Bill Summaries: all (2013-2014 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Jul 22 2014 - View summary

    AN ACT TO EXERCISE NORTH CAROLINA'S CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY OVER ALL ACADEMIC STANDARDS; TO REPLACE COMMON CORE; AND TO ENSURE THAT STANDARDS ARE ROBUST AND APPROPRIATE AND ENABLE STUDENTS TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. Enacted July 22, 2014. Effective July 1, 2014.

     

  • Summary date: Jul 8 2014 - View summary

    The Conference Committee report deletes the 5th edition, replaces it with the language from the 3rd edition, and makes the following changes to the language from the 3rd edition.

    Amends the whereas clauses.

    Adds to the requirements of the State Board of Education (State Board) to (1) prohibit the State Board from entering into any agreement, understanding, or contract that would cede control of the Standard Course of Study and related assessments and (2) require involving and surveying a sample of parents, teachers, and the public to help determine academic content standards that meet and reflect the state's priorities and the usefulness of the content standards.  Deletes the provision requiring the  State Board to ensure that the implementation of Section 1 of the act is consistent with federal law and the conditions of federal grants. Adds that the State Board must maintain and reinforce the independence of the NC Standard Course of Study and related student assessment, rejecting usurpation and intrusion from federally mandated national or standardized controls.

    Amends the requirements for appointing individuals to the Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission) to add school leadership (including principals and superintendents) to the list of groups of individuals that may be considered for appointment by the President Pro Tempore and by the Speaker of the House. Amends those individuals of the State Board who are named to the Commission to clarify that the appointments are (1) the Chair or the Chair's designee and (2) a member appointed by the Chair, representing the State Board's Task Force on Summative Assessment. Removes the provision allowing the Commission to contract with an individual who has an excellent national reputation in the area of school standards and assessments.

    Requires the State Board to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by July 15, 2015 (was, before the acquisition and implementation of a new assessment instrument), on the acquisition and implementation of a new assessment instrument to assess student achievement on the academic standards adopted pursuant to GS 115C-12(9c) (no longer includes the Common Core Smarter Balanced Consortium Assessments and the PARCC Assessment).

    Makes technical and clarifying changes.

    Amends the act's long title.


  • Summary date: Jun 24 2014 - View summary

    House amendments make the following changes to the 4th edition:

    Amendment #1

    Amends the proposed GS 115C-12(9d) to add that nothing in this subsection can be construed to prohibit implementation of the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, or other nationally available educational programs or curricula. 

    Amendment #2

    Amends proposed GS 115C-401.2, concerning the types of student data prohibited from being gathered, providing that psychometric data is not prohibited from being collected, tracked, housed, reported, or shared with the federal government (previously, psychometric data was prohibited from being collected, etc.). 


  • Summary date: Jun 23 2014 - View summary

    The House committee substitute to the 3rd edition deletes all of the provisions of the previous edition and replaces it with the following.

    Amends GS 115C-12 as follows. Requires the State Board of Education (State Board) to, when developing a plan to revise content standards and the standard course of study in the core academic areas, involve and survey a representative sample of parents, teachers, and the public to help determine academic content standards that meet and reflect North Carolina's priorities and the usefulness of the content standards. Also adds that the process of the development of content standards must also include a review of age and developmentally appropriate standards. Adds that the Board must collaborate with the Academic Standards Review Commission when revising content standards and the standard course of study in English Language Arts (English) and math. Also requires consultation with the Academic Standards Review Commission to complete the alignment process for English and math content standards. Requires that the Board ensure that no official, employee, agency, or board enter into any agreement with any federal agency or private entity which cedes or limits state control over the development, adoption, or revision of the NC Standard Course of Study and related student assessments in the public school system. 

    Specifies four specific duties of the State Board for the 2014-15 school year, including reviewing all English and math standards and proposed modifications and determining and adopting any necessary changes in consultation with the Academic Standards Review Commission.

    Establishes a nine-member Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission) in new GS 115C-83.30, located in the Department of Administration (DOA), but exercising powers independently of the DOA. Requires that appointees be citizens of the state with expertise in the development or implementation of standards or psychometrics, members of the business community, or members of the post-secondary education community who are qualified to assure the alignment of standards to career and college readiness. Provides for staggered member terms. Specifies Commission duties.

    Requires the Commission to meet for the first time by September 1, 2014. Requires the Commission to report replacement standards for English and math to the State Board, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and to the 2015 General Assembly by March 15, 2015. Requires the Commission to continue working with the State Board and Department of Public Instruction to review academic standards during the regular review period implemented every five years, and report recommended changes to the English and math standards to the State Board, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the General Assembly before its convening.

    Repeals GS 115C-174.11(c)(3), which required the State Board to participate in Common Core Standards development and implementation.

    Amends GS 115C-12(39) to direct the State Board to adopt rigorous and appropriate academic standards (was, rigorous standards) for school accreditation. Also requires the State Board to adopt academic standards that take into consideration the academic standards adopted under specified existing authority, instead of the Common Core Standards.

    Requires the State Board to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee before implementing a new assessment instrument to assess student achievement. Prohibits the State Board from acquiring or implementing an assessment instrument without legislation authorizing the purchase. Prohibits the State Board from considering assessments developed by the Smarter Balanced Consortium Assessments or the Partnership for Assessments of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) for use as nationally normed assessments of student learning. Does assert that the assessments must be nationally normed, aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and field tested. Provides as examples of appropriate assessment models the SAT, ACT Aspire, and NAEP.

    Directs local boards of education to continue to approve and use textbooks not adopted by the State Board and to provide for the efficient teaching of the course content required by the Standard Course of Study as provided under GS 115C-47(12) and GS 115C-47(33a). Provides that the Standard Course of Study remains in effect until official notice is provided to all public school teachers and administrators and parents or guardians of students enrolled in public schools of any changes to the Standard Course of Study made by the State Board.

    Enacts new GS 115C-401.2 to prohibit collecting any personally identifiable student data to be used to develop commercial products or services.

    Declares that nothing in this act requires the General Assembly to appropriate funds to implement the act. Provides that Section 2, which establishes the Academic Standards Commission, only becomes effective if funds are appropriated to support the work of the Commission in the Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2014. 

    Effective July 1, 2014.

    Updates the act's titles.


  • Summary date: Jun 5 2014 - View summary

    Senate amendments make the following changes to the 2nd edition.

    Amendment #1 adds a new subsection (b) to Section 3 of this act and makes conforming changes in designating subsections in Section 3. Directs the State Board of Education (SBE) to continue to develop and update the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in accordance with GS 115C-12(9c). Specifies that the SBE's work is to include a review of the standards in other states and of national assessments aligned with those standards. Also directs the SBE to implement the assessments that the SBE finds most aligned to evaluate student achievement on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, in accordance with Section 9.2(b) of SL 2013-360 and Section 5 of this act.

    Amendment #2 amends the section which establishes the Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission). Qualifies the Commission's ability to contract for professional, clerical, and consulting services on the availability of funds. Also declares that Commission members are to receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances only to the extent that funds are available. Conditions the receipt of reimbursement by the Department of Administration for providing meeting rooms, office space, equipment, telephones, and supplies to the Commission on the availability of funds to make the reimbursement.

    Deletes the appropriation of $250,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Administration for the 2014-15 fiscal year that was designated for useto implement the provisions of Section 2, establishing the Commission.

    Amendment #3 prohibits appointing any individual serving in a statewide elected office or as a member of the General Assembly to the Commission.


  • Summary date: Jun 4 2014 - View summary

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

    Amends one of the whereas clauses.

    Amends the State Board of Education's duties in Section 1 of the act as follows. Requires continuing to exercise authority to adopt (was, adopt, revise, and replace) academic standards for the public schools. Adds increasing students' level of academic achievement and being among the highest standards in the nation to the criteria to be met by all English Language Arts and Mathematics standards. 

    Reduces the membership of the Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission) from 17 to 11 members and makes changes to composition of the Commission. Requires that the co-chairs be elected from among the members (was, the senator and representative appointed to the Commission serve as co-chairs). Amends the Commission's duties to add proposing modification that ensure the English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards meet specified criteria (was, review the proposed changes to academic standards submitted to it by the State Board). 

    Requires that new assessment instruments be nationally normed, aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and field tested. Provides as examples of appropriate assessment models the ITBS, SAT, ACT Aspire, and NAEP.

    Directs local boards of education to continue to provide for the efficient teaching of the course content required by the standard course of study. Provides that the current standard course of study remains in effect until official notice is provided of any changes made by the State Board.

    Makes technical and conforming changes.

    Amends the act's short and long titles.


  • Summary date: May 20 2014 - View summary

    Identical to H 1061, filed 5/14/14.

    Requires the State Board of Education (State Board) to (1) continue exercising authority over academic standards for public schools and (2) review all English, language arts, and math standards and propose modifications to ensure that they are rigorous, reflect NC's priorities, are age and developmentally appropriate, and understandable to parents and teachers; requires consultation with the Academic Standards Review Commission before making changes to the standards. Provides that standards adopted by the State Board will continue to be named the "North Carolina Standard Course of Study."

    Establishes the 17-member Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission) located in the Department of Administrtion (DOA), but exercising powers independently of the DOA. Establishes Commission membership and duties, including reviewing acadmic standards for English and math, and considering the impacts on educators when making recommendations. Requires the Commission to hold its first meeting by September 1, 2014. Requires the Commission to make a final report to the State Board, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the 2016 Regular Session of the 2015 General Assembly. Terminates the Commission on the earlier of December 31, 2015, or the filing of the final report.

    Repeals GS 115C-174.11(c)(3), which required the State Board to participate in Common Core Standards development and implementation.

    Amends GS 115C-12 to make conforming changes, requiring the State Board to adopt academic standards that take into consideration the academic standards adopted under specified existing authority, instead of the Common Core Standards.

    Requires the State Board to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee before implementing a new assessment instrument to assess student achievement. Prohibits the State Board from acquiring or implemeting an assessment instrument without legislation authorizing the purchase.

    Appropriates $250,000 for 2014-15 from the General Fund to the Department of Administration to implement the Commission requirements.

    Effective July 1, 2014.