SB 104: "An Act relating to the duties of the state Board of Education and Early Development; and relating to school curriculum."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 104 01 "An Act relating to the duties of the state Board of Education and Early Development; 02 and relating to school curriculum." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.07 is amended by adding a new section to read: 05 Sec. 14.07.180. Curriculum approval and review. (a) Notwithstanding any 06 other provision of law, the board shall establish a procedure to review, test, and 07 approve curricula for each grade level in the state. The procedure must meet the 08 requirements described in this section. 09 (b) The board shall approve curricula used by the five largest school districts 10 based on the district ADM for the 2015-2016 school year and by two regional 11 educational attendance areas selected by the board. The department shall make 12 approved curricula available to all school districts to use on a voluntary basis. 13 (c) The department, in consultation with schools districts, shall review 14 mathematics and language arts curricula used in schools in the state and in other states
01 and countries. Not later than July 1, 2018, the department shall identify the best 02 mathematics and language arts curricula and the best practices for teaching the 03 curricula in each grade level in the state. The department shall implement a program to 04 test the curricula during the two immediately succeeding school years in the five 05 largest school districts based on the district ADM for the 2015-2016 school year. 06 (d) The department may submit the curricula to the board for approval if, after 07 testing under (c) of this section, the department concludes that the curricula and best 08 practices 09 (1) are appropriate; 10 (2) are in compliance with the nondiscrimination standards established 11 under AS 14.18.060(b); 12 (3) are aligned with state education standards; and 13 (4) result in improved academic achievement for students. 14 (e) If the board approves a curriculum under (d) of this section, the department 15 shall make the curriculum available to all school districts. A school district may use 16 the curriculum if the curriculum is selected by the local governing body of the school 17 district. 18 (f) The board shall adopt standards for the approval of curricula and best 19 practices under this section. 20 (g) Notwithstanding AS 14.08.111(7), AS 14.14.090(7), and AS 14.16.020, a 21 school district is not required to review curricula in the subjects of mathematics and 22 language arts in 23 (1) the school year beginning in 2017 through the school year ending 24 in 2020; or 25 (2) a school year beginning in 2020 or later, if the school district 26 adopts the curriculum approved by the board under (d) and (e) of this section. 27 (h) In this section, "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350.