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House Engrossed Senate Bill
school letter grades; student discipline |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
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SENATE BILL 1459 |
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An Act
amending title 15, chapter 7, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-746.01; relating to school assessment and accountability.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 7, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-746.01, to read:
15-746.01. Student discipline; teacher referrals; annual report; investigations; annual survey; reduction in letter grade
A. Each school district and charter school in this state shall:
1. Include in every student handbook a rubric for student discipline. The rubric required pursuant to this paragraph must include only objective criteria for student discipline and may not consider the student's religion, race, sex, color, ethnicity, ancestry or national origin.
2. Annually report to the department of education all of the following:
(a) The total number of student discipline referrals submitted by teachers in each school that is operated by the school district or charter school.
(b) The number of the referrals reported pursuant to subdivision (a) of this paragraph for which the school administration implemented the teacher's recommended disciplinary action or another disciplinary action. For the purposes of this subdivision, disciplinary action does not include social emotional learning or restorative discipline.
(c) The percentage of the referrals reported pursuant to subdivision (a) of this paragraph for which the school administration did not implement the teacher's recommended disciplinary action or any other action.
B. A school district, charter school or administrator in a school that is operated by a school district or charter school may not discourage a teacher from submitting student discipline referrals consistent with the rubric described in subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section and with the teacher's authority pursuant to chapter 8, article 3 of this title. For the purposes of this subsection, "discourage" includes any action, policy, guideline or statement, whether formal or informal, that either limits a teacher's authority to submit a student discipline referral or penalizes a teacher for submitting a student discipline referral.
C. A teacher may report any alleged violation of subsection B of this section to the department of education. The department may investigate reports that it receives pursuant to this subsection. If the department determines that a student discipline referral was warranted but was not submitted by a teacher because of a violation of subsection B of this section, the department shall adjust the calculations pursuant to this section as follows:
1. Add the student discipline referral that was warranted but was not submitted to the total number of student discipline referrals reported pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (a).
2. Recalculate the percentage reported pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (c) of this section to include the additional student discipline referral.
3. Recalculate the percentage of student discipline referrals prescribed by subsection D, paragraph 1 of this section based on the adjustments in paragraphs 1 and 2 of THIS subsection.
d. The department shall notify a school that is operated by a school district or charter school that the school has failed to adequately discipline students in the current school year and may be subject to pENALTIES if the school fails to adequately discipline students in the following school YEAR if all of the following apply:
1. The school does not implement disciplinary actions described in subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (b) of this section in at least seventy-five percent of the total number of student discipline referrals reported pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (a) of this section in the current school year.
2. The school has no reasonable justification, as determined by the department, for implementing disciplinary actions in fewer than seventy-five percent of student discipline referrals in the current school year.
3. The school did not receive a notice pursuant to this subsection in the immediately preceding school year.
E. The department shall reduce the letter grade assigned to a school that is operated by a school district or charter school pursuant to section 15-241 by one letter grade if both of the following apply:
1. Subsection D, paragraphs 1 and 2 of this section apply to the school.
2. The school received a notice pursuant to subsection D of this section in the immediately preceding school year.
f. The department shall administer an annual survey of teachers who are employed by school districts or charter schools in this state. The survey shall assess whether, during the previous school year, any school district, charter school, administrator or teacher considered a student's religion, race, sex, color, ethnicity, ancestry or national origin when determining whether to submit a student discipline referral or what student disciplinary action was appropriate.