SB 1206 - This act modifies provisions regarding the operation of public schools. CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS This act repeals provisions requiring the State Board of Education's statewide assessment system to afford maximum flexibility to school districts and provisions limiting the tracking of a school's academic performance to comparisons to such school's prior academic performance. (Section 160.518) This act applies certain existing duties of the Board to both public schools and school districts. This act requires a statement of the race and ethnicity of students and teachers at public schools in the state to be included in a report by the Board. The Board's suggestions for the improvement of public schools shall be research-based and cited. The Board shall calculate an annual performance report for both attendance centers, including charter schools, and school districts. Attendance centers performing in the bottom 5% based on total annual performance report determination shall be designated as in need of a plan for improvement. Such attendance centers shall develop and submit to the school board or governing agency a school improvement plan for each such attendance center. The plan must be submitted to the school district or governing board and must include 3-year goals for math and reading proficiency and academic growth as outlined in the act. Local education agencies shall be encouraged to develop innovation zones, as described in the act, and partner with nonprofit organizations with expertise in school redesign and improvement. Any school district with 51% or more of the schools within such district performing in the bottom 5% based on annual performance report scores shall be classified no higher than provisionally accredited. Only school districts performing in the top 10% shall be classified as accredited with distinction. This act modifies the Board's rule making authority related to making an annual performance report determination. Academic growth shall account for no less than 50% of the total annual performance report score. Points for academic growth shall be awarded only if such growth exceeds a normal curve equivalent score of 50, meaning that the attendance center's growth is in the 50th percentile when ranked by standard deviations from the mean growth. Total academic performance shall equal the percentage of points earned for academic achievement plus the percentage of points earned for growth. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall recognize and publish attendance centers that are in the top 10%, as determined by the annual performance report, of attendance centers in achieving academic growth in mathematics and reading. (Section 161.092) Any attendance center, public school, school district, or charter school that is in the bottom 5%, as determined by the annual performance report, shall inform all parents of students of the classification, details on students' options, and future school improvement plans. (Section 162.084) VISITING SCHOLARS TEACHING CERTIFICATES Under current law, the State Board of Education may grant an initial visiting scholars certificate of license to teach to an applicant based on verification from a hiring school district that the applicant will be employed as part of a business education partnership initiative, as well as other criteria as described in existing law. This act includes as an alternative to employment in such an initiative that the hiring district may verify that the applicant will be employed as part of an initiative to fill vacant positions in hard-to-staff schools or subject areas. (Section 168.021). This provision is identical to SB 448 (2021) and HB 2435 (2020). TEACHER CONTRACTS This act authorizes the local board of education to include differentiated placement of teachers on the pay schedule as part of their contracts in order to recruit and retain teachers in hard-to-staff subject areas or hard-to-staff schools. No such modification shall result in the demotion of a teacher on the salary schedule. (Section 168.110) This act is similar to HCS/HB 2652 (2022) and SCS/SB 400 (2021). JAMIE ANDREWS