Revision: March 15, 2013, midnight
SB 27 – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/14/13 0736s
2013 SESSION
04/03
SENATE BILL 27
AN ACT relative to monitoring by the department of education of programs for children with disabilities.
SPONSORS: Sen. Stiles, Dist 24; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Rep. Rosenwald, Hills 30; Rep. DiMartino, Belk 2; Rep. Myler, Merr 10; Rep. Grenier, Sull 7; Rep. Shaw, Hills 16
COMMITTEE: Health, Education and Human Services
This bill requires the department of education to evaluate the effectiveness of the special education program approval and monitoring system in 2015.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/14/13 0736s
13-0748
04/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT relative to monitoring by the department of education of programs for children with disabilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Special Education; Program Monitoring. Amend RSA 186-C:5, IX to read as follows:
IX. The department, with input from the advisory committee on the education of children/students with disabilities, shall select and contract with an independent, nationally recognized organization in program evaluation and quality assurance to evaluate in 2010, 2015, and decennially thereafter, the effectiveness of the program approval and monitoring system, including whether it is carrying out activities in RSA 186-C:5 in an efficient manner. Such organization shall submit recommendations for any improvements to the commissioner, the state board of education, the governor, and the general court within 90 days of completing the program evaluation. On or before September 1, 2013, the department shall submit a written response to the report submitted by the organization that conducted the 2012 independent evaluation. The written response shall include a detailed plan for how the department will address the areas identified as needing improvement and the recommendations made in the initial evaluation required under this section. The written response shall include specific steps the department plans to take, along with a timeline for each step. The written response shall also provide an explanation for any actions the department will not implement or complete during the plan's timeframe. On or before December 30, 2013 and June 30, 2014, the department shall submit a report of its progress toward completing its plan. The plan and reports shall be submitted to the governor, to the chairpersons of the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over education policy, to the state advisory committee for the education of children with disabilities established in RSA 186-C:3-b, and to the state board of education. For the 2015 evaluation, the department shall invite the same organization that conducted the 2012 evaluation to respond to a request for proposals. The 2015 evaluation shall include feedback on the steps the department has taken in response to the recommendations in the 2012 report. The department shall provide unimpeded access to all documents requested by the organization, except as otherwise required by law.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.