HB2578 - 541R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-102, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-102. Parental involvement in the school; definition

A. The governing board, in consultation with parents, teachers and administrators, shall develop and adopt a policy to promote the involvement of parents and guardians of children enrolled in the schools within the school district, including:

1. A plan for parent participation in the schools that is designed to improve parent and teacher cooperation in such areas as homework, attendance and discipline. The plan shall provide for the administration of a parent‑teacher satisfaction survey.

2. Procedures by which parents may learn about the course of study for their children and review learning materials, including the source of any supplemental educational materials.

3. Procedures by which parents who object to any learning material or activity on the basis that it is harmful may withdraw their children from the activity or from the class or program in which the material is used. Objection to a learning material or activity on the basis that it is harmful includes objection to a material or activity because it questions beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion.

4. If a school district offers any sex education curricula pursuant to section 15‑711 or 15‑716 or pursuant to any rules adopted by the state board of education, procedures to prohibit a school district from providing sex education instruction to a pupil unless the pupil's parent provides written permission for the child to participate in the sex education curricula.

5. Procedures by which parents will be notified in advance of and given the opportunity to withdraw their children from any instruction or presentations regarding sexuality in courses other than formal sex education curricula.

6. Procedures by which parents may learn about the nature and purpose of clubs and activities that are part of the school curriculum, extracurricular clubs and activities that have been approved by the school.

7. Procedures by which parents may learn about parental rights and responsibilities under the laws of this state, including the following:

(a) The right to opt in to out of a sex education curriculum if one is provided by the school district as provided in section 15‑711.

(b) Open enrollment rights pursuant to section 15‑816.01.

(d) The right to opt out of immunizations pursuant to section 15‑873.

(e) The promotion requirements prescribed in section 15‑701.

(f) The minimum course of study and competency requirements for graduation from high school prescribed in section 15‑701.01.

(g) The right to opt out of instruction on the acquired immune deficiency syndrome pursuant to section 15‑716.

(h) The right to review test results pursuant to section 15‑743.

(i) The right to participate in gifted programs pursuant to section 15‑779.01.

(j) The right to access instructional materials pursuant to section 15‑730.

(k) The right to receive a school report card pursuant to section 15‑746.

(l) The attendance requirements prescribed in sections 15‑802, 15‑803 and 15‑821.

(m) The right to public review of courses of study and textbooks pursuant to sections 15‑721 and 15‑722.

(n) The right to be excused from school attendance for religious purposes pursuant to section 15‑806.

(o) Policies related to parental involvement pursuant to this section.

(p) The right to seek membership on school councils pursuant to section 15‑351.

(q) Information about the student accountability information system as prescribed in section 15‑1041.

(r) The right to access the failing schools tutoring fund pursuant to section 15-241.

B. The policy adopted by the governing board pursuant to this section may also include the following components:

1. A plan by which parents will be made aware of the district's parental involvement policy and this section, including:

(a) Rights under the family educational rights and privacy act of 1974 (20 United States Code section 1232g) relating to access to children's official records.

(b) The parent's right to inspect the school district policies and curriculum.

2. Efforts to encourage the development of parenting skills.

3. The communication to parents of techniques designed to assist the child's learning experience in the home.

4. Efforts to encourage access to community and support services for children and families.

5. The promotion of communication between the school and parents concerning school programs and the academic progress of the parents' children.

6. Identifying opportunities for parents to participate in and support classroom instruction at the school.

7. Efforts to support, with appropriate training, parents as shared decision-makers and to encourage membership on school councils.

8. The recognition of the diversity of parents and the development of guidelines that promote widespread parental participation and involvement in the school at various levels.

9. The development of preparation programs and specialized courses for certificated employees and administrators that promote parental involvement.

10. The development of strategies and programmatic structures at schools to encourage and enable parents to participate actively in their children's education.

C. The governing board may adopt a policy to provide to parents the information required by this section in an electronic form.

D. A parent shall submit a written request for information pursuant to this section during regular business hours to either the school principal at the school site or the superintendent of the school district at the office of the school district. Within ten days after receiving the request for information, the school principal or the superintendent of the school district shall either deliver the requested information to the parent or submit to the parent a written explanation of the reasons for the denial of the requested information. If the request for information is denied or the parent does not receive the requested information within fifteen days after submitting the request for information, the parent may submit a written request for the information to the school district governing board, which shall formally consider the request at the next scheduled public meeting of the governing board if the request can be properly noticed on the agenda. If the request cannot be properly noticed on the agenda, the governing board shall formally consider the request at the next subsequent public meeting of the governing board.

E. For the purposes of this section, "parent" means the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of a minor child. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 15-711, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-711. Sex education curricula; sexual conduct with a minor; definitions

A. All school districts ~~with existing sex education curricula~~ shall:

1. Provide sex education that is medically accurate and comprehensive.

2. Include instruction on the laws relating to sexual conduct with a minor for pupils in grades seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve. Each school district may develop its own course of study to meet the requirements of this ~~section~~ paragraph.

B. At the request of a school district, the department of education shall provide assistance, including:

1. A suggested course of study.

2. Teacher training.

C. At the request of a pupil's parent, a school district shall excuse the pupil from instruction on sex education as provided in subsection A of this section. The school district shall notify each parent of the ability to withdraw the pupil from the instruction.

D. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Comprehensive" means evidence-based programs that begin in middle school grades or junior high school grades and continue through grade twelve and that provide pupils with opportunities for learning age‑appropriate, medically accurate information related to human development, healthy relationships, decision‑making, abstinence, contraception and disease prevention.

2. "Medically accurate" means information that is all of the following:

(a) Verified or supported by the weight of peer-reviewed research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods.

(b) Recognized as accurate and objective by leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field.