ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

 

HB 2448: public schools; innovation plans

Sponsor:  Representative Udall, LD 25

Committee on Education

Overview

Establishes requirements and approval and evaluation procedures for public school innovation plans.

History

The State Board of Education (SBE) is tasked with exercising general supervision over and regulating the conduct of the public school system, which includes the power to adopt any rules and policies deemed necessary to accomplish this. Additionally, statute requires SBE to administer and implement a statewide assessment to measure pupil achievement of adopted academic standards in reading, writing and math in at least four grades designated by SBE. Assessments may be administered in social studies and science, except that a student is not required to meet or exceed these standards (A.R.S. § 15-741).

For the purposes of defining average daily membership (ADM), statute provides definitions of full-time student that differ depending on a student's grade level. In order to be considered a full-time student in a common school, the following instruction hours must be met for a 180-day school year: 1) 712 hours for students in grades 1-3; and 2) 890 hours for students in grades 4-8. To be considered a full-time student for high schools and generate 1.0 ADM, a student must be enrolled in at least: 1) four subjects that count towards graduation for a minimum of 123 hours; and 2) 720 instructional hours during the school year (A.R.S. § 15-901).

Provisions

Innovation Plan Requirements

1.    ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteRequires, in order to become a school of innovation, a public school to submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) an innovation plan.

2.    Instructs SBE to prescribe the requirements for an innovation plan, which must include at a minimum:

a)    A statement of the school's mission and why designation as a school of innovation would enhance the school's ability to achieve its mission and improve learning or enhance academic opportunities for all students;

b)    A description of the innovative practices the school would like to implement and a plan for implementation;

c)    A description of the school's programs, policies or operations that would need to change to successfully implement the innovative practice and a plan for how those would be addressed;

d)    A detailed implementation timeline that is not more than five years after SBE approval of the innovation plan;

e)    Proof of a resolution adopted by the school district governing board or charter school governing body that supports the innovation plan and the anticipated implementation timeline and describes the resources and support the school will receive;

f)     Documentation that shows meaningful parental, education and community engagement and capacity for the changes identified in the innovation plan;

g)    The formative, benchmark and summative assessments that will be used to monitor the progress and outcomes of the innovation plan;

h)    A description of the goals, identified performance indicators, implementation milestones and expected outcomes of the innovation plan;

i)      The long-term community outreach goals and stakeholder communication plans; and

j)      Any other materials that SBE requires.

Requests for Exemption

3.    Allows a school to request, in its innovation plan, an exemption from instructional hours requirements or any rules or policies that may hinder the full implementation of the school's innovation plan and propose alternative solutions.

4.    Requires a school to include in its request for exemption a rationale of how each exemption will support implementation of the innovation plan.

5.    Prohibits a school from requesting an exemption from any rule or policy relating to participation in the statewide assessment and in any state or federal accountability system.

6.    States that a school of innovation is subject to all statutes, rules and policies that are not explicitly exempted by SBE.

7.    Stipulates that any exemption granted by SBE applies for the duration of the innovation plan and includes any subsequent amendment or resignation of an identified state statute, rule or policy.

8.    Instructs SBE to prescribe a process for a school of innovation to submit amendments to an approved innovation plan to request an exemption.

9.    Permits a school to request that ADE include a statute in its evaluation if the statute hinders the full implementation of a school's innovation plan and an exemption is not allowed.

Innovation Plan Approval

10.  Requires the SPI to transmit the innovation plan to SBE with a recommendation for approval or resubmission within 60 days of receiving the innovation plan.

11.  Provides that if a plan is rejected, SBE is required to explain in writing the reasons for rejection and that the school may resubmit an amended plan at any time.

12.  Stipulates SBE must do the following if an innovation plan is approved:

a)    Specify in writing whether any exemptions are approved; and

b)    Approve the innovation plan for an initial five-year period.

13.  Allows SBE to extend the approval period for up to five additional years provided that the school complies with renewal procedures and performance criteria prescribed by SBE.

Evaluation of Schools of Innovation

14.  Mandates ADE to develop a plan to evaluate schools of innovation that includes:

a)    Performance measures of the schools of innovation, including measures of student engagement, performance on formative, benchmark and state assessments, high school success and postsecondary success;

b)    Instructional practices of the school of innovation;

c)    The communication strategies of the school of innovation relating to parents, teachers and the community;

d)    The requested exemptions of the schools and the exemptions granted; and

e)    The statutes that hindered schools in fully implementing innovation plans and for which exemptions are not allowed.

15.  Requires ADE, when developing the evaluation plan, to identify the person that evaluates the schools of innovation and the data that schools of innovation must submit to ADE.

16.  Directs ADE to submit the report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and SBE by September 1 of each year.

Student Protections

17.  States a school may not penalize a student who previously attended a school of innovation and who transfers to another school by either:

a)    Requiring the student to repeat coursework or content that the student has already demonstrated mastery of; or

b)    Changing any grade that the student received at a school of innovation.

18.  Requires the Arizona Board of Regents and each community college district governing board to establish policies that ensure both fair and equitable:

a)    Admission of graduates of schools of innovation or other graduates with nontraditional diplomas and transcripts to community colleges and in-state universities; and

b)    Access to scholarships and financial aid for graduates of schools of innovation or other graduates with nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.

Miscellaneous

19.  Requires SBE to adopt any rules necessary to implement this act.

20.  Defines innovation to mean a new or creative alternative to the existing instructional and administrative practices that is intended to improve learning or enhance academic opportunities for all students.

21.  Defines school of innovation to mean a public school that has submitted an innovation plan in accordance with this act and that is approved by SBE as a school of innovation.

 

 

 

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Initials CH/EB             Education

 

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