Missouri Senate

Introduced

CHARTER SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPENSES: This act provides that charter school sponsors are responsible for all expenditures associated with the closure of a charter school they sponsor.

This section is identical to SB 517 (2014) and SB 171 (2013). (Section 160.400)

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION: The State Board of Education must adopt a system of classification that accredits individual school buildings within a district separately from the district as a whole. The State Board cannot classify a district as unaccredited unless it has previously classified at least sixty-five percent of the district's schools as unaccredited.

The State Board must also adopt a system of classification to accredit charter schools. However, charter school accreditation classifications will not be factored into any district's accreditation classification. (Section 161.238)

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARDS: Any special administrative board appointed by the State Board of Education after January 1, 2014 to govern an unaccredited district may only govern for seven years. After seven years, governance will revert to the local school board. The State Board is then prohibited from appointing another special administrative board for the district during the next seven years. (Sections 162.081 & 162.083)

STUDENT ASSESSMENT SCORES: The statewide assessment scores and all other performance data for any transient student or any student who has not attended a district-operated school for the previous three school years must not be used when calculating the district's performance under MSIP. (Section 162.1300)

PARENT NOTIFICATION OF UNACCREDITED DISTRICT STATUS & HOME VISITS: When a district or school building becomes unaccredited, the district must promptly notify the parent or guardian of students enrolled in the district or school. The notice must also include an explanation of the option to transfer to another accredited school in the district or to another accredited district and any services for which the student may be eligible.

Each unaccredited school, provisionally accredited school, or any school with a three year average annual performance report score consistent with unaccredited or provisionally accredited must perform at least one home visit for each student. (Section 162.1310)

CALCULATION OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE: This act provides that when a local school board sponsors a charter school, it may only submit an estimate of the district's weighted average daily attendance for the current year. The school board will be prohibited from using a weighted average daily attendance count from any preceding year for purposes of determining state aid.

This section is identical to SB 547 (2014) and SB 390 (2013). (Section 163.036)

STUDENT PROMOTION: School districts are prohibited from promoting any student from the fifth grade to the sixth grade or from the eighth grade to the ninth grade who has not scored at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessments in the areas of English language arts, mathematics, and science. (Section 167.642)

UNACCREDITED DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS: Any unaccredited district or any district with sixty-five percent or more of its schools unaccredited must offer free tutoring and supplemental education services to underperforming and struggling students. Funds for such activities will be provided through the Unaccredited School District Improvement Fund. In addition, such a district or school may: implement a new curriculum, as described in the act; retain an outside expert to advise the district or school on regaining accreditation; enter into a contract with an education management organization with a proven record of success; enter into a collaborative relationship with an accredited district in which teachers from both districts exchange positions for two school weeks; and terminate the employment of school personnel. (Sections 167.685 & 167.687)

STUDENT TRANSFERS: Currently, the school board of a school district that does not maintain an accredited school is required to pay the tuition and transportation of resident pupils who attend an accredited school in another district of the same or an adjoining county. This provision of law currently applies to both unaccredited school districts and K-8 school districts that do not offer high school grades. This act repeals the provisions applicable to unaccredited school districts so that the statute only applies to K-8 school districts. (Section 167.131)

Any student enrolled in and attending an unaccredited school may transfer to another accredited school in his or her district of residence that offers the student's grade level of enrollment. Each district must adopt a policy to grant priority to the lowest achieving students from low-income families if its capacity is insufficient to enroll all pupils who seek to attend. (Section 167.825)

If a student enrolled in and attending an unaccredited school is unable to transfer to an accredited school within his or her district of residence, he or she may transfer to an accredited school in an accredited district in the same or an adjoining county or to a nonsectarian private school located in the district, as described in the act. The district of residence must pay the student's tuition, as provided in the act. Any district that is participating in a voluntary interdistrict transfer program cannot charge tuition that exceeds the amount in effect for the voluntary interdistrict transfer program. The student must provide proof that he or she has resided in the unaccredited district and within the attendance boundaries of an unaccredited school for at least twelve months. (Section 167.826)

Provisionally accredited districts, provisionally accredited schools, unaccredited districts, unaccredited schools, or any districts or schools with a current year APR score of seventy-five or less under MSIP 5 are not eligible to accept transfer students. However, any student who received a transfer to a district or school with a current year APR score of seventy-five or less under MSIP 5 prior to August 28, 2014 may remain enrolled. (Section 167.826)

Each district has the right to establish a policy for desirable class size and student-teacher ratios and will not be required to accept any transfer students that would violate its policy. If a transfer student is denied admission based on a lack of space under a district policy, the student may appeal to the State Board of Education. The State Board must review the policy's appropriateness and may limit it. The State Board must give special consideration to a district with a greater than average population of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. The State Board's decision is final. (Section 167.826)

By January 1 annually, each accredited school district in the same or an adjoining county as an unaccredited district or school must report the number of its available enrollment slots by grade level to the student transfer coordination authority for the affected district. The transfer coordination authority must make information and assistance available to parents who intend to transfer their child to an accredited school. Parents who intend to transfer their child must send initial notification to the transfer coordination authority between January 1 and August 1. The transfer coordination authority will assign transfer students to accredited schools, as space allows. The transfer coordination authority will give first priority to students who live in the same household with family members within the first or second degree of consanguinity who have already transferred to an accredited school. Next, the transfer coordination authority will assign transfers in the order in which they are received. Finally, if insufficient enrollment slots are available, any students who are not able to transfer will receive first priority the following year. If sufficient enrollment slots are available, the transfer coordination authority will provide each student a choice of three accredited schools. The transfer coordination authority may deny a transfer to a student with a history of school discipline policy violations. (Section 167.827)

STUDENT TRANSFERS TO NONSECTARIAN PRIVATE SCHOOLS: The school board of any district that operates an unaccredited school must pay tuition for any student who resides within the attendance boundaries of an unaccredited school and is unable to transfer to an accredited school in the district of residence to attend a nonsectarian private school located in the district of residence. The tuition amount cannot exceed the lesser of the nonsectarian private school's tuition or the nonresident tuition rate that would be calculated for the student to attend another accredited district.

As a condition of receiving state aid, an unaccredited district must use funds from the operating levy for school purposes to pay tuition remission for students who attend a nonsectarian private school. In addition, such tuition shall be paid only using funds from the operating levy for school purposes. (Section 163.021 & Section 167.828)

STUDENT TRANSFER COORDINATION AUTHORITIES: This act creates three separate student transfer coordination authorities to coordinate student transfers from unaccredited districts and schools to accredited districts and schools. One authority will coordinate transfers in St. Louis County and adjoining counties, a second authority is for Jackson County and adjoining counties, and a third authority is for all other counties. Each authority will consist of seven members who must be residents of their covered area, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, who will serve for a term of five years, as described in the act. The Authority must coordinate and collaborate with local districts and local governments for the student transfers. (Sections 167.830 to 167.836; 167.850 to 167.856; 167.870 to 167.876)

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR MODEL EVALUATION INSTRUMENT: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a model evaluation instrument for school administrators by June 1, 2015. Districts may adopt and implement the model evaluation instrument. (Section 168.410)

TEACHER EVALUATIONS IN UNACCREDITED AND PROVISIONALLY ACCREDITED SCHOOLS: Each unaccredited school and provisionally accredited school must implement an evaluation system for all teachers. Evaluations must be based on multiple indicators with clear and actionable feedback. Evaluations must measure the following areas: subject matter knowledge; skill in planning and delivering instruction that engages students; ability to address issues of equity and diversity; and ability to monitor and assess student learning and adjust instruction. Indicators may include classroom observations, proof of practice, teacher interviews, and self-assessments.

Evaluations must be fair and conducted by highly trained and objective supervisors. A teacher must be rated by more than one evaluator in order for the evaluation to be used as a basis for a change in employment status. A teacher will have the right to contest the findings of an evaluation.

A district must provide a teacher who fails to meet the evaluation system's performance standards with notice of deficiencies and an improvement plan. The plan must include high quality professional development and a support program, as described in the act. If a teacher with an improvement plan fails to improve, the district may counsel the teacher to leave. In addition, the district may dismiss the teacher after serving him or her with written charges, a meeting to resolve the situation, and a hearing before an impartial hearing officer if requested by the teacher. Each district must maintain a list of five impartial hearing officers who are accredited by a national arbitration organization. The teacher may have a representative from a teacher organization assist him or her.

A school's teacher evaluation system must be adequately funded, with assistance from the Teacher Improvement Fund. (Section 168.420)

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Any teacher employed in an unaccredited or provisionally accredited school must annually complete eleven days of professional development in a district that does not have any unaccredited schools. Teachers in unaccredited or provisionally accredited schools must engage in structured collaboration to improve students outcomes, improve teacher leadership, and increase positive engagement. (Section 168.435)

PARENT PORTALS: This act creates the Parent Portal Fund to provide financial assistance to districts to establish and maintain a parent portal. A parent portal is accessible by mobile technology so parents may have access to educational information and access to student data. (Section 170.320)

LENGTH OF SCHOOL DAY AND HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: The school board of any district with a provisionally accredited school or unaccredited school may, by a majority vote, increase the length of the school day by ten percent and also increase the number of instruction hours above the statutory minimum requirement of 1044 hours. To be eligible to do this, the school must have a student population in which seventy-five percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, or have been eligible for free and reduced lunch in any of the previous three years. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must adjust the district's state aid so that it receives additional funding to reflect the increased instruction time. (Section 171.031)

MICHAEL RUFF