for 14 critical needs, as directed by the state Board of Education and Early Development; 15 (4) provide incentives to attract and retain high quality teachers and 16 principals; 17 (5) provide additional training and technical assistance for parents and 18 guardians of children attending the school or schools in the district and for teachers, 19 principals, and central office staff hired by the district; 20 (6) provide targeted resources for graduation success as requested by 21 the local school board; 22 (7) direct the local school board to identify model curriculum, 23 including recommended textbooks, materials, and supplies approved by the 24 department; if a new curriculum is required, the department shall provide technical 25 assistance to implement the curriculum; 26 (8) work with the local school board to develop and implement a plan 27 to address deficits in achievement and in the learning environment as recommended in 28 the academic performance audit conducted under (j) of this section; 29 (9) assign a technical assistance team to the school or district to guide 30 school or district initiatives and report progress to the commissioner; 31 (10) establish instructional and learning environment benchmarks for 01 the school or district to meet as it progresses toward removal of the designation of 02 low-performing schools or districts; 03 (11) direct the establishment of learning cohorts in schools that require 04 continuous monitoring of student performance by teacher groups; 05 (12) provide training to local school boards through the Association of 06 Alaska School Boards to improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness as 07 leaders of their districts in ensuring delivery of quality education, and require local 08 school boards to submit to the commissioner an annual action plan that outlines when 09 and the manner in which the local school board's effectiveness will be monitored. 10 (i) For two years following a designation of a school or district as low 11 performing, the department shall contract with an external review team to conduct an 12 academic performance audit of the district and each low-performing school in the 13 district to identify the potential reasons for the school's low performance and lack of 14 progress. The review team shall consist of persons who have expertise in 15 comprehensive school and district reform. A review team may not include staff of the 16 school district that is the subject of the audit or staff of the department. The review 17 team shall meet with and report to the department and the superintendent of the 18 district. 19 (j) The audit required under (i) of this section shall be conducted based on 20 criteria developed by the department in the areas of curriculum, assessment, 21 instruction, learning environment, professional development, and leadership and must 22 include an examination of the following: 23 (1) student demographics; 24 (2) mobility patterns; 25 (3) school feeder patterns; 26 (4) strategic allocation of resources; 27 (5) the degree of high standards and expectations for all students; 28 (6) the degree of collaboration and communication; 29 (7) frequency of monitoring of learning and teaching; 30 (8) the degree of family and community involvement; 31 (9) alternative secondary schools best practices; and 01 (10) any unique circumstances or characteristics of the school or 02 district, including substance abuse and other social factors. 03 (k) The department shall make audit findings available to the audited school 04 district and staff, the local community, and the state Board of Education and Early 05 Development. 06  * Sec. 4. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 14.03.124. Revitalization designation; plan; revitalization advisory  08 council. (a) For a public school that, after three consecutive years of school 09 improvement efforts under AS 14.03.123(d) and (h) - (k), continues to be a low- 10 performing school, as described in AS 14.03.123, the department, in conjunction with 11 the local school board and the district superintendent, may 12 (1) designate the school as a revitalization school; 13 (2) continue to identify a revitalization school and operate under a 14 school revitalization plan developed by the department and the district until taken off 15 revitalization status; 16 (3) assist the local school board with developing and implementing a 17 revitalization plan as provided under this section; 18 (4) maintain eligibility of the school for available federal and state aid; 19 and 20 (5) establish a superintendent cohort made up of the superintendent of 21 the district in which the revitalization school is located and two superintendents of 22 districts in the state that have no schools in revitalization status; the superintendent 23 cohort shall meet regularly and, within nine months after the revitalization 24 designation, report to the revitalization advisory council established under this section. 25 (b) A school that has not been designated as a revitalization school may 26 request the local school board to establish a revitalization advisory council for a school 27 in the district consistent with this section. 28 (c) A local school board that governs a school that has been designated as a 29 revitalization school shall establish a revitalization advisory council for each school 30 designated for revitalization. A revitalization advisory council for a school shall 31 consist of not more than 13 members appointed by the local school board, as follows: 01 (1) at least one member who is a 02 (A) parent or guardian of a student who is attending the school; 03 (B) community leader residing within the school district; 04 (C) teacher at the school; 05 (D) local school board member as provided under (d) of this 06 section; 07 (2) one representative from the department; 08 (3) the principal of the school; and 09 (4) the superintendent of the district or a representative of the 10 superintendent cohort established under (a)(5) of this section. 11 (d) For a local school board consisting of more than five members, the board 12 may appoint not more than three of its members to a revitalization advisory council. 13 For a local school board consisting of five or fewer members, the board may appoint 14 not more than two of its members to a revitalization advisory council. 15 (e) Terms of members of the revitalization advisory council selected under (c) 16 of this section shall be for two years, and a member may not serve more than two 17 terms on the council. Members of the revitalization advisory council serve without 18 compensation but are entitled to per diem and other expenses authorized for boards 19 and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 20 (f) A revitalization advisory council may, in conjunction with the department 21 and the superintendent cohort established under (a)(5) of this section, 22 (1) analyze school achievement data and school needs related to the 23 improvement plan for the school prepared under AS 14.03.123(d); 24 (2) meet with and review the report of the superintendent cohort 25 established under (a)(5) of this section; 26 (3) participate in the hiring process of the school principal or other 27 administrators of the school by conducting interviews of candidates and reporting the 28 results of the interviews to the superintendent of schools for the school district and to 29 the local school board; 30 (4) assist the principal of the school in making programmatic and 31 operational changes to improve the school's achievement, including adjustments in 01 program, school hours and days of operation, and enrollment goals for the school; 02 (5) work with the school administration to develop and approve a 03 school compact for parents and legal guardians and students that includes an outline of 04 the criteria and responsibilities for enrollment and school membership consistent with 05 the school's goals and academic focus, including means by which parents and school 06 personnel may build a partnership to improve student learning; 07 (6) develop and approve a written parent involvement policy that 08 outlines the role of parents and legal guardians in the school; 09 (7) if intervention by the department is required, the revitalization 10 advisory council shall work with the department and the local school board to develop 11 an intervention plan for the school involving available local, regional, and statewide 12 resources; 13 (8) prepare a revitalization model that takes into account 14 recommendations consistent with the duties in (1) - (7) of this subsection for review 15 and a vote as provided under (i) of this section. 16 (g) A revitalization advisory council may 17 (1) review the annual draft prepared under AS 14.03.120(a) detailing 18 the goals described in the education plan and provide advice to the principal of the 19 school before submitting the report to the superintendent of schools; 20 (2) assist the principal of the school in developing a revitalization plan 21 before the plan is submitted to the superintendent of schools and cooperate with the 22 department in developing a revitalization plan; 23 (3) assist the principal of the school in developing, conducting, and 24 reporting the results of an annual survey of parents, guardians, and teachers on issues 25 related to the school climate and conditions; and 26 (4) provide advice to the principal of the school on any other major 27 policy matters affecting the school, except on any matters relating to a collective 28 bargaining agreement between the exclusive bargaining unit for teachers. 29 (h) A local school board, in conjunction with the department, shall provide 30 appropriate training and instruction to members of the revitalization advisory council 31 to aid them in the execution of their duties. 01 (i) Not later than 30 days after a revitalization advisory council informs the 02 local school board of the completion of a revitalization model under (f) of this section, 03 the local school board shall hold a public hearing to discuss the revitalization model 04 and shall, at the next regularly scheduled meeting, conduct a vote to accept the model 05 recommended by the revitalization advisory council, select an alternative model, or 06 maintain the current school status, as follows: 07 (1) if the local school board selects an alternative model, not later than 08 10 days after the vote of the local school board, the local school board shall meet with 09 the revitalization advisory council to discuss an agreement on the local school board's 10 alternative revitalization model; 11 (2) if no agreement can be achieved, not later than 45 days after the 12 last meeting between the local school board and the revitalization advisory council, the 13 local school board shall report to the department the reasons for rejecting the 14 revitalization model developed by the revitalization advisory council; 15 (3) if the final decision of the local school board is to adopt all or part 16 of the revitalization model, the local school board shall implement the approved model 17 during the subsequent school year in conformance with state statutes and regulations 18 and the provisions specified in federal regulations and guidelines for schools subject to 19 corrective action under 20 U.S.C. 6316(b)(7) (Elementary and Secondary Education 20 Act of 1965), as amended, or other applicable federal laws or regulations. 21 (j) Within two years after a local school board votes on a revitalization model, 22 the department shall, within available appropriations, monitor the schools that have 23 been designated as revitalization schools for demonstrable progress, applying the 24 following indicators: 25 (1) the revitalization model adopted by the school; 26 (2) the number and type of disciplinary incidents; 27 (3) the number of truants; 28 (4) the dropout rate; 29 (5) the student attendance rate; 30 (6) the average scale scores on the statewide secondary school 31 graduation qualifying examination; 01 (7) for high schools, the number and percentage of students completing 02 advanced placement coursework; 03 (8) the teacher retention rate; and 04 (9) the existence and size of the parent-teacher organization for the 05 school. 06 (k) On or before July 1 of each odd-numbered year, the department shall 07 report to the standing committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over education 08 (1) the number of local school boards that have implemented a 09 revitalization model; 10 (2) a comparison of the school status after local school boards have 11 initiated a revitalization model and the school status after local school boards have 12 rejected a revitalization model; and 13 (3) whether parental involvement has increased at schools with 14 revitalization advisory councils. 15 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 16 read: 17 SCHOOL REVITALIZATION; REPORTS TO THE LEGISLATURE. (a) On or 18 before January 1, 2014, the Department of Education and Early Development shall report to 19 the standing committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over education on 20 (1) the monitoring conducted under AS 14.03.124(j), added by sec. 4 of this 21 Act; 22 (2) recommendations relating to changes in the revitalization options available 23 to schools, including whether revitalization advisory councils may continue to recommend 24 revitalization; 25 (3) comparison of the revitalization models adopted; and 26 (4) the level of progress of schools adopting each revitalization model in 27 relation to the indicators described in AS 14.03.124, added by sec. 4 of this Act. 28 (b) On or before January 1, 2018, the Department of Education and Early 29 Development shall evaluate the revitalization advisory councils established under AS 30 14.03.124, added by sec. 4 of this Act, for compliance with that section. On or before October 31 1, 2019, the department shall report to the standing committees with jurisdiction over 01 education on the evaluation conducted under this subsection. The report must also include 02 recommendations on whether to continue to authorize revitalization advisory councils to 03 recommend revitalization models.