First Regular Session H.B. 2179
PROPOSED
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.B. 2179
(Reference to House engrossed bill)
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert:
"Section 1. Title 15, chapter 2, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-217, to read:
15-217. Innovative adult education grant program; fund; program schools; requirements; reporting; rules; program termination
A. The state board of education shall establish the innovative adult education grant program that provides adult learners with alternative study services that lead to the issuance of a high school diploma and industry-recognized credentials.
B. The innovative adult education grant program fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations and any other monies. The state board of education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated. The state board may accept and spend federal monies and private grants, gifts, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the purposes of this section. Monies in the fund are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The state board shall award grants from the fund to public schools for the purposes of operating program schools pursuant to this section.
C. To be eligible for a grant under this section, a public school shall establish a partnership with a nonprofit corporation that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code or an adult education provider that is approved by the division of adult education within the department of education. The nonprofit corporation or adult education provider must have at least a ten-year history of providing workforce training and career services in this state to persons who are at least eighteen years of age and whose educational and training opportunities have been limited by educational disadvantages, disabilities or other barriers to education, such as lack of reliable and affordable transportation, lack of child care or food insecurity.
D. Notwithstanding any other law:
1. A school district or charter school may provide high school education to persons who are twenty-two years of age or older and who have not yet graduated from high school. A public school is not required to receive a grant under this section to provide high school education to persons who are twenty-two years of age or older and who have not yet graduated from high school. If a school district or charter school provides high school education to persons who are twenty-two years of age or older, who have not yet graduated from high school and who are otherwise ineligible to receive basic state aid under this title, the school district or charter school may not receive basic state aid for those persons.
2. A high school diploma may be issued pursuant to this section to an adult learner who meets all the graduation requirements of section 15-701.01 and the state board of education.
E. A program school shall provide special education services.
F. A program school may not adopt admission limits based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disabling condition, English language proficiency or athletic ability.
G. A public school operating a program school under this section shall operate the program school for adult learners in a separate facility and at a separate location from the facility in which any juvenile public school students are located.
H. A program school is not eligible for either:
1. Transportation funding pursuant to section 15-945.
2. Arizona online instruction funding pursuant to section 15-808.
I. The department of education shall develop grant application procedures for the innovative adult education grant program. A grant application submitted pursuant to this section must include all of the following:
1. A description of the public school's partnership with a nonprofit corporation or adult education provider pursuant to subsection C of this section.
2. A description of the program school's administrative structure, program activities, program staff, budget and specific curriculum that is aligned with the state academic standards.
3. The program school's academic calendar and a schedule describing the program school's length of school day, program sequence, multidisciplinary courses, pace and instructional activities, or any combination of these items.
4. Confirmation of the program school's location and a description of the program school's facility, including all of the following:
(a) Accessibility.
(b) Available classroom space.
(c) Child care space.
(d) Health and safety requirements.
5. A description of specific academic, behavioral and emotional support services the nonprofit corporation or adult education provider will offer to adult learners who enroll in the program school.
6. A description of the adult learner and family supports that the program school will provide at no cost to adult learners, including all of the following:
(a) On-site child care for dependents of enrolled adult learners.
(b) Local transportation assistance for adult learners with a verifiable need.
(c) Career and higher education counseling.
(d) Job placement assistance.
7. A description of the counseling services available to assist adult learners in overcoming barriers to educational success, including any of the following:
(a) Educational disadvantages.
(b) Homelessness.
(c) Criminal history.
(d) Disabling conditions.
8. A description of the career technical education instruction the program school will provide. Career technical education instruction and courses must lead to industry-recognized credentials or result in adult learners earning course credits from a university or community college. A program school may partner with a community college district to provide career technical education instruction.
9. A description of specific program outcomes, goals and metrics the program school will use to determine adult learner success.
10. The projected number of adult learners the program school will enroll.
J. The state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, shall evaluate applications submitted for the innovative adult education grant program and approve grants to program schools that demonstrate, through evidence or other documentation, the ability to provide adult learners with the instruction and support that lead to a high school diploma and one or more industry-recognized credentials. The following apply to grants approved under this section:
1. The initial grant shall be for a period of two school years.
2. Renewal of the grant shall be for a period of not more than four school years and is contingent on specific performance expectations, including student progression, graduation rates and earning of industry-recognized credentials.
K. If an approved service provider fails to meet any requirements of this section or any rules adopted by the state board, the state board shall immediately initiate a process to bring the program school into compliance.
L. On or before July 1, 2023, the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, shall adopt performance expectations to evaluate program schools. The performance expectations shall include measurements of adult learner progress toward earning a high school diploma, the graduation rates of adult learners earning at least one academic credit, the number of industry-recognized credentials earned and other relevant measures as adopted by the state board.
M. A public school participating in the innovative adult education grant program shall annually report the following information to the department of education:
1. The number of adult learners enrolled in the program school.
2. The graduation rate of adult learners enrolled in the program school.
3. The average progress of adult learners toward meeting graduation requirements.
4. The number and type of industry-recognized credentials earned by adult learners enrolled in the program school.
5. A descriptive summary of the academic, behavioral and emotional support services the service provider offers to adult learners in the program school.
N. On or before December 15, 2024 and on or before December 15 of each year thereafter, the department of education shall submit an annual report evaluating the effectiveness of the innovative adult education grant program to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives. The department shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state.
O. The state board of education may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.
P. The program established pursuant to this section ends on July 1, 2031 pursuant to section 41-3102."
Amend title to conform