BOARD RETREATArkansas Association of Curriculum and Supervision

Development Legislative Review

Act 71 – Cell Phones & Communication Devices• District may establish written student discipline

policy and exemptions concerning possession anduse by a student of a personal electronic device• on school property• school related events• extracurricular activities• instructional purposes• Limit time/location

Act 146 – Interstate Compact

National program to help active military children to seamlessly complete their education including:1. Timely enrollment2. Student placement3. Eligibility for enrollment, educational

programs, participation in extracurricular, etc4. On-time graduation5. Uniform collection of information from state to

state

Act 234 – Amends Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship• Beginning 2013-2014

• Four-Year Institutions:• Freshman - $2,000• Sophomore - $3,000• Junior - $4,000• Senior - $5,000

• Two-Year Institutions - $2,000• Emergency Clause

Act 328 – Foreign Language

• Schools may offer American Sign Language as a foreign language credit

Act 330 – Electronic Transcripts• Electronic transcripts shall be used K-12 as

developed by ADE• Higher Ed shall use electronic transcripts as the

only method of accepting a transcript from an Arkansas public school

Act 413 Nontraditional Teachers• Accelerated Teaching Program Includes:

• Teach for America Program• Arkansas Teacher Corps Program offered by the

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville• Others approved by ADE

• Allows a method of obtaining a teaching license without traditional methods

Act 421 – Allow Waiver for Embedding Curriculum

• State Board may grant waiver to district for combining or embedding curriculum from 2 separate courses into 1 combined course

• Only applies in grades 5 through 12

Act 454 – Amend Educator Licensure• Makes it easier to obtain a license from out of

state if applicant has 3 years teaching experience• Non-traditional applicants are issued a 3 year

nonrenewable license– Must complete 24 hour training in pedagogy– Summative evaluation each year– Score proficient of above on evaluation– Recommended for full licensure by Superintendent

Act 455 – Amend Background Checks for Educators• Background check must be completed to renew

license• No longer paid by ADE• Adds additional prohibited violations which would

exclude license such as domestic battery, promoting prostitution, stalking, etc.

• May receive waiver when prior to receiving license vs. waiting until you have a job offer

Act 459 – Master School Principal Program• Defines "high-need public school”• Principals completing the master principal

program are eligible for $25,000 salary increase for taking a principal's job in a "high-need public school"

Act 484 – Safe School Initiative• District shall provide annual training for all

employees and students to extent practicable in preventing and responding to acts of violence, terrorism, and natural disaster– Tornado safety drills (4 to 3)– Emergency plans for terrorist attacks– Active shooter drills and school safety assessments

Act 511 – Amend Free Textbook Act• Repeals ADE from making a list of "approved"

textbooks• Provider shall not charge Arkansas schools a price

that exceeds the lowest contracted price currently bid in another state

• Must sell products at same price for every school in Arkansas

• Must submit prices to ADE• District shall select "an instructional materials"

selection committee

Act 576 – Require a Period of Silence• Public school shall observe a one (1) minute

period of silence at the beginning of the day• Student may reflect, pray, or engage in a silent

activity• Teacher or school employee in charge of

classroom shall ensure that all students remain silent and do not interfere with or distract another student during the period of silence

Act 599 – Band, Music, and Visual Arts Credit• A student enrolled in grade 7 or 8 shall participate

in:– Visual arts instruction, appreciation, and application;

OR– Performing arts instruction, appreciation, and

application

Act 601 – Districts of Innovation• Allows schools to obtain from the Commissioner

necessary exceptions from laws, rules, and local policies to improve the educational performance of students

• Establish a School Council of Innovation made up of parents, student, employees, etc.

Act 601, continued• School council of innovation creates plan and

eligible employees vote on plan• Must have 60% approval• Plan is approved by local board• Plan is sent to Commissioner for approval• Plan is approved for four (4) years

Act 601, continued• Plan will address goals and targets which may

include:– Reducing achievement gap– Increasing student participation in curriculum– Expanding students' college and career readiness– Exploring innovative teaching and learning– Transforming a school's culture

Act 601, continued• Instructional time may include:

– on-site instruction– distance or virtual learning– work-based learning on nontraditional school days or

hours

Act 625 – Establish AP Training & Incentive Program• Establishes the Advanced Placement Training

and Incentive Program• Sets goals of increasing number of students

participating in AP and increase the number of 3, 4, and 5 on AP exam

• District may fully participate in the program or they may participate on a limited basis

• Districts shall pay a participation and service fee established by June 1 each year

Act 696 – Rating System for Schools• Effective 2014-2015• Schools and School Districts will be rated on an

A-F grading system

Act 709 – Amends TESS• Categories to domains• "Evaluator" - licensed as administrator and is an

employee of the school district• Gives additional information and options for

tested and non-tested areas • Uses district created external assessment

measures including formative assessments

Act 969 – Professional Development• Amends professional development laws to place

certain required PD on rotating schedule• Eliminates Lottery Training• ADE shall establish the curriculum for the rotating

PD requirements• 2 hours total but may have additional hours if

needed• Technology may be required by ADE and

integrated

Act 969, continued• 2013-2014 - Mandated Reporter• 2014-2015 - Parental Involvement• 2015-2016 - Teen Suicide Awareness and

Prevention• 2016-2017 - Arkansas History• Required to have this training prior to becoming

licensed • Not the responsibility of the district

Act 969, continued• Before receiving a building level administrator's

licenses the person must complete the teacher evaluation program

• May complete the assessment before/after obtaining initial building level administrator's license

Act 1073 – ADE Clean Up• Defines a week as Sunday

through Saturday• Annual school performance

report to be posted on district website as well as published the local newspaper

Act 1081 – Repeals High-Stakes Testing

• Replaces high-stakes end-of-course assessments for Algebra I and English II with the next-generation assessments

• Remedial activities and instruction shall not be in lieu of English, mathematics, science, history, or other courses required for graduation

Act 1108 – Arts-Infused Curriculum• ADE administered grant program• 5 year pilot program to implement an arts-

enriched curriculum, training, and research at 15 schools

• Principal and 85% of the teachers must agree to participate

Act 1108, continued• 5 schools shall begin three year training in 2014-

2015 school year• 1st year training is 7 days• 2nd year training is 5 days• 3rd year training is 4 days• Report submitted to House and Senate Ed

Committees by September 1, 2020

Act 1227 – School Choice• Districts shall participate unless exempted by

ADE for enforceable desegregation order• Board shall adopt resolution with standards for

acceptance which:– may include capacity of a program, class, grade level,

or school building.– shall include priority will be given for siblings– shall not include applicant's academic, athletic, English

prof. or previous discipline

Act 1227, continued• School superintendent shall cause public

announcement over broadcast media and either print media or the Internet

• Parent submit application to nonresident district with copy to resident district

• Form approved by ADE• Postmarked no later than June 1

Act 1227, continued• District notifies parent by August 1 if student :

– Rejected - reason for rejection– Accepted - deadline when student shall enroll or

acceptance is null; renewal procedures• 3% of a district's ADM maximum limit for choice

less transfers• Siblings shall only count as 1 for the 3%

calculation

Act 1227, continued• ADE shall report by June 1 to each district the net

maximum school choice transfers for the current year

• Parents may appeal district decision to State Board

Act 1280 – Digital Learning• 2013-14 - Each district in the pilot program shall

offer at least one digital learning class• 2014-15 - Entering 9th grade students must

have at least one digital learning class to graduate

Act 1280 – Cont.

Beginning in the 14-15 year, all school districts shall provide at least one digital course to their students as either a primary or supplementary method of instruction

All digital learning courses shall be made available in a blended learning, online-based, or other technology-based format tailored to meet the needs of each participating student

Act 1285 – College & Career Coaches• Establishes College and Career Coaches

Program• Administered by the Department of Career

Education in partnership with ADE and ADHE• Enabling legislation - no funding

Act 1294 -- Dyslexia• Required screening and intervention• Shall screen students in grade K-2 using

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

• If DIBELS screens indicates a student has markers for dyslexia then student is referred to Response to Intervention (RTI)

• If RTI committee concurs, student shall be evaluated for dyslexia

Act 1294, continued• If dyslexia evaluation confirms, student shall be

provided therapeutic services• Therapeutic services may be provided by tutor

who is highly qualified and trained interventionist• List instructional approaches• ADE shall hire a dyslexia specialist by 2015• ADE shall ensure at least 1 staff member at each

co-op is trained as a dyslexia specialist

Act 1322 – Student Absences• Changes the excused/unexcused absences to

what the law was prior to 2011• Instead of excessive absences policy must now

state unexcused absences

Act 1326 – Whole Child• Establishes a Whole Child - Whole Community

Recognition Working Group• Group will consider indicators for educators,

parent, and community in each of the following 5 tenets1. Each student enters school healthy and learns about

and practices a healthy lifestyle2. Each student learns in an environment that is

physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.

Act 1326, continued3. Each student is actively engaged in learning and is

connected to the school and broader community.4. Each student has access to personalized learning

and is supported by qualified, caring adults.5. Each student is intellectually stimulated and prepared

for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.

• Report submitted by November 1, 2014 to the House and Senate Education Committee

Act 1473 – Arts-infused Curriculum• NSLA funds may be used to implement school-

wide evidence-based program intended to close achievement gaps with an arts-infused curriculum

Act 1423 – Parental Involvement Plans• Calls for placement of

parent-friendly summary of parental involvementplan in student handbook

Act 1429 – School Recognition &Reward Program• $100 per student – If school is in top 10% of all

public schools in AR in combined student performance, student academic growth, and, for a secondary school, graduation rate.

• $50 per student – 11-20% range• Shall begin after 2012-2013 state-mandated

assessments

Act 1467 – NSLA Discussion• Distribution method should change• Be revised to align more directly with student

achievement• Differentiate between free and reduced• Only use funds for evidence-based programs

directed at improving student achievement• Prioritize allowable uses of funds• BLR report that funding has not achieved desired

results

Act 1467 – NSLA Discussion• House and Senate Education Committee in

conjunction with BLR and ADE • Shall conduct a study and make following

recommendations:– List of evidence-based program– New distribution formula that takes into account a

sliding scale and additional weight for free kids vs. reduced kids

• For consideration 2014 Fiscal Session