AN ACT to eliminate unnecessary reports and clarify current education program requirements.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. REPEAL DISADVANTAGED STUDENT SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING INITIATIVES REPORT
SECTION 1.(a)  Section 7.8(b) of S.L. 2005‑276 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 7.8.(b)  Funds are appropriated in this act to evaluate the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding Initiatives and Low‑Wealth Initiatives. The State Board of Education shall use these funds to:
(1)	Evaluate the strategies implemented by local school administrative units with Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funds and Low‑Wealth Funds and assess their impact on student performance; and
(2)	Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the technical assistance and support provided to local school administrative units by the Department of Public Instruction.
"
SECTION 1.(b)  Section 7.8(b) of S.L. 2007‑323 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 7.8.(b)  Funds are appropriated in this act to evaluate the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding Initiatives and Low Wealth Initiatives. The State Board of Education shall use these funds to:
(1)	Evaluate the strategies implemented by local school administrative units with Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funds and Low Wealth Funds and assess their impact on student performance; and
(2)	Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the technical assistance and support provided to local school administrative units by the Department of Public Instruction.
"

PART II. ELIMINATE STATE BOARD REPORT ON PERSONAL EDUCATION PLANS
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑105.41(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	In order to implement Part 1A of Article 8 of this Chapter, local school administrative units shall identify students who are at risk for academic failure and who are not successfully progressing toward grade promotion and graduation, beginning in kindergarten. Identification shall occur as early as can reasonably be done and can be based on grades, observations, diagnostic and formative assessments, State assessments, and other factors, including reading on grade level, that impact student performance that teachers and administrators consider appropriate, without having to await the results of end‑of‑grade or end‑of‑course tests. No later than the end of the first quarter, or after a teacher has had up to nine weeks of instructional time with a student, a personal education plan for academic improvement with focused intervention and performance benchmarks shall be developed or updated for any student at risk of academic failure who is not performing at least at grade level, as identified by the State end‑of‑grade test and other factors noted above. Focused instructional supports and services, reading interventions, and accelerated activities should include evidence‑based practices that meet the needs of students and may include coaching, mentoring, tutoring, summer school, Saturday school, and extended days. Local school administrative units shall provide these activities free of charge to students. Local school administrative units shall also provide transportation free of charge to all students for whom transportation is necessary for participation in these activities.
Local school administrative units shall give notice of the personal education plan and a copy of the personal education plan to the student's parent or guardian. Parents should be included in the implementation and ongoing review of personal education plans. If a student's school report card provides all the information required in a personal education plan, then no further personal education plan is mandated for the student.
No cause of action for monetary damages shall arise from the failure to provide or implement a personal education plan under this section."

PART III. REPEAL REPORT ON TEACHER MENTORING
SECTION 3.  Section 7.8 of S.L. 2008‑107, as amended by Section 1(b) of S.L. 2009‑305, reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 7.8. The State Board of Education shall allot funds for mentoring services to local school administrative units based on the highest number of employees in the preceding three school years who (i) are paid with State, federal, or local funds and (ii) are either teachers paid on the first or second steps of the teacher salary schedule or instructional support personnel paid on the first step of the instructional support personnel salary schedule.
Local school administrative units shall use these funds to provide mentoring support to eligible employees in accordance with a plan approved by the State Board of Education. The plan shall include information on how all mentors in the local school administrative unit will be adequately trained to provide mentoring support."

PART IV. BOARD OF GOVERNORS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
SECTION 4.  G.S. 116‑11 reads as rewritten:
"§ 116‑11.  Powers and duties generally.
…
	…."

PART V. CLARIFY TEACHER LICENSE AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 5.(a)  Section 1 of S.L. 2013‑11 is repealed.
SECTION 5.(b)  G.S. 115C‑296 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑296. Board sets licensure requirements; reports; lateral entry and mentor programs.
…
(b)	It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to maintain the highest quality teacher education programs and school administrator programs in order to enhance the competence of professional personnel licensed in North Carolina. To the end that teacher preparation programs are upgraded to reflect a more rigorous course of study, the State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination and cooperation with the University Board of Governors, the Board of Community Colleges and such other public and private agencies as are necessary, shall continue to refine the several licensure requirements, standards for approval of institutions of teacher education, standards for institution‑based innovative and experimental programs, standards for implementing consortium‑based teacher education, and standards for improved efficiencies in the administration of the approved programs.
(1)	Licensure standards. – 
a.	The licensure program shall provide for initial licensure after completion of preservice training, continuing licensure after three years of teaching experience, and license renewal every five years thereafter, until the retirement of the teacher. The last license renewal received prior to retirement shall remain in effect for five years after retirement. The licensure program shall also provide for lifetime licensure after 50 years of teaching.
b.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall evaluate and develop enhanced requirements for continuing licensure. The new requirements shall reflect more rigorous standards for continuing licensure and shall be aligned with high-quality professional development programs that reflect State priorities for improving student achievement.
c.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with local boards of education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall (i) reevaluate and enhance the requirements for renewal of teacher licenses and (ii) consider modifications in the license renewal achievement and to make it a mechanism for teachers to renew continually their knowledge and professional skills.
(2)	Teacher education programs. –
a.	The State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and any other public and private agencies as necessary, shall continue to raise standards for entry into teacher education programs.
b.	Reserved for future codification.
c.	To further ensure that teacher preparation programs remain current and reflect a rigorous course of study that is aligned to State and national standards, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall do all of the following to ensure that students are prepared to teach in elementary schools:
1.	Provide students with adequate coursework in the teaching of reading and mathematics.
2.	Assess students prior to licensure to determine that they possess the requisite knowledge in scientifically based reading and mathematics instruction that is aligned with the State Board's expectations.
3.	Continue to provide students with preparation in applying formative and summative assessments within the school and classroom setting through technology‑based assessment systems available in North Carolina schools that measure and predict expected student improvement.
4.	Prepare students to integrate the arts across the curriculum.
d.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with local boards of education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall evaluate and modify, as necessary, the academic requirements of teacher preparation programs for students preparing to teach science in middle and high schools to ensure that there is adequate preparation in issues related to science laboratory safety.
e.	The standards for approval of institutions of teacher education shall require that teacher education programs for all students include demonstrated competencies in (i) the identification and education of children with disabilities and (ii) positive management of student behavior and effective communication techniques for defusing and deescalating disruptive or dangerous behavior.
f.	The State Board of Education shall incorporate the criteria developed in accordance with G.S. 116‑74.21 for assessing proposals under the School Administrator Training Program into its school administrator program approval standards.

(b1)	The State Board of Education shall require teacher education programs, master's degree programs in education, and master's degree programs in school administration to submit annual performance reports. The performance reports shall provide the State Board of Education with a focused review of the programs and the current process of accrediting these programs in order to ensure that the programs produce graduates that are well prepared to teach.
(1)	Report contents. – The performance report for each teacher education program and master's degree program in education and school administration in North Carolina shall follow a common format and include at least the following elements:
a.	Quality of students entering the schools of education, including the average grade point average and average score on preprofessional skills tests that assess reading, writing, math and other competencies.
b.	Graduation rates.
c.	Time‑to‑graduation rates.
d.	Average scores of graduates on professional and content area examination for the purpose of licensure.
e.	Percentage of graduates receiving initial licenses.
f.	Percentage of graduates hired as teachers.
g.	Percentage of graduates remaining in teaching for four years.
h.	Graduate satisfaction based on a common survey.
i.	Employer satisfaction based on a common survey.
j.	Effectiveness of teacher education program graduates.

(2)	Submission of annual performance reports. – Performance reports shall be provided annually to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the State Board of Education, and the boards of trustees of the independent colleges. The State Board of Education shall review the schools of education performance reports and the performance reports for masters degree programs in education and school administration each year the performance reports are submitted.
(3)	Educator preparation program report card. – The State Board shall create a higher education educator preparation program report card reflecting the information collected in the annual performance reports for each North Carolina institution offering teacher education programs and master of education programs. The report cards shall, at a minimum, summarize information reported on all of the performance indicators for the performance reports required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(4)	Annual State Board of Education report. – The educator preparation program report cards shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on an annual basis by October 1.
(5)	State Board of Education action based on performance. – The State Board of Education shall reward and sanction approved teacher education programs and master of education programs and revoke approval of those programs based on the performance reports and other criteria established by the State Board of Education.
…
(c1)	The State Board of Community Colleges may provide a program of study for lateral entry teachers to complete the coursework necessary to earn a teaching license. To this end, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Board of Community Colleges, shall establish a competency‑based program of study for lateral entry teachers to be implemented within the Community College System no later than May 1, 2006. This program must meet standards set by the State Board of Education. To ensure that programs of study for lateral entry remain current and reflect a rigorous course of study that is aligned to State and national standards, the State Board of Education shall do all of the following to ensure that lateral entry personnel are prepared to teach:
(1)	Provide adequate coursework in the teaching of reading and mathematics is available for lateral entry teachers seeking certification in elementary education.
(2)	Assess lateral entry teachers prior to certification to determine that they possess the requisite knowledge in scientifically based reading and mathematics instruction that is aligned with the State Board's expectations.
(3)	Prepare all lateral entry teachers to apply formative and summative assessments within the school and classroom setting through technology‑based assessment systems available in North Carolina schools that measure and predict expected student improvement.
	.
…."
SECTION 5.(c)  G.S. 115C‑296, as rewritten by Section 5(b) reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑296.  Board sets licensure requirements; reports; lateral entry and mentor programs.
…
(b)	It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to maintain the highest quality teacher education programs and school administrator programs in order to enhance the competence of professional personnel licensed in North Carolina. To the end that teacher preparation programs are upgraded to reflect a more rigorous course of study, the State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination and cooperation with the University Board of Governors, the Board of Community Colleges and such other public and private agencies as are necessary, shall continue to refine the several licensure requirements, standards for approval of institutions of teacher education, standards for institution‑based innovative and experimental programs, standards for implementing consortium‑based teacher education, and standards for improved efficiencies in the administration of the approved programs.
(1)	Licensure standards. –
a.	The licensure program shall provide for initial licensure after completion of preservice training, continuing licensure after three years of teaching experience, and license renewal every five years thereafter, until the retirement of the teacher. The last license renewal received prior to retirement shall remain in effect for five years after retirement. The licensure program shall also provide for lifetime licensure after 50 years of teaching.
b.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall evaluate and develop enhanced requirements for continuing licensure. The new requirements shall reflect more rigorous standards for continuing licensure and shall be aligned with high quality professional development programs that reflect State priorities for improving student achievement.
c.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with local boards of education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall (i) reevaluate and enhance the requirements for renewal of teacher licenses, (ii) consider modifications in the license renewal achievement and to make it a mechanism for teachers to renew continually their knowledge and professional skills, and (iii) integrate digital teaching and learning into the requirements for licensure renewal.
(2)	Teacher education programs. –
a.	The State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and any other public and private agencies as necessary, shall continue to raise standards for entry into teacher education programs.
b.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall require that all students preparing to teach demonstrate competencies in using digital and other instructional technologies to provide high‑quality, integrated digital teaching and learning to all students.
c.	To further ensure that teacher preparation programs remain current and reflect a rigorous course of study that is aligned to State and national standards, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall do all of the following to ensure that students are prepared to teach in elementary schools:
1.	Provide students with adequate coursework in the teaching of reading and mathematics.
2.	Assess students prior to licensure to determine that they possess the requisite knowledge in scientifically based reading and mathematics instruction that is aligned with the State Board's expectations.
3.	Continue to provide students with preparation in applying formative and summative assessments within the school and classroom setting through technology‑based assessment systems available in North Carolina schools that measure and predict expected student improvement.
4.	Prepare students to integrate the arts across the curriculum.
d.	The State Board of Education, in consultation with local boards of education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, shall evaluate and modify, as necessary, the academic requirements of teacher preparation programs for students preparing to teach science in middle and high schools to ensure that there is adequate preparation in issues related to science laboratory safety.
e.	The standards for approval of institutions of teacher education shall require that teacher education programs for all students include demonstrated competencies in (i) the identification and education of children with disabilities and (ii) positive management of student behavior and effective communication techniques for defusing and deescalating disruptive or dangerous behavior.
f.	The State Board of Education shall incorporate the criteria developed in accordance with G.S. 116‑74.21 for assessing proposals under the School Administrator Training Program into its school administrator program approval standards.
…
(c1)	The State Board of Community Colleges may provide a program of study for lateral entry teachers to complete the coursework necessary to earn a teaching license. To this end, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Board of Community Colleges, shall establish a competency‑based program of study for lateral entry teachers to be implemented within the Community College System no later than May 1, 2006. This program must meet standards set by the State Board of Education. To ensure that programs of study for lateral entry remain current and reflect a rigorous course of study that is aligned to State and national standards, the State Board of Education shall do all of the following to ensure that lateral entry personnel are prepared to teach:
(1)	Provide adequate coursework in the teaching of reading and mathematics is available for lateral entry teachers seeking certification in elementary education.
(2)	Assess lateral entry teachers prior to certification to determine that they possess the requisite knowledge in scientifically based reading and mathematics instruction that is aligned with the State Board's expectations.
(3)	Prepare all lateral entry teachers to apply formative and summative assessments within the school and classroom setting through technology‑based assessment systems available in North Carolina schools that measure and predict expected student improvement.
(4)	Require that lateral entry teachers demonstrate competencies in using digital and other instructional technologies to provide high‑quality, integrated digital teaching and learning to all students.
…."

PART VI. REPEAL CHILD NUTRITION STATE STANDARDS AND REPORT
SECTION 6.  Section 2 of S.L. 2005‑457 is repealed.

PART VII. ELIMINATE ESC REPORTING
SECTION 7.  G.S. 96‑33 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a1)	Local school administrative units shall not be required to report directly to the Labor and Economic Analysis Division. The Department of Public Instruction shall be responsible for the collection of information from local school administrative units for input into the common follow‑up information management system authorized under this Article and for such other official functions as are performed by the Division."

PART VIII. DISADVANTAGED STUDENT REPORT
SECTION 8.  To the extent allowed by federal law, the State Board of Education shall consolidate and limit reports to the State Board by local school administrative units on data related to economically disadvantaged students, including household size and income information, to one report each school year.

PART IX. IIS REPORTING
SECTION 9.(a)  The Department of Public Instruction shall simplify and minimize data entry requirements of local school administrative units to achieve the least burdensome administrative data entry workload possible, particularly as it relates to the implementation of the PowerSchool application and any other component of the Instructional Improvement System.
SECTION 9.(b)  The Department of Public Instruction shall comply with G.S. 115C‑12(19)(i) and not require as a separate submission at least all of the following reports to reduce unnecessary reporting requirements for local school administrative units:
(1)	The Principal's Monthly Report (PMR) Final, required by the 30th of each month.
(2)	The Teacher Vacancy Report, required by October 20th each year.
(3)	The Professional Personnel Activity Report (PPAR), required annually.
(4)	The Pupils in Membership by Race and Sex, required annually by October 31st.
(5)	The Report of School Sales of Textbooks and Used Books, required annually by October 31st.
(6)	The School Activity Report (SAR), required annually.
SECTION 9.(c)  The Department of Public Instruction may collect any information contained in the reports eliminated in accordance with subsection (b) of this section that is necessary for compliance with State or federal law through the implementation of the PowerSchool application or any other component of the Instructional Improvement System.
SECTION 9.(d)  Local school administrative units shall continue to be responsible for required data entry into the PowerSchool application or any other component of the Instructional Improvement System.
SECTION 9.(e)  G.S. 115C‑12(18) reads as rewritten:
"(18)	Duty to Develop and Implement a Uniform Education Reporting System, Which Shall Include Standards and Procedures for Collecting Fiscal and Personnel Information. –
a.	The State Board of Education shall adopt standards and procedures for local school administrative units to provide timely, accurate, and complete fiscal and personnel information, including payroll information, on all school personnel.b.	The State Board of Education shall develop and implement a Uniform Education Reporting System that shall include requirements for collecting, processing, and reporting fiscal, personnel, and student data, by means of electronic transfer of data files from local computers to the State Computer Center through the State Communications Network.c.	The State Board of Education shall comply with the provisions of G.S. 116‑11(10a) to plan and implement an exchange of information between the public schools and the institutions of higher education in the State. The State Board of Education shall require local boards of education to provide to the parents of children at a school all information except for confidential information received about that school from institutions of higher education pursuant to G.S. 116‑11(10a) and to make that information available to the general public.
d.	The State Board of Education shall modify the Uniform Education Reporting System to provide clear, accurate, and standard information on the use of funds at the unit and school level. The plan shall provide information that will enable the General Assembly to determine State, local, and federal expenditures for personnel at the unit and school level. The plan also shall allow the tracking of expenditures for textbooks, educational supplies and equipment, capital outlay, at‑risk students, and other purposes.
e.	When practicable, reporting requirements developed by the State Board of Education as part of the Uniform Education Reporting System under this subdivision shall be incorporated into the PowerSchool application or any other component of the Instructional Improvement System to minimize duplicative reporting by local school administrative units."
SECTION 9.(f)  G.S. 115C‑12(19) reads as rewritten:
"(19)	Duty to Identify Required Reports and to Eliminate Unnecessary Reports and Paperwork. – Prior to the beginning of each school year, the State Board of Education shall identify all reports that are required at the State level for the school year.
The State Board of Education shall adopt policies to ensure that local school administrative units are not required by the State Board of Education, the State Superintendent, or the Department of Public Instruction staff to (i) provide information that is already available on the student information management system or housed within the Department of Public Instruction; (ii) provide the same written information more than once during a school year unless the information has changed during the ensuing period; (iii) complete forms, for children with disabilities, that are not necessary to ensure compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); or (iv) provide information that is unnecessary to comply with State or federal law and not relevant to student outcomes and the efficient operation of the public schools. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the State Board may require information available on its student information management system or require the same information twice if the State Board can demonstrate a compelling need and can demonstrate there is not a more expeditious manner of getting the information.
The State Board shall permit schools and local school administrative units to submit all reports to the Department of Public Instruction electronically.
The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the education roundtables within the Department of Public Instruction, shall consolidate all plans that affect the school community, including school improvement plans. The consolidated plan shall be posted on each school's Web site for easy access by the public and by school personnel.
The State Board shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by November 15 of each year on the reports identified that are required at the State level, the evaluation and determination for continuing individual reports, including the consideration of whether those reports exceed what is required by State and federal law, and any reports that it has consolidated or eliminated for the upcoming school year."

PART X. SIMPLIFY INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) REPORTING
SECTION 10.  G.S. 115C‑107.2(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	The State Board shall develop forms for local educational agencies to use in order to comply with this Article. The forms shall comply with G.S. 115C‑12(19), and whenever practicable, (i) limit the requirement for narrative reporting to essential components requiring personalized student information and (ii) be in an electronic format."

PART XI. ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY REPORTING BY EDUCATORS
SECTION 11.(a) G.S. 115C‑105.27(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(b)	The strategies for improving student performance:
…
(8)	Shall include a plan to identify and eliminate unnecessary and redundant reporting requirements for teachers and, to the extent practicable, streamline the school's reporting system and procedures, including requiring forms and reports to be in electronic form when possible and incorporating relevant documents into the student accessible components of the Instructional Improvement System."
SECTION 11.(b)  G.S. 115C‑307(g) reads as rewritten:
"(g)	To Make Required Reports. – A teacher shall make all reports required by the local board of education. The superintendent shall not approve the voucher for a teacher's pay until the required monthly and annual reports are made.
The superintendent may require a teacher to make reports to the principal.
A teacher shall be given access to the information in the student information management system to expedite the process of preparing reports or otherwise providing information. A teacher shall not be required by the local board, the superintendent, or the principal to (i) provide information that is already available on the student information management system; (ii) provide the same written information more than once during a school year unless the information has changed during the ensuing period; or (iii) complete forms, for children with disabilities, that are not necessary to ensure compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Notwithstanding the forgoing, a local board may require information available on its student information management system or require the same information twice if the superintendent determines that there is (i) a compelling need and (ii) no more expeditious manner of providing the information to the local board. A school improvement team may request that the superintendent consider the elimination of a redundant reporting requirement for the teachers at its school if it identifies in its school improvement plan a more expeditious manner of providing the information to the local board. The superintendent shall recommend to the local board whether the reporting requirement should be eliminated for that school. If the superintendent does not recommend elimination of the reporting requirement, the school improvement team may request a hearing by the local board as provided in G.S. 115C‑45(c).
Any teacher who knowingly and willfully makes or procures another to make any false report or records, requisitions, or payrolls, respecting daily attendance of pupils in the public schools, payroll data sheets, or other reports required to be made to any board or officer in the performance of their duties, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and the certificate of such person to teach in the public schools of North Carolina shall be revoked by the Superintendent of Public Instruction."

PART XII. EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 12.  Section 5(c) of this act becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies beginning with the 2017‑2018 school year. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2013‑2014 school year.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 26th day of June, 2013.

	s/	 Daniel J. Forest
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Pat McCrory
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2013