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Conference Engrossed |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature First Regular Session 2017
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SENATE BILL 1317 |
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AN ACT
amending section 15‑763, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to special education.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-763, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-763. Plan for providing special education; definition
A. All school districts and charter schools shall develop policies and procedures for providing special education to all children with disabilities within the district or charter school. All children with disabilities shall receive special education programming commensurate with their abilities and needs. Each child shall be ensured access to the general curriculum and an opportunity to meet the state's academic standards. IF APPROPRIATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A PUPIL AND TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM, SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION THAT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM MAY BE DELIVERED IN A VARIETY OF EDUCATION SETTINGS BY A GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER OR OTHER CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL PROVIDED THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSONNEL CERTIFICATED PURSUANT TO SECTION 15-203 ARE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING, PROGRESS MONITORING AND WHEN APPROPRIATE INVOLVED IN THE DELIVERY OF THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION. Pupils who receive special education shall not be required to achieve passing scores on the statewide assessment or the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test under section 15‑701.01 in order to graduate from high school unless the pupil is learning at a level appropriate for the pupil's grade level in a specific academic area and unless a passing score on the statewide assessment or the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test under section 15‑701.01 is specifically required in a specific academic area by the pupil's individualized education program as mutually agreed on by the pupil's parents and the pupil's individualized education program team or the pupil, if the pupil is at least eighteen years of age. The pupil's individualized education program shall include any necessary testing accommodations. Special education services shall be provided at no cost to the parents of children with disabilities.
B. The state board of education shall adopt guidelines to define a parent's or guardian's role or a pupil's role, if the pupil is at least eighteen years of age, in the development of a pupil's section 504 plan as defined in section 15‑731, including testing and testing accommodations.
C. For the purposes of determining the services to pupils served by private schools under existing federal law, the state shall consider the term to include homeschooled pupils.
D. If federal monies are provided to a school district or a charter school for special education services to homeschooled or private schooled pupils, the school district or charter school shall provide the services to both the homeschooled pupils and the private schooled pupils in the same manner.
E. For the purposes of this section, "special education" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15‑1201.
Sec. 2. Special education; specially designed instruction; state board of education; rules
A. The state board of education shall immediately begin the process of adopting new rules that clarify the administration of specially designed instruction for students who receive special education services to include instruction from general education and other certificated personnel, provided that special education personnel certificated pursuant to section 15-203, Arizona Revised Statutes, are involved in the planning, progress monitoring and when appropriate involved in the delivery of the specially designed instruction, as amended by this act. The state board of education shall also immediately begin the process of comprehensively reviewing and amending state board rules regarding special education to streamline processes, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on local education agencies and to affirm the central role of the local individualized education program team. The state board of education shall ensure that the current rules and any newly adopted rules are consistent with state law and that personnel are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained to serve students with disabilities.
B. The state board of education shall adopt the new rules required by subsection A of this section on or before November 15, 2017. Any rules adopted by the state board of education shall be consistent with and may not be more restrictive than the requirements pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. Before the adoption of any rules pursuant to this section, the state board of education shall submit drafts of any proposed rules to the governor, the chairperson of the senate education committee and the chairperson of the house of representatives education committee.
Sec. 3. Legislative intent
It is the legislature's intent that all children with disabilities have access to the most qualified professionals identified by the individualized education program team to meet their unique, individualized needs. The changes in this act will provide parents of children with disabilities with more choices, promote education in the least restrictive environment, enhance collaboration between general education and special education personnel, and improve student achievement. This act is not intended to allow unqualified, unprepared or untrained individuals to provide special education services or unlicensed professionals to perform a scope of services that require licensure.