House Committee Substitute

SECTION 160.041: This act establishes time parameters for a minimum school day, school month, and school year to be followed by school districts as described therein. The Commissioner of Education is authorized to reduce the required number of hours and days in the event of damage or destruction to a school facility or flooding or other inclement weather. Such reduction shall not exceed beyond two calendar years in duration.

SECTION 161.375: This act requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop standards for high-quality mentoring for beginning teachers and principals no later than June 30, 2008. Such standards shall apply to all public schools and shall be developed to ensure compliance with the required district mentoring programs under subsection 3 of section 168.021, RSMo. Such standards shall be based upon the principles enumerated therein. Quality mentoring programs may include those examples described therein. The department shall involve representatives from state teacher organizations, administration and principal organization and from the Missouri advisory council as created by Section 168.015, RSMo, and other educational institutions and organizations in developing such standards.

SECTION 167.128: This act establishes that the educational needs of each child under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court or family court under section 211.031, RSMo, shall be considered as part of the function of the child's family support team pursuant to the policy of the department of social services. Nothing in this act shall infringe upon the rights or due process provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act describes the educational procedures that may occur when the department of social services places a child for treatment in a licensed residential care facility. Children in such facilities should receive educational services as described therein. If a child may not be educated in a regular education class, education services shall be provided in an alternative setting approved by the family support team.

SECTION 168.021: This act establishes the requirements to obtain teacher certification and licensure in the Missouri public schools. Currently this act provides for certificates of license to be granted by the state board under rules and regulations prescribed by it as enumerated therein. This act establishes a new process through which to obtain a certificate of license. An individual who satisfies the requirements for certification by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) shall be eligible to apply for a career continuous professional certificate as enumerated therein.

Currently this act provides for renewal procedures for certificates that have been issued in the past.

The state board shall provide two levels of professional certification, an initial professional certificate and a career continuous professional certificate, both of which shall be based upon minimum requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education. An initial professional certificate shall be valid for a period of four years and shall be subject to the requirements enumerated therein. The career continuous professional certificate shall be issued upon verification of completion of four years of teaching under the initial professional certificate and the additional requirements enumerated therein. This act also provides requirements for professional development, procedures for reactivation of an inactive certificate, and identifies which holders of a career continuous professional certificate are exempt from certain professional development requirements.

This act currently establishes procedures by which a teacher not retained due to a reduction in force may retain the current level of certification. A teacher who has not been employed in an educational position for three years or more may activate his or her last level of certification by completing twenty-four contact hours of professional development.

The state board may assess a fee to holders of an initial professional certificate for the issuance of the career continuous professional certificate. Such fee may be deposited into the excellence in education revolving fund established under section 160.268, RSMo. Applicants for the initial ABCTE certificate shall be responsible for any fees associated with the program leading to the issuance of the certificate. A district may develop a fee reimbursement policy if it so chooses.

The act currently provides that a member of a public retirement system who entered covered employment with at least ten years of educational experience in another state and held a certificate issued by another state to have that certificate dated back to his or her original date of employment in a Missouri public school.

SECTION 171.031: This act authorizes each school district to set its opening date each year, provided that the date cannot be earlier than ten days prior to Labor Day.

A district may set an opening date that is more than ten calendar days prior to Labor Day provided that: the local board gives public notice of a public meeting to discuss the proposal of starting school on an earlier date, a public meeting is held, and a majority of the board votes to allow an earlier opening date at the public meeting. If the previous conditions are met, the district may set their opening date more than ten calendar days prior to Labor Day.

If any local district violates the provisions of this act, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall withhold an amount equal to one quarter of the state funding the district generated for each date the district was in violation of this act.

The act does not apply to school districts in which school is in session for twelve months of each calendar year. The State Board of Education may grant an exemption from the act for districts that demonstrate highly extenuating circumstances which justify exemption.

For the 2006-2007 school year, each school board shall provide a minimum term of at least 174 days or 1044 hours of actual pupil attendance.

This act is similar to SB 1114 (2006).

JIM ERTLE