Idaho Bills

Adds to and amends existing law to provide for advance enrollment in or registration at a public school or charter school by dependents of military members.

This Legislation amends Title 33 Section 524 and Title 33 Section 5206 to allow children of military families, with documentation of a military service member's pending relocation to our state, access to preliminary registration, enrollment, or application to a Local Education Agency (LEA) at the time that the process is open to the general student population. Proof of residency requirements are temporarily waived until the student begins school. At that time, the student has a period of ten (10) school days to provide proof of residency in the LEA.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding a biliteracy diploma for public school students who demonstrate proficiency in English and another language.

Idaho has several School Districts that offer dual immersion language programs. This legislation recognizes students who have become proficient in English and one or more additional World Languages by creating a "Seal of Biliteracy" that may be attached to their graduation diploma.

Amends existing law to provide that certain charter schools must retain a minimum of cash on hand or be subject to revocation proceedings.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding safety policies and technology protection measures for digital and online library resources for K-12 students.

Amends existing law to provide for an advanced professional endorsement for school personnel and to increase career ladder allocations.

The purpose of this legislation is to build out the career ladder allocation model and provide additional funding to school districts and charter schools so they can retain their most effective, experienced educators. The amendments in this bill build out the current salary-based apportionment model for instructional staff and pupil service staff over the next five years and adds a mechanism for the Legislature to consider increases after the five-year build out. Building on the framework established in the existing career ladder apportionment model, this legislation would add a new advanced professional endorsement in Section 33-1201A, Idaho Code. Those educators that have progressed beyond the current professional endorsement would be eligible for the advanced professional endorsement. Performance criteria for eligibility for this new advanced professional endorsement and for movement along the advanced professional rung are established in a new Section 33-1001(20)(b), Idaho Code. An amended Section 33-1004B(7)(c) would create a new advanced professional rung on the career ladder, beginning on July 1, 2020, with one new allocation cell in the first year. Sections 33-1004B (d) through (g) create four additional cells along the new advanced professional rung, built out over the following four fiscal years. In addition to building out the advanced professional rung to five total cells over five years, there will be increased allocations along the existing residency, professional, and advanced professional rungs in fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Additional components update the existing career ladder framework. An amended Section 33-1004B(8), Idaho Code, provides a mechanism for allocation increases once the program is fully implemented. An amended Section 33-1004B(9), Idaho Code, provides for administrator accountability on educator and pupil service staff evaluations. Amended Sections 33-1004E(2) and (3), Idaho Code, provide statutory minimum salaries along the pro

Amends existing law to establish a digital content and curriculum fund.

Amends existing law to provide that students may satisfy state civics and government standards through participation in a certain course and examination and to provide that the State Department of Education shall make available funding for certain civics education.

There is broad consensus on the need to help students become more engaged, informed citizens. This bill seeks to do that by expanding opportunities for civics education in Idaho. Current law requires students to pass a civics test before they graduate from high school. This bill expands that law so that a college-credit-bearing exam associated with an advanced civics course, such as the Advanced Placement Government and Politics test can serve as a way of meeting the requirement. The bill also emphasizes the importance of providing high-quality teacher training by targeting professional development dollars for teachers to be trained in civics education instruction. This is a narrowly crafted bill to create more pathways for students to learn civics and become more engaged citizens.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding grandfather rights for endorsements.

Amends existing law to provide placement on the career ladder for career technical education teachers and to provide for certification.

Stating findings of the Legislature and authorizing the Legislative Council to appoint a committee to undertake and complete a study of the Idaho Content Standards.

Stating findings of the Legislature and encouraging Idaho high schools, colleges, and universities to offer credit-bearing personal finance classes to their students.

Personal finance is an important educational subject, providing information which will impact daily living and decision making for the rest of a student's life. Our Idaho schools currently offer a patchwork of opportunities for personal finance instruction, with no statewide consistency in frequency, duration, content, or instructional methods. This resolution supports the creation of credit-bearing financial literacy classes at the high school, college, and university levels.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding a review of teacher evaluations, to provide that certain data shall be submitted to the state for career ladder purposes, and to provide that master educator premiums shall no longer be granted after a certain date.

This legislation has three major components. First, it clarifies the information documented, reported and reviewed for professional and advanced professional performance criteria, including the data on students meeting their measurable student achievement and student success indicator targets. These changes update sections 33-1001(19) and 33-1004B(10), Idaho Code. Second, a deadline of November 1 is set for the audit of teacher evaluations, updating 33-1004B(9), Idaho Code. Third, Master Educator Premiums (MEP) program is sunsetted, with no new applications accepted after this year, no new awards provided after next fiscal year, and all provisions null, void, and of no force after July 1, 2024, amending 33-1004I, Idaho Code. The state will continue obligations for the current MEP recipients. Overall, this legislation complements and builds on efforts this year to expand the career ladder over the next five years while lowering the costs to the state by sunsetting the MEP program.

Amends existing law to provide for the use of literacy intervention tools as part of a literacy intervention program.

The Idaho Legislature has been committed to K-3 early literacy proficiency and has heavily invested in this effort over the last several years. It has been difficult to identify programs that work and best practices to help inform decision makers at the local level in determining the most effective use of these funds. This bill seeks to address the efficacy of these funds by: • Identifying multiple programs that meet the specifications of this bill through an RFP process, which includes the opportunity for parental engagement. • Continually monitoring the results of the different programs by using independent, third party evaluations and eliminating those programs that do not meet expectations of student growth towards proficiency. • Reporting the results of the independent studies to help inform local decision makers.

Stating findings of the Legislature and requesting that the State Department of Education and State Board of Education research and implement new high school graduation pathways appropriate for college-bound students and career technical students.

This resolution directs the State Board of Education and State Department of Education to review high school graduationrequirementstorecognizethatmanystudentsfollowaCareerTechnicaleducationpathandtocreate multiple paths to graduation or a high school diploma. The Board has already indicated they planned on undertaking this review. This resolution shows legislative support for this review

Amends existing law to provide for nonpublic teacher preparation programs.

The purpose of teacher preparation programs is to produce individuals who are certified to teach in Idaho public schools. Everythreetofouryears,theStateBoardofEducationthroughtheProfessionalStandardsCommission conducts in-depth reviews of all teacher preparation programs, including those teacher preparation programs offered by private colleges, universities and nonprofit corporations even if the program does not receive any public funds. Though there is almost no guidance in statute, the reviews examine whether a teacher preparation program is fulfilling 178 core specific standards, and additional 64 standards in literacy and technology and up to 79 additional content specific standards for teaching a prospective teacher how to teach pursuant to administrative rule. This legislation puts sideboards around this process in statute, ensuring that the State Board of Education will grantateachingcertificatetoagraduateofanonpublicteacherpreparationprogramthatrequiresitsgraduatesto have a bachelor’s degree, complete a criminal background check, complete subject matter content training; and completetraininginpedagogy. Thecertificatesaretobeconsideredequaltothoseearnedthroughpublichigher education institutions. Reviews of the nonpublic teacher preparation programs will be limited to verification that graduates of the program are meeting the criteria for earning a teaching certificate as provided in this legislation.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding qualification of educational interpreters.

Consistent with the Governor's Licensing Freedom Act, this bill seeks to eliminate barriers to performing licensed work. Chapter 13, Title 33 establishes provisions for educational interpreters. Additionally, Chapter 29, Title 54 sets out licensing requirements for individuals providing interpreting services. Individuals who are providing interpreting services as education interpreters pursuant to the requirements in Chapter 13, Title 33, areexemptfromthelicensingrequirementsinChapter29,Title54. Toqualifyforthisexemption,theindividual is required to be interpreting in a kindergarten through grade 12 educational setting. School districts provide educational services to students with disabilities that meet the definition of school age and fall outside of the kindergarten through grade 12 range. In these cases, school districts are required to hire a licensed interpreter at an increased cost. The proposed amendment would change the reference to grade ranges in the education interpreter provisions to the statutorily defined term of "school age." This will allow for school districts to use education interpreters for students that fall outside of the grade range while still meeting the school age definition. These students are students with disabilities that the school districts are required to provide services for through the Individuals with Disability Education Act.

Amends existing law to provide for weighting in a public charter school's lottery for certain disadvantaged students.

Idaho public charter schools accept all students. Some public charter schools have programs designed to serve English language learners, students who are homeless or in foster care, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students or at-risk students. To help those students access these education programs, this legislation allows public charter schools to give additional weight in their student enrollment lottery to those groups of students, if they choose.