SB1454 - 542R

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

Section 1. Section 15-203, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-203. Powers and duties

A. The state board of education shall:

1. Exercise general supervision over and regulate the conduct of the public school system and adopt any rules and policies it deems necessary to accomplish this purpose.

2. Keep a record of its proceedings.

3. Make rules for its own government.

4. Determine the policy and work undertaken by it.

5. Subject to title 41, chapter 4, article 4, employ staff.

6. Prescribe and supervise the duties of its employees pursuant to title 41, chapter 4, article 4, if not otherwise prescribed by statute.

7. Delegate to the superintendent of public instruction the execution of board policies and rules.

8. Recommend to the legislature changes or additions to the statutes pertaining to schools.

9. Prepare, publish and distribute reports concerning the educational welfare of this state.

10. Prepare a budget for expenditures necessary for proper maintenance of the board and accomplishment of its purposes and present the budget to the legislature.

11. Aid in the enforcement of laws relating to schools.

12. Prescribe a minimum course of study in the common schools, minimum competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the third grade and minimum course of study and competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the eighth grade. The state board of education shall prepare a fiscal impact statement of any proposed changes to the minimum course of study or competency requirements and, on completion, shall send a copy to the director of the joint legislative budget committee and the executive director of the school facilities board. The state board of education shall not adopt any changes in the minimum course of study or competency requirements in effect on July 1, 1998 that will have a fiscal impact on school capital costs.

13. Prescribe minimum course of study and competency requirements for the graduation of pupils from high school. The state board of education shall prepare a fiscal impact statement of any proposed changes to the minimum course of study or competency requirements and, on completion, shall send a copy to the director of the joint legislative budget committee and the executive director of the school facilities board. The state board of education shall not adopt any changes in the minimum course of study or competency requirements in effect on July 1, 1998 that will have a fiscal impact on school capital costs.

14. Pursuant to section 15‑501.01, supervise and control the certification of persons engaged in instructional work directly as any classroom, laboratory or other teacher or indirectly as a supervisory teacher, speech therapist, principal or superintendent in a school district, including school district preschool programs, or any other educational institution below the community college, college or university level, and prescribe rules for certification.

15. Adopt a list of approved tests for determining special education assistance to gifted pupils as defined in and as provided in chapter 7, article 4.1 of this title. The adopted tests shall provide separate scores for quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and nonverbal reasoning and shall be capable of providing reliable and valid scores at the highest ranges of the score distribution.

16. Adopt rules governing the methods for the administration of all proficiency examinations.

17. Adopt proficiency examinations for its use and determine the passing score for the proficiency examinations.

18. Include within its budget the cost of contracting for the purchase, distribution and scoring of the examinations as provided in paragraphs 16 and 17 of this subsection.

19. Supervise and control the qualifications of professional nonteaching school personnel and prescribe standards relating to qualifications. The standards shall not require the business manager of a school district to obtain certification from the state board of education.

20. Impose such disciplinary action, including the issuance of a letter of censure, suspension, suspension with conditions or revocation of a certificate, on a finding of immoral or unprofessional conduct.

21. Establish an assessment, data gathering and reporting system for pupil performance as prescribed in chapter 7, article 3 of this title, including qualifying examinations for the dual enrollment and college credit by examination incentive program pursuant to section 15‑249.06.

22. Adopt a rule to promote braille literacy pursuant to section 15‑214.

23. Adopt rules prescribing procedures for the investigation by the department of education of every written complaint alleging that a certificated person has engaged in immoral conduct.

24. For purposes of federal law, serve as the state board for vocational and technological education and meet at least four times each year solely to execute the powers and duties of the state board for vocational and technological education.

25. Develop and maintain a handbook for use in the schools of this state that provides guidance for the teaching of moral, civic and ethical education. The handbook shall promote existing curriculum frameworks and shall encourage school districts to recognize moral, civic and ethical values within instructional and programmatic educational development programs for the general purpose of instilling character and ethical principles in pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through twelve.

26. Require pupils to recite the following passage from the declaration of independence for pupils in grades four through six at the commencement of the first class of the day in the schools, except that a pupil shall not be required to participate if the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian objects:

We hold these truths to be self‑evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . . .

27. Adopt rules that provide for certification reciprocity pursuant to section 15‑501.01.

28. Adopt rules that provide for the presentation of an honorary high school diploma to a person who has never obtained a high school diploma and who meets both of the following requirements:

(a) Currently resides in this state.

(b) Provides documented evidence from the department of veterans' services that the person enlisted in the armed forces of the United States and served in World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict or the Vietnam conflict.

29. Cooperate with the Arizona‑Mexico commission in the governor's office and with researchers at universities in this state to collect data and conduct projects in the United States and Mexico on issues that are within the scope of the duties of the department of education and that relate to quality of life, trade and economic development in this state in a manner that will help the Arizona‑Mexico commission to assess and enhance the economic competitiveness of this state and of the Arizona‑Mexico region.

30. Adopt rules to define and provide guidance to schools as to the activities that would constitute immoral or unprofessional conduct of certificated persons.

31. Adopt guidelines to encourage pupils in grades nine, ten, eleven and twelve to volunteer for twenty hours of community service before graduation from high school. A school district that complies with the guidelines adopted pursuant to this paragraph is not liable for damages resulting from a pupil's participation in community service unless the school district is found to have demonstrated wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of the pupil and other participants in community service. For the purposes of this paragraph, "community service" may include service learning. The guidelines shall include the following:

(a) A list of the general categories in which community service may be performed.

(b) A description of the methods by which community service will be monitored.

(d) Orientation and notification procedures of community service opportunities for pupils entering grade nine, including the development of a notification form. The notification form shall be signed by the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian, except that a pupil shall not be required to participate in community service if the parent or guardian notifies the principal of the pupil's school in writing that the parent or guardian does not wish the pupil to participate in community service.

(e) Procedures for a pupil in grade nine to prepare a written proposal that outlines the type of community service that the pupil would like to perform and the goals that the pupil hopes to achieve as a result of community service. The pupil's written proposal shall be reviewed by a faculty advisor, a guidance counselor or any other school employee who is designated as the community service program coordinator for that school. The pupil may alter the written proposal at any time before performing community service.

(f) Procedures for a faculty advisor, a guidance counselor or any other school employee who is designated as the community service program coordinator to evaluate and certify the completion of community service performed by pupils.

32. To facilitate the transfer of military personnel and their dependents to and from the public schools of this state, pursue, in cooperation with the Arizona board of regents, reciprocity agreements with other states concerning the transfer credits for military personnel and their dependents. A reciprocity agreement entered into pursuant to this paragraph shall:

(a) Address procedures for each of the following:

(i) The transfer of student records.

(ii) Awarding credit for completed coursework.

(iii) Permitting a student to satisfy the graduation requirements prescribed in section 15‑701.01 through the successful performance on comparable exit‑level assessment instruments administered in another state.

(b) Include appropriate criteria developed by the state board of education and the Arizona board of regents.

33. Adopt guidelines that school district governing boards shall use in identifying pupils who are eligible for gifted programs and in providing gifted education programs and services. The state board of education shall adopt any other guidelines and rules that it deems necessary in order to carry out the purposes of chapter 7, article 4.1 of this title.

34. For each of the alternative textbook formats of human-voiced audio, large‑print and braille, designate alternative media producers to adapt existing standard print textbooks or to provide specialized textbooks, or both, for pupils with disabilities in this state. Each alternative media producer shall be capable of producing alternative textbooks in all relevant subjects in at least one of the alternative textbook formats. The board shall post the designated list of alternative media producers on its website.

35. Adopt a list of approved professional development training providers for use by school districts as provided in section 15‑107, subsection J. The professional development training providers shall meet the training curriculum requirements determined by the state board of education in at least the areas of school finance, governance, employment, staffing, inventory and human resources, internal controls and procurement.

36. Adopt rules to prohibit a person who violates the notification requirements prescribed in section 15‑183, subsection C, paragraph 8 or section 15‑550, subsection C from certification pursuant to this title until the person is no longer charged or is acquitted of any offenses listed in section 41‑1758.03, subsection B. The state board shall also adopt rules to prohibit a person who violates the notification requirements, certification surrender requirements or fingerprint clearance card surrender requirements prescribed in section 15‑183, subsection C, paragraph 9 or section 15‑550, subsection D from certification pursuant to this title for at least ten years after the date of the violation.

37. Adopt rules for the alternative certification of teachers of nontraditional foreign languages that allow for the passing of a nationally accredited test to substitute for the education coursework required for certification.

38. Adopt rules to define competency‑based educational pathways for college and career readiness that may be used by schools. The rules shall include the following components:

(a) The establishment of learning outcomes that will be expected for students in a particular subject.

(b) A process and criteria by which assessments may be identified or established to determine whether students have reached the desired competencies in a particular subject.

(c) A mechanism to allow pupils in grades seven through twelve who have demonstrated competency in a subject to immediately obtain credit for the mastery of that subject. The rules shall include a list of applicable subjects, including the level of competency required for each subject.

39. In consultation with the department of health services, the department of education, medical professionals, school health professionals, school administrators and an organization that represents school nurses in this state, adopt rules that prescribe the following for school districts and charter schools:

(a) Annual training in the administration of auto‑injectable epinephrine for designated medical and nonmedical school personnel. The annual training prescribed in this subdivision is optional during any fiscal year in which a school does not stock epinephrine auto‑injectors at the school during that fiscal year.

(b) Annual training for all school site personnel on the recognition of anaphylactic shock symptoms and the procedures to follow when anaphylactic shock occurs, following the national guidelines of the American academy of pediatrics. The annual training prescribed in this subdivision is optional during any fiscal year in which a school does not stock epinephrine auto‑injectors at the school during that fiscal year.

(d) Procedures for annually requesting a standing order for epinephrine auto‑injectors pursuant to section 15‑157 from the chief medical officer of the department of health services, the chief medical officer of a county health department, a doctor of medicine licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or a doctor of osteopathic medicine licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 17.

(e) Procedures for reporting the use of epinephrine auto‑injectors to the department of health services.

40. In consultation with the department of education, medical professionals, school health professionals, school administrators and an organization that represents school nurses in this state, adopt rules that prescribe the following for school districts and charter schools that elect to administer inhalers:

(a) Annual training in the recognition of respiratory distress symptoms and the procedures to follow when respiratory distress occurs, in accordance with good clinical practice, and the administration of inhalers, as directed on the prescription protocol, by designated medical and nonmedical school personnel.

(b) Requirements for school districts and charter schools that elect to administer inhalers to designate at least two employees at each school to be trained in the recognition of respiratory distress symptoms and the procedures to follow when respiratory distress occurs, in accordance with good clinical practice, and at least two employees at each school to be trained in the administration of inhalers, as directed on the prescription protocol.

(d) Procedures for annually requesting a standing order for inhalers and spacers or holding chambers pursuant to section 15‑158 from the chief medical officer of a county health department, a physician licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17 or a nurse practitioner licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15.

(e) Procedures for notifying a parent once an inhaler has been administered.

41. Adopt rules for certification that allow substitute teachers who can demonstrate primary teaching responsibility in a classroom as defined by the state board of education to use the time spent in that classroom toward the required capstone experience for standard teaching certification.

B. The state board of education may:

1. Contract.

2. Sue and be sued.

3. Distribute and score the tests prescribed in chapter 7, article 3 of this title.

4. Provide for an advisory committee to conduct hearings and screenings to determine whether grounds exist to impose disciplinary action against a certificated person, whether grounds exist to reinstate a revoked or surrendered certificate and whether grounds exist to approve or deny an initial application for certification or a request for renewal of a certificate. The board may delegate its responsibility to conduct hearings and screenings to its advisory committee. Hearings shall be conducted pursuant to title 41, chapter 6, article 6.

5. Proceed with the disposal of any complaint requesting disciplinary action or with any disciplinary action against a person holding a certificate as prescribed in subsection A, paragraph 14 of this section after the suspension or expiration of the certificate or surrender of the certificate by the holder.

6. Assess costs and reasonable attorney fees against a person who files a frivolous complaint or who files a complaint in bad faith. Costs assessed pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the expenses incurred by the department of education in the investigation of the complaint. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 15-249.06, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-249.06. Dual enrollment and college credit by examination incentive program; incentive bonuses; report; fund; program termination

A. The dual enrollment and college credit by examination incentive program is established within the department of education to provide an incentive bonus to teachers, school districts and charter schools for students who complete a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade or obtain a passing score on a qualifying examination for college credit while in high school.

B. The Arizona board of regents shall maintain a list of qualifying examinations that a high school student may take in order to receive college credit in mathematics, English language arts, social studies or science from any university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents and the passing scores required on those examinations in order to receive college credit. On or before September 1 of each year, the Arizona board of regents shall provide the list of qualifying examinations and passing scores to the department of education and shall submit this list to the joint legislative budget committee.

C. Each community college district governing board shall maintain a list of qualifying dual enrollment courses offered pursuant to section 15‑1821.01 that a high school student may take in order to receive college credit in mathematics, english language arts, Social Studies or Science and the passing grade required in each qualifying dual enrollment course in order to receive college credit. On or before September 1 of each year, each community college district governing board shall provide the list of qualifying dual enrollment courses and passing grades to the department of education and the joint legislative budget committee.

C. D. Beginning in fiscal year 2017‑2018, The department of education shall pay an incentive bonus to school districts and charter schools for each student in grades nine through twelve who receives a passing score during the previous fiscal year on a qualifying examination identified by the Arizona board of regents pursuant to subsection B of this section. A student who receives a passing score on a qualifying examination and who is enrolled in a school where fifty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches shall generate for the school or charter school a bonus of $450 per passing score on a qualifying examination. A student who receives a passing score on a qualifying examination and who is enrolled in a school where less than fifty percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches shall generate for the school or charter school a bonus of $300 per passing score on a qualifying examination. If the statewide sum of per student bonuses awarded pursuant to this subsection exceeds the amount of available monies appropriated for incentive bonuses, the bonus monies shall be reduced proportionally to cover all eligible bonus awards.

E. Beginning in fiscal year 2021-2022, the department of education shall pay an incentive bonus to school districts and charter schools for each student in grades nine through twelve who completes a qualifying dual enrollment course, as identified by a community college district governing board pursuant to subsection C of this section, with a passing grade during the previous fiscal year and who is enrolled in a school where fifty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced‑price lunches. A student who completes a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade and who is enrolled in a school where fifty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches shall generate for the school or charter school a bonus of $450 per passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course. If the statewide sum of per student bonuses awarded pursuant to this subsection exceeds the amount of available monies appropriated for incentive bonuses, the bonus monies shall be reduced proportionally to cover all eligible bonus awards.

D. F. A school district or charter school that receives an incentive bonus pursuant to this section shall distribute at least fifty percent of the bonus monies to the associated classroom teacher for each student who completes a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade or passes a qualifying examination and to other teachers of relevant subjects who instructed that student, including but not limited to teachers in the same department or subject matter that contributed to the student completing a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade or passing the examination, as identified by the school district governing board, the charter school governing body or the school principal. Bonus monies awarded to a teacher pursuant to this subsection are in addition to any regular wage, compensation or other bonus the teacher receives or is scheduled to receive and shall be provided to the teacher by the end of the school year or not later than thirty days after the end of the school year. The remainder of any bonus monies received by a school district or charter school shall be allocated by the school principal on behalf of students who receive a passing grade or passing score and may be used for teacher professional development or student instructional support, reimbursement of examination fees or instructional materials. Any bonus monies received by a school district or charter school pursuant to this subsection shall be separately accounted for in the school district's or charter school's annual financial report.

E. G. Incentive bonuses distributed to and any bonus monies received by a school district or charter school pursuant to this section are not subject to collective bargaining.

F. H. Payments made by the department of education pursuant to this section shall be distributed to schools not later than March 1 of each year. School districts and charter schools may appeal the allocation of bonus monies not later than August 1 of each year. The department may withhold up to $10,000 of the monies appropriated for the purposes of this section to address allocation appeals by school districts and charter schools.

G. I. On or before December 15, 2018 and on or before December 15 of each year thereafter, the department of education shall submit to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the governor, the secretary of state, and the joint legislative budget committee, a report on all of the following:

1. The number of students who completed a qualifying dual enrollment course and who took a qualifying examination at each school.

2. The number of students who completed a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade and who received a passing score on a qualifying examination and the number of incentive bonus awards distributed.

3. The number and types of qualifying dual enrollment courses and qualifying examinations taken by students.

4. The amount of bonus monies received by each school.

H. J. Incentive bonuses distributed to and any bonus monies received by a teacher are not compensation as defined in section 38‑711.

I. K. The dual enrollment and college credit by examination development fund is established consisting of monies that are appropriated to the department of education for the purposes of this section but that are not distributed by the end of the fiscal year in which the monies are appropriated. The department shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35‑190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The department shall distribute monies in the fund to schools in which fifty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced‑price lunches to assist those schools in developing and operating classes that offer qualifying examinations pursuant to this section. The department shall prioritize distributions from the fund based on need.

J. L. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2026 pursuant to section 41‑3102. END_STATUTE