Missouri Senate

House Committee Substitute

WORK GROUPS: This act repeals the requirement that the State Board of Education convene work groups when it evaluates academic performance standards or learning standards.

Each work group must elect a chairperson and a secretary. Additional organizational procedures are described in the act. Any person appointed to a work group by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor may be removed by him or her. This act contains procedures for a work group member's qualifications to be challenged and removed from a work group. (Section 160.514)

When the State Board of Education receives comments on academic performance standards or learning standards, it must send copies of all comments to the chairpersons of all work groups. (Section 160.514)

The chairperson of each work group must submit a monthly progress report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Additional procedures for conducting the business of the work groups are described in the act, including maintaining a quorum, reimbursement of expenses, and substitute teacher policies. Work groups may establish as many grade-level expectations as they believe necessary for each grade level. Work groups must meet to ensure alignment of grade-level expectations. Before the work groups make recommendations for grade-level expectations or academic performance standards, the work groups must ensure they are in compliance with the Show-Me-Standards, age appropriate and developmentally appropriate, and understandable to teachers in that subject area. (Section 161.855)

The State Board of Education may adopt, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education may implement, as written, the academic performance standards developed and recommended by the work groups. If the State Board declines to adopt them, the State Board must provide suggestions for improvement to the work groups. (Section 161.855)

Currently, when the State Board of Education implements a new statewide assessment system, develops new academic performance standards, or makes changes to the Missouri School Improvement Program, the first year of such assessments and performance indicators will be a pilot year for calculating a district's annual performance report. This act increases the one pilot year to two pilot years. (Section 161.855).

These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 742 (2015). (Sections 160.514 & 161.855)

SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANS & SCHOOL QUALITY TASK FORCE: Before July 1, 2018, each district must establish its own operation and assessment plan to address school quality indicators, as described in the act. Teachers, administrators, business leaders, parents, and community stakeholders must develop the plan. The school board must approve the plan. The plan must describe how the district and each school will strive to acquire all school quality indicators.

After December 31, 2018, when the State Board of Education assigns classification designations to school districts, it may base its determination on the implementation of the district's plan to address multiple school quality indicators, as described in the act.

Each district must prepare annual reports that contain the plan for the most recent school year. The State Board of Education may review the reports and provide feedback to districts. Districts must disseminate the reports to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, parents, and the communities in which they are located. The Department must use the reports' information to prepare an annual report on the state of public education in Missouri and send the report to the Joint Committee on Education.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must establish a "School Quality Task Force." Task force members are appointed by various individuals, associations, and organizations, as described in the act. Members must be appointed by January 1, 2016. Procedures for the operation of the task force are described in the act. The task force will study and provide recommendations on options for the following: options for comprehensive school quality indicators leading to student success; options for school quality review models; options for locally created assessment and accountability systems; and best practices in parent and community engagement. Before December 31, 2016, the task force must present its findings and recommendations to the Joint Committee on Education and the State Board of Education.

This section is identical to HCS/HB 1023 (2015). (Section 161.089)

REMEDIATION PREVENTION: Each public school student, during his or her seventh grade year, may develop a personal plan of study with help from the school's guidance counselors. Such a plan must be reviewed at least annually by school personnel and the student's parent or guardian and updated based upon the needs of the student. Each plan must present a sequence of courses and experiences that conclude with the student reaching his or her postsecondary goals, with implementation of the plan of study transferring to the program of postsecondary education or training upon the student's high school graduation without need for remediation at the postsecondary level. Components to be included in the plan are described in the act.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a process for recognition of a district's program for developing personalized plans of study for all students entering seventh grade.

This section is identical to a provision contained in HCS/HB 377 (2015). (Section 167.903)

By July 1, 2017, each school district must develop a policy and implement a measurable system for identifying students in their ninth grade year, or students who transfer into the school after their ninth grade year, who are at risk of not being ready for college-level work or for entry-level career positions. Each system is subject to approval by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Components to be included in policy are described in the act.

By January 1, 2016, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a process for recognition of a district's program of academic and career counseling for students who have been identified as being at risk of dropping out or at risk of not being ready for college-level coursework or for an entry-level career position.

This section is substantially similar to a provision contained in HCS/HB 377. (Section 167.905)

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must conduct a review of its policies and procedures relating to remedial education in light of best practices, as described in the act. The Department must present its results to the Joint Committee on Education by October 31, 2016.

By July 1, 2018, the Department of Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, must develop a report that analyzes the results of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education's annual report relative to student performance on the statewide assessments for English I and Algebra I.

This section is identical to a provision contained in HCS/HB 377 (Section 173.750)

PUBLIC SCHOOL RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF MISSOURI: On July 1, 2014, a provision of law expired that permitted members of the Public School Retirement System of Missouri with thirty-one years or more of creditable service to use a multiplier of 2.55 when calculating the member's retirement allowance. This act repeals the July 1, 2014 expiration date so that members with thirty-one years or more of creditable service will have their retirement allowance calculated using a multiplier of 2.55.

This section contains an emergency clause.

This section is identical to SB 219 (2015) and HCS/HB 478 (2015). (Section 169.070)

Current law permits a person receiving a retirement allowance to nominate a successor beneficiary under certain circumstances. This act requires a nomination of a successor beneficiary to be filed within one year, instead of the current ninety days, of the remarriage.

This act allows a retired member of PSRS who has elected to receive a reduced retirement allowance in order to nominate a successor beneficiary for his or her retirement allowance to receive his or her full retirement allowance under Option 1 if: the retired member becomes divorced from the nominated beneficiary on or after September 1, 2015, the dissolution decree provides for sole retention by the retired person of all rights in the retirement allowance, and the person would have received a reduced retirement allowance.

This section is identical to HB 1086 (2015) and provision contained in HCS/SCS/SB 270. (Section 169.141)

This act modifies the provisions that permit a retired member to return to work for up to 550 hours or up to fifty percent of compensation without having his or her retirement allowance suspended. This act provides that if a person is employed in any capacity by a district in excess of these limitations, the retirement allowance will be suspended. In addition, this act extends this provision to any person retired and receiving a retirement allowance from the system who is employed by a third party or is performing work as an independent contractor in a district included in the retirement system as a temporary or long-term substitute teacher or in any other position requiring teacher certification if the person was employed by the district. The retirement system may require the district, the third-party employer, the independent contractor, and the retiree to provide documentation showing compliance. If documentation is not provided, the retirement system may deem the retiree to have exceeded the limitations.

This section is identical to a section contained in HCS/HB 1085 (2015) and in HCS/SCS/SB 270 (2015). (Section 169.560)

KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL RETIREMENT SYSTEM: Currently, in any school year, if a retiree returns to work in excess of 600 hours or receives more then fifty percent of the annual salary or wages he or she was last paid, payment of the person's retirement allowance will be suspended. This act extends this provision to any person retired and receiving a retirement allowance from the system who is employed by a third party or is performing work as an independent contractor in a district included in the retirement system as a temporary or long-term substitute teacher or in any other position requiring teacher certification if the person was employed by the district. The retirement system may require the district, the third-party employer, the independent contractor, and the retiree to provide documentation showing compliance. If documentation is not provided, the retirement system may deem the retiree to have exceeded the limitations.

This section is identical to a section contained in HCS/HB 1085 (2015) and HCS/SCS/SB 270 (2015). (Section 169.324)

PUBLIC EDUCATION EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM: Current law permits a person receiving a retirement allowance to nominate a successor beneficiary under certain circumstances. This act requires a nomination of a successor beneficiary to be filed within one year, instead of the current ninety days, of the remarriage.

This act allows a retired member of PEERS who has elected to receive a reduced retirement allowance in order to nominate a successor beneficiary for his or her retirement allowance to receive his or her full retirement allowance under Option 1 if: the retired member becomes divorced from the nominated beneficiary on or after September 1, 2015, the dissolution decree provides for sole retention by the retired person of all rights in the retirement allowance, and the person would have received a reduced retirement allowance.

This section is identical to HB 1086 (2015) and a provision contained in HCS/SCS/SB 270 (2015). (Section 169.715)

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE: This act requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council, to establish minimum requirements for a career and technical education certificate that a student can earn in addition to a high school diploma. Students entering high school in school year 2016-2017 and thereafter will be eligible to earn a CTE certificate.

The CTE requirements are intended to provide students with the necessary technical employability skills to be prepared for an entry-level career in a technical field or additional training in a technical field but must not be a means of tracking students, as described in the act. The State Board must work with local districts to ensure tracking does not occur.

Each local district will determine the curriculum, programs of study, and course offerings based on the needs and interests of the students in the district. The State Board must work with individual districts to stipulate the minimum number of CTE offerings. Each local district must strive to offer programs of study that are economically feasible. By January 1, 2016, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a process for recognition of a district's career and technical education program that offers a career and technical education certificate.

This section is substantially similar to a provision contained in HCS/SB 13 (2015). (Section 170.029)

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL: This act modifies the composition of the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council. Instead of the Governor appointing the Advisory Council's current eleven members, the Commissioner of Education will make these appointments. This act also expands the Advisory Council's membership to include two senators, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and two representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The four legislative members will serve on the Advisory Council until they resign, are no longer members of the General Assembly, or are replaced by new appointments.

This section is identical to a provision contained in HCS/SB 13 (2015). (Section 178.550)

MICHAEL RUFF