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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB78; Relates to HB225 and HB272

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

State Department of Public Education (SDE)

SUMMARY

     Synopsis of Senate Education Committee

The SEC amendment inserts a provision to allow the student assistance team to design a graduation plan that meets the student's needs for entry into the workforce or a post-secondary institution, after they have determined that retention n 8^th grade will not remediate academic deficiencies.

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 89 amends that section of the Public School Code pertaining to essential competencies. This section relates to student retention, promotion and mastery of standards and benchmarks.

Significant Issues

This bill requires school remediation programs, academic improvement programs and promotion policies to be based on statewide assessment results, alternative school district assessment results and student performance in school.

SDE indicates that this bill requires school districts to notify parents, by the end of the first grading period, that the child is failing to attain appropriate grade level proficiency of standards. Students that do not attain specific grade level content standards are placed on an academic improvement plan that addresses specific areas of deficiency.

At the end of grades 1 through 7, three options are available: 1) if attained proficiency of standards is attained, the student may enter the next higher grade 2) if the student has not attained proficiency of standards, the student must participate in remediation and 3) if the student has not attained proficiency of standards required after remediation, and upon recommendation by the student assistance team and the principal, the student is retained in the same grade for no more than one school year with an academic improvement plan. The student is then promoted to the next grade if they attain proficiency of standards. They may also be promoted if they do not attain proficiency of standards and the parent or guardian refuses to allow the child to be retained and signs a waiver.

At the end of the 8^th grade, a student that fails to attain proficiency of standards shall be retained in the 8^th grade for no more than one school year to attain proficiency of standards.

Currently, if a student is recommended for retention by a school, a parent or guardian may sign a waiver to promote the student to the next grade.

Remediation programs and academic improvement programs are required to be part of the school district's educational plan for student success.

Promotion and retention decisions for special education students are required to be made in accordance with the student's Individual Educational Plan (IEP).

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The cost of remediation programs and academic improvement programs shall be borne by the school district.

The cost of summer, extended day, and academic improvement programs offered in grades 9 through 12 shall be borne by the parent or guardian. If the parents are determined to be indigent, the local school board shall bear those costs.

Currently, districts are required to bear the cost of remediation programs. SDE indicates that districts may incur additional costs associated with developing individual remediation plans.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This bill requires districts to develop individual remediation plans for students whereas local boards are currently required to develop district wide remediation programs.

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

This bill duplicates HB78 and relates to HB225 and HB272. All bill address educational standards, promotion and retention issues. See attached table for comparison purposes.

CTF/sb/njw