Missouri Senate

House Amendment

This act requires the subject of American civics to be included in the exam required for graduation from any public or private school, other than private trade schools. (Section 170.011)

Any student entering ninth grade after July 1, 2017, who is attending a public, charter, or private school, except for private trade schools, shall pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics.

The test will consist of one hundred questions similar to the one hundred questions used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Each district must adopt a policy permitting a student with a disability to receive a waiver from the basic civics test requirement if the student's IEP committee recommends it. (Section 170.345)

These provisions are substantially similar to HB 1646 (2016) and SCS/HCS/HB 578 et al. (2015) and are similar to SB 271 (2015) and SB 273 (2015).

This act also allows a school district to recognize a student's participation in the Constitution Project of the Missouri Supreme Court, as described in the act. (Section 170.350)

This act also creates the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia. The Task Force will advise and make recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and relevant state agencies. The Task Force will consist of seventeen members, as described in the act. Except for four legislative members and the Commissioner of Education, the members will be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The task force will make recommendations for a statewide system for identification, intervention, and delivery of supports for students with dyslexia, as described in the act.

The Task Force will hire or contract for hire specialist services to support the work of the Task Force as necessary with appropriations or from other available funding.

The Task Force will terminate on August 31, 2018, unless reauthorized. (Section 633.420)

This provision is substantially similar to provisions contained in SB 548 (2015) and HCS/HB 921 (2015).

JOSHUA NORBERG

HA 1 - ALLOWS STUDENTS TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL PLAN OF STUDY, WHICH IS INTENDED TO HELP THE STUDENT REACH HIS OR HER POSTSECONDARY GOALS.

ALSO REQUIRES EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP A MEASURABLE SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF NOT BEING READY FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL WORK OR FOR ENTRY-LEVEL CAREER POSITIONS.

ALSO REQUIRES DESE TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR THE APPROPRIATE SCREENING OF STUDENTS FOR DYSLEXIA AND REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE SCREENING AND CLASSROOM SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA.

ALSO MODIFIES PROVISIONS RELATING TO REMEDIAL EDUCATION.

ALSO ESTABLISHES THE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON DYSLEXIA, TO BE COMPOSED OF TWENTY MEMBERS.

HA 2 - ESTABLISHES THE MISSOURI STATE HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION INTERIM COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ISSUES PERTAINING TO MSHSAA

HA 3 - MODIFIES PROVISIONS RELATING TO BONDING REQUIREMENTS FOR SECRETARIES AND TREASURERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARDS OF URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY CHANGING THE REQUIREMENTS FROM AT LEAST TWO SURETIES TO ONE SURETY.

HA 4 - CURRENTLY, PRIVATELY OPERATED TRADE SCHOOLS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIRED COURSE ON THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MISSOURI. THE AMENDMENT CHANGES THE EXEMPTION FROM PRIVATELY OPERATED TRADE SCHOOLS TO PROPRIETARY SCHOOLS.

HA 5 - REQUIRES THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT AN ACTIVE CLASSROOM TEACHER TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS A NON-VOTING MEMBER.

ADDITIONALLY, FOR COUNTIES WITHOUT A COUNTY COMMISSION IN WHICH THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO VACANCIES ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SHALL FILL THE VACANCIES WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE AMENDMENT ALSO MAKES SEVERAL GRAMMATICAL CHANGES.

HA 1 TO HA 5 - BEGINNING IN SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018, REQUIRES THIRTY MINUTES OF CPR INSTRUCTION PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.

ALSO REQUIRES EACH SCHOOL IN THE STATE TO ENSURE THAT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BE RECITED IN AT LEAST ONE SCHEDULED CLASS AT LEAST ONCE PER DAY RATHER THAN ONCE PER WEEK AND ALLOWS DONATIONS FOR FLAGS TO BE DISPLAYED IN CLASSROOMS.

HA 6 - MODIFIES SEVERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS, INCLUDING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES, REQUIRING CHARTER SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER FROM AN UNACCREDITED DISTRICT, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FUNDS.

HA 7 - ESTABLISHES A THREE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM FOR AN EARLY LEARNING QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORT, AND REPEALS A PROVISION OF LAW THAT PROHIBITS SUCH A REPORT.

ALSO PROHIBITS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM DETERMINING WHETHER A CHILD IS GIFTED BASED ON PARTICIPATION IN AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT OR INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE COURSE

A DISTRICT SHALL HAVE ITS FUNDING REDUCED IF IT EXPERIENCES A DECREASE IN GIFTED PROGRAM ENROLLMENT OF 20% OR MORE FROM A PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR.

HA 8 - ALLOWS PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO UTILIZE THE A+ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

HA 9 - ESTABLISHES THE TRAUMA-INFORMED SCHOOLS INITIATIVE AND PILOT PROGRAM.

HA 10 - ALLOWS SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO OFFER WATER AND SWIM SAFETY INSTRUCTION IN THEIR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS IN THIRD THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE.