State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

SB 1444: schools; American civics education

PRIME SPONSOR: Senator Yee, LD 20

BILL STATUS: Caucus & COW

                ED: DP 9-0-0-1

                APPROP: DP 12-0-0-1

 

Legend: ADE – Arizona Department of Education GF – State General Fund RFP – Request for Proposal SBE – State Board of Education SY – School Year Amendments – BOLD and Stricken (Committee)

Abstract

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteRelating to Social Studies academic standards.

Provisions

1.       Requires SBE's academic standards in Social Studies to include American Civics Education. (Sec. 1)

2.       Instructs ADE to develop a five-year pilot program for American Civics Education for high school students, starting in SY 2020, and to select participating schools, subject to approval by SBE. (Sec. 3)

3.       Requires ADE to develop application procedures and selection criteria for voluntary program participants. (Sec. 3)

4.       Requires the number of program participants to proportionally reflect the number of public schools in Arizona. (Sec. 3)

5.       Instructs ADE to prioritize applicants that currently provide fewer instructional hours on American Civics Education when selecting participants. (Sec. 3)

6.       Directs program participants to determine curricula that includes at least one American Civics course lasting at least one semester, and administer the assessment of American Civics Education.

a.       The course may be provided through a digital software program. (Sec. 3)

7.       Requires ADE to:

a.       Submit a RFP to assessment providers for an assessment that is more rigorous than the current civics test, subject to the SBE approval;

b.       Establish the application format, application procedures and selection criteria for assessment providers;

c.        Award a contract to one assessment provider to deliver the assessment, subject to SBE approval; and

d.       Determine the assessment's cut score for proficiency, subject to the SBE approval. (Sec. 3)

8.       Exempts participants from administering the current civics test. (Sec. 3)

9.       Permits ADE to terminate a school's participation upon determining it is not adequately educating students. (Sec. 3)

10.   Directs the ADE to submit a progress report on the program's development and administration to the Governor, President of Senate, Speaker of House of Representatives and Secretary of State by September 31, 2019. (Sec. 3)

11.   Directs the ADE to submit an annual report detailing results on the assessment to the Governor, President of Senate, Speaker of House of Representatives, SBE and Secretary of State beginning September 1, 2020. (Sec. 3)

12.   Establishes the American Civics Education Fund, administered by ADE, and appropriates $500,000 from the GF in FY 2020 to the Fund. (Sec. 3 & 4)

13.   Specifies the Fund is subject to legislative appropriation and is exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 3)

14.   Permits ADE to use up to $50,000 from the Fund for administration and distributes the remainder to the assessment provider and participants for costs incurred. (Sec. 4)

15.   Repeals the pilot program on January 1, 2025. (Sec. 3)

16.   Makes conforming and technical changes. (Sec. 1 & 2)

Current Law

To graduate from high school a student must successfully complete 22 credits, three of which are required to be in Social Studies. The required credits include one credit in American and Arizona history, one credit in world history and geography, half a credit in American and Arizona government and half a credit in economics (A.A.C. R7-2-302). The academic standards for Social Studies prescribed by the SBE include personal finance (A.R.S. § 15-701.01).

 

 

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Fifty-third Legislature                  SB 1444

Second Regular Session                               Version 3: Caucus & COW

 

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