Missouri Senate

Senate Substitute

P-20 COUNCIL: This act allows the Governor to establish the "P-20 Council" as a private-not-for profit corporation on behalf of the state. The purpose of the P-20 Council will be to create a more efficient and effective education system to more adequately prepare students for entering the workforce and will be reflected in the articles of incorporation and bylaws.

The Council's board of directors will consist of thirteen members, including the Director of the Department of Economic Development, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Chairperson of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the President of the State Board of Education, the Chairperson of the Coordinating Board of Early Childhood, and the Commissioner of Education as well as seven members appointed by the Governor as described in the act.

The Council may receive and borrow money, enter into contracts, and spend money for activities appropriate to its purpose. Duties of the Council may include: studying the potential for a state-coordinated economic and educational policy; determining where obstacles make state support of certain programs difficult; creating programs; and exploring ways to better align academic content. The Council must submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly containing information about its operations.

Any debts incurred by the Council will not be considered debt of the state. The Council is subject to an annual audit by the State Auditor and the Council must pay for the cost.

This act allows the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Department of Higher Education to contract with the Council for activities described in the act.

This act repeals the statute requiring the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Chair of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the Commissioner of Education, the President of the State Board of Education, and the Director of the Department of Economic Development to meet and discuss ways to create a more efficient and effective education system. (Sections 160.800, 160.805, 160.810, 160.815 & 160.820)

VIRTUAL COURSES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS: This act provides that school districts that offer virtual courses to resident students who are enrolled in the school district shall receive state school funding. School districts may offer virtual courses through technological methods as described in the act that could take place outside of the regular school district facility. In addition, school districts may develop a virtual program for any grade level. Charter schools may also offer virtual courses for students enrolled in the charter school and receive state funding, as described in the act.

For purposes of calculation and distribution of funding, attendance of a student enrolled in a district virtual class will equal, upon course completion, ninety-four percent of the hours of attendance for such class delivered in the non-virtual program. Course completion will be calculated in two increments, fifty percent completion and one hundred percent. State funding will be distributed at the fifty percent increment and one hundred percent increment in an amount equal to forty-seven percent of hours of attendance possible for such course delivered in the non-virtual program of the school.

School districts and charter schools must ensure that courses purchased from outside vendors are aligned with the Show-Me curriculum standards and comply with state requirements for teacher certification. A school district or charter school that offers virtual courses or develops virtual courses or a virtual program must ensure that they comply with various standards, as described in the act. (Section 162.1250)

EDUCATION FUNDING: This act modifies the elementary and secondary education funding formula. It removes from the calculation of the state adequacy target the inclusion of the gaming revenues from the repeal of the loss limits. This becomes effective July 1, 2009. Beginning on July 1, 2010, the moneys derived from the passage of Proposition A will be deposited into the Classroom Trust Fund and distributed to school districts in that manner.

Current law provides that current operating expenditures shall include, in part, any increases in state funding subsequent to fiscal year 2005, not to exceed 5%, per recalculation, of state revenue, received by a district in the 2004-2005 school year. This act removes the 5% limit on increases in state funding per recalculation. This becomes effective July 1, 2010.

This act defines "Gifted Education Pupil Count" as the number of students who qualify as "gifted" under Section 162.675 and who are enrolled in a school district's gifted education program on the last Wednesday in January for the preceding school year. This number must not exceed five percent of a school district's enrollment for the immediately preceding academic year. This act modifies the definition of "weighted average daily attendance" by including in the calculation the product of .25 multiplied by the number of the district's gifted education pupil count. This becomes effective July 1, 2010.

This act provides that for the 2010-2011 school year and beyond, all proceeds a school district receives from the Classroom Trust Fund in excess of the amount it received in the 2009-2010 school year must be placed to the credit of the school district's teachers' and incidental funds. This becomes effective July 1, 2009.

This act repeals the Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Fund on July 1, 2010 and modifies the audit that will be conducted by the State Auditor, which becomes effective July 1, 2009.

SCHOOL BUILDING REVOLVING FUND: This act also modifies the School Building Revolving Fund. School districts may submit applications to the State Board of Education for grants from the revolving fund to be used for specific projects. In order to be eligible for a grant, a school district must first submit a long-range capital improvements plan and meet minimum criteria for state aid.

Applications for grants will be ranked in the following order: districts with capital replacement costs in excess of insurance proceeds due to facility destruction caused by fire or natural disaster; districts with school facilities over 75 years old for replacement, repair, improvement, and modernization of such facilities; districts with insufficient bonding capacity due to inadequate assessed valuation to fund capital improvement projects; districts with bonded indebtedness ninety percent or greater of the constitutional limitation on bonded indebtedness as described in the act; and all other public school districts in the state.

A school district may only receive up to fifty percent of the estimated costs of the capital improvement project. Any school district that fails to obligate the grant proceeds from the revolving fund for the allowable grant must return the unobligated amount plus interest earned to the State Board of Education. Interest cannot exceed three percent. Any unobligated funds and interest returned to the State Board of Education must be deposited in the revolving fund. (Section 166.300)

This act contains different effective dates. Sections 160.800-160.820, 162.1250, and 166.300, and the repeal of 160.730, become effective 8/28/2009. The remaining sections in this act have varying effective dates of 7/1/09 and 7/1/10 as described above.

This act contains provisions identical to SB 344 (2009), SCS/SBs 453 & 24 (2009), SB 1221 (2008) and similar to SB 831 (2008).

MICHAEL RUFF

SA 2 - THIS AMENDMENT REQUIRES THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO RECALCULATE THE STATE SCHOOL AID FOR THE RIVERVIEW GARDENS SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CORRECT AN ERROR BY THE DISTRICT IN PLACING FUNDS RECEIVED BY THE STATE FOR SCHOOL AID FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 IN THE INCIDENTAL FUND, RATHER THAN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND. THE SUM OF THE AMOUNTS DUE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER RECALCULATION FOR FISCAL YEARS 2007-2010 WILL BE DIVIDED AND DISTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN EQUAL AMOUNTS IN FISCAL YEARS 2010-2013.

SA 3 - THIS AMENDMENT CREATES THREE PROCEDURES BY WHICH TWO OR MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOCATED, OR AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT LOCATED, IN HOWELL COUNTY MAY REORGANIZE OR CREATE A HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT.

REORGANIZATION INTO A SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVIDED INTO SUBDISTRICTS: THE VOTERS IN ANY TWO OR MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOCATED, OR AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT LOCATED, IN HOWELL COUNTY MAY REORGANIZE AND FORM A NEW SINGLE DISTRICT WITH SUBDISTRICTS BASED ON THE PREEXISTING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARY LINES. THE REORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REQUIRES A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. IN ORDER TO PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT, A PETITION MUST BE SUBMITTED THAT IS SIGNED BY THE GREATER OF TEN PERCENT OF THOSE IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT VOTED AT THE LAST ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OR ONE HUNDRED VOTERS. ALTERNATIVELY, A MAJORITY VOTE OF EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT. IF A MAJORITY OF VOTERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE REORGANIZATION, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL BE REORGANIZED. IF THE PROPOSAL IS SUCCESSFUL, THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION WILL DECLARE THE NEW DISTRICT FORMED AS OF JULY FIRST FOLLOWING THE ELECTION. ALL INDEBTEDNESS, PROPERTY, RECORDS, AND MONEY BELONGING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL PASS TO THE NEWLY REORGANIZED DISTRICT UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE REORGANIZATION. THE NEWLY REORGANIZED MUST PERFORM ALL EXISTING CONTRACTS AND ASSUME ALL LEGAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE PRIOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AFTER REORGANIZATION, A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE CLOSURE OF FACILITY USED FOR STUDENT INSTRUCTION IF SUCH A CLOSURE WOULD RESULT IN A SUBDISTRICT NOT HAVING A FACILITY USED FOR STUDENT INSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION, A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE MODIFICATION OF A SUBDISTRICT BOUNDARY LINE, OR FOR THE RESTRUCTURING OF GRADE LEVELS OFFERED WITHIN THE CURRENT ATTENDANCE CENTER WITHIN A SUBDISTRICT. IN ORDER TO PLACE THESE QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT, A PETITION MUST BE SUBMITTED THAT IS SIGNED BY THE GREATER OF TEN PERCENT OF THOSE IN THE SUBDISTRICT, OR SUBDISTRICTS, AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSAL THAT VOTED AT THE LAST ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OR ONE HUNDRED VOTERS FROM THE SUBDISTRICT, OR SUBDISTRICTS, THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED. ALTERNATIVELY, A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY PLACE THESE QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT. (SECTION 162.225)

IF THE VOTERS VOTE IN FAVOR OF REORGANIZATION, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MUST ORDER AN ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE REORGANIZED SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE NEW DISTRICT WILL CONSIST OF SEVEN MEMBERS. BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS MUST BE UNITED STATES CITIZENS, RESIDENT TAXPAYERS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, HAVE RESIDED IN MISSOURI FOR ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE ELECTION, AND BE AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD. THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF THE EXISTING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WILL END ON JUNE 30 FOLLOWING THE REORGANIZATION VOTE. NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS WILL TAKE OFFICE ON JULY 1.

VOTERS IN EACH SUBDISTRICT WILL ELECT ONE MEMBER TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REPRESENT THAT SUBDISTRICT; THAT INDIVIDUAL MUST BE A RESIDENT OF THE SUBDISTRICT HE OR SHE WOULD BE REPRESENTING. THE REMAINING NUMBER OF SEATS ON THE BOARD WILL BE FILLED BY AT-LARGE MEMBERS. BECAUSE THE ENTIRE SEVEN MEMBER BOARD WILL BE ELECTED AT THE FIRST ELECTION, THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS' TERMS WILL INITIALLY BE STAGGERED. THE AT-LARGE MEMBER OR MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED TO SERVE UNTIL THE FIRST SUBSEQUENT GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION. THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO WILL REPRESENT THE SUBDISTRICTS WILL SERVE UNTIL THE SECOND OR THIRD SUBSEQUENT GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION, AS DETERMINED BY A LOT DRAWING PROCEDURE SUPERVISED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION. THE REORGANIZING SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL SHARE EQUALLY THE COSTS OF THE ELECTION.

IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO HOLD AN ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS BETWEEN THE REORGANIZATION VOTE AND JULY 1, SEVEN MEMBERS FROM THE REORGANIZING BOARDS OF EDUCATION WILL BE SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION BY A LOT DRAWING PROCESS TO SERVE AS BOARD MEMBERS UNTIL AN ELECTION CAN BE HELD. (SECTIONS 162.227 & 162.228)

THE TAX RATE OF THE NEW DISTRICT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE SAME PROCEDURE USED FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION IN SECTION 162.202, RSMO. (SECTION 162.229)

ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BY TWO OR MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS: THE VOTERS IN ANY TWO OR MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOCATED, OR AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT LOCATED, IN HOWELL COUNTY MAY ESTABLISH A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BOUNDARY LINES WOULD BE COTERMINOUS WITH THE BOUNDARY LINES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM WHICH THE VOTERS ESTABLISHED THE NEW DISTRICT. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIRES A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. IN ORDER TO PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT, A PETITION MUST BE SUBMITTED THAT IS SIGNED BY THE GREATER OF TEN PERCENT OF THOSE IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT VOTED AT THE LAST ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OR ONE HUNDRED VOTERS. ALTERNATIVELY, A MAJORITY VOTE OF EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT. IF A MAJORITY OF VOTERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW DISTRICT, THE NEW DISTRICT WILL BE ESTABLISHED. IF THE PROPOSAL IS SUCCESSFUL, THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION WILL DECLARE THE NEW DISTRICT FORMED AS OF JULY FIRST FOLLOWING THE ELECTION.

THE AMENDMENT ALSO REQUIRES THAT AN ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS BE HELD AS PROVIDED UNDER CURRENT LAW AND GRANTS THE NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL CORPORATE POWERS AS OTHER SEVEN DIRECTOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE. IF A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT IS FORMED, ANY AFFECTED SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ALREADY PROVIDES GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE MUST ONLY OFFER GRADES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHT UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE NEW DISTRICT. (SECTION 162.1200)

ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BY TWO OR MORE K-8 SCHOOL DISTRICTS: THE VOTERS IN ANY TWO OR MORE K-8 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOCATED, OR AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT LOCATED, IN HOWELL COUNTY MAY ESTABLISH A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BOUNDARY LINES WOULD BE COTERMINOUS WITH THE BOUNDARY LINES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM WHICH THE VOTERS ESTABLISHED THE NEW DISTRICT. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIRES A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. IN ORDER TO PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT, A PETITION MUST BE SUBMITTED THAT IS SIGNED BY THE GREATER OF TEN PERCENT OF THOSE IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT VOTED AT THE LAST ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OR ONE HUNDRED VOTERS. ALTERNATIVELY, A MAJORITY VOTE OF EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY PLACE THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT. IF A MAJORITY OF VOTERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW DISTRICT, THE NEW DISTRICT WILL BE ESTABLISHED. IF THE PROPOSAL IS SUCCESSFUL, THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION WILL DECLARE THE NEW DISTRICT FORMED AS OF JULY FIRST FOLLOWING THE ELECTION.

THE AMENDMENT ALSO REQUIRES THAT AN ELECTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS BE HELD AS PROVIDED UNDER CURRENT LAW AND GRANTS THE NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL CORPORATE POWERS AS OTHER SEVEN DIRECTOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE. (SECTION 162.1201)

SA 4 - THIS AMENDMENT MODIFIES THE LAW REGARDING THE OPERATIONS OF A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S CORPORATE ORGANIZATION HAS LAPSED AFTER HAVING BEEN CLASSIFIED AS UNACCREDITED. CURRENT LAW PROVIDES FOR THREE MEMBERS ON A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD, ONE OF WHOM WILL BE A PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATOR AND ACT AS CHAIR. THIS AMENDMENT ALLOWS THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO APPOINT ADDITIONAL MEMBERS. IN ADDITION, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY SET A FINAL TERM OF OFFICE FOR ANY SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD MEMBER, AFTER WHICH A SUCCESSOR MEMBER MUST BE ELECTED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS DESCRIBED IN THE AMENDMENT. IF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPOINTS A SUCCESSOR MEMBER TO REPLACE THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD'S CHAIR, THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD MAY APPOINT A SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND CONTRACT FOR HIS OR HER SERVICES. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY SET A DATE ON WHICH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL RETURN TO LOCAL GOVERNANCE.

SA 5 - A VACANCY THAT OCCURS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE KANSAS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE FILLED BY SPECIAL ELECTION INSTEAD OF BY APPOINTMENT BY BOARD MEMBERS. THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL ELECTION IF A VACANCY OCCURS MORE THAN SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE NEXT GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING A SPECIAL ELECTION WHEN A VACANCY OCCURS. IF A VACANCY OCCURS LESS THAN SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE NEXT GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION, THE VACANCY WILL BE FILLED AT THE NEXT GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

SA 6 - THIS AMENDMENT CREATES THE MISSOURI PRESCHOOL PLUS GRANT PROGRAM AS A PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE MISSOURI PRESCHOOL PROJECT. THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE UP TO 1250 STUDENTS WITH PRESCHOOL SERVICES AND WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COORDINATING BOARD FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD. SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS UNACCREDITED AND NON-SECTARIAN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LOCATED WITHIN SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY RECEIVE GRANTS. GRANTS RUN FOR THREE YEARS AND ARE RENEWABLE. AT LEAST FIFTY PERCENT OF THE PLACEMENTS MUST BE OFFERED THROUGH NON-SECTARIAN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. CHILDREN WHO ARE ONE OR TWO YEARS AWAY FROM KINDERGARTEN ENTRY MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. CHILDREN OF ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL WILL RECEIVE ADMISSION PREFERENCE.

IF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BECOMES CLASSIFIED AS PROVISIONALLY ACCREDITED OR ACCREDITED, IT MAY COMPLETE THE LENGTH OF AN EXISTING GRANT AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR ONE ADDITIONAL RENEWAL FOR THREE YEARS. THE PROGRAM MUST COMPLY WITH CURRENT EARLY CHILDHOOD STANDARDS. COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION GRANTEES MAY EMPLOY TEACHERS WITH AT LEAST AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE PROVIDED THEY SHOW THEY ARE ON THE PATH TO OBTAINING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE WITHIN FIVE YEARS. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND NON-SECTARIAN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS MUST COLLECT SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DATA ABOUT STUDENT PERFORMANCE WHERE FEASIBLE. THE DEPARTMENT MUST MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO COLLECT LONG-TERM STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA AS REQUIRED IN THE ACT FOR STUDENTS WHO ATTEND NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN A COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM IN THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR. THE PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS AND WILL NOT BE FUNDED THROUGH MONEY FROM THE GAMING COMMISSION FUND. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MUST APPROPRIATE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ADEQUATELY FUND THE PROGRAM, WHICH SHALL BE AT LEAST $5 MILLION IN ANY FISCAL YEAR.

THE PROVISIONS OF THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXPIRE IN SIX YEARS UNLESS REAUTHORIZED.

SA 7 - EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL MUST DEVELOP STANDARDS FOR TEACHING BY JUNE 30, 2010, INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS OPERATED BY THE BOARD OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE TEACHING STANDARDS MUST INCLUDE: HAVING STUDENTS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE LEARNING PROCESS; FORMS OF ASSESSMENT TO MONITOR AND MANAGE STUDENT LEARNING; HAVING THE TEACHER BE PREPARED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OF CONTENT AND MAINTAIN STUDENTS' ON-TASK BEHAVIOR; HAVING THE TEACHER BE CURRENT ON INSTRUCTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPLORE CHANGES IN TEACHING BEHAVIOR; AND HAVING THE TEACHER ACT AS A RESPONSIBLE PROFESSIONAL IN THE MISSION OF THE SCHOOL. THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION MAY PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN DEVELOPING THESE STANDARDS UPON REQUEST.

SA 8 - THIS AMENDMENT PROVIDES THAT NOTHING IN THE ACT WILL PRECLUDE A PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL, OR HOME SCHOOL STUDENT RESIDING WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFERING VIRTUAL SCHOOL COURSES FROM ENROLLING IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR PURPOSES OF PARTICIPATING IN VIRTUAL SCHOOL COURSES.