Bill Text: AZ SB1058 | 2024 | Fifty-sixth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Schools; academic standards; personal finance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-29 - Senate third reading FAILED voting: (12-16-2-0) [SB1058 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2024-SB1058-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: schools; academic standards; personal finance |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
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SB 1058 |
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Introduced by Senator Mesnard
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An Act
amending sections 15-501.01 and 15-701.01, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school curriculum.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-501.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-501.01. Requirements for teachers; teaching certificates; rules; reciprocity; placement; posting
A. Notwithstanding any other law, all teachers who are certificated pursuant to this section must have a baccalaureate degree and a valid fingerprint clearance card.
B. The state board of education shall adopt rules for the issuance of the following types of certificates for teachers:
1. Standard teaching certificate.
2. Alternative teaching certificate for persons who obtain training pursuant to subsection C, paragraph 1 of this section.
3. Subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate for persons who obtain training pursuant to subsection C, paragraph 8 9 of this section.
4. Classroom-based standard teaching certificate for individuals who obtain training from a school district or charter school.
5. Career and technical education teaching certificate.
C. The state board of education shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section. The rules:
1. Shall provide for a variety of alternative teacher and administrator preparation programs that allow for variations in program sequence and design to apply for program approval. The state board shall adopt rules pursuant to this paragraph designed to allow for a variety of formats and shall not require a prescribed answer or design from the program provider in order to obtain approval from the state board. Any rules adopted by the state board pursuant to this paragraph shall be substantially different from the rules adopted for the approval of traditional preparation programs and may not unnecessarily restrict a variety of alternative preparation programs from operating and providing instruction in this state. The state board shall evaluate each program provider based on the program's ability to prepare teachers and administrators and to recruit teachers and administrators with a variety of experiences and talents. The state board shall allow universities under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, community colleges in this state, private postsecondary institutions licensed by this state, school districts, charter schools, professional organizations, nonprofit organizations and private entities to apply for program approval and shall create application procedures and certification criteria that are substantially less restrictive than those for traditional preparation programs. At the completion of an alternative preparation program, graduates shall:
(a) Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited postsecondary education institution.
(b) If applicable, demonstrate professional knowledge and subject knowledge proficiency pursuant to section 15-533.
(c) Obtain a valid fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-534.
(d) If applicable, complete training in structured English immersion as prescribed by the state board pursuant to section 15-756.09.
(e) If applicable, complete training in research-based systematic phonics instruction as prescribed in paragraph 2 of this subsection.
(f) Demonstrate the required proficiency in the Constitutions of the United States and Arizona as prescribed in section 15-532.
2. Shall require that, within three years after a certificate for elementary education or early childhood education is issued, the certificate holder complete, from a public or private provider, at least forty-five classroom hours or three college-level credit hours, or the equivalent, in both research-based:
(a) Science of reading instruction, including systematic phonics instruction.
(b) Reading instruction, including training on assessments, instructional practices and interventions to improve student reading proficiency. Beginning July 1, 2021, instruction provided pursuant to this subdivision must meet the requirements for dyslexia training prescribed in section 15-219.
3. Shall establish a voluntary personal finance endorsement for certificated teachers who provide personal finance instruction in any of grades nine through twelve.
3. 4. Beginning August 1, 2025, shall establish a literacy endorsement as a requirement for all certificated teachers who provide literacy instruction in kindergarten programs or in any of grades one through five as determined by the board. The rules shall require that a certificated teacher who receives a certificate after August 1, 2025 and who provides literacy instruction in kindergarten programs or in any of grades one through five must obtain a literacy endorsement within three years after the teacher's certificate is issued. The rules shall require that a certificated teacher who received a certificate before August 1, 2025 and who provides literacy instruction in kindergarten programs or in any of grades one through five must obtain a literacy endorsement on or before August 1, 2028. The literacy endorsement shall require the teacher to complete evidence-based science of reading training or coursework as determined by the board and to pass a literacy instruction assessment to show that the teacher is capable of doing all of the following:
(a) Effectively teaching foundational reading skills, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
(b) Implementing reading instruction using high-quality instructional materials.
(c) Providing effective instruction and interventions for students with reading deficiencies, including students with characteristics of dyslexia.
4. 5. Beginning August 1, 2022, Shall require all approved educator preparation programs in elementary education and early childhood education to require the courses that are necessary to obtain a literacy endorsement pursuant to paragraph 3 4 of this subsection.
5. 6. Shall establish a process to allow a local education agency, at the request of a teacher, to verify to the department of education that the teacher possesses the instructional knowledge and skills prescribed in paragraph 3 4 of this subsection, demonstrated through classroom observations and student achievement data across subgroups using evidence-based measures. A certificated teacher who has had a local education agency verify the teacher's knowledge and skills in the science of reading pursuant to this paragraph is not required to complete the coursework, training or assessment requirements prescribed in paragraph 3 4 of this subsection to obtain the literacy endorsement.
6. 7. Shall not require a teacher to obtain a master's degree or to take any additional graduate courses as a condition of certification or recertification.
7. 8. Shall allow but shall not require the superintendent of a school district to obtain certification from the state board of education.
8. 9. Shall provide for the issuance of a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate to persons who have expertise in a content area or a subject matter. Persons who are certified pursuant to this paragraph shall complete training, if applicable, in structured English immersion as prescribed by the state board pursuant to section 15-756.09. Persons who are certified pursuant to this paragraph are exempt from the subject knowledge proficiency requirements prescribed in section 15-533 and from the proficiency requirements prescribed in section 15-532 on the Constitutions of the United States and Arizona. Persons who are subject to subdivision (a) of this paragraph are also exempt from the professional knowledge proficiency requirements pursuant to section 15-533. A person who obtains a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate pursuant to this paragraph may provide instruction in the person's field of expertise in grades six through twelve at any public school in this state. Issuance of the subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate may not be conditioned on the person's employment with a local education agency. A person who meets the requirements of this paragraph shall be issued a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate without having to demonstrate professional knowledge proficiency pursuant to section 15-533, except that the person shall have at least two years to demonstrate professional knowledge proficiency pursuant to section 15-533. School districts shall evaluate and provide support pursuant to section 15-537 to teachers who are certified pursuant to this paragraph. If a person fails to meet the professional knowledge requirements of this section within two years, the department of education or state board of education may temporarily suspend the subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate. A certificate that is temporarily suspended pursuant to this paragraph is not considered a disciplinary action, and a person shall be allowed to correct the deficiency within the remaining time of the subject-matter expert standard teaching certification. This paragraph does not require a person who has obtained another type of teaching certificate from the state board to obtain a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate pursuant to this paragraph in order to provide instruction in grades six through twelve. Persons who are certificated pursuant to this paragraph shall review and attest to reviewing the best practices for social media and cellular telephone use between students and school personnel adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 44 before receiving a certificate and, within two years after receiving a certificate, complete training in professionalism and ethics from a public or private provider approved by the state board of education, which may include a no-cost option to the person provided by the state board. A person is eligible for a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate pursuant to this paragraph if the person has a baccalaureate degree and meets any of the following requirements:
(a) Has taught courses relevant to a content area or subject matter for the last two consecutive years and for a total of at least three years at one or more regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary institutions. A person demonstrates compliance with this requirement by providing the state board with written proof of employment for specific durations from one or more qualifying postsecondary institutions.
(b) Has either a baccalaureate degree, a master's degree or a doctoral degree in a specific subject area that is relevant to a content area or subject matter taught in public schools.
(c) Demonstrates expertise through relevant work experience of at least five years in a field that is relevant to a content area or subject matter taught in public schools. A person demonstrates compliance with this requirement by providing the state board with written proof of employment.
9. 10. Notwithstanding section 15-533, shall exempt persons applying for a secondary education certificate from the subject knowledge portion of the proficiency examination if the state board determines that the person has work experience in science, technology, engineering or mathematics and can demonstrate adequate knowledge of a particular subject through a postsecondary education degree or twenty-four credit hours of relevant coursework.
10. 11. Shall allow for a certificate issued to a person pursuant to subsection B, paragraph 1, 3, 4 or 5 of this section or section 15-203 or 15-782.01, as applicable, to be both issued and renewed for at least twelve years and may not require more than fifteen hours of continuing education credits each year in order to renew that certificate pursuant to this paragraph.
11. 12. Shall allow for a certificate issued to a person pursuant to subsection B of this section or section 15-132, 15-203 or 15-782.01, as applicable, and any endorsement or approved area related to that certificate, to be renewed at least two years but not more than ten years after that certificate expires without any other requirements adopted by the state board of education or the department of education if the person is in good standing and possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to section 15-534. A certificate renewed pursuant to this paragraph shall be identical to the expired certificate.
D. The rules for certification reciprocity shall include a requirement that the applicant possess a comparable valid certification from another state and be in good standing with that other state. An applicant who possesses a valid certification from another state and a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-534 and who is in good standing with that other state shall be issued a comparable standard certificate or a comparable certificate issued pursuant to section 15-132, 15-203 or 15-782.01, as applicable, without any other requirements from the state board of education or the department of education. A person who is issued a certificate pursuant to this subsection is not required to meet any requirement prescribed in section 15-533.
E. Placement decisions of teaching intern certificate holders issued pursuant to subsection C, paragraph 1 of this section and section 15-552 shall be based on agreements between the teacher preparation provider, the provider's partner organizations and the local education agency. The practices of the department of education and the rules and policies of the state board of education may not restrict placement of teaching intern certification holders based on local education agency instructional models and may only consider the academic quality of the school, the effectiveness of the teaching intern certification holder's on-site mentor and the opportunity for a wide variety of schools and school models to access teaching intern certification holders.
F. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the following persons are not required to have a baccalaureate degree:
1. A teacher who is otherwise exempt by law from obtaining a baccalaureate degree and who provides instruction in STEM or career and technical education pursuant to section 15-782.01.
2. A person who obtains any of the following:
(a) A Native American language certificate.
(b) A student teaching intern certificate.
(c) A junior reserve officer training corps certificate.
(d) An athletic coaching certificate.
(e) An emergency substitute certificate.
G. On or before November 15 of each year, the department of education shall report and post on its website all of the following:
1. The total number of teaching certificates issued in the previous calendar year disaggregated by the type of teaching certificate and demographics.
2. The total number of currently issued teaching certificates in this state disaggregated by the type of teaching certificate and demographics.
3. Any other historical data or trends regarding certificated individuals in this state.
Sec. 2. Section 15-701.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-701.01. High schools; graduation; requirements; community college or university courses; transfer from other schools; academic credit; report
A. The state board of education shall:
1. Prescribe a minimum course of study that incorporates the academic standards adopted by the state board for the graduation of pupils from high school.
2. Prescribe competency requirements for the graduation of pupils from high school incorporating the academic standards in at least the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. The academic standards prescribed by the state board in social studies shall include personal finance, American civics education and a comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding principles of the United States. Beginning with the graduating class of 2028, the state board may consider establishing a required shall require a separate personal finance course that is at least one-half of a course credit for the purpose of the graduation of pupils from high school. The state board shall require at least one-half of a course credit in economics, which shall include financial literacy and personal financial management.
3. Through the graduating class of 2025, include in the competency requirements for social studies prescribed in paragraph 2 of this subsection a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least sixty of the one hundred questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States citizenship and immigration services. Beginning with the graduating class of 2026, the state board shall include in the competency requirements for social studies prescribed in paragraph 2 of this subsection a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least seventy of the one hundred questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States citizenship and immigration services. A district school or charter school shall document on the pupil's transcript only a pass or fail designation that the pupil has passed or failed the test required by this paragraph. A pupil in grade seven or eight may take the test described in this paragraph, and if the pupil correctly answers at least seventy of the one hundred questions on the test:
(a) The district school or charter school shall document on the pupil's transcript only a pass or fail designation that the pupil has passed or failed the test required by this paragraph.
(b) The pupil is not required to take the test required by this paragraph again in high school.
4. Develop and adopt competency tests pursuant to section 15-741. English language learners who are subject to article 3.1 of this chapter are subject to the assessments prescribed in section 15-741.
5. Beginning with the graduating class of 2028, the state board shall include in the competency requirements for social studies prescribed in paragraph 2 of this subsection a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must successfully complete a personal finance course that includes both of the following:
(a) Personal finance activities, including banking, Paying bills, investing, managing credit, paying for college, budgeting, retirement planning, financing home ownership, financing transportation costs and other consumer skills.
(b) Personal finance subjects, including behavioral economics, insurance, types of credit, taxes and tax-advantaged retirement plans.
B. The governing board of a school district shall:
1. Prescribe curricula that include the academic standards in the required subject areas pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section.
2. Prescribe criteria for the graduation of pupils from the high schools in the school district. These criteria shall include accomplishment of the academic standards in at least reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies, as determined by district assessment. Other criteria may include additional measures of academic achievement and attendance. Pursuant to the prescribed graduation requirements adopted by the state board of education, the governing board may approve a rigorous computer science course that would fulfill a mathematics course required for graduation from high school. The governing board may approve a rigorous computer science course only if the rigorous computer science course includes significant mathematics content and the governing board determines the high school where the rigorous computer science course is offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including competent teachers of computer science. The school district governing board or charter school governing body may determine the method and manner in which to administer a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States citizenship and immigration services. A pupil who does not obtain a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test may retake the test until the pupil obtains a passing score.
C. The governing board may prescribe the course of study and competency requirements for the graduation of pupils from high school that are in addition to or higher than the course of study and competency requirements that the state board prescribes.
D. The governing board may prescribe competency requirements for the passage of pupils in courses that are required for graduation from high school.
E. A teacher shall determine whether to pass or fail a pupil in a course in high school on the basis of the competency requirements, if any have been prescribed. The governing board, if it reviews the decision of a teacher to pass or fail a pupil in a course in high school as provided in section 15-342, paragraph 11, shall base its decision on the competency requirements, if any have been prescribed.
F. Graduation requirements established by the governing board may be met by a pupil who passes courses in the required or elective subjects at a community college or university, if the course is at a higher level than the course taught in the high school attended by the pupil or, if the course is not taught in the high school, the level of the course is equal to or higher than the level of a high school course. The governing board shall determine whether the subject matter of the community college or university course is appropriate to the specific requirement the pupil intends it to fulfill and whether the level of the community college or university course is less than, equal to or higher than a high school course, and the governing board shall award at least one-half of a Carnegie unit and up to and including one Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit that the pupil earns in an appropriate community college or university course. If a pupil is not satisfied with the decision of the governing board regarding the amount of credit granted or the subjects for which credit is granted, the pupil may request that the state board of education review the decision of the governing board, and the state board shall make the final determination of the amount of credit to be given the pupil and for which subjects. The governing board shall not limit the number of credits that is required for high school graduation and that may be met by taking community college or university courses. For the purposes of this subsection:
1. "Community college" means an educational institution that is operated by a community college district as defined in section 15-1401 or a postsecondary educational institution under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe recognized by the United States department of the interior.
2. "University" means a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.
G. A pupil who transfers from a private school shall be provided with a list that indicates those credits that have been accepted and denied by the school district. A pupil may request to take an examination in each particular course in which credit has been denied. The school district shall accept the credit for each particular course in which the pupil takes an examination and receives a passing score on a test designed and evaluated by a teacher in the school district who teaches the subject matter on which the examination is based. In addition to the above requirements, the governing board of a school district may prescribe requirements for the acceptance of the credits of pupils who transfer from a private school.
H. If a pupil who was previously enrolled in a charter school or school district enrolls in a school district in this state, the school district shall accept credits earned by the pupil in courses or instructional programs at the charter school or school district. The governing board of a school district may adopt a policy concerning the application of transfer credits for the purpose of determining whether a credit earned by a pupil who was previously enrolled in a school district or charter school will be assigned as an elective or core credit. A school district or charter school may note the learning outcomes that a student mastered as prescribed in the rules adopted pursuant to section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 38 to provide a record of the demonstrated competencies and award partial credit.
I. A pupil who transfers credit from a charter school, a school district or Arizona online instruction shall be provided with a list that indicates which credits have been accepted as elective credits and which credits have been accepted as core credits by the school district or charter school. Within ten school days after receiving the list, the pupil may request to take an examination in each particular course in which core credit has been denied. The school district or charter school shall accept the credit as a core credit for each particular course in which the pupil takes an examination and receives a passing score on a test that is aligned to the competency requirements adopted pursuant to this section and that is designed and evaluated by a teacher in the school district or charter school who teaches the subject matter on which the examination is based. If a pupil is enrolled in a school district or charter school and that pupil also participates in Arizona online instruction between May 1 and July 31, the school district or charter school shall not require proof of payment as a condition of the school district or charter school accepting credits earned from the online course provider.
J. The state board of education shall adopt rules to allow high school pupils who can demonstrate competency in a particular academic course or subject to obtain academic credit for the course or subject without enrolling in the course or subject.
K. Pupils who earn a Grand Canyon diploma pursuant to article 6 of this chapter are exempt from the graduation requirements prescribed in this section. Pupils who earn a Grand Canyon diploma are entitled to all the rights and privileges of persons who graduate with a high school diploma issued pursuant to this section, including access to postsecondary scholarships and other forms of student financial aid and access to all forms of postsecondary education. Notwithstanding any other law, a pupil who is eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma may elect to remain in high school through grade twelve and shall not be prevented from enrolling at a high school after the pupil becomes eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma. A pupil who is eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma and who elects not to pursue one of the options prescribed in section 15-792.03 may only be readmitted to that high school or another high school in this state pursuant to policies adopted by the school district of readmission.
L. Each school district and charter school shall report to the department of education all of the following aggregate data, organized by grade level, relating to the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States citizenship and immigration services required by subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section:
1. The median score.
2. The percentage of pupils who passed by correctly answering the minimum number of questions required to pass the test pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section.
3. The percentage of pupils who failed by correctly answering fewer than the minimum number of questions required to pass the test pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section.
4. Any other data required by the department relating to the test.
M. A school district or charter school may not include the personally identifiable information of any pupil in the data reported to the department of education under subsection L of this section. The department of education shall make the data publicly available, organized at a minimum by school district or charter school and grade level, on the website that includes the school report cards required by section 15-746.
