HB2179 - 551R - Senate Fact Sheet

Purpose

Establishes the Innovative Adult Education Grant Program (Grant Program) and the Innovative Adult Education Grant Program Fund (Grant Program Fund) to provide adult learners with education services and prescribes application, approval, evaluation and reporting requirements. Allows schools to provide high school education to persons who are at least 22 years old and have not yet graduated from high school.

Background

The Division of Adult Education in the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) prescribes an adult education course of study, supervises and provides adult education programs in other institutions and agencies and provides training for adults to continue their basic education to pass an equivalency exam approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) (A.R.S. § 15-232).

A school district governing board prescribes curricula that include SBE academic standards for the graduation of students from high school. The SBE establishes 22 credits as the minimum number of credits necessary for high school graduation, including: 1) 4 credits of English or English as a Second Language; 2) 3 credits of social studies; 3) 4 credits of mathematics; 4) 3 credits of science; 5) 1 credit in the arts or career and technical education and vocational education; and 6) 7 credits of additional courses prescribed by the local district board (A.R.S. § 15-701.01; A.A.C. R7-2-302).

Every child between the ages of 6 and 16 years old is required to attend school and receive instruction on prescribed subjects. The Legislature is further required to establish a system of common schools which must be open to all pupils between 6 and 21 years old (A.R.S. § 15-802; Ariz. Const. art. 11 § 6).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

Grant Program

1. Directs the SBE to establish the Grant Program to provide adult learners with alternative study services leading to a high school diploma and industry-recognized credentials.

2. Deems a public school eligible to receive a grant upon establishing a partnership with a:

a) nonprofit corporation that is a qualified 501(c)(3) in the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code; or

b) an adult education provider approved by the Division of Adult Education within ADE.

3. Requires a nonprofit corporation or an adult education provider, to be qualified to form a partnership with a public school, to have at least a 10-year history of providing workforce training and career services in Arizona to persons:

a) at least 18 years old; and

b) with limited educational and training opportunities due to educational disadvantages, disabilities or other educational barriers, such as lack of reliable and affordable transportation, lack of child care or food insecurity.

Grant Program Fund

4. Establishes the Grant Program Fund consisting of legislative appropriations and other monies and specifies that monies in the Grant Program Fund are continuously appropriated.

5. Directs the SBE to administer the Grant Program Fund and allows the SBE to accept and spend federal monies, private grants, gifts, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the Grant Program.

6. Requires the SBE to award grants from the Grant Program Fund to public schools to operate program schools.

7. Exempts monies in the Grant Program Fund from lapsing.

Grant Program Application and Approval

8. Requires ADE to develop Grant Program application procedures.

9. Requires a submitted Grant Program application to include:

a) a description of the public school's partnership with a nonprofit corporation or an adult education provider;

b) a description of the program school's administrative structure, program activities, program staff, budget and specific curriculum aligned with Arizona's academic standards;

c) the program school's academic calendar and a schedule of the school day length, program sequence, multidisciplinary courses, pace and instructional activities, or any combination thereof;

d) confirmation of the program school's location and a facility description, including accessibility, available classroom space, child care space and health and safety requirements;

e) a description of the specific academic, behavioral and emotional support services offered by the nonprofit corporation or provider to enrolled adult learners;

f) a description of the adult learner and family supports that the program school will provide at no cost;

g) a description of available counseling services to assist adult learners in overcoming specified educational barriers;

h) a description of provided career and technical education (CTE) instruction at the program school;

i) a description of specific program outcomes, goals and metrics the program school will use to determine adult learner success; and

j) the projected number of enrolled adult learners.

10. Requires the SBE, in consultation with ADE, to evaluate submitted Grant Program applications and approve grants to program schools that demonstrate, through evidence or documentation, the ability to provide adult learners with instruction and support leading to a high school diploma and at least one industry-recognized credential.

11. Establishes an initial grant approval period of two years.

12. Limits grant renewal periods to four school years and deems a grant renewal contingent on specific performance expectations, including student progression, graduation rates and earning of industry-recognized credentials.

Adult High School Education

13. Allows school districts and charter schools to provide high school education to persons who are at least 22 years old and have not yet graduated from high school.

14. Specifies that a public school is not required to receive a grant from the Grant Program to provide high school education to persons who are at least 22 years old and have not yet graduated from high school.

15. Prohibits school districts and charter schools from receiving Basic State Aid for persons at least 22 years old, who have not yet graduated from high school and are otherwise ineligible for Basic State Aid.

16. Allows a high school diploma to be issued to an adult learner who meets graduation requirements prescribed by the SBE and the school district governing board.

Program School Requirements

17. Requires program schools to provide special education services.

18. Prohibits a program school from adopting admission limits based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disabling condition, English language proficiency or athletic ability.

19. Requires a program school for adult learners operated by a public school to operate in a separate facility and location from the facility in which any juvenile public school students are located.

20. Deems a program school ineligible for:

a) transportation funding; or

b) Arizona online instruction funding.

21. Requires a program school to provide, at no cost to adult learners, adult learner and family supports, including:

a) on-site child care for dependents of enrolled adult learners;

b) local transportation assistance for adult learners with verifiable need;

c) career and higher education counseling; and

d) job placement assistance.

22. Requires CTE instruction provided by a program school to lead to adult learners earning industry-recognized credentials or result in earned course credits from a community college or university.

23. Allows a program school to partner with a community college district to provide CTE instruction.

24. Prohibits a program school from:

a) conducting advertising or marketing campaigns directed at pupils currently enrolled in a school district or charter school;

b) undertaking any activity encouraging pupils currently enrolled in a school district or charter school to stop attending to enroll in a program school; or

c) enrolling a pupil enrolled in a school district or charter school within the last 30 days.

Evaluation and Reporting Requirements

25. Directs the SBE to immediately initiate a process to bring a program school into compliance upon a service provider's failure to meet any SBE-adopted rules or prescribed requirements.

26. Requires, by July 1, 2023, the SBE to adopt performance expectations, in consultation with ADE, to evaluate program schools that include:

a) measurements of adult learner progress toward earning a high school diploma;

b) graduation rates of adult learners earning at least one academic credit;

c) the number of earned industry-recognized credentials; and

d) other relevant measures adopted by the SBE.

27. Requires a public school participating in the Grant Program to annually report to ADE on:

a) the number of adult learners enrolled in the program school;

b) the graduation rate of enrolled adult learners;

c) the average progress of adult learners toward meeting graduation requirements;

d) the number and type of industry-recognized credentials earned by enrolled adult learners; and

e) a descriptive summary of the academic, behavioral and emotional support services offered by the service provider to adult learners.

28. Requires ADE, by December 15, 2024, and by December 15 each year thereafter, to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the Grant Program to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with a copy provided to the Secretary of State.

Miscellaneous

29. Allows the SBE to adopt rules to carry out the Grant Program.

30. Terminates the Grant Program on July 1, 2031.

31. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

1. Adopted the strike-everything amendment.

2. Prohibits program schools from conducting specified marketing campaigns, encouraging pupils currently enrolled in a school district or charter school to stop attending or enrolling a pupil enrolled in a school district or charter school within the last 30 days.

Senate Action

APPROP 3/31/21 DPA/SE 7-3-0