House of Representatives

HB 2552

schools; gifted pupils; programs; funding

Sponsor: Representative Anderson

 

dpa

Committee on K-12 Education

dp

Committee on Appropriations (B)

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Caucus and COW

 

As Engrossed and As Passed the House

This bill as introduced contains an Appropriation clause.

 

HB 2552 increases the additional assistance for programs for gifted pupils, establishes additional duties for the State Board of Education (SBE), the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent), the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and school district governing boards for gifted programs and appropriates $80,000 in FY 2006-07 to the ADE for incorporating at least one hour of training on gifted education programs into existing professional development training programs for teachers

 

History

A.R.S. Section 15-764 requires each school district governing board to provide expanded academic course offerings and supplemental services to gifted pupils to ensure they receive a program that is appropriate for their academic abilities and potentials.  Additionally, the governing board may change the course of study for gifted pupils who have an educational disadvantage from a disability or difficulty in writing, speaking or understanding English because of a background where a language other than English is primarily used.  The facilities or programs used in regards to gifted pupils with educational disadvantages may not be separate from the facilities and programs of other gifted pupils.

 

A.R.S. Section 15-770 requires school district governing boards to develop a scope and sequence for identifying and developing curriculum for gifted pupils to ensure they receive special education that is appropriate for their academic abilities and potentials.  The scope and sequence must provide for routine screening tests and include an explanation of how special education for gifted pupils differs from regular education.

 

Provisions

·          Requires the SBE to:       

·          Adopt guidelines for school district governing boards to use for identifying pupils eligible for gifted programs and for providing gifted education programs and services. 

·          Adopt any guidelines and rules necessary to carry out the purposes of the statutes relating to gifted education.

·          Amends the definition of gifted education.

·          Declares that it is in the public interest to support unique opportunities for high-achieving and underachieving pupils who are identified as gifted.

·          Requires school district governing boards to modify the course of study and adapt teaching methods, materials and techniques to provide educationally for those pupils who are gifted and possess superior intellect or advanced learning ability, or both, but may have an educational disadvantage resulting from a disability or a difficulty in writing, speaking or understanding the English language due to an environmental background in which a language other than English is primarily or exclusively spoken.  Currently, this is a permissive power of school district governing boards.

·          Repeals a restriction on providing programs and services for gifted pupils who may have an educational disadvantage separately from other gifted pupils or programs and services provided in separate facilities as other gifted pupils.

·          Requires school districts in which a pupil identified as gifted transfers into to evaluate the pupil in a timely manner to determine whether to identify that pupil as gifted in the transferring school district.  Transferring pupils identified as gifted must be provided gifted education without unreasonable delay.

·          Requires programs and services for gifted pupils to be provided as an integrated, differentiated learning experience during the regular school day.

·          Requires the scope and sequence of gifted education to include criteria that address the elements of: program design, identification, curriculum, instruction, social and emotional development, professional development of administrators, teachers and counselors, parent and community involvement, program assessment and budgeting.  The criteria must be reviewed by the SBE and the ADE at least once every four years.  The budget information must include separate data on identification costs, program costs and any other data required by the Superintendent to administer and evaluate the program effectively.

·          Requires school district governing boards to submit the gifted education scope and sequence of the school district at least once every five years.

·          Increases the penalty for failing to submit or failing to receive approval for the gifted education scope and sequence.

·          Increases the additional funding for gifted programs from $55 per pupil for up to 3% of the student count or $1,000, whichever is greater; to $82 per pupil for up to 7% of the student count or $5,000, whichever is greater.  Adjusts this amount by the GDP price deflator in statute beginning in FY 2007-08.

·          Requires all school districts to conduct evaluation studies of their gifted education programs and submit this to the ADE.  Currently, only school districts that receive the additional assistance for gifted pupils must complete the studies and submit them to the ADE.

·          Prohibits additional assistance for gifted education programs from being used to supplant monies from other sources.

·          Requires the Superintendent to:

·          Apportion monies to each school district for which an application to offer gifted programs has been approved by the ADE pursuant to rules adopted by the SBE.

·          Upon request, assist school district governing boards to design, implement and evaluate programs for gifted pupils.

·          Ensure that the expenditure of monies authorized for gifted programs is consistent with statute.

·          Encourage the development of locally designed, innovative programs for gifted pupils.

·          Assist school districts in the development and implementation of staff development programs for administrators, teachers and counselors related to gifted pupils.

·          Encourage the development of procedures that assure the ongoing participation of parents of gifted pupils in the planning and evaluation of gifted education programs and services.

·          Appropriates $80,000 in FY 2006-07 from the state General Fund to the ADE to incorporate at least one hour of training on gifted education programs into existing professional development training programs for teachers.  Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.

·          Makes technical and conforming changes.

 

Amendments

Committee on K-12 Education

·          Amends the definition of gifted pupil.

·          Requires school districts that receive a transferring pupil from a charter school that has identified the pupil as gifted to determine in a timely manner whether the school district will identify the pupil as gifted.

·          Removes the requirement for a receiving school district to conduct an evaluation of the transferring pupil.

·          Adds school psychologists to the new scope and sequence requirements.

·          Changes the minimum allocation to a school district for gifted pupils to $4,000.

·          Requires the ADE to include training for administrators, school psychologists and counselors in the gifted education training appropriation.

 

 

 

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Forty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session          3          February 27, 2006

 

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