HB 346: "An Act establishing a high school entrance benchmark assessment for students in grade eight; repealing the secondary student competency examination and related requirements; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 346 01 "An Act establishing a high school entrance benchmark assessment for students in 02 grade eight; repealing the secondary student competency examination and related 03 requirements; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 06 Sec. 14.03.074. High school entrance benchmark assessment. (a) Each 07 public school in the state that enrolls students in grade eight shall, in the spring of each 08 school year, provide to all students in grade eight a benchmark assessment approved 09 by the commissioner for the purpose of providing school districts with information to 10 improve curriculum, teaching, and remedial programs targeted to the deficiencies and 11 strengths in student performance. The benchmark assessment required in this 12 subsection is not a prerequisite to graduation. 13 (b) The department shall adopt regulations to establish uniform standards for 14 (1) procedures to be followed during the administration of the
01 benchmark assessment; and 02 (2) an alternative assessment that will assess individual students with 03 disabilities. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.078 is amended to read: 05 Sec. 14.03.078. Report. The department shall provide to the legislature by 06 February 15 of each year an annual report regarding the progress of each school and 07 school district toward high academic performance by all students. The report required 08 under this section must include 09 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120(d); 10 (2) [THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN 11 EACH SCHOOL WHO PASS THE EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER 12 AS 14.03.075, AND THE NUMBER WHO PASS EACH SECTION OF THE 13 EXAMINATION; 14 (3)] progress of the department 15 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 16 of AS 14.03.123; and 17 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 18 (3) [(4)] a description of the resources provided to each school and 19 school district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each 20 school and school district; 21 (4) [(5)] each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 22 curriculum with state education performance standards; 23 (5) [(6)] a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 24 school that receives a designation of deficient or in crisis; 25 (6) [(7)] a description of intervention efforts by each school district 26 and school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; 27 (7) [(8)] the number and percentage of turnover in certificated 28 personnel and superintendents; 29 (8) [(9)] the number of teachers by district and by school who are 30 teaching outside the teacher's area of endorsement [BUT IN AREAS TESTED BY 31 THE HIGH SCHOOL COMPETENCY EXAMINATION].
01 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.120(d) is amended to read: 02 (d) Annually, before the date set by the district under (e) of this section, each 03 public school shall deliver to the department for posting on the department's Internet 04 website and provide, in a public meeting of parents, students, and community 05 members, a report on the school's performance and the performance of the school's 06 students. The report shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the department and 07 must include 08 (1) information on accreditation; 09 (2) results of norm-referenced achievement tests; 10 (3) results of state standards-based assessments in reading, writing, and 11 mathematics; 12 (4) a description, including quantitative and qualitative measures, of 13 student, parent, community, and business involvement in student learning; 14 (5) a description of the school's attendance, retention, dropout, and 15 graduation rates, [INCLUDING THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF 16 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A DIPLOMA UNDER A WAIVER FROM THE 17 COMPETENCY EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075(a),] as 18 specified by the state board; 19 (6) the annual percent of enrollment change, regardless of reason, and 20 the annual percent of enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the 21 school district; 22 (7) if Native language education is provided, a summary and 23 evaluation of the curriculum described in AS 14.30.420; 24 (8) [THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN 25 EACH SCHOOL WHO TAKE AND WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AN 26 ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN READING, ENGLISH, OR 27 MATHEMATICS; AND THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS IN 28 EACH SCHOOL WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ALTERNATIVE 29 ASSESSMENT PROGRAM BUT WHO DO NOT REACH THE STATE 30 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AT THE COMPETENCY EXAM LEVEL IN 31 READING, ENGLISH, OR MATHEMATICS; A SCHOOL MAY NOT REPORT
01 RESULTS UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH UNLESS THE SCHOOL COMPLIES 02 WITH THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY 03 REQUIREMENTS OF 34 C.F.R. 99; 04 (9)] the performance designation assigned the school under 05 AS 14.03.123 and the methodology used to assign the performance designation, 06 including the measures used and their relative weights; and 07 (9) [(10)] other information concerning school performance and the 08 performance of the school's students as required by the state board in regulation. 09 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.123(f) is amended to read: 10 (f) In the accountability system for schools and districts required by this 11 section, the department shall 12 (1) implement 20 U.S.C. 6301 - 7941 (Elementary and Secondary 13 Education Act of 1965), as amended; 14 (2) implement state criteria and priorities for accountability including 15 the use of 16 (A) measures of student performance on standards-based 17 assessments in reading, writing, and mathematics [, AND INCLUDING 18 COMPETENCY TESTS REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075]; 19 (B) measures of student improvement; and 20 (C) other measures identified that are indicators of student 21 success and achievement; and 22 (3) to the extent practicable, minimize the administrative burden on 23 districts. 24 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.255(a) is amended to read: 25 (a) A charter school operates as a school in the local school district except that 26 the charter school (1) is exempt from the local school district's textbook, program, 27 curriculum, and scheduling requirements; (2) is exempt from AS 14.14.130(c); the 28 principal of the charter school shall be selected by the academic policy committee and 29 shall select, appoint, or otherwise supervise employees of the charter school; and (3) 30 operates under the charter school's annual program budget as set out in the contract 31 between the local school board and the charter school under (c) of this section. A local
01 school board may exempt a charter school from other local school district 02 requirements if the exemption is set out in the contract. A charter school is subject to 03 standards-based assessments [SECONDARY SCHOOL COMPETENCY TESTING 04 AS PROVIDED IN AS 14.03.075 AND OTHER COMPETENCY TESTS] required 05 by the department. 06 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.075 and AS 14.07.165(5) are repealed. 07 * Sec. 7. This Act takes effect July 1, 2012.