Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that alters how the state defines struggling schools and procedures for assisting struggling schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Department of Education to submit a consolidated state plan to improve student outcomes to the United States Department of Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires such state plans to include at least 3 quality indicators which measure cooperative opportunities for students in public schools (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that quality indicators for secondary schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Opportunities for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate enrollment; and

• Opportunities for dual enrollment.

• Specifies that quality indicators for elementary and middle schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Chronic absenteeism; and

• School climate surveys.

• Prohibits such quality indicators from being based on student testing (Sec. 1).

• Requires academic and quality indicators to be given equal weight in reporting progress toward the State Board of Education’s goals and objectives and prohibits academic indicators from exceeding 51 percent of the composite score (Sec. 1).

• Requires county boards of education to develop and implement comprehensive support and improvement plans for each public school identified by the State Department of Education for improvement and support (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school identified by the State Department of Education for targeted support and improvement to develop and implement support and improvement plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires such county board plans and such public school plans to (Sec. 1):

• Be developed with the principal, teachers, school staff, and the exclusive bargaining representative;

• Include the school quality indicators required by this act;

• Be based on school-level needs assessments; and

• Identify resource inequities and budgetary needs.

• Requires the State Department of Education to distribute federal funds for the implementation of such plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Department of Education to collaborate with a county board of education to determine an appropriate intervention strategy if, 3 years after the implementation of a support and improvement plan, the State Department of Education determines that student outcomes have not improved (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that such an intervention strategy may include (Sec. 1):

• Creating a state-run school district;

• Converting a public school to a charter school;

• Issuing scholarships to public school students to attend private schools through direct vouchers, tax credit programs, or education savings accounts; and

• Contracting with a for-profit company.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that alters how the state defines struggling schools and procedures for assisting struggling schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Department of Education to submit a consolidated state plan to improve student outcomes to the United States Department of Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires such state plans to include at least 3 quality indicators which measure cooperative opportunities for students in public schools (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that quality indicators for secondary schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Opportunities for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate enrollment; and

• Opportunities for dual enrollment.

• Specifies that quality indicators for elementary and middle schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Chronic absenteeism; and

• School climate surveys.

• Prohibits such quality indicators from being based on student testing (Sec. 1).

• Requires academic and quality indicators to be given equal weight in reporting progress toward the State Board of Education’s goals and objectives and prohibits academic indicators from exceeding 51 percent of the composite score (Sec. 1).

• Requires county boards of education to develop and implement comprehensive support and improvement plans for each public school identified by the State Department of Education for improvement and support (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school identified by the State Department of Education for targeted support and improvement to develop and implement support and improvement plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires such county board plans and such public school plans to (Sec. 1):

• Be developed with the principal, teachers, school staff, and the exclusive bargaining representative;

• Include the school quality indicators required by this act;

• Be based on school-level needs assessments; and

• Identify resource inequities and budgetary needs.

• Requires the State Department of Education to distribute federal funds for the implementation of such plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Department of Education to collaborate with a county board of education to determine an appropriate intervention strategy if, 3 years after the implementation of a support and improvement plan, the State Department of Education determines that student outcomes have not improved (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that such an intervention strategy may include (Sec. 1):

• Creating a state-run school district;

• Converting a public school to a charter school;

• Issuing scholarships to public school students to attend private schools through direct vouchers, tax credit programs, or education savings accounts; and

• Contracting with a for-profit company.

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Larry Hogan, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the State Department of Education, county boards of education, and public schools to develop and implement improvement and accountability programs for public schools, effective July 1, 2017.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Department of Education to submit a consolidated state plan to improve student outcomes in public schools to the United States Department of Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires such state plans to include at least 3 quality indicators which measure cooperative opportunities for students or the level of student success  in public schools (Sec. 1).

• Requires one such indicator to be school climate surveys, which are required to include at least one question to educators regarding receipt of critical instructional feedback (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that other quality indicators for elementary, middle, and secondary schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Opportunities for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment;

• Chronic absenteeism; and

• Data on discipline and restorative practices.

• Prohibits such quality indicators from being based on student testing (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Department of Education to establish a composite score that includes both academic and school quality indicators (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the combined academic indicators from exceeding 65 percent of the composite score (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits any single academic or quality indicator to be weighted as less than 10 percent of the composite score (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the composite score from being reported as a letter grade (Sec. 1).

• Requires county boards of education to develop and implement comprehensive support and improvement plans for each public school identified by the State Department of Education for improvement and support (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school identified by the State Department of Education for targeted support and improvement to develop and implement support and improvement plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires such county board plans and such public school plans to (Sec. 1):

• Be developed with the principal, parents, local community, employer, and government leaders, teachers, school staff, and the exclusive bargaining representative;

• Include the school quality indicators required by this act;

• Be based on school-level needs assessments; and

• Identify resource inequities and budgetary needs.

• Requires the State Department of Education to distribute federal funds for the implementation of such plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Department of Education to collaborate with a county board of education to determine an appropriate intervention strategy if, 3 years after the implementation of a support and improvement plan, the State Department of Education determines that student outcomes have not improved (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that such an intervention strategy may include (Sec. 1):

• Creating a state-run school district;

• Issuing scholarships to public school students to attend private schools through direct vouchers, tax credit programs, or education savings accounts; and

• Contracting with a for-profit company.  

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the State Department of Education, county boards of education, and public schools to develop and implement improvement and accountability programs for public schools, effective July 1, 2017.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Department of Education to submit a consolidated state plan to improve student outcomes to the United States Department of Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires such state plans to include at least 3 quality indicators which measure cooperative opportunities for students in public schools (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that quality indicators for secondary schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Opportunities for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate enrollment; and

• Opportunities for dual enrollment.

• Specifies that quality indicators for elementary and middle schools may include, but are not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Class size;

• Chronic absenteeism; and

• School climate surveys.

• Prohibits such quality indicators from being based on student testing (Sec. 1).

• Requires academic and quality indicators to be given equal weight in reporting progress toward the State Board of Education’s goals and objectives and prohibits academic indicators from exceeding 51 percent of the composite score (Sec. 1).

• Requires county boards of education to develop and implement comprehensive support and improvement plans for each public school identified by the State Department of Education for improvement and support (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school identified by the State Department of Education for targeted support and improvement to develop and implement support and improvement plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires such county board plans and such public school plans to (Sec. 1):

• Be developed with the principal, teachers, school staff, and the exclusive bargaining representative;

• Include the school quality indicators required by this act;

• Be based on school-level needs assessments; and

• Identify resource inequities and budgetary needs.

• Requires the State Department of Education to distribute federal funds for the implementation of such plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Department of Education to collaborate with a county board of education to determine an appropriate intervention strategy if, 3 years after the implementation of a support and improvement plan, the State Department of Education determines that student outcomes have not improved (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that such an intervention strategy may include (Sec. 1):

• Creating a state-run school district;

• Converting a public school to a charter school;

• Issuing scholarships to public school students to attend private schools through direct vouchers, tax credit programs, or education savings accounts; and

• Contracting with a for-profit company.

Full Bill Text