ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
crisis management team; underperforming districts
Purpose
An emergency measure that directs the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to establish a crisis management team to recommend necessary changes for a persistently failing school district to meet community educational needs.
Background
ADE uses the annual achievement profile to determine a school's or local education agency's classification based on an A through F letter grade system adopted by the State Board of Education. A letter grade of A reflects an excellent level of performance and a letter grade of F reflects a failing level of performance (A.R.S. § 15-241). School district governing boards must submit an improvement plan for any school that receives a D letter grade to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and respective county educational service agency. Schools that receive a D letter grade for three consecutive years are assigned an F letter grade, unless an alternative letter grade is assigned after an appeal (A.R.S. § 15-241.02).
The SPI and respective county educational agency must assign a solutions team to a school that receives either a D or F letter grade. The solutions team must consider the school's existing improvement plan and present its findings for necessary changes to the school administrator and district superintendent. The school district governing board must submit an action plan outlining how the school district will assist the school in incorporating the findings of the solutions team into the improvement plan (A.R.S. § 15-241.02).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Crisis Management Team
1. Requires ADE to establish a crisis management team to recommend changes necessary to meet community educational needs for a persistently underperforming school district that:
a) is located in a county with a population between 200,000 and 220,000 persons;
b) is a unified school district;
c) reported an average daily membership between 190 and 210 in FY 2018;
d) was assigned an F letter grade in school years 2016-2017 and 2018-2019; and
e) had less than five percent of pupils proficient on the statewide assessment in English language arts and mathematics.
2. Requires the crisis management team to include the following members appointed by the SPI:
a) ADE staff with expertise and experience in school improvement;
b) an expert in tribal consultation and affairs;
c) an expert in rural school improvement;
d) an employee of the Office of Indian Education; and
e) other persons as deemed appropriate.
3. Requires the crisis management team to establish a work plan in consultation with tribal stakeholders, school district governing board members, school district employees, community members, parents and other relevant persons.
4. Requires the established work plan to evaluate local circumstances and needs of the school district to determine the following:
a) impediments to academic success;
b) barriers to an effective school community, including relationships between a school district and relevant community stakeholders;
c) specific changes required to increase academic outcomes and prevent teacher and staff turnover;
d) outstanding financial impediments and appropriate resolutions; and
e) a long-term plan to sustain school success, including potential changes to governance, boundaries, receivership or consolidations that would benefit the school district.
Information Requests and Recommendations
5. Requires the school district to comply with the crisis management team's requests for information and provide the information within two weeks.
6. Allows the school district to request additional time to complete information requests and requires the school district to justify why more than two weeks are needed to complete the information request.
7. Requires the crisis management team to provide recommendations in writing to the school district governing board and superintendent that address identified issues contributing to persistent academic underperformance.
8. Requires the school district, within two weeks after receiving the recommendations, to notify the crisis management team in writing and outline implementation efforts or reasons for rejecting a recommendation.
9. Requires the school district to terminate the contract of the school district superintendent in accordance with the contract terms and include appropriate financial recourse if the crisis management team determines the school district is unable to meet community educational needs without an administrative change.
10. Allows the crisis management team to assist the school district governing board in identifying candidates to act as an interim superintendent.
Implementation Plan
11. Allows the crisis management team to determine the viability of a long-term sustainability plan and to request ADE notify the school district of the implementation plan.
12. Requires ADE to compile all crisis management team recommendations, and establish and provide an implementation plan and timeline to the school district.
13. Requires the school district to evaluate the implementation plan, respond to ADE in writing outlining plan adoption and modifications and report regularly to ADE on implementation.
14. Allows the school district to request assistance in community stakeholder engagement or implementation, including tribal consultation.
Reporting Requirements
15. Requires the crisis management team to submit a preliminary report by July 1, 2020, and a final report by December 31, 2020, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, ADE and the chairpersons of the House of Representatives and Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, and provide a copy to the Secretary of State.
16. Requires the report to include the following:
a) specific improvement recommendations made to a school district;
b) outcomes of consolations, including actions suggested by parents, the school district, community and tribal stakeholders;
c) recommendations on the long-term viability of a school district, including whether a change in governance, boundaries, receivership or consolidation would benefit academic outcomes; and
d) a projected implementation timeline for recommended changes.
Miscellaneous
17. Allows the SPI to retain a portion of state monies that would otherwise be directed to the school district to compensate, at a reasonable rate established by ADE, members of the crisis management team who are not employees of ADE.
18. Requires the school district to reduce its budget limit accordingly.
19. Repeals the crisis management team requirements on April 1, 2021.
20. Contains a legislative intent clause.
21. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted.
House Action
ED 1/27/20 DP 10-0-1-2
3rd Read 2/25/20 57-3-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 5, 2020
JO/JP/gs