ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: ED DPA/SE 10-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 59-0-1-0

Senate: ED DPA 7-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-14-0-0

HB 2060: charter schools; financial requirements; revisions

NOW: schools; requirements; revisions

Sponsor: Representative Grantham, LD 14

Senate Engrossed

Overview

Modifies website posting, dyslexia training and transfer student record request requirements for school districts, schools operated by a school district (district schools) and charter schools. Requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to create a separate statutory handbook of parental rights (parental rights handbook) for charter schools.

History

There are numerous statutes that require school districts and charter schools to post, display or make accessible certain information on their websites, such as: 1) policies for reporting crimes; 2) the parental rights handbook; 3) policies for parental classroom visits; and 4) average teacher salary data (A.R.S. §§ 15-153, 15-189.05, 15-249.16, 15-341, 15-903).

Laws 2019, Chapter 198 requires each school district and charter school to ensure that at least one kindergarten through 3rd grade teacher in each school has received dyslexia training that complies with statutory requirements (A.R.S. § 15-211). State Board of Education (SBE) rules must allow certificated teachers and administrators to count training regarding screening, intervention, accommodation, use of technology and advocacy for students with reading impairments, including dyslexia, as continuing education credits (A.R.S. § 15-219).

Laws 2020, Chapter 64 directs ADE to establish and post on its website a parental rights handbook. This handbook must contain specific statutes relating to parental rights as outlined (A.R.S. § 15-249.16).

Provisions

Website Posting

1.   Authorizes a school district, district school or a charter school to:

a)   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Notesatisfy any statutory requirement to post, prominently display, make accessible or otherwise include specified information on its website by making a link to the information available on its home page; and

b)   consolidate all information that is statutorily required to be posted, prominently displayed, made accessible or otherwise included on its website on a single webpage and not post this information on its home page. (Sec. 1)

Dyslexia Training

2.   Permits each school district and charter school to fulfill dyslexia training requirements by ensuring that at least one literacy coach or literacy specialist at each school has received the prescribed training. (Sec. 2)

3.   Directs SBE to adopt rules to allow literacy coaches and literacy specialists to count specified training for students with reading impairments as continuing education credits. (Sec. 3)

Parental Rights Handbook

4.   Reorganizes the requirement that ADE develop a parental rights handbook by directing ADE to develop a handbook for parents of children enrolled in school districts and a handbook for parents of children enrolled in charter schools. (Sec. 4)

5.   Outlines the statutes included in the charter school parental rights handbook. (Sec. 4)

Transfer Student Record Request

6.   Extends the time in which a school must request a certified copy of a transfer student's record from 5 to 10 school days after enrolling the transfer student. (Sec. 5)

7.   Removes language that requires a school requesting a transfer student's record to exercise due diligence in obtaining a copy of the record. (Sec. 5)

Miscellaneous

8.   Makes technical changes. (Sec. 4, 5)

9.   Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 4)

Senate Amendments

1.   Directs a school district, district school or charter school, if it consolidates all information that is statutorily required to be included on its website on a single webpage, to post a link to that webpage on its home page.

2.   Requires a school district or charter school to collect and maintain information about each current and former teacher's or each teacher's background and experience in a particular academic content subject area, respectively, rather than keep this information in the personnel file as outlined.  

3.   Deletes the requirement that a school district or charter school inform parents of the availability of the outlined teacher information and adds that the school district or charter school may post this information on its website.

4.   Declares school districts and charter schools:

a)   are not required to administer the kindergarten entry evaluation tool adopted by SBE; and

b)   must select appropriate evaluation methods or assessments, or both, to administer to kindergarten students within outlined timeframes.

5.   Removes the requirement that the budget format for a school district contain a statement identifying the number of full-time equivalent certified employees.

6.   Modifies the statutes included in the charter school parental rights handbook.

7.   Amends the FY 2024 General Appropriations Act by directing the Arizona Department of Administration to distribute the $300,000 appropriated to the Kirkland School District to the Skull Valley School District instead.

 

 

 

 

---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

                        HB 2060

Initials CH       Page 0 Senate Engrossed

 

---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------