SSB 1076

This bill relates to education, including modifying provisions related to comprehensive school improvement plans, teacher librarians and guidance counselors, required days or hours of instruction in elementary and secondary schools, agreements between school districts and community colleges to teach certain courses, required courses in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools, and shared operational functions, and authorizing school districts to offer sequential units in one classroom. DIVISION I —— ELIMINATION OF COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. _____ that includes demonstrated school, parental, and community involvement in assessing educational needs, establishing local education standards and student achievement levels, and, as applicable, the consolidation of federal and state planning, goal-setting, and reporting requirements. The division strikes this requirement. The division requires all school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to file with DE a report that includes the information necessary for DE to meet its federal reporting requirements. The division makes conforming changes. DIVISION II —— TEACHER LIBRARIANS AND GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. Current law requires each school district to employ a qualified teacher librarian who shall be licensed by the board of educational examiners (BOEE). The division authorizes a school district to instead hire a person previously employed as a librarian by a public library. The division prohibits the BOEE from requiring an applicant for a teacher librarian license to have a master’s degree. The division requires the state board of education to establish standards for school district library programs, which shall be designed to provide for methods to improve library collections to meet student needs, include a current and diverse collection of materials to support student curricular needs, and include a plan for annually updating and replacing library materials and equipment. Current law provides that a school district that entered into a contract with an individual for employment as a media specialist or librarian who holds at least a master’s degree in library and information studies shall be considered to be in compliance with state standards until the individual leaves the employ of the school district. The division strikes this provision. _____ curricular goals of the school by offering responsive services that address the growth and development needs of students and the attainment of student competencies in academic, career, and social areas. DIVISION III —— REQUIRED ATTENDANCE —— SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ACCREDITED NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND INNOVATION ZONE SCHOOLS. Current law requires the school calendar for school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to include not less than 180 days or 1,080 hours of instruction during the calendar year. The division provides that not more than five days or hours of this instruction may be delivered primarily over the internet. DIVISION IV —— EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS — AGREEMENTS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES.50A authorizes a school district to enter into an agreement with a community college pursuant to which the community college may offer, or provide an instructor to teach, science or mathematics courses in grades through if certain conditions are satisfied, including that the school district’s total enrollment must exceed 600 pupils, the school district must have made every reasonable and good-faith effort to employ a teacher to teach the courses, and enrollment for the unit must exceed five pupils. The division strikes these three conditions. The division also authorizes the community college to offer, or provide an instructor to teach, any unit required in grades through 12. DIVISION V —— AUTHORIZATION TO OFFER SEQUENTIAL UNITS IN ONE CLASSROOM. The division provides that the board of directors of a school district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school may authorize a teacher who is appropriately licensed by the BOEE to teach two or more sequential units of one subject area in the same classroom at the same time in grades through 12. _____ in charge of an accredited nonpublic school to award high school credit to a student upon the student’s successful completion of the course. The division provides that if one of the units being offered pursuant to this provision is an advanced placement course, the teacher must meet the minimum certification requirements of the national organization that administers the advanced placement program.8 (district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program) to teach two or more sequential units of one subject area in the same classroom at the same time in grades through 12.8. The division provides that the community college-employed instructor must meet the minimum certification requirements of the national organization that administers the advanced placement program if one of the units being offered pursuant to this provision is an advanced placement course. DIVISION VI —— EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS. Current law requires that the core curriculum established by the state board of education shall include, among other things, technology literacy. The division strikes this requirement. Current law requires that the prekindergarten program shall relate the role of the family to the child’s developing sense of self and perception of others. The division strikes this requirement. _____ school and shall focus on community resources. The division strikes the requirement that the health curriculum provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades through include instruction related to the characteristics of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.50 (human growth and development instruction). The division provides that the career exploration and development curriculum provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades seven and eight shall incorporate relevant skills to facilitate career readiness, and introduce students to career opportunities within the local community and across this state. Current law provides that the world language instruction provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades through shall include four sequential units of one world language. The division reduces this requirement to two sequential units of one world language. Current law provides that the fine arts instruction provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades through shall include three units of the fine arts. The division reduces this requirement to two units of fine arts and provides that this instruction may include dance, music, theater, or visual art. Current law requires that all students in grades through in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools who are physically able shall participate in physical education activities during each semester, unless certain exceptions apply. _____ as much participation per week as physical education. The division provides that any student in grades through may be excused from this requirement. The division adds to the list of specified activities for which a student may be excused from the physical education requirement any activity that is sponsored by the school in which the student is enrolled which requires at least as much physical activity per week as one-eighth unit of physical education. The division removes from the list of specified activities for which a student may be excused from the physical education requirement an organized athletic program that requires at least as much participation per week as physical education. Current law provides that the health education instruction provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades through shall include certain specified subject areas. The division provides that the health education instruction may include the specified subject areas and adds cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the list of subject areas. Current law requires that the instruction provided in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in grades through shall include personal financial literacy. The division strikes this requirement and authorizes the instruction provided in science, social studies, English-language arts, mathematics, and career and technical education to include curriculum related to personal financial literacy. Current law requires that, prior to the end of grade 12, every student enrolled in a school district or accredited nonpublic school shall complete a certification course for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, unless certain exceptions apply. The division strikes this requirement. DIVISION VII —— SHARED OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS. _____ subdivision one or more operational functions of certain specified persons, or one or more operational functions in certain specified areas for at least percent of the school year, is assigned a supplementary weighting for each shared operational function up to a maximum of additional pupils. Current law provides that these provisions are repealed effective July 1, 2025. The division extends this repeal date to July 1, 2035.