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First, please note that some bills require action. They are listed first. Please contact your legislators.
Against HB1315 Various Education Matters. This is a loaded bill that no one who supports public education would support. Please reach out to your legislators and let them know that you are against this bill. Read more about it here. HB1398 Coalition of school corporations. Contact your legislator to say put the brakes on HB 1398, scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday. It would establish vague "continuous improvement districts" which could suspend state statutes and rules for teachers licensure, curriculum, and calendar. Read more here. *** Both bills are on the schedule to be heard Monday by the House. In Favor HB1179 textbook bill. We support this bill as it would eliminate textbook fees in public schools. Please let your legislators know that you support this and believe it needs to be heard by the House Ways & Means Committee. Read more about it here. MONDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday, 1/29 at 10:30 a.m. HB1002 Reorganization of workforce funding and programs. Repeals various educational and workforce training programs and provides for program phase outs, effective July 1, 2019. Requires the state workforce innovation council to review each proposed grant award by the department of workforce development (department) before the grant is awarded by the department. Establishes the next level workforce training and development fund (fund) as a dedicated fund for certain state workforce training and development programs. Dedicates all corporate adjusted gross income tax revenues to the fund. Requires the creation of accounts within the fund. Establishes the employer workforce training grant fund to provide money for grants to eligible employers that incur costs or expenses for training programs that allow their employees or prospective employees in Indiana to attain a work related degree, certification, or credential. Makes a continuous appropriation from the employer workforce training grant fund to the Indiana economic development corporation. Requires the state board of education, when establishing an apprenticeship as a graduation pathway requirement, to establish as an apprenticeship only an apprenticeship program registered under the federal National Apprenticeship Act or another federal apprenticeship program administered by the United States Department of Labor. Provides that an emancipated student or the parent of a student enrolled in a career or technical course may voluntarily release information, on a form prescribed by the department of education, pertaining to the student's enrollment in the career and technical education course to potential employers that contact the school to recruit students with particular career and technical skills. Requires the department to: (1) develop information regarding workforce needs in Indiana; (2) assign at least two employees at each one stop center (one stop centers provide access to services required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014) to work with school counselors; and (3) upon request of a school corporation, make a presentation to middle school and high school counselors. Makes the following changes concerning the high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant: (1) Removes a requirement that, to be eligible to receive a grant, an applicant must be financially independent. (2) Removes a requirement that, to be eligible to receive a grant, an applicant must be financially independent and not have previously received a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree, or an eligible certificate. (3) Requires the commission for higher education to give priority in awarding a grant to an applicant who has not previously received a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree, or an eligible certificate. Requires workforce and education information as part of the biennial budget report that is submitted to the governor and state budget committee for preparation of the governor's proposed budget bill. Makes conforming amendments. HB1426 Education matters. Requires the state board of education (state board) to establish one Indiana diploma for individuals who successfully complete high school graduation requirements. (Current law establishes four different diplomas.) Provides that each Indiana diploma must include one of the following designations: (1) General designation. (2) Core 40 designation. (3) Core 40 with academic honors designation. (4) Core 40 with technical honors designation. Requires, in adopting Core 40 curriculum models, the state board to consider math course requirements other than Algebra II. Allows the state board to adopt rules to establish: (1) math course requirements; and (2) science course requirements; for the Core 40 curriculum models. . Repeals provisions that: (1) require the state board to design a high school diploma for the high school fast track program; and (2) establish a subcommittee to make recommendations regarding diplomas and certain course requirements and develop the requirements for a career and technical education diploma. Provides that a nationally recognized college entrance exam shall be administered as part of the statewide assessment program for high school students. Eliminates the requirement of end of course assessments to be administered as part of the statewide assessment program. Resolves a conflict in a provision that requires the state board to develop guidelines to assist secondary schools to identify students likely to require remediation. Eliminates a requirement that a student must take a college and career readiness examination if the student is identified under the guidelines developed by the state board to likely be in need of remediation. Provides that certain statewide assessments must use a scale score that will ensure the statewide assessment scores are comparable to assessment scoring used as part of the ISTEP program, before its expiration. Provides that a student may receive a waiver from the postsecondary readiness competency requirements that are part of the graduation pathway requirements if the student meets certain conditions. Provides that the state board of education may authorize the use of the graduation examination as a graduation requirement for cohorts that graduate before July 1, 2023. Provides that the state board may approve a local graduation pathway. Establishes the local graduation pathway fund (fund). Provides that the state board may award development grants from the fund for proposed local graduation pathways. Makes conforming amendments. Read more here. Education Bills to Be Heard by the House Education Committee on Monday, 1/29 at 10:30 a.m. HB1230 School safety. Requires the department of education (department) to maintain a link on the department's Internet web site providing parents and school officials with resources or best practices regarding the prevention or reporting of cyberbullying. Requires the department to maintain a link on the department's Internet web site regarding the identification and reporting of human trafficking. Requires certain employees of a school corporation or an accredited nonpublic school to receive at least one hour of inservice training annually pertaining to the identification and reporting of human trafficking. Provides that a school corporation's disciplinary rules pertaining to bullying must prohibit bullying through the use of data or computer software that is accessed through a computer or through a cellular telephone or other wireless or cellular communications device. (Current law provides that a school corporation's disciplinary rules pertaining to bullying must prohibit bullying through the use of data or computer software that is accessed through a computer.) HB1356 Bullying. Provides that a school corporation is not required to report the number of incidents of bullying in the school corporation's annual school performance report. Provides that information reported by a school corporation relating to the number of incidents of bullying that occur may not be used in calculation of a school's annual school improvement grade. Provides that the department of education (department) must annually send a letter to each school corporation explaining: (1) the school corporation's obligation to submit a report to the department containing the number of bullying incidents involving a student; and (2) that the department may conduct an audit of the school corporation to ensure that bullying incidents are accurately reported. Provides that the department may conduct an audit of a school corporation to ensure that bullying incidents are accurately reported. Provides that the department must report discrepancies of an audit on the department's Internet web site. Requires the department to conduct a statewide survey concerning the improvement of school corporation reporting of incidents of bullying involving a student to the department. Requires, not later than November 1, 2018, the department to submit a report to the general assembly. HB1420 Various education matters. Makes changes relating to how parents of students are nominated and approved to be members of the commission on seclusion and restraint in schools. Provides that a student with special needs who has a service plan or a choice scholarship education plan may be admitted to the Indiana School for the Deaf. Provides that a student who is withdrawn from enrollment from a virtual charter school for failure to participate in courses pursuant to the school's student engagement policy may not reenroll in that same virtual charter school for the school year in which the student is withdrawn. Defines "education records". Requires an organizer of a charter school that is closing for any reason to establish a charter school closure protocol that explains to a parent of a student enrolled in the charter school the procedure that the charter school uses to transfer a student's education records to: (1) a new school in which the parent plans to enroll the student; (2) the student's school of legal settlement (if the parent does not know in which school the parent plans to enroll the student and the parent provides consent for the disclosure); and (3) the department of education. Repeals a provision concerning the transfer of student records. Makes conforming amendments. Resolves a conflict between P.L.217-2017 and P.L.250-2017. HB1421 School discipline. Provides that an evidence based plan for improving student behavior and discipline in a school corporation must aspire to: (1) reduce out-of-school suspension and disproportionality in discipline and expulsion; and (2) limit referrals to law enforcement or arrests on school property to cases in which referral to law enforcement or arrest is necessary to protect the health and safety of other students or school employees. Adds a definition of "exclusion". Adds a definition of "positive discipline". Provides that discipline policies established by a superintendent or member of the superintendent's administrative staff must be consistent with positive discipline practices. Provides that a school's discipline policy must include a graduated system of discipline and incorporate positive discipline principles. Makes various changes to provisions relating to school discipline to reduce student exclusion from school. Repeals a provision that provides that a principal may require a student who is at least 16 years of age and wishes to reenroll in school after an expulsion to attend certain alternative educational programs. Read more here. Education Bills to be Heard by the Senate on Monday 1/29 at 1:30 p.m. SB172 Computer science. Establishes the next level computer science grant program (program) and the next level computer science fund (fund) to award grants, after June 30, 2019, to eligible entities to implement teacher professional development programs for training in teaching computer science. Requires the department of education (department) to: (1) administer the program and fund; and (2) develop, in consultation with the governor's office, guidelines to award grants from the fund to eligible entities. Requires, not later than August 1, 2018, the state superintendent of public instruction to enter into a contract for professional development services. Requires the department to biannually submit a progress report to the governor regarding the: (1) development and administration of the program and fund; and (2) status of public schools in meeting computer science curriculum requirements. Provides that, if the department does not comply with the requirements regarding the program and fund, the state board of education shall assume the department's duties. Requires (beginning July 1, 2021) each public school to offer a computer science course as a one semester elective course in its curriculum at least once each school year to high school students. Requires (beginning July 1, 2021) each public school to include computer science in the public school's science curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade 12. SB65 Instruction on human sexuality. Requires each school corporation to make available for inspection to a parent of a student instructional material used in connection with instruction on human sexuality. Prohibits a school from providing a student with instruction on human sexuality unless the parent of the student or the student (if the student is an adult or an emancipated minor) consents to the instruction. Establishes requirements regarding the consent form. Requires the department of education and the governing body of a school corporation to give parents and students notice of these requirements. SB217 Dyslexia. Requires the following: (1) A school multidisciplinary team must include information about dyslexia in a student's educational evaluation if the multidisciplinary team determines that the student is eligible to receive special education and related services and has or has characteristics of dyslexia. (2) Information about dyslexia must be: (A) discussed by the student's case conference committee if information about dyslexia is included in the student's educational evaluation; and (B) included in the student's individualized education program if the case conference committee determines that the information should be included. Requires school corporations and charter schools to screen: (1) each student in kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2; and (2) certain other students. Establishes requirements regarding dyslexia screenings, notifications to parents, and dyslexia intervention services (including instructional approaches). Requires school corporations and charter schools to: (1) use the response to intervention process to address needs of students who are determined to have characteristics of dyslexia; and (2) obtain parental consent before administering a level I dyslexia screening or a level II dyslexia screening. Allows a student's parent to elect to have an independent comprehensive dyslexia evaluation of the student. Requires school corporations and charter schools to report annually to the department of education (department) regarding the number of students who were: (1) administered the initial dyslexia screening during the school year; and (2) determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia. Requires a school corporation and charter school to report on the school corporation's or charter school's Internet web site certain information regarding dyslexia. Requires, not later than July 1, 2019, the department to employ at least one dyslexia specialists. Establishes the: (1) requirements for a dyslexia specialist; and (2) services the dyslexia specialist is required to provide. Requires, not later than the 2019-2020 school year, each school corporation and charter school to employ at least one individual to serve as a dyslexia interventionist for the school corporation or charter school. Requires, not later than the 2019-2020 school year, the department to ensure that each teacher receives professional awareness information on dyslexia. Requires the department to develop and update an Indiana dyslexia resource guide. Read more here. Education Bills to be Heard by the House on Monday 1/29 at 1:30 p.m HB1315 School corporation financial management. Allows the distressed unit appeal board (DUAB) to delegate board authority, duties, and responsibilities to the executive director by resolution of the board. Permits only the emergency manager to petition the DUAB to terminate a political subdivision's distressed status. Allows the DUAB to adopt rules. Requires the attorney general to represent a member of the fiscal management board, an emergency manager, a chief financial officer, or a chief academic officer if the individual requests the representation. Specifies restrictions on school corporations that are designated distressed. Allows a limited reduction in employees for distressed school corporation after September 30 of a year. Specifies that waivers regarding the allocation of protected taxes apply only to distressed school corporations and not other distressed units. Makes changes concerning the Gary Community school corporation and its operation. Converts the Gary Community school corporation's governing board to an advisory committee. Provides that the Gary Community school corporation advisory committee may not hold a public meeting more often than once every three months and provides that any other meetings are authorized executive sessions under the open door law. Removes the laws concerning the Muncie Community School Corporation being a fiscally impaired school corporation. Permits the Ball State University board of trustees to adopt a resolution to govern the Muncie Community school corporation using a newly appointed seven member governing board. Requires the governing body to engage academically innovative strategies. Specifies that only certain laws in IC 20 will apply to the Muncie Community school corporation. Specifies other conditions. Permits the DUAB to recommend to the state board of finance that the state board of finance make an interest free loan to the Muncie Community Schools. Establishes a fiscal and qualitative indicators committee to make initial determinations about the fiscal and qualitative factors to be used in analyzing the financial condition of school corporations. Specifies certain factors that may be used. Requires the fiscal and qualitative indicators committee to make initial determinations about the presentation of the factors and the financial condition of school corporations to the public and the frequency of updates. Requires the fiscal and qualitative indicators committee to report its findings, recommendations, and procedures to the state budget committee before being made final. Requires the DUAB to present school financial condition information on its Internet web site or the management performance hub (MPH)'s Internet web site. Sets minimum standards for presenting the information. Requires the DUAB to determine the financial condition of each school corporation and whether a school corporation should be placed on a watch list. Requires the DUAB to report to the state budget committee the process that will be used between contacting a school corporation about its financial condition and being placed on the watch list, including a report on what factors will cause a school corporation to be put on the watch list, any particular funding issues that may cause a school corporation to be on the watch list, and when the list will be made public. Provides that if a school corporation remains on the watch list for four consecutive years, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents shall decide if it is appropriate to recommend to the Indiana department of education whether disciplinary action should be taken by the department regarding the superintendent. Permits the DUAB to enter into an agreement with a school corporation showing fiscal distress to establish a corrective action plan. Requires various reports. HB1398 Coalition of school corporations. Provides that the state board of education may approve a coalition of continuous improvement school districts (coalition). Provides that certain statutes or rules may be suspended for a coalition member. HB1167 School corporation financial management. Provides that a school corporation's rainy day fund may be used to pay for teacher bonuses and stipends. Permits money in a school corporation's operations fund at the end of a year to be transferred to the school corporation's rainy day fund. Combines various levies into a single operations fund levy beginning in 2019. Changes provisions concerning the education fund and operations fund. Specifies the items to be included in a school corporation's capital projects plan. Changes the reasons for which a school corporation may appeal to increase the school corporation's operations fund levy for transportation purposes. Requires an appeal to increase or a petition to adjust the maximum operations fund levy for a year to be filed before October 20 of the preceding year. Resolves conflicts among various 2017 acts that take effect before the education funding and accounting changes made by HEA 1009-2017. Make technical changes. HB1314 Students receiving foster care services. Requires the State board of education to, in collaboration with the department of education (department) and the of child services, prepare a report on foster care youth educational outcomes. Requires the department to, before November 1, 2018, and before November 1 each year thereafter, submit the report to the department of child services and legislative council. Requires certain information regarding students receiving foster care to be included in a school corporation's annual performance report. Requires the department of child services to, not later than 10 days after a child who attends public school is placed in foster care, notify the department that the child has been placed in foster care. Read more here. WEDNESDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the Senate Education and Career Development Committee on Wednesday, 1/31 at 1:30 p.m. SB43 Racial balance levy and fund. Repeals provisions regarding the racial balance levy and the racial balance fund. Provides that any money in a school corporation's racial balance fund on January 1, 2019, must be transferred to the school corporation's operations fund. SB136 Workforce ready grant. Provides that an applicant is eligible to receive a high value workforce ready noncredit-bearing grant if the applicant has been accepted for enrollment in a noncredit-bearing credential or similar program that offers a certification or credential upon completion that is approved by the department of workforce development. Provides that the credential or similar program may be offered by any public, private, or nonprofit entity, including a postsecondary educational institution. Provides that the noncredit-bearing credential or similar programs determined to be eligible for the high value workforce ready noncredit-bearing grant may not be limited to programs offered by a postsecondary educational institution. SB177 The Indiana high school diploma. Requires the state board of education (state board) to establish one Indiana diploma for individuals who successfully complete high school graduation requirements. (Current law establishes four different diplomas.) Provides that an Indiana diploma may include one of the following distinctions: (1) Core 40 distinction. (2) Core 40 academic honors distinction. (3) Core 40 technical honors distinction. Provides that each student must meet course and credit requirements for an Indiana diploma. (Current law requires each student to meet Core 40 course and credit requirements and allows a student to be exempted from these requirements.) Removes certain requirements that a student may, if the student fails to meet a graduation pathway requirement, elect to complete to be eligible to graduate. Makes conforming changes. Repeals provisions that: (1) require the state board to design a high school diploma for the high school fast track program; (2) establish a subcommittee to make recommendations regarding diplomas and certain course requirements and develop the requirements for a career and technical education diploma; and (3) allow a student to be exempted from Core 40 curriculum requirements. SB387 Teacher content area examination waiver. Provides that the department of education (department) may grant an initial practitioner's license to an individual who: (1) took the content area examination twice and did not pass; and (2) meets certain other requirements. Limits the number of individuals who may be granted an initial practitioner license without passing the content area examination. Provides that a postsecondary educational institution determines which individuals who have completed the institution's teacher preparation program are eligible. Establishes requirements for renewal of an initial practitioner license for an individual who did not pass the content area examination. Requires the department to post on the department's Internet web site the pass rate of the content area examination for each postsecondary educational institution. Read more here. Errors, corrections, comments? Contact us here. Please consider becoming a member! Join here. Compiled by Meghann Goetz and Keri Miksza Education bill digests in one convenient spot.
First, please note that some bills require action. They are listed first. Please contact your legislators. Against HB1315 Various Education Matters. This is a loaded bill that no one who supports public education would support. Please reach out to your legislators and let them know that you are against this bill. Read more about it here. HB1398 Coalition of school corporations. Contact your legislator to say put the brakes on HB 1398, scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday. It would establish vague "continuous improvement districts" which could suspend state statutes and rules for teachers licensure, curriculum, and calendar. Read more here. HB1166 Teacher Evaluations. Tell your legislator to just say no to HB 1166, which would increasingly tie teachers’ evaluations to test scores. In Favor HB1179 textbook bill. We support this bill as it would eliminate textbook fees in public schools. Please let your legislators know that you support this and believe it needs to be heard by the House Ways & Means Committee. Read more about it here. Other Bills to Keep an Eye On SB354 Freeway school corporations and schools. This bill could increase vouchers and voucher schools. Most freeway schools are voucher schools and this gives underperforming voucher schools a break. *** THIS PASSED THE SENATE on 1/23. MOVES TO HOUSE SB157 Real world career readiness program and SB297 Employability skills curriculum as they both give the Department of Workforce Development control over educational matters. MONDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the House on Monday, 1/22 at 1:30 p.m. HB1024 - AMEND, DO PASS Heat preparedness training for coaches. HB1314 - AMEND, DO PASS Students receiving foster care services. Read more here. Education Bills to Be Heard by the Senate on Monday, 1/22 at 1:30 p.m. SB24 - Ordered Engrossed Student possession and use of sunscreen. SB354 - Ordered Engrossed Freeway school corporations and schools. SB8 - Passed School curriculum. Requires each school corporation, charter school, and accredited nonpublic elementary school to include cursive writing in its curriculum. SB143 - Ordered Engrossed Study of student performance grades. SB189 - Passed K-12 funding. Provides that the budget agency shall transfer from the state tuition reserve account to the state general fund the amount necessary to offset a reduction in state tuition support if: (1) basic tuition support has been reduced because the amount of choice scholarships exceeds the estimated amount prepared by the legislative services agency and provided to members of the general assembly before May 1 of the most recent odd-numbered year; or (2) basic tuition support has been reduced because the average daily membership (ADM), the special education student count, or the career and technical education student count exceeds the estimated count prepared by the legislative services agency and provided to members of the general assembly before May 1 of the most recent odd-numbered year. (Under current law, the budget agency may make such a transfer if basic tuition support has been reduced because the amount of choice scholarships exceeds the estimated amount.) Provides that the amount of the transfer for a state fiscal year is equal to the lesser of: (1) the amount of reductions in state tuition support that result because the amount of choice scholarships or the pupil counts exceed the estimated amount; or (2) $25,000,000. TUESDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the House Education Committee on Tuesday, 1/23 at 8:30 a.m. HB1398 - amend do pass, adopted Coalition of school corporations. HB1420 - not heard Various education matters. HB1426 - amend do pass, adopted Education matters. Requires the state board of education (state board) to establish one Indiana diploma for individuals who successfully complete high school graduation requirements. (Current law establishes four different diplomas.) Provides that each Indiana diploma must include one of the following designations: (1) General designation. (2) Core 40 designation. (3) Core 40 with academic honors designation. (4) Core 40 with technical honors designation. Requires, in adopting Core 40 curriculum models, the state board to consider math course requirements other than Algebra II. Allows the state board to adopt rules to establish: (1) math course requirements; and (2) science course requirements; for the Core 40 curriculum models. Makes conforming changes. Repeals provisions that: (1) require the state board to design a high school diploma for the high school fast track program; and (2) establish a subcommittee to make recommendations regarding diplomas and certain course requirements and develop the requirements for a career and technical education diploma. Provides that a nationally recognized college entrance exam shall be administered as part of the statewide assessment program for high school students. Eliminates the requirement of end of course assessments to be administered as part of the statewide assessment program. Resolves a conflict in a provision that requires the state board to develop guidelines to assist secondary schools to identify students likely to require remediation. Eliminates a requirement that a student must take a college and career readiness examination if the student is identified under the guidelines developed by the state board to likely be in need of remediation. Provides that certain statewide assessments must use a scale score that will ensure the statewide assessment scores are comparable to assessment scoring used as part of the ISTEP program, before its expiration. Provides that the state board may approve a local graduation pathway. Establishes the local graduation pathway fund (fund). Provides that the state board may award development grants from the fund for proposed local graduation pathways. Read more here. Education Bills to Be Heard by the Senate on Tuesday, 1/23 at 1:30 p.m. SB24 - Passed Student possession and use of sunscreen. Provides that a student may possess and use a topical, non-aerosol sunscreen product while on school property or at a school sponsored event or activity without being required to: (1) have a physician's note or prescription; or (2) store the topical, non-aerosol sunscreen product in a specific location; if the product is regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter use for the purpose of limiting ultraviolet light-induced skin damage. Allows school personnel to assist a student in applying the sunscreen if the school has written permission from the student's parent or guardian. Provides certain civil immunity for school corporations, schools, and school personnel for any action taken to comply with the sunscreen provisions. SB143 - Passed Study of student performance grades. Requires the department of education (department) and the commission for higher education (commission) to study and submit a report describing as to whether there is any disparity in determining enrollment eligibility in a state educational institution or educational program offered by the state educational institution that is caused by the use of different grading scales by public secondary schools. Requires the department and commission to submit the report to the general assembly. Requires a public secondary school to submit certain information to the department regarding the calculation of a public secondary student's grade. Requires a state educational institution to submit certain information to the commission regarding the use of a public secondary student's grade point average for determining enrollment eligibility. SB354 - Passed Freeway school corporations and schools. Provides that the state board of education (state board) shall, upon request by a freeway school corporation or a freeway school, waive certain educational benefit requirements for a period of not more than 36 months. Provides that the state board may not grant a waiver after January 1, 2019. Provides that a freeway school corporation or freeway school may receive a waiver for that freeway school corporation or freeway school only one time. Urges the legislative council to assign to the education interim study committee the task of studying the accreditation of elementary and high schools in Indiana. Education Bills to Be Heard by the House on Tuesday, 1/23 at 1:30 p.m. HB1024 - amended, ordered engrossed Heat preparedness training for coaches. HB1314 - Amend, do pass Students receiving foster care services. WEDNESDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the Senate Education and Career Development Committee on Wednesday, 1/24 at 1:30 p.m. SB65 - DO PASS Instruction on human sexuality. Requires each school corporation to make available for inspection to a parent of a student instructional material used in connection with instruction on human sexuality. Prohibits a school from providing a student with instruction on human sexuality unless the parent of the student or the student (if the student is an adult or an emancipated minor) consents to the instruction. Establishes requirements regarding the consent form. Requires the department of education and the governing body of a school corporation to give parents and students notice of these requirements. SB157 - DO PASS Real world career readiness program. Establishes the real world career readiness program (program). Provides that the state board of education (state board) shall establish the program to provide a real world career readiness student with career and technical education credentials necessary to transition from school to the workforce. Provides that the state board, in consultation with the department of workforce development, may create an authorized program, or approve high or moderate value career and technical education programs administered by one or more school corporations or charter schools. Provides that a real world career readiness student may attend an authorized program for a period of not more than one school year after the student's cohort's expected graduation year in order to obtain an industry recognized certification, credential, or postsecondary degree. Provides that a program must include an apprenticeship program, a cooperative program, or a work based learning program. Provides that a student may participate in an authorized program if the student: (1) participates in the Indiana career explorer program or curriculum or an alternative Internet based system and curriculum approved by the department of education, in consultation with the department of workforce development, that includes an aptitude assessment that demonstrates the student's aptitude, in a manner prescribed by the state board, on the aptitude assessment administered for the applicable field of study; or (2) meets alternative qualification requirements for the student's applicable field of study established by the state board in consultation with the department of workforce development. Provides that not later than July 1, 2019, each school corporation or charter high school, either solely, or in a cooperative or consortia with one or more school corporations or charter high schools, must participate in an authorized program beginning with a cohort with an expected graduation year of 2023. Provides that an eligible pupil, for purposes of calculating state tuition support, includes a student enrolled in a program. SB205 - DO PASS School choice scholarships. Provides that, if an eligible choice scholarship student (student) leaves an eligible school during the school year and transfers during the same school year to a different eligible school that has a choice scholarship available for that eligible school, the student may use the amount remaining of the choice scholarship awarded to the student for that school year to pay the tuition at the eligible school to which the student has transferred for the remainder of the school year. Provides that the student may not use the amounts if the student has previously transferred eligible schools during that same school year. Provides that any amounts distributed may not exceed the cost of tuition at the eligible school to which the student transfers. SB217 - DO PASS AMEND Dyslexia. Requires the following: (1) A school multidisciplinary team must include information about dyslexia in a student's educational evaluation if the multidisciplinary team determines that the student is eligible to receive special education and related services and has or has characteristics of dyslexia. (2) Information about dyslexia must be: (A) discussed by the student's case conference committee if information about dyslexia is included in the student's education evaluation; and (B) included in the student's individualized education program if the case conference committee determines that the information should be included. Requires school corporations and charter schools to screen: (1) each student in kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2; and (2) certain other students. Establishes requirements regarding dyslexia screenings, notifications to parents, and dyslexia intervention services (including instructional approaches). Requires school corporations and charter schools to: (1) use the response to intervention process to address needs of students who are determined to have characteristics of dyslexia; and (2) obtain parental consent before administering a level I dyslexia screening or a level II dyslexia screening. Allows a student's parent to elect to have an independent comprehensive dyslexia evaluation of the student. Requires school corporations and charter schools to report annually to the department of education (department) regarding the number of students who were: (1) administered the initial dyslexia screening during the school year; and (2) determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia. Requires a school corporation and charter school to report on the school corporation's or charter school's Internet web site certain information regarding dyslexia. Requires, not later than July 1, 2019, the department to employ at least three dyslexia specialists. Establishes the: (1) requirements for a dyslexia specialist; and (2) services the dyslexia specialist is required to provide. Requires, not later than the 2019-2020 school year, each school corporation and charter school to employ at least one individual to serve as a dyslexia interventionist for the school corporation or charter school. Requires, not later than the 2019-2020 school year, the department to ensure that each teacher receives professional awareness information on dyslexia. Requires the department to develop and update an Indiana dyslexia resource guide. SB297 - DO PASS AMEND Employability skills curriculum. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2019, each school within a school corporation shall include interdisciplinary employability skills standards established by the department of workforce development, in consultation with the department of education and approved by the state board of education, in the school's curriculum. Establishes the work ethic certificate program (program) and fund. Requires the department of workforce development to administer the program. SB303 - DO PASS AMEND Various education matters. Amends dates for the following: (1) The submission of reports regarding the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled in an alternative education program. (2) Student enrollment and attendance and grant distributions regarding alternative education program grants. (3) A school corporation's count of pupils in homebound programs. (4) The submission of reports to the department of education (department) concerning scholarships awarded by a scholarship granting organization in the previous school year. Requires the state board of education, in collaboration with the commission for higher education, to establish a uniform online system of certain staff performance evaluation data. Amends requirements and defines "appropriate vehicle" with regard to the types of vehicles a school corporation may use to transport homeless students to a school of origin. Provides that the same requirements apply to the transport of students in foster care to a school of origin. Requires that a contract entered into by a teacher and a school corporation must contain the minimum number of hours per day the teacher is expected to work. (Current law requires that a contract entered into by a teacher and a school corporation include the number of hours per day the teacher is expected to work.) Amends the conditions that must apply for an original school corporation and a transitional school corporation to be required to enter into an agreement concerning the responsibility for and apportionment of the costs of transporting a foster student to and from a school of origin. Provides that, to drive a school bus, an individual must have a depth perception of at least 80% or 48 seconds of arc or less angle of stereopsis. (Current law requires an individual to have a depth perception of at least 80% or 33 seconds of arc or less angle of stereopsis.) Removes a provision that requires school corporations to conduct an additional cumulative count of pupils in homebound programs for informational purposes. SB434 - DO PASS Study committee. Urges the legislative council to assign to the education interim study committee the task of studying: (1) the current regulatory framework and methods to streamline regulatory compliance; and (2) the use of innovative solutions and public-private partnerships in delivering educational services and sharing of best practices. Read more here. Education Bills to Be Heard by the House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday, 1/24 at 1:30 p.m. HB1315 - PASS School financial management. Allows the distressed unit appeal board (DUAB) to delegate board authority and responsibilities to the executive director by resolution of the board. Permits only the emergency manager to petition the DUAB to terminate a political subdivision's distressed status. Allows the DUAB to adopt rules. Requires the attorney general to represent a member of the fiscal management board, an emergency manager, a chief financial officer, or a chief academic officer if the individual requests the representation. Specifies restrictions on school corporations that are designated distressed. Specifies that waivers regarding the allocation of protected taxes apply only to distressed school corporations. Makes changes concerning the Gary Community School Corporation and its operation. Removes the laws concerning the Muncie Community Schools being a fiscally impaired school corporation. Permits the DUAB to recommend to the state board of finance that the state board of finance make an interest free loan to the Muncie Community Schools. Requires the DUAB to make a request for information on whether a state educational institution, educational organization, or other community group has an interest in partnering with the Muncie Community Schools. Allows state educational institutions to establish one or more laboratory schools within a school district or establish a laboratory school district by agreement with a school corporation. Allows the state educational institution to use property of the school corporation for a laboratory school. Requires the management performance hub (MPH) to determine the fiscal and qualitative indicators to be used in analyzing the financial condition of school corporations. Specifies certain factors that must be used. Requires the MPH to determine the financial condition of each school corporation. Requires the MPH to present the information on its Internet web site. Sets minimum standards for presenting the information. Permits the DUAB to enter into an agreement with a school corporation showing fiscal distress to establish a corrective action plan. Requires the DUAB to create a watch list of school corporations that show fiscal distress. Allows the DUAB to revoke or suspend a superintendent's license if a school corporation remains on the watch list for four consecutive years. Establishes the fiscal and qualitative indicators committee (committee) to make the initial determination of factors to be used for evaluating the financial condition of each school, the initial determination of the information to be presented by the MPH, and the initial determination of the frequency for updating the indicators, information, and presentation. Expires the committee on June 30, 2019. Requires various reports. THURSDAY Education Bills to Be Heard by the House Education Committee on Thursday, 1/25 at 8:30 a.m. HB1016 - DO PASS Yeas: 9; Nays: 2; (Voted on 01/25) Student journalism. Provides freedom of speech and freedom of press protections for grades 7 through 12 and state educational institution student journalists. Requires each school corporation and charter school to adopt a policy concerning student journalist protections. Requires a student media adviser to, each school year, supervise student journalists in grades 7 through 12 in the creation of certain school sponsored media policies. Provides that a public school or school corporation may not suppress school sponsored media unless certain conditions apply. Provides that public schools, school corporations, and state educational institutions are immune from civil liability for any injury resulting from school sponsored media produced by a student journalist, except for acts or omissions that constitute gross negligence or willful, wanton, or intentional misconduct. HB1165 - DO PASS AMEND Yeas: 9; Nays: 0; (Voted on 01/25) School buses. Establishes the school bus safety equipment grant fund (fund), administered by the department of education, to provide grants to school corporations seeking to purchase or equip school buses and special purpose buses with 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts or, if recommended by the state school bus committee, other proven safety equipment. Provides that a governing body may apply for a grant from the fund in an amount equal to 50% of the cost of purchasing or equipping a school bus or special purpose bus with 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts or other safety equipment. Requires a governing body seeking to purchase a school bus or special purpose bus to request information concerning the cost of purchasing a school bus or special purpose bus equipped with 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts. Requires the governing body to hold a public hearing on the costs and benefits of purchasing a school bus or special purpose bus with 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts before voting on whether to purchase a school bus or special purpose bus equipped with 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts. Allows a school corporation to use a portion of a grant from the safe schools fund or the secured school fund toward purchase or equipping school buses and special purpose buses with safety equipment. Requires each occupant of a school bus or special purpose bus that has a 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt to have the 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt properly fastened about the occupant's body at all times when the bus is in motion. Provides for an exception to the laws concerning other types of passenger restraint systems. Makes an appropriation. HB1399 - DO PASS AMEND Yeas: 10; Nays: 0; (Voted on 01/25) Elementary school teacher content area licenses. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2019, the state board of education shall adopt rules to establish one or more elementary school teacher content area licenses that must, at a minimum, include an: (1) elementary mathematics specialist license; and (2) elementary mathematics and science teacher license. Establishes requirements to be eligible for an elementary mathematics specialist license and an elementary mathematics and science teacher license. HB1420 - In Committee Various education matters. Makes changes relating to how parents of students are nominated and approved to be members of the commission on seclusion and restraint in schools. Provides that a student with special needs who has a service plan or a choice scholarship education plan may be admitted to the Indiana School for the Deaf. Provides that a student who is withdrawn from enrollment from a virtual charter school for failure to participate in courses pursuant to the school's student engagement policy may not reenroll in that same virtual charter school for the school year in which the student is withdrawn. Defines "education records". Requires an organizer of a charter school that is closing for any reason to establish a charter school closure protocol that explains to a parent of a student enrolled in the charter school the procedure that the charter school uses to transfer a student's education records to: (1) a new school in which the parent plans to enroll the student; (2) the student's school of legal settlement (if the parent does not know in which school the parent plans to enroll the student and the parent provides consent for the disclosure); and (3) the department of education. Repeals a provision concerning the transfer of student records. Makes conforming amendments. Resolves a conflict between P.L.217-2017 and P.L.250-2017. Read more here. Education Bills to Be Heard by the House on Thursday, 1/25 at 10:00 a.m. HB1024 - Passed (Senator Sponsor is Kruse) Heat preparedness training for coaches. Provides that head coaches and assistant coaches who coach interscholastic sports or intramural sports must complete a certified coaching education course that includes content for prevention of or response to heat related medical issues that may arise from a student athlete's training. HB1167 - Second reading: ordered engrossed School corporation financial management. Provides that a school corporation's rainy day fund may be used to pay for teacher bonuses and stipends. Permits money in a school corporation's operations fund at the end of a year to be transferred to the school corporation's rainy day fund. Combines various levies into a single operations fund levy beginning in 2019. Changes provisions concerning the education fund and operations fund. Specifies the items to be included in a school corporation's capital projects plan. Changes the reasons for which a school corporation may appeal to increase the school corporation's operations fund levy for transportation purposes. Requires an appeal to increase or a petition to adjust the maximum operations fund levy for a year to be filed before October 20 of the preceding year. Resolves conflicts among various 2017 acts that take effect before the education funding and accounting changes made by HEA 1009-2017. Make technical changes. HB1314 - second reading: amended, ordered engrossed Students receiving foster care services. Requires the department of education (department) to, in collaboration with the department of child services and the state board of education, prepare a report on foster care youth educational outcomes. Requires the department to, before November 1, 2018, and before November 1 each year thereafter, submit the report to the department of child services and legislative council. Requires the department to: (1) identify each student who attends a public school and is placed in foster care; and (2) provide notice to a principal of a public school when either of the following occur: (A) A student attending the public school is placed in foster care. (B) A student in foster care enrolls in the public school. Requires certain information regarding students receiving foster care to be included in a school corporation's annual performance report. Requires the department of child services to, not later than 10 days after a child who attends public school is placed in foster care, notify the department that the child has been placed in foster care. HB1398 - On schedule for Monday hearing Coalition of school corporations. Provides that the state board of education may approve a coalition of continuous improvement school districts (coalition). Provides that certain statutes or rules may be suspended for a coalition member. Errors, corrections, comments? Contact us here. Please consider becoming a member! Join here. Compiled by Meghann Goetz and Keri Miksza Dear Friends,
Is Indiana really ready to allow public schools and private schools to drop the mandates to display the United States flag and to study the constitutions of Indiana and the United States? I hope not! Those mandates could be dropped, however, under House Bill 1398 to be heard in the House Education Committee tomorrow morning, January 23rd, at 8:30am in the House Chamber. The bill is called “Coalition of school corporations”. It would allow a group of school corporations to band together with private schools to apply to the State Board of Education to become a “Coalition of Continuous Improvement School Districts” and provides that “certain statues or rules may be suspended for a coalition member.” On page 4 of the bill, it says: “(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the operation of the following is suspended for a coalition school: (1) IC 20-30, concerning curriculum.” IC 20-30 is the body of laws that prescribe the Indiana curriculum, including all of the mandatory curriculum bills related to teaching citizenship, patriotism and knowledge about the institutions of our democracy. One sentence would waive the requirement to teach students about our constitutional heritage! Other laws and rules concerning curricular materials, teacher licenses and performance based accreditation would also be waived. I will be the first to say that there is much that I don’t understand about this bill. How it will help Indiana is not clear. Perhaps there are some redeeming qualities that will be explained in the hearing, but allowing any student to attend public schools without the obligation to teach them to be good citizens in our democracy is simply wrong. Teaching Citizenship to All Students From the start in Indiana, one of the primary purposes of public schools in Indiana was to teach every student about their responsibilities and freedoms under our Constitution. The General Assembly has specified what this means in a number of mandatory curriculum laws in Indiana Code 20-30. When the first funding of private school vouchers was proposed in 2011, Senator Steele became concerned about whether private schools getting public funds could use those public funds for unpatriotic purposes. His concern led to the Steele Amendment which was adopted into the voucher law and remains there today requiring private schools accepting vouchers to observe the same mandatory citizenship and patriotism laws that all public schools are required to follow. House Bill 1398 should not waive the laws to teach citizenship to our students! What Can You Do?
Republican Representatives Behning, Cook, Burton, Clere, DeVon, Jordan, Lucas, Thompson and Wesco Democratic Representatives V. Smith, DeLaney, Errington and Klinker. Their emails are: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Obviously this is short notice. Anything you can do on this in the next few days will be helpful to maintaining citizenship instruction as a pillar of public schools. Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana! Best wishes, Vic Smith Dear Friends,
Thank you for the messages you sent to legislators opposing "Education Savings Accounts"! Your messages of opposition have apparently stalled this radical proposal before it got off the ground in the short session. The deadlines for filing bills in the House and Senate have come and gone, and Senator Raatz never filed his "Education Savings Accounts" bill for special education students that he filed in 2016 and 2017. Representative Lucas never filed his "Education Savings Accounts" bill for all students as he did in the budget session in 2017. Representative Tim Brown, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, filed an ESA bill for all students in 2016, but not in 2018. It's good news for now, but remember the concept of "Education Savings Accounts" because they could show up as an amendment to another bill or as a new bill next year in the budget session to try to privatize our public schools. A Radical Proposal "Education Savings Accounts" is truly a radical proposal. With the support of wealthy backers who donate heavily to legislators, it has been passed in six states: Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Arizona, Mississippi and North Carolina. It would:
During the past fall, this plan appeared to be moving. The concept got "baked in" to the constituent surveys Republican legislators send out before the session, surveys that are printed far in advance of the session. Then no bill was filed. Thank you for your vigilance. Stay alert to amendments to bills this session and to bills next year that would undermine our public schools with "Education Savings Accounts." For now, no bill on this topic has been filed as was done in the previous two sessions. Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana! Best wishes, Vic Smith [email protected] JOIN ICPE-Monroe County. |
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