ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: ED DP 8-2-0-0

HB 2862: schools; instructional time models

Sponsor: Representative Udall, LD 25

House Engrossed

Overview

Allows a school district or charter school (school) to adopt an instructional time model that permits the school to deliver annual required instructional time or hours through specified modes.

History

A governing board, after at least two public hearings, may offer a four-day school week educational program or a three-day school week alternative kindergarten program, or both. These programs must meet the instructional time and hour requirements applied to a five-day school week program (A.R.S. § 15-861).

Average daily membership (ADM) is the total enrollment of part-time and full-time students, minus withdrawals, for the first 100 or 200 days of the school year. Statute outlines instructional time and hour requirements by program or grade level that correspond to ADM. Additionally, statute outlines daily attendance requirements that students must meet to be considered in attendance. These requirements are based on instructional time and hours by program or grade level (A.R.S. § 15-901).

Statute defines online course provider to mean a school, other than an online school, that is selected by the State Board of Education (SBE) or a state-approved charter authorizer to participate in Arizona online instruction (AOI) and that provides at least one online academic course that is approved by SBE.

Online school means a school that provides at least four online academic courses or one or more online courses for the equivalent of at least five hours each day for 180 school days and that is a charter school or a district public school selected by SBE to participate in AOI (A.R.S. § 15-801).

Provisions

Instructional Time Models

1.   Permits a school district governing board, after at least two public hearings, or a charter school governing body to adopt any instructional time models to meet the minimal annual instructional time and hour requirements for:

a)   Determining ADM;

b)   Determining daily attendance;

c)   Determining student count; and

d)   Any other purpose relating to instructional time or hours. (Sec. 4)

2.   Requires adopted instructional time models to ensure that students receive the required minimum instructional time or hours, as applicable, for the full school year in any day, week and course length increments. (Sec. 4)

3.   Allows a school to satisfy any time, hour and daily attendance requirements outlined in statute in any manner prescribed in the school's instructional time model. (Sec. 3)

4.   Allows a school, in its adopted instructional time model, to deliver the annual required instructional time or hours to students through any combination of:

a)   Direct instruction;

b)   Project-based learning;

c)   Independent learning time; and

d)   Mastery-based learning. (Sec. 4)

5.   Specifies that mastery-based learning may be delivered in a blended classroom serving multiple grade levels or providing blended grade level content. (Sec. 4)

6.   Permits a school's adopted instructional time model to define instructional time and hours to include any combination of in-person or remote instruction. (Sec. 4)

7.   Limits the amount of instructional time a school may provide in a remote setting without impact to the school's funding as follows:

a)   During school year 2021-2022, up to 50% of total instructional time; and

b)   Beginning school year 2022-2023 and each school year thereafter, up to 40% of total instructional time. (Sec. 4)

8.   Instructs ADE to calculate a school's funding, if a school provides remote instruction beyond the allowed thresholds, as follows:

a)   Calculate the total percentage of instructional time in a remote setting;

b)   Subtract the allowable prescribed threshold from the total percentage of instructional time in a remote setting;

c)   Fund the percentage of the base support level equal to the amount calculated at 95% of the base support level that would otherwise be calculated. (Sec. 4)

9.   Requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to annually provide a list of schools that provide more than the allowed instructional time in a remote setting to SBE or the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS).

a)   Instructs SBE and ASBCS to determine whether the schools must apply to become an online school. (Sec. 4)

10.  Allows a school to reallocate any minimum instructional time or hours per required course to other courses on a per-student basis. (Sec. 4)

11.  Grants a school the ability to stagger learning times and schedules for students and to offer courses and other instructional time options on the weekend or evening. (Sec. 4)

12.  Instructs a school to align its attendance policies to reflect the instructional time and hours under its adopted instructional time model. (Sec. 4)

Miscellaneous

13.  Defines mastery-based learning. (Sec. 4)

14.  Stipulates that as otherwise authorized by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or as otherwise prescribed under an instructional time model:

a)   The school year begins July 1 and ends June 30; and

b)   A school month is 20 school days or four weeks of five days each. (Sec. 4)

15.  Repeals A.R.S. § 15-861, relating to four-day school week and alternative kindergarten programs. (Sec. 2)

16.  Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1, 3, 5)

17.  Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 3, 5)☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

18.   

19.   

20.  ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

21.                    HB 2862

22.  Initials CH Page 0 House Engrossed

23.   

24.  ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------