GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 381

Short Title:  GPAC/Stabilize School Accountability.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senator Martin of Guilford.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Government Performance Audit.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

February 24, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO STABILIZE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCREDITATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS FOR THREE YEARS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-238.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-238.1.  Performance-based Accountability Program; development and implementation by State Board.
The General Assembly believes that all children can learn. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the mission of the public school community is to challenge with high expectations each child to learn, to achieve, and to fulfill his or her potential. With that mission as its guide, the State Board of Education shall develop and implement a Performance-based Accountability Program.  The primary goal of the Program shall be to improve student performance.  The State Board of Education shall adopt:
(1)	Procedures and guidelines through which, beginning with the 1990-91 fiscal year, local school administrative units may participate in the Program;
(2)	Guidelines for developing local school improvement plans with three-year student performance goals and annual milestones to measure progress in meeting those goals; and
(3)	A set of student performance indicators for measuring and assessing student performance in the participating local school administrative units.  These indicators may include attendance rates, dropout rates, test scores, parent involvement, and post-secondary outcomes.
Because local school administrative units need time to adapt to changes in the Performance-based Accountability Program, the General Assembly urges the State Board of Education to minimize departmental changes to the Performance-based Accountability Program until July 1, 1995.  It is the intent of the General Assembly also to minimize legislative changes to the Performance-based Accountability Program until July 1, 1995."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 115C-12(9) reads as rewritten:
"(9)	Miscellaneous Powers and Duties. – All the powers and duties exercised by the State Board of Education shall be in conformity with the Constitution and subject to such laws as may be enacted from time to time by the General Assembly. Among such duties are:
a.	To certify and regulate the grade and salary of teachers and other school employees.
b.	To adopt and supply textbooks.
c.	To adopt rules requiring all local boards of education to implement the Basic Education Program on an incremental basis within funds appropriated for that purpose by the General Assembly and by units of local government.  Beginning with the 1991-92 school year, the rules shall require each local school administrative unit to implement fully the standard course of study in every school in the State in accordance with the Basic Education Program so that every student in the State shall have equal access to the curriculum as provided in the Basic Education Program and the standard course of study.
		The Board shall establish benchmarks by which to measure the progress that each local board of education has made in implementing the Basic Education Program.  The Board shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and to the General Assembly by December 31, 1991, and by February 1 of each subsequent year on each local board's progress in implementing the Basic Education Program, including the use of State and local funds for the Basic Education Program.
		The Board shall develop a State accreditation program that meets or exceeds the standards and requirements of the Basic Education Program. The Board shall require each local school administrative unit to comply with the State accreditation program to the extent that funds have been made available to the local school administrative unit for implementation of the Basic Education Program.  Because local school administrative units need time to adapt to changes in the State accreditation program, the General Assembly urges the State Board of Education to minimize departmental changes to the Performance-based Accountability Program until July 1, 1995.  It is the intent of the General Assembly also to minimize legislative changes to the State accreditation program until July 1, 1995.
		The Board shall use the State accreditation program to monitor the implementation of the Basic Education Program.
c1.	To issue an annual 'report card' for the State and for each local school administrative unit, assessing each unit's efforts to improve student performance and taking into account progress over the previous years' level of performance and the State's performance in comparison with other states.  This assessment shall take into account demographic, economic, and other factors that have been shown to affect student performance.  Because local school administrative units need time to adapt to changes in the Performance-based Accountability Program, the General Assembly urges the State Board of Education to minimize departmental changes to the annual report card until July 1, 1995.  It is the intent of the General Assembly also to minimize legislative changes to the annual report card until July 1, 1995.
c2.	To develop management accountability indicators to measure the efficiency and appropriate use of staff in each school and at the administrative office.  Staff development for school administrators shall be a high priority of the Department of Public Instruction.
c3.	To develop a system of school building improvement reports for each school building. The purpose of school building improvement reports is to measure improvement in student performance at each school building from year to year, not to compare school buildings. The Board may consider for inclusion in the building reports the following criteria: test scores, the success of graduating students in postsecondary institutions, attendance, graduation and dropout rates, the numbers of children enrolled in free lunch or Chapter 1 programs, the education level of the parents of children enrolled in the school, the teaching experience of the school staff, and whether the building has been successful in meeting the goals of the building and systemwide plans developed in accordance with G.S. 115C-238.1 through G.S. 115C-238.6.  Local school administrative units shall produce school building improvement reports by March 15, 1995, and annually thereafter.  Each report shall be based on building-level data for the prior school year.
d.	To formulate rules and regulations for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance law.
e.	To manage and operate a system of insurance for public school property, as provided in Article 38 of this Chapter.
		In making substantial policy changes in administration, curriculum, or programs the Board should conduct hearings throughout the regions of the State, whenever feasible, in order that the public may be heard regarding these matters."
Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.