Bill Text: NH HB1496 | 2018 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Relative to requirements for performance based accountability for an adequate education and relative to reporting requirements for the civics competency assessment.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-07-10 - Signed by Governor Sununu 07/02/2018; Chapter 352; I. Sec 1 eff as prov in sec 5;II. Rem eff 08/31/2018 [HB1496 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2018-HB1496-Amended.html

HB 1496 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

6Mar2018... 0768h

04/19/2018   1249s

04/19/2018   1593s

2018 SESSION

18-2534

06/04

 

HOUSE BILL 1496

 

AN ACT relative to requirements for performance based accountability for an adequate education and relative to reporting requirements for the civics competency assessment.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4; Rep. T. Wolf, Hills. 7; Rep. Grenier, Sull. 7; Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 4; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 

This bill modifies requirements for performance based accountability for an adequate education.

 

This bill also adds reporting requirements for the civics competency assessment administered to high school students.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

6Mar2018... 0768h

04/19/2018   1249s

04/19/2018   1593s 18-2534

06/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT relative to requirements for performance based accountability for an adequate education and relative to reporting requirements for the civics competency assessment.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Accountability for the Opportunity for an Adequate Education  RSA 193-E:3-b is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

193-E:3-b  Accountability for the Opportunity for an Adequate Education.  Using the input-based accountability system, a school shall demonstrate that it provides the opportunity for an adequate education under RSA 193-E:2-a by meeting the requirements of paragraphs I and II of this section.

I.(a)  A school shall demonstrate that it provides the opportunity for an adequate education for the school approval standards set forth in rules adopted by the department of education in the following areas:

(1)  English/language arts and reading.

(2)  Mathematics.

(3)  Science.

(4)  Social studies.

(5)  Arts education.

(6)  World languages.

(7)  Health education.

(8)  Physical education.

(9)  Engineering and technologies.

(10)  Computer science and digital literacy.

(11)  School year.

(12)  Minimum credits required for a high school diploma.

(b)  A school shall submit a narrative explanation detailing how the school has complied with each of the standards in subparagraph (a).

(c)  A school that has received full accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions of subparagraphs (a) and (b).  Using the input-based accountability system, NEASC accredited schools shall certify that they have on file copies of documentation necessary during the school's accreditation process including, but not limited to, the accreditation self-study report, peer review reports, reports of any follow-up activities taken by the school in response to NEASC's recommendations for accreditation, and the annual school update report as required by NEASC each fall.  A school accredited by NEASC shall meet or exceed NEASC's standards and shall use those standards to measure improvement.

(d)  The input-based school accountability system shall be completed by January 15th of every even numbered year.  The school principal and school district superintendent shall certify in writing that the responses submitted are accurate.  The commissioner, or designee, shall review the input-based school accountability system responses to each school's self-assessment required under this section and shall verify that the responses comply with the standards under subparagraph (a).

(e)  The commissioner of the department of education shall require any school that is unable to demonstrate that it provides the opportunity for an adequate education through the input-based school accountability system to resubmit the narrative explanations annually until such demonstration has been made.

(f)  The commissioner shall integrate the input-based school accountability system with the school approval process pursuant to RSA 21-N:6, V.

(g)  The department shall conduct site visits at all schools at least once every 5 years to assess the validity of the responses in the input-based school accountability system.  The commissioner may require more frequent site visits at schools which have been unable to demonstrate that they provide the opportunity for an adequate education.  

II.  A school shall annually demonstrate that it provides the opportunity for an adequate education through the performance-based school accountability system  pursuant to RSA 193-E:3-c and RSA 193-E:3-d designed to measure educational outcomes.

2  Adequate Public Education; Performance-Based Accountability System.  RSA 193-E:3-c is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

193-E:3-c  Performance-Based Accountability System.

I.  At least every 4 years the commissioner shall review the performance-based accountability system and make recommendations to the legislative oversight committee established under  RSA 193-C:7.  The commissioner may establish a task force to assist with this review.  The commissioner, or designee, shall be the chairman of the task force and shall appoint no fewer than 9 and no more than 13 members to the task force which shall consist of department personnel, one or more representatives of a school district including at least one school board member, educational experts, parents or guardians of current public school pupils, members of a public interest group concerned with education, members of the business community, and other individuals with information or expertise of benefit to the task force's duties.  The task force shall include one member of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and one member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

II.  The task force shall have the following duties:

(a)  Implement the performance-based accountability system to be used by schools that will ensure that the opportunity for an adequate education is maintained.

(b)  Identify performance criteria and measurements.

(c)  Establish performance goals and the relative weights assigned to those goals.

(d)  Establish the basis, taking into account the totality of the performance measurements, for determining whether the opportunity for an adequate education exists, which may include the assignment of a value for performance on each measurement.

(e)  Ensure the integrity, accuracy, and validity of the performance methodology as a means of establishing that a school provided the opportunity for an adequate education as defined in RSA 193-E:2-a.

III.  The performance-based accountability system, as recommended by the task force, shall be based on data and indicators aligned to the New Hampshire consolidated state plan, as required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 U.S.C. section 6301 et seq. as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.  This plan shall be approved by the legislative oversight committee established in RSA 193-C:7.

IV.  The task force shall submit a report of its findings with recommendations for future legislation for the performance-based accountability system to the legislative oversight committee established under RSA 193-C:7.  After the report is approved by the legislative oversight committee the department shall submit the report to the chairpersons of the house and senate education committees, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the governor, the house clerk, and the senate clerk.

V.  The department shall annually prepare a detailed report documenting the results of each school on the performance-based school accountability system to be developed pursuant to this section, and identifying all schools that can demonstrate the opportunity for an adequate education through the performance-based methodology.  The report shall be submitted no later than January 15 annually to the same individuals receiving the final report under paragraph IV.

3  Adequate Education; Performance-Based School Accountability System; Verification Process.  Amend RSA 193-E:3-d to read as follows:

193-E:3-d  Performance-Based School Accountability System; Verification Process.  Prior to the submission of the final report pursuant to this section, the department shall undertake a process to verify and test the integrity, accuracy, and validity of the performance-based accountability system utilizing the best available data from one school from each of the counties in the state.  The commissioner shall ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that the verification process utilizes the best available data from a balance of elementary and secondary schools representing diverse socioeconomic conditions throughout the state.  The commissioner shall work with school officials and faculty from the selected schools to implement the performance-based school accountability program and to develop a data collection system which will allow schools to easily report results to the department for analysis and reporting.  The commissioner shall review and make recommendations regarding the performance-based accountability system to ensure that the system adequately measures the goals and indicators associated with student academic achievement and growth.

4  Civics Instruction.  Amend RSA 189:11, II to read as follows:

II.  As a component of instruction under paragraph I, a locally developed competency assessment of United States government and civics that includes, but is not limited to, the nature, purpose, structure, function, and history of the United States government, the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and noteworthy government and civic leaders, shall be administered to students as part of the high school course in history and government of the United States and New Hampshire.  Students who attain a passing grade on the competency assessment shall be eligible for a certificate issued by the school district.  The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) test [may] shall be used to satisfy the requirement of this paragraph.  By June 30 of each year, each school district shall submit the results of the exam to the department of education.  By September 30 of each year, the department shall provide a report to the senate and house education committees.

5  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

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