Bill Text - HB1497 (2018)

Relative to accountability for school performance.


Revision: March 8, 2018, 10:41 a.m.

HB 1497 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

6Mar2018... 0750h

2018 SESSION

18-2536

06/04

 

HOUSE BILL 1497

 

AN ACT relative to accountability for school performance.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4; Rep. Myler, Merr. 10

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill:

 

I.  Modifies certain definitions relating to school performance and accountability.

 

II.  Requires schools to meet performance based indicators.

 

III.  Changes the designations "priority school" and "focus school" to "comprehensive support and improvement school" and "targeted support and improvement school", respectively.

 

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

6Mar2018... 0750h 18-2536

06/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT relative to accountability for school performance.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  School Performance and Accountability; Definitions.  RSA 193-H:1 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

193-H:1  Definitions.  In this chapter:

I.  "Commissioner'' means the commissioner of the department of education.

II.  "Competencies'' means student learning targets that represent a level of mastery of key content-specific concepts, skills, and knowledge applied within or across content domains.  Specific and required types of competencies include district competencies at grade level and course or program competencies required for graduation and graduation competencies.

III.(a)  "Comprehensive support and improvement school'' means:

(1)  Any school that accepts federal funds from Title I, Part A of ESSA and is among the 5 percent lowest performing Title I schools in the state as defined by the New Hampshire consolidated state plan required for ESSA dated January 19, 2018.

(2)  Any school that is among the lowest performing 5 percent of all schools in the state based on the same methodology used in subparagraph (a).

(3)  Any high school with a graduation rate of less than 69 percent over 2 consecutive years.  

(b)  The department shall produce initial determinations of comprehensive support and improvement schools in the fall of 2018, using data from the 2017-2018 school year.  Subsequent determinations shall be made every three years  following the initial identification period.

(c)  Those schools identified as comprehensive support and improvement schools, that also receive Title I, Part A funds through ESSA, may also receive federal Title I school improvement funds, if available, to assist in improvement activities.

IV.  "Department'' means the department of education.

V.  “ESSA” means the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.

VI.  "Statewide assessment'' means the New Hampshire education improvement and assessment program as established under RSA 193-C.

VII.  "Targeted support and improvement schools" means:

(a)(1)  Any school with at least one consistently low performing subgroup as defined by the state’s methodology documented in the New Hampshire consolidated state plan required for ESSA dated January 19, 2018.  Additional targeted support and improvement schools are those schools with subgroups of students that, on their own, would fall below the thresholds used to identify all schools for comprehensive support and improvement.  The department shall produce initial determinations of targeted support and improvement schools using data from the 2017-2018 school year.  Subsequent determinations shall be made annually following the initial identification period.

(2)  Any school that demonstrates and meets criteria established as a targeted support and improvement school pursuant to subparagraph (a) shall be identified as a school in need of corrective and technical assistance and subject to RSA 193-E:3-e.

(b)  Those schools identified for targeted support and improvement schools, that also receive Title I, Part A funds through ESSA, may also receive federal Title I school improvement funds, if available, to assist in improvement activities.

VIII.  "Work-study practices'' means those behaviors that enhance learning achievement and promote a positive work ethic such as, but not limited to, listening and following directions, accepting responsibility, staying on task, completing work accurately, managing time wisely, showing initiative, and being cooperative, and work-study skills that contribute to success in college, career, and life that include communication, creativity, collaboration, and self-direction.

2  School Performance and Accountability.  RSA 193-H:2 and 3 are repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

193-H:2  Statewide Performance Targets.

I.  On or before the 2018-2019 school year, schools shall ensure that all pupils are performing at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment as established in RSA 193-C.

II.  In addition to the requirement of paragraph I, schools shall meet performance based indicators under this chapter, and statewide performance targets as approved by the legislative oversight committee established in RSA 193-C and thereafter, as established in rules adopted by the state board of education pursuant to RSA 541-A.

III.  Notwithstanding RSA 541-A, the state board of education shall receive approval from the legislative oversight committee established in RSA 193-C prior to the submission of any rules to the joint legislative committee on administrative rules relative to statewide performance targets and performance based indicators required under this section.

193-H:3  Identification and Public Disclosure of Targeted Support and Improvement Schools and Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools.

I.  The commissioner shall annually compile and disseminate to the governor and council, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, local school boards, superintendents of schools, and the public, and shall make available on the department website, a list of targeted support and improvement schools and comprehensive support and improvement schools.

II.  A school or school district designated by the commissioner as a targeted support and improvement school or a comprehensive support and improvement school shall have 30 days from the date of the report to appeal such designation to the state board of education.

3  School Performance and Accountability; Local Education Improvement Plan.  RSA 193-H:4, I is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

I.(a)  A school shall have one year from the date that a school has been designated as a targeted support and improvement school or a comprehensive support and improvement school pursuant to RSA 193-H:3 to take action to remedy identified problems at the local level.  The school shall create an initial plan that identifies actions that it intends implement to correct the areas of concern.  The plan shall be submitted to the state board within 90 days of the date that the school or school district was designated as a targeted support and improvement school or a comprehensive support and improvement school.  If the plan does not sufficiently address the areas of concern, the state board shall disapprove the plan within 30 days.  If the state board disapproves the plan, the state board's designee shall work with the school district where the school is located to amend the plan so that it meets state board approval.  One year following the designation, if the school or school district is not making satisfactory progress in implementing its plan, the commissioner shall issue a notice to the school district and shall initiate a process for providing assistance pursuant to this section.

(b)  If a school has been designated as a targeted support and improvement school or a comprehensive support and improvement school, the school district, on behalf of the school, may request assistance from the department.  The department shall, if resources allow, provide technical assistance to those schools that request assistance under this section.  

(c)  No later than one year after designation as a targeted support and improvement school or a comprehensive support and improvement school, the commissioner shall designate a progress review team to evaluate the implementation of the improvement plans and the progress toward state performance targets.  The progress review team shall deliver a report to the state board.  The report shall include evidence of satisfactory implementation and progress towards state performance targets or lack thereof and recommendations regarding future actions.  

4  Repeal.  RSA 193-H:4, II, relative to a technical assistance report and corrective action plan provided by the department of education and the state board of education, is repealed.

5  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.