Part I.

Repeals GS 115C-12(30a), deleting the requirement that the State Board of Education (State Board) assist schools in meeting adequate yearly progress by identifying which schools are meeting adequate yearly progress with subgroups as specified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; studying the instructional, administrative, and fiscal practices and policies employed by the schools selected by the State Board of Education that are meeting adequate yearly progress specified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; creating assistance models for each subgroup based on the practices and policies used in schools that are meeting adequate yearly progress; and offering technical assistance based on these assistance models to local school administrative units not meeting adequate yearly progress, giving priority to those local school administrative units with high concentrations of schools that are not meeting adequate yearly progress. 

Repeals GS 115C-17 concerning Rulemaking to implement ABC's Plan.

Amends GS 115C-174.11(c)(1) to amend the annual testing requirements to require that the tests for grades 3 through 12 that are required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant and are adopted by the State Board to measure progress toward science once in grades three through five, once in grades six through eight, and once in grades 10 through 12.

Part II.

Amends GS 115C-105.37 to require the State Board to design and implement a procedure to identify and serve low performing schools and local school administrative units annually. Specifies that low-performing schools and local school administrative units are those identified by the State Board annually. Deletes provisions requiring each local school administrative unit to do a preliminary analysis of test results to determine which schools may be low-performing and delineating subsequent actions that were to be taken. Requires the Department of Public Instruction, at the State Board's direction, to serve low-performing schools and local school administrative units by providing the specified tools. Allows the State board to adopt an action plan when it is determined that a local school administrative unit is experiencing a continued decline in academic performance and the unit does not have the governing capabilities to operate adequately and fulfill its obligations. Allows for the replacement of the superintendent and school personnel, as well as other measures, under the plan. Also allows the State Board to suspend the local board's powers.

Repeals the following statutes that all concern low performing schools: GS 115C‑105.37A, GS 115C‑105.37B, GS 115C‑105.38, GS 115C‑105.38A, GS 115C‑105.39, and GS 115C‑333. 

Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-39(b), GS 115C-105.20(b), GS 115C-274(c), GS 115C-296(d), and GS 115C-335(b).

Amends GS 115C-105.33 by deleting reference to assistance teams, which were provided when the local board of education fails to provide a school with adequate assistance in promoting or restoring safety and an orderly learning environment.  

Amends GS 115C-325.11, concerning the dismissal of school administrators and teachers employed in low-performing residential schools, and GS 115C-325.13, concerning the dismissal of school administrators and teachers employed in low-performing schools, to remove the provisions specifying when the State Board may make a dismissal. Also makes conforming and clarifying changes.

Part III.

Amends GS 115C-276 to require the superintendent to provide for the annual evaluation of all licensed employees (was, all licensed employees assigned to low-performing schools that did not receive an assistance team). Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-288(i), removing references to the assistance team and a repealed statute. Amends GS 115C-325 to delete provisions concerning the assistance team, the dismissal of licensed staff members who have engaged in a remediation plan and failed to meet general knowledge standards after a retest, and the dismissal of principals assigned to low-performing schools to which an assistance team was assigned. Makes additional conforming changes to the statute. 

Amends GS 115C-333.1(a) to require all teachers with a Standard Professional II License to be given an annual evaluation by a principal. Requires teachers who do not hold that license to be observed at least three times annually by the principal and observed at least once annually by a teacher and once annually by a principal. Deletes provisions specifying observation and evaluation requirements depending on length of employment. Effective June 30, 2018.

Amends GS 115C-333.1 to add that a mandatory improvement plan is an instrument designed to improve a teacher's performance or the performance of any licensed employee by providing notice of specific performance areas that have substantial deficiencies and a set of strategies, so that the individual, within a reasonable period of time, should satisfactorily resolve such deficiencies. Makes conforming changes.

Repeals GS 115C-334 concerning assessment teams.

Part IV.

Amends GS 115C-156.2 by pushing the due date of the State Board's report on the number of students in career and technical education courses who earned community college credit and related industry certifications and credentials back from September to November 15.

Amends GS 115C-174.26 to make the State Board's report on advanced courses due on December 15.

Amends GS 115C-296 to make the educator preparation program report cards due December 15 (was, November 15).

Repeals SL 2013-360, Section 8.3(j), which required the State Board to report to the Fiscal Research Division if it determines that counties have supplanted funds for schools in low-wealth counties, and Section 8.4(i), which required the State Board to report to the Fiscal Research Division if it determines that counties have supplanted funds for small school systems.

Part V.

Amends GS 143B-146.1 and GS 143B-146.3 to remove reference to the ABC's Program. Amends GS 143B-146.2 to remove reference to the ABC's program and delete provisions concerning assistance teams.

Repeals GS 143B-146.4, concerning financial awards for personnel in participating schools that achieve a level of expected growth greater than 100%. 

Makes conforming changes to GS 143B-146.5.

Repeals GS 143B‑146.6, GS 143B‑146.7, GS 143B‑146.8, and GS 143B‑146.9, concerning assistance teams, assessment teams, and personnel at low-performing schools.

Part VI.

Except as otherwise provided, the act is effective when it becomes law.