Bill Summaries: all (2013-2014 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Apr 29 2013 - View summary

    Senate amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

    Adds new subsection (d) toSection 3, directing the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to (1) simplify and minimize data entry requirements of local school administrative units (LEAs) and (2) report on the resulting reduction or changes in the data entry workload of LEAs to the Joint Education Oversight Committee on or before July 30, 2014. Directs DPI to particularly focus on reductions or changes in the data entry workload resulting from implementing the PowerSchool application and other components of the Instructional Improvement System (IIS). Requires the report to include specific data on estimated instructional time used to enter data in the PowerSchool application and any other components of the IIS.


  • Summary date: Apr 24 2013 - View summary

    Senate committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

    Deletes all of Part I(class-size flexibility) of the act, which amended the following sections: GS 115C-301, regarding the allocation of teachers and class size;GS 115C-47(10), regarding the power and duty of local boards of education to assure appropriate class size;and GS 115C-276(k), regarding the responsibility of local superintendents to report exceptions to individual class size and daily teaching load maximumsto the state Board of Education (SBE).

    Deletesprovision in Part III which provided flexibility for charter schools in providing transportation for charter school students.

    Directsthe Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to comply with GS 115C-12(19)(i), which provides that it is the duty of the SBEto "identify required reports and to eliminate unnecessary reports and paperwork." Requires DPI to reduce unnecessary reporting requirements for local school administrative units (LEAs) by not requiring separate submissions for the following reports: (1) the Principal's Monthly Report, (2) the LEA Vacancy Report, (3) the Professional Personnel Activity Report, (4) the Pupils in Membership by Race and Sex, (5) the Report of School Sales of Textbooks and Used Books, and (6) the School Activity Report. Permits DPI to collect any information contained in the eliminated reports that is necessary to comply with state or federal law through use of the PowerSchool application or any other component of the Instructional Improvement System (IIS) developed by DPI.

    Provides that the Commission to Study the Provision of Exceptional Children's Services in the North Carolina Public Schools (Commission), established in this act,is to have 14 members(was, 12). Makes required changes in the Commission's composition to reflect the change in membership. Requires that one of themembers be an exceptional children's program director;one be an attorney with experience in education law related to public school services for exceptional children;one be a member of an advocacy group working on behalf of children with disabilities, as recommended by Disability Rights North Carolina;and one be a member of an advocacy group working on behalf of children with disabilities, as recommended by the Exceptional Children's Advocacy Center (removes school principal and a local school board member).

    Requiresthe Commission conduct a study on the cost to educate students with disabilities and use the collected data to make recommendations to the General Assembly on needed revisions to the current state allotment formula for various components of the exceptional children's program operated by LEAs.

    Removes the repeal of GS 115C-105.41, whichprovides forpersonal education plans (PEPs). Instead, amends GS 115C-105.41 to eliminate the reporting requirements regarding PEPs.


  • Summary date: Mar 28 2013 - View summary

    Amends GS 115C-301 to give local school units the maximum flexibility to use allotted teacher positions to maximize student achievement; deletes provisions specifying maximum average class sizes, maximum teaching load, and alternative maximum class sizes. Amends the report that must be submitted by the local board of education in February of each year to the State Board of Education (SBE), to require that it include all significant increases in class size. Allows local boards of education to request allotment adjustments for significant increases in class size and clarifies when the SBE may allot additional positions. Also deletes the provision allowing a penalty for noncompliance.

    Amends GS 115C-47 to make it the local board of education's responsibility to assure that the teacher positions allotted by the state are used to maximize student achievement. Makes conforming changes. Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-276(k), concerning the superintendent's annual report to the State Board of Education.

    Amends GS 96-33 to provide that local school administrative units do not have to report to the Labor and Economic Analysis Division data and information requested by the Division for input into the common follow‑up information management system and for such other official functions.

    Requires the SBE to revise its policy on the rules and regulations for local school administrative units related to charter transportation for school-related events and activities to remove the requirements that (1) each local school administrative unit maintain a list of companies or individuals providing transportation services for activities that are approved by the SBE and (2) the local school administrative unit must limit its ability to contract for those services to an approved list of companies or individuals.

    Requires the SBE to consolidate and limit reports by local school administrative units on data related to economically disadvantaged students to one report each school year.

    Amends GS 115C-12(18), concerning the duty to develop and implement a uniform education reporting system (system), to remove the requirement that local school administrative units comply with the standards and procedures developed by the SBE concerning reporting fiscal and personnel information, beginning with the 1987-88 school year. Also deletes the requirement for complying with the reporting system beginning with the 1989-90 school year and for dates for implementing the revised system. Requires that SBE reporting requirements developed as a part of the system be incorporated into the Instructional Improvement System.

    Establishes the 12-member Commission to Study the Provision of Exceptional Children's Services in the North Carolina Public Schools (Commission). Specifies qualifications of members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Requires the Commission to review all aspects of the exceptional children's services delivered by local school administrative units in the state and oversight of those services, in addition to recommending ways to limit reporting requirements and compliance measures by identifying areas where the state requirements exceed federal requirements. Specifies issues to be examined. Requires a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15, 2014, at which time the Commission terminates.

    Repeals GS 115C-105.41 (Students who have been placed at risk of academic failure; personal education plans; transition teams and transition plans). Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-83.9(a).

    Effective when the act becomes law and applies beginning with the 2013-14 school year.

     


  • Summary date: Mar 27 2013 - View summary

    To be summarized at a later date.