BROADEN SUCCESSFUL AP PARTICIPATION.

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View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
House Bill 969 (Public) Filed Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO BROADEN SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION BY STUDENTS IN ADVANCED COURSES TO HELP ELIMINATE ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCESS GAPS AND TO CREATE PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES FOR SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE IN ADVANCED COURSES.
Intro. by Blackwell, Holloway, Johnson, Martin.

Status: Ref To Com On Education/Higher Education (Senate Action) (May 13 2013)
H 969

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: May 9 2013 - View Summary

    House amendment to the 2nd edition makes the following changes. Amends Section 4 of the act to provide that the State Board of Education is to use funds to perform the specified acts, to the extent that funds are appropriated to implement the provision of the act. Deletes the specified appropriations in Section 4 to the Department of Public Instruction to carry out the act.


  • Summary date: May 7 2013 - View Summary

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

    Amends GS 115C-12(9)c1 to clarify that the measures of participation in Advance Placement courses and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are to be included on the annual "report card" for high schools.

    Makes technical and clarifying changes to new GS 115C-83.4A. Deletes subsection (f) of this section, which required the State Board of Education (SBE)to ensure that professional development was made available to teachers of advanced courses. Directs the SBE to seek a partner (was, partners) such as the College Board and renames the Partnership as the North Carolina Advanced Placement Partnership (was, North Carolina Advanced Course Partnership). Replaces references to "advanced courses" in subsection (f), which directs the partner selected by the SBE to provide professional development and other support for teachers of AdvancedPlacement courses, with "Advanced Placement courses." Adds requirement that the selected partner provide for frequent visits to schools designated as low-performing by the SBE that are targeted by the Partnership.

    Amends GS 115C-174.18 to require that every student in grades eight through ten who has taken or is in the final month of Algebra I have an opportunity to take either the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) or the ACT Testat the discretion of the local school administrative unit (LEA) and at no cost to the student (was, opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT at state expense). Restricts the maximum amount of state funds to be used for this purpose to be the costs of the PSAT/NMSQT.

    Provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate funds to implement this act (was, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI)specified amounts to implement the provisions of this act). Designates $1.5 million to be used by the NC Advanced Placement Partnership (Partnership) to carry out its responsibilities under this act (was, designated $1.5 million tobe used bythe Partnership for professional development for teachers of advanced courses).

    Requires that the SBE's annual report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee include the Partnership's report to DPI on the Partnership's implementation of its responsibilities under this act and the SBE's assessment of that report.

    Makes additional conforming changes.

    Declares that nothing in this act is to require the General Assembly to appropriate funds to implement it. Changes the effective date of this act to only become effective if the General Assembly appropriates funds in the amounts as set out in Section 4 of this act for the 2013-15 fiscal biennium.Provides that if the funds are appropriated, the act becomes effective July 1, 2013, and applies beginning with the 2013-14 school year.


  • Summary date: Apr 17 2013 - View Summary

    Amends GS 115C-12(9)c1. requiring the annual "report card" to include measures of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme participation and Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate examination participation and performance.

    Enacts new GS 115C-83.4A expanding accessibility to advanced courses and encouraging students to take advanced courses by offering various incentives. Exempts public school students from paying exam administration fees for advanced courses and registration fees in which the student is enrolled, regardless of exam score. Awards bonuses to teachers of Advanced Placement Courses for students who earn scores of three or higher on the AP exams and for teachers of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme courses who score four or higher on the exams. Requires local boards of education to provide information to students and parents on advanced courses and to ensure that high school students have access to advanced courses in language arts, math, science, and social studies. Requires the State Board of Education to seek partners to assist in improving college readiness and to assist in ensuring students have access to high quality rigorous academics with a focus on access to advanced courses; specifies actions to be taken by the partnership.

    Amends GS 115C-174.18, changing "Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test" to "Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)."

    Appropriates $14,760,609 for 2013-14 and $15,802,800 for 2014-15 from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction. Specifies how the funds are to be used.

    Requires the State Board of Education to report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, beginning July 1, 2014, on advanced courses.

    Effective July 1, 2013, and applies beginning with the 2013-14 school year.