REFERENCE TITLE: schools; access; instructional materials; review

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020

SB 1357

Introduced by Senator Allen S

 

AN ACT

 

repealing section 15‑730, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending Title 15, chapter 7, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding a new section 15-730; relating to school instruction.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

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

Section 1.  Repeal

Section 15-730, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.

Sec. 2.  Title 15, chapter 7, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section 15-730, to read:

START_STATUTE15-730.  Access to instructional materials by parents and guardians; definition

A.  Each school that is operated by a school district and each charter school shall allow parents and guardians, on written request and advance approval, to access instructional materials that are currently used or being considered for use by the school or charter school by making at least one copy of the instructional materials available for review for the entire school year.

B.  Each school district governing board and each charter school governing body shall prescribe and enforce policies that allow parents and guardians of pupils enrolled in a school that is operated by the school district or in the charter school access to instructional materials that are currently used or being considered for use by schools under the school district's jurisdiction or by the charter school.  The policies must do all of the following:

1.  Designate one or more school or charter school employees in each school or charter school who are responsible for maintaining the instructional materials that are used in the school or charter school for the current school year.

2.  Identify the location at the school or charter school where a parent or guardian may access the instructional materials.

3.  Identify the prominent location on the school's or charter school's website where a parent or guardian may access a complete listing of instructional materials used in the prior year, designated by grade and subject area, pursuant to subsection C of this section.

4.  Describe how a parent or guardian may submit a written request to access or review printed or digital instructional materials.

5.  Describe the method in which printed instructional materials may be taken from the school or charter school premises for review by a parent or guardian.  The parent or guardian shall return printed instructional materials taken from the school or charter school premises for review within forty‑eight hours.

6.  Describe the method in which electronic access is granted for parents or guardians to review digital instructional materials used at the school or charter school.

C.  Each school or charter school shall post on a prominent location on its website a listing of the instructional materials used, by grade and subject matter, in the prior school year on or before August 1 of each year.  The listing shall include the title, author, organization or website associated with each individual instructional material used.  This subsection does not require the digital reproduction of the entirety of the instructional material.

D.  If a school that is operated by a school district or a charter school maintains a student handbook, the school or charter school shall include the policies developed pursuant to subsection B of this section in the student handbook.  Each school that is operated by a school district and each charter school shall provide a written or electronic copy of the policies developed pursuant to subsection B of this section to each parent or legal guardian annually at the time the parent or guardian enrolls the parent's or guardian's pupil in the school or charter school.

E.  Each school district governing board and charter school governing body shall prescribe and enforce policies that require a teacher to submit a listing of the teacher's current school year instructional materials to be used in the teacher's class to the school principal for review and approval.

F.  In addition to the requirements prescribed in sections 15‑721 and 15‑722, a school district governing board or charter school governing body shall approve any instructional materials before the instructional materials are used in the school district or charter school.  The school district governing board or charter school governing body shall make the proposed instructional materials available and accessible for review and public comment for at least sixty days before the school district governing board or charter school governing body decides whether to approve the instructional materials and shall require at least two public hearings to be held within the sixty days before the school district governing board or charter school governing body decides whether to approve the instructional materials.  Public comment may include written comments, oral comments and comments submitted through email.

G.  For the purposes of this section, "instructional materials" includes any of the following that are created and published primarily for use by teachers and pupils in school instruction, including classroom instruction, nonpupil presentations, assemblies, lectures and nonpupil-led discussion groups, and that are required by a state educational agency or local educational agency for use by pupils in the classroom, including materials that require the availability of electronic equipment in order to be used as a learning resource:

1.  Textbooks, including digital textbooks or content.

2.  Mandatory and optional reading materials, whether digital or in print, including all lists from which pupils are required to select one or more reading materials.

3.  Websites.

4.  Films.

5.  Online applications used for pupil instruction.

6.  Online databases. END_STATUTE