Senate Engrossed

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-third Legislature

First Regular Session

2017

 

 

SENATE BILL 1136

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-118; relating to school instruction.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-118, to read:

START_STATUTE15-118.  Hour of coding required; exemptions; waiver

A.  Each school district and charter school shall require all pupils to participate in at least one hour of interactive computer instruction once in any of grades four through twelve.  The instruction must be designed to expose pupils to reading, understanding and writing computer code and be offered by either a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that is devoted to expanding access to computer science or by an entity with expertise in providing instruction to pupils on interactive computer instruction that is aligned to the academic standards adopted by the state board of education, if adopted by the state board of education, or that is aligned to curriculum or courses adopted by a school district governing board or charter school.  A school district or charter school may not require a pupil to participate more than once in this interactive computer instruction.

B.  A child with a disability as defined in section 15‑731 may be exempted from the requirements of subsection A of this section on a determination by the child's individualized education program team.

C.  A parent may request an exemption from the requirements of subsection A of this section if the pupil previously received comparable instruction.

D.  A school district or charter school may apply to the superintendent of public instruction for a full or partial waiver from the requirements of subsection A of this section if the school district or charter school does not have sufficient computer infrastructure to comply with the requirements of subsection A of this section.  The superintendent of public instruction shall evaluate the waiver application and determine whether to issue the waiver. END_STATUTE