GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 383

Short Title:  GPAC/Raise BEP Instructional Stds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senator Martin of Guilford.
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Referred to:  Government Performance Audit.
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February 24, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONAL STANDARDS SET OUT IN THE BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  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.
		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.
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.
c4.	To establish a regular process, including an advisory panel of accountability experts and public school personnel, to review and revise the minimum standards that appear in the annual report card, the end-of-course and end-of-grade tests, and the Basic Education Program Standard Course of Study.  As part of the process, special attention shall be given to the effectiveness of the Basic Education Standard Program Course of Study and local instructional practices, as reflected in assessment results.  Also, the use and function of the 'Index of Advantagement' on the annual report cards shall be studied and refined, in collaboration with appropriate State university experts.
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. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.