Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program.

Highlights:

• Requires the Innovative School District (ISD) Superintendent to notify the superintendent and the local board of education of that school’s status and provide the school’s performance data, considerations for improvement, and any additional necessary information (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the State Board of Education to establish criteria for ISD eligibility, determining a watch list and warning list, and to monitor those schools funding, strategies, and partners for comprehensive support and improvement efforts (Sec. 1). 

• Requires Local Boards of Education to identify and engage in strategies for comprehensive support and improvement of qualifying schools (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that a school will be selected by the State Board as an innovative school beginning with the next school year if it meets the following criteria: (Sec. 1)

• The school was on the ISD warning list in the previous school year;

• The school remains a qualifying school in the current school year based on data from the previous school year; and

• The school is one of the lowest five schools that meet the criteria as measured by school performance scores.

• Specifies that if fewer than five schools are selected as an innovative school, a local board of education may request that the State Board of Education select a qualifying school under the control of that local school board (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes a teacher at a school selected to become an innovative school to transfer employment to a public school if an appropriate position is available, and place their name on a list of available teachers if one is not (Sec. 1). 

• Repeals the requirement for low performing schools in innovation zones to become an innovative school following failure to exceed expected growth in the last two years of the five years in the innovation zone (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the board of education to submit to the board of county commissioners the academic performance of each school in the local school administrative unit as well as a report on efforts to improve low-performing or ISD qualifying schools’ performance (Sec. 1). 

• Repeals the cap on local boards of education that can participate in the Advanced Teaching Roles Pilot Program, and the class size requirements for participating schools (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program.

Highlights:

• Requires the Innovative School District (ISD) Superintendent to notify the superintendent and the local board of education of that school’s status and provide the school’s performance data, considerations for improvement, and any additional necessary information (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the State Board of Education to establish criteria for ISD eligibility, determining a watch list and warning list, and to monitor those schools funding, strategies, and partners for comprehensive support and improvement efforts (Sec. 1). 

• Requires Local Boards of Education to identify and engage in strategies for comprehensive support and improvement of qualifying schools (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that a school will be selected by the State Board as an innovative school beginning with the next school year if it meets the following criteria: (Sec. 1)

• The school was on the ISD warning list in the previous school year;

• The school remains a qualifying school in the current school year based on data from the previous school year; and

• The school is one of the lowest five schools that meet the criteria as measured by school performance scores.

• Specifies that if fewer than five schools are selected as an innovative school, a local board of education may request that the State Board of Education select a qualifying school under the control of that local school board (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes a teacher at a school selected to become an innovative school to transfer employment to a public school if an appropriate position is available, and place their name on a list of available teachers if one is not (Sec. 1). 

• Repeals the requirement for low performing schools in innovation zones to become an innovative school following failure to exceed expected growth in the last two years of the five years in the innovation zone (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the board of education to submit to the board of county commissioners the academic performance of each school in the local school administrative unit as well as a report on efforts to improve low-performing or ISD qualifying schools’ performance (Sec. 1). 

• Repeals the cap on local boards of education that can participate in the Advanced Teaching Roles Pilot Program, and the class size requirements for participating schools (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text