A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to modify the statutes governing residential schools to make their accountability system and their school improvement plans like those of other public schools.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 143B‑146.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143B‑146.4.  Performance recognition.
(a)	 The personnel in schools that achieve a level of expected growth greater than one hundred percent (100%) at a level to be determined by the State Board of Education are eligible for financial awards in amounts set by the State Board. Schools and personnel shall not be required to apply for these awards. For the purpose of this section, "personnel" includes the principal, assistant principal, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, and teacher assistants (i) serving students in one or more of the grades kindergarten through 12 or (ii) assigned to a public school prekindergarten program that is located within a public elementary school and is designed to prepare students for kindergarten at that school.(b)	The State Board shall establish a procedure to allocate the funds for these awards. Funds shall become available for expenditure July 1 of each fiscal year. Funds shall remain available until November 30 of the subsequent fiscal year for expenditure  for awards to personnel.					
The Secretary is encouraged to make these awards to each eligible person no later than the first regular teacher payroll following receipt of the funds, and shall make these awards to each eligible person no later than the second regular teacher payroll following the  receipt of the funds."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 143B‑146.12 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143B‑146.12.  Development and approval of school improvement plans.
(a)	In order to improve student performance, each school shall develop a school improvement plan that takes into consideration the annual performance goal for that school that is set by the State Board under G.S. 143B‑146.3. The principal of each school, instructional personnel, and residential life personnel assigned to that school, and a minimum of five parents of children enrolled in the school shall constitute a school improvement team to develop a school improvement plan to improve student performance.
(a1)	Representatives of the instructional and residential life personnel shall be elected by their respective groups by secret ballot.
(b)	Parents shall be elected by parents of children enrolled in the school in an election conducted by the parent and teacher organization of the school or, if none exists, by the largest organization of parents formed for this purpose. To the extent possible, parents serving on school improvement teams shall reflect the composition of the students enrolled in that school. No more than two parents may be employees of the school. Parental involvement is a critical component of school success and positive student achievement; therefore, it is the intent of the General Assembly that parents, along with instructional and residential life personnel, have a substantial role in developing school improvement plans. To this end, school improvement team meetings shall be held at a convenient time to assure substantial parent participation. Parents who are elected to serve on school improvement teams and who are not employees of the school shall receive travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with G.S. 138‑5 and, if appropriate, may receive a stipend.
(c)	The strategies for improving student performance shall include the following:
(1)	A plan for the use of staff development funds that may be made available to the school to implement the school improvement plan. The plan may provide that a portion of these funds is used for mentor training and for release time and substitute teachers while teachers are meeting with mentors;
(1a)	A plan for preparing students to read at grade level by the time they enter second grade. The plan shall require kindergarten and first grade teachers to notify parents or guardians when a child is not reading at grade level and is at risk of not reading at grade level by the time the child enters second grade. The plan may include the use of assessments to monitor students' progress in learning to read, strategies for teachers and parents to implement that will help students improve and expand their reading ability, and provide for the recognition of teachers and strategies that appear to be effective at preparing students to read at grade level.
(2)	A comprehensive plan to encourage parent involvement.
(3)	A safe school plan designed to provide that the school is safe, secure, and orderly, that there is a climate of respect in the school, and that appropriate personal conduct is a priority for all students and all residential school personnel. This plan shall include components similar to those listed in G.S. 115C‑105.47(b).
(4)	A plan that specifies the effective instructional practices and methods to be used to improve the academic performance of students identified as at risk of academic failure or at risk of dropping out of school.
(d)	Support among affected staff members is essential to successful implementation of a school improvement plan to address improved student performance at that school. The principal of the school shall present the proposed school improvement plan to all of the instructional personnel assigned to the school for their review and vote. The vote shall be by secret ballot. The principal shall submit the school improvement plan to the Superintendent of the Office of Education Services for presentation to the Secretary only if the proposed school improvement plan has the approval of a majority of the instructional personnel who voted on the plan.
(e)	The Secretary shall accept or reject the school improvement plan. The Secretary shall not make any substantive changes in any school improvement plan that the Secretary accepts. If the Secretary rejects a school improvement plan, the Secretary shall state with specificity the reasons for rejecting the plan to the Superintendent of the Office of Education Services to share with the principal; the school improvement team may then prepare another plan, present it to the instructional personnel assigned to the school for a vote, and submit it to the Superintendent of the Office of Education Services for presentation to the Secretary to accept or reject. Within 60 days after the initial submission of the school improvement plan to the Secretary, the Secretary shall accept the plan or shall direct that the Superintendent of the Office of Education Services work with the school improvement team to resolve the disagreements. If there is no resolution within 30 days, then the Secretary may develop a school improvement plan for the school; however, the General Assembly urges the Secretary to utilize the school's proposed school improvement plan to the maximum extent possible when developing this plan.
(f)	A school improvement plan shall remain in effect for no more than three years; however, the school improvement team may amend the plan as often as is necessary or appropriate. If, at any time, any part of a school improvement plan becomes unlawful or the Secretary finds that a school improvement plan is impeding student performance at a school, the Secretary may vacate the relevant portion of the plan and may direct the school to revise that portion. The procedures set out in this section shall apply to amendments and revisions to school improvement plans.
(g)	Any funds the Secretary makes available to a school to meet the goals for that school under the ABC's Program and to implement the school improvement plan at that school shall be used in accordance with those goals and the school improvement plan.
	(i)	Once developed, the principal shall ensure the plan is available and accessible to parents and the school community."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.