Signed by Governor Bev Perdue

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes the changing of schools determined by the State Board of Education to be low-performing.

Highlights:

-Authorizes the State Board of Education to approve a local board of education's request to implement changes to any school in its administrative unit that has been identified as one of the continually low-performing schools in North Carolina (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the change model to be adopted by the local board of education may be a transformation, restart, turnaround or school closure model (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the transformation model addresses the following areas (Sec. 1):

-Developing and increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness; -Comprehensive and instructional reform strategies; -Increasing learning-time and creating community-oriented schools; and -Providing operational flexibility and sustained support.

-Specifies that the restart model will allow the local board of education to operate the school with the same exemptions from statutes and rules as a charter school or under the management of an educational management organization, to be selected through a review process (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the turnaround model will involve replacing the principal, if the principal has been in that position for more than 3 years along with replacing no more than 50 percent of the staff, adopting a new governance structure at the school, and implementing an instructional program aligned with the Standard Course of Study (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the school closure model will require the school to be closed and the students to be enrolled in other higher-achieving schools within the local school administrative unit (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the changing of schools determined by the State Board of Education to be low-performing.

Highlights:

-Authorizes the State Board of Education to approve a local board of education's request to implement changes to any school in its administrative unit that has been identified as one of the continually low-performing schools in North Carolina (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the change model to be adopted by the local board of education may be a transformation, restart, turnaround or school closure model (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the transformation model addresses the following areas (Sec. 1):

-Developing and increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness; -Comprehensive and instructional reform strategies; -Increasing learning-time and creating community-oriented schools; and -Providing operational flexibility and sustained support.

-Specifies that the restart model will allow the local board of education to operate the school with the same exemptions from statutes and rules as a charter school or under the management of an educational management organization, to be selected through a review process (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the turnaround model will involve replacing the principal, if the principal has been in that position for more than 3 years along with replacing no more than 50 percent of the staff, adopting a new governance structure at the school, and implementing an instructional program aligned with the Standard Course of Study (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the school closure model will require the school to be closed and the students to be enrolled in other higher-achieving schools within the local school administrative unit (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text