United States
Bill: Executive Order
Relevant Elements: 8
President Obama signed an Executive Order making open and machine readable data the new default for government information. A corresponding OMB memo was issued to agencies with specific guidance and a resource website with tools, guides, and schemas was also released. The OMB memo states that “ Making information resources accessible, discoverable, and usable by the public can help fuel entrepreneurship, innovation, and scientific discovery-all of which improve Americans’ lives and contribute significantly to job creation.” It also charges Agencies with using machine readable and open formats, data standards, and common core and extensible metadata for all new information creation and collection efforts.
California
Bill: AB 1186
Status: 05/07/2013 – Re-referred to Com. on APPR
Relevant Elements: 6, 9
California AB 1186 passed the Assembly Education Committee 7-0 on May 1 and was then read a second time and amended on May 6 and referred to the Appropriations Committee on May 7. As of the latest amended version, the bill would require recipients of categorical funding to use at least nine percent of the funds for purposes of professional development for certificated employees to implement the common core academic content standards, purchasing technology for the purpose of implementing state assessments, or implementation of programs that integrate STEM for students in grade 7-12. The bill would provide that the requirement that nine percent of the funds be used for the purposes described above would be inoperative if the total funding for the specified categorical programs for the 2013-14 fiscal year were not increased by 18 percent from that funding for the prior fiscal year or if a local control funding formula for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, is enacted during the 2013-14 legislative session.
Florida
Bill: SB 1514
Status: 05/03/2013 – Senate: Passed as amended by Conference Committee Report; YEAS 38 NAYS 0; Senate Ordered engrossed, then enrolled; House: Passed as amended by Conference Committee Report; YEAS 117 NAYS 0; Ordered Engrossed, Then Enrolled
Relevant Elements: 1, 2, 7, 9, 10
Florida SB 1514 was enrolled on May 3 after emerging from conference committee 38-0 in the Senate and 117-0 in the House on the same day. As enrolled it would:
- Authorize districts and virtual charter schools to provide virtual courses for a student in the summer for course completion when the student does not complete the course by the end of the regular school year.
- Authorize districts and virtual charters to provide courses in the summer for credit recovery.
- Limit credits earned through the Florida Virtual School to 1.0 full-time equivalent.
- Require FLVS trustees to provide information for activities with the state, outside the state and for FLVS Global.
- Allow full-time and part-time school district virtual instruction programs.
- Remove limitations to students taking virtual courses in another school district.
- Require the maximum value for funding a student to be as calculated by the Department of Education.
- Clarify the role and responsibility of the Florida Virtual Campus to provide online academic support services, resources, and access to distance learning courses offered by the state’s public postsecondary education institutions.
- From the funds for Supplemental Academic Instruction (SAI) and Reading allocations, extend the requirement of providing an additional hour of intensive reading instruction daily for students enrolled in the 100 lowest performing elementary schools for a third year, 2014-2015.
- Approve the 2012-2013 Class Size alternate calculation.
- Require public schools to pay tuition costs from district Florida Education Finance Program appropriations to compensate colleges for dually enrolled students.
- Require the department to publish by October 1, 2013 minimum and recommended technology requirements necessary for students to access electronic and digital instructional materials.
Indiana
Bill: HB 1338
Status: 04/30/2013 – S Signed by the President Pro Tempore
Relevant Elements: 2, 7, 8
Indiana HB 1338, sponsored by Rep. Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, passed the legislature on April 30 and is pending delivery to Republican Gov. Michael Pence. Once the Governor has the bill, he will have seven days to sign or veto the legislation or it becomes law without his signature. According to a press release from studentsfirst.org, the bill would:
- Hold public schools more accountable for their performance.
- Eliminate arbitrary caps on the establishment of charter schools.
- Ensure parents continue to have school choices for their children.
- Strengthen the charter school closure trigger that prevents a school remaining for three years in the lowest category of improvement.
Additionally, the bill would require all approved authorizers to adopt standards of quality charter school authorizing as defined by a nationally recognized organization with expertise in charter school authorizing.
Louisiana
Bill: HB 115
Status: 05/08/2013 – Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
Relevant Elements: 8
Louisiana HB 115 passed the House with non-substantial amendments 99-0 on May 6 and was read a second time in the Senate and referred to the Senate Education Committee on May 8. The bill would, “allow parents to petition to shift control over a school from the RSD (Recovery School District) back to the local school authority if the school receives a D or F grade for five consecutive years,” according to The Times Picayune. The bill’s sponsor Rep. Edward James, D-Baton Rouge, said, “This is not a slap on the RSD. This is giving equity to all of our parents. Just like we hold our local school boards accountable, we’re going to hold the RSD accountable.” The “parent trigger” would still require approval by the local school board and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Interestingly, there is bipartisan support among teachers unions, lawmakers and union officials for the bill. Currently there are multiple amendments including one included by Representative James that would prohibit parents from petitioning to remove type five charter schools. State Superintendent John White supports the bill, which was unexpected according to the bill’s sponsor. Superintendent White said, “This gives parents more choices. I think it also holds the feet of government to the fire to do the right thing urgently for kids in low-rated schools.”
North Carolina
Bill: HB 718
Status: 05/09/2013 – Senate Ref To Com On Education/Higher Education
Relevant Elements: 5, 6
North Carolina HB 718, sponsored by House Appropriations Chair Bryan Holloway, R-King, passed the House on May 8 after passing a second reading 113-0 on the same day. The bill is now in the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee would direct the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee to study strategies for providing the state with great leaders for great schools and issues relating to the Common Core State Standards. The Committee would be required to study and make recommendations on the recruitment of school leaders, greater flexibility for principals over school-based and personnel decisions, and a compensation plan that would attract and retain principals to the lowest-achieving schools and reward outstanding leadership. For the CCSS, the Committee would be required to study and consider the short‑ and long‑term educational, economic, and regulatory impact of those changes on teachers, administrators, schools, parents, communities, and the state. The Committee would also study the effect of the CCSS on professional development, charters schools, online schools, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, and to consider the details for the state’s participation in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. A report with recommendations would be presented to the 2015 General Assembly.
Bill: HB 969
Status: 05/09/2013 – House Ordered Engrossed
Relevant Elements: 1, 2
North Carolina HB 969 passed the House on May 9 after passing a second reading 106-6 on the same day. It is pending delivery to the Senate and as amended would:
- Require local boards of education to ensure that all high school students have access to advanced courses and access would be permitted to be provided through enrollment in courses offered through or approved by the North Carolina Virtual Public School
Ohio
Bill: SB 123
Status: 05/08/2013 – S Referred To Committee Senate Education
Relevant Elements: 2
Ohio SB 123, sponsored by Sen. Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, was introduced in the Senate on May 5 and referred to the Senate Education Committee on May 8. It would require the Department of Education to conduct a study on the implementation and effectiveness of the interdistrict open enrollment policies. SB 123 would focus the study on the effects of open enrollment in providing educational benefit to student and the fiscal impact on school districts as well as assess the impact of open enrollment on low-wealth school districts.
Oklahoma
Bill: HB 2048
Status: 05/09/2013 – Sent to Governor
Relevant Elements: 6, 9
Oklahoma HB 2048 was delivered to Republican Gov. Mary Fallin on May 9 after the House concurred in Senate amendments 70-24 on May 8. Governor Fallin will have May 15 to act on the measure that would make charter schools eligible for grants from the state public common school building equalization fund. Grants would only be awarded to charter schools that have secured matching funds. The amount of each grant would not be permitted to exceed $4 million. From the total amount available to provide grants to public schools and charter schools, charter schools would be allocated the greater of 10 percent of the total amount or the percent of students enrolled in charter schools that are not sponsored by the state virtual charter school board as compared to the student enrollment in school districts. The House version provides an award cap of $5 million and would require grants to only be awarded to charter schools for which all members of the governing board are registered to vote in the state and all members have completed instructional requirements for school district board of education members. The House version does not specify the allocation percentage to the charter schools but would cap the charter school share at 20 percent. It would also require that funds only be used to acquire buildings in which students enrolled in the charter school will be attending.
Bill Updates:
- California AB 342 passed the Assembly Education Committee 7-0 on May 1 with amendments and is now in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill as amended would no longer implement, in the 2014-15 school year, a new way to compute the average daily attendance with the students in grades 9-12 that would have included those students under the supervision of a certificated employee of the school district or a charter school that delivers technology-based asynchronous instruction.
- California AB 484 passed the Assembly Education Committee 6-0 on May 1 and was re-referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on the same day. Latest amendments would remove a provision from current law that allows parents to excuse their children from any or all parts of assessments.
- California SB 714 was read a second time and amended by the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 7 and re-referred to the same committee on the same day. The amended version would remove the requirement that was provided for in a previous version, that the Superintendent of Public Instruction adopt emergency regulations authorizing a school district, county office of education or charter school to receive state apportionments for pupils enrolled in an online course.
- Florida HB 7009 was enrolled on May 2 and is pending delivery to Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
- Illinois HB 494 passed the Senate Education Committee 9-3 without amendments on May 8.
- Indiana SB 189 was signed by Republican Gov. Michael Pence on May 3 and will take effect on July 1, 2013.
- Oklahoma SB 267 was signed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin on May 7, and will take effect September 1, 2013.
- Tennessee SB 157, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to impose enrollment limits on state virtual schools, was transmitted to his desk for action on May 3. Governor Haslam will have until May 14 to sign or veto the legislation or it becomes law without his signature.
- Texas HB 1926 passed the House on May 4 with amendments and on May 7 it was referred to the Senate Education Committee.
- Texas SB 1298, a similar bill, sponsored by Senate Education Chair Dan Patrick, R-Houston, and Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, passed the Senate Education Committee on April 15 with amendments.