PRINTER'S NO. 2298
No. 1909 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY COWELL, DAVIES, CARONE, BILLOW, TULLI, BATTISTO,
LAWLESS, DALEY, LESCOVITZ, MUNDY, ROBINSON, COLAFELLA,
HERMAN, KOSINSKI, TIGUE, STAIRS, E. Z. TAYLOR, RUDY, COY AND
ROEBUCK, JULY 15, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JULY 15, 1991
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for a parent involvement
6 program and for curriculum regulations.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding sections
11 to read:
12 Section 528. Parent Involvement Program.--(a) The board of
13 directors for each school district shall adopt a policy on
14 parent involvement and establish a parent involvement program
15 for each school in the district consistent with the following
16 purposes:
17 (1) To engage parents positively in their children's
18 education by helping parents to develop skills to use at home
19 that support their children's academic efforts at school and
1 their children's development as responsible future members of
2 our society.
3 (2) To inform parents that they can directly affect the
4 success of their children's learning by providing parents with
5 techniques and strategies that they may utilize to improve their
6 children's academic success.
7 (3) To build consistent and effective communication between
8 the home and the school so that parents may know when and how to
9 assist their children in support of classroom learning
10 activities.
11 (4) To train teachers and administrators to communicate
12 effectively with parents.
13 (b) Each program established shall contain at least the
14 following elements:
15 (1) Procedures to ensure that parents and educational
16 professionals are consulted and participate in the planning,
17 design, implementation and evaluation of the program.
18 (2) Regular and periodic programs through the school year
19 that provide for training, instruction and information on all of
20 the following: (i) Parental ability to directly affect the
21 success of their children's learning through the support they
22 give their children at home and at school, (ii) Home activities,
23 strategies and material that can be used to assist and enhance
24 the learning of children both at home and at school, (iii)
25 Parenting skills that assist parents in understanding the
26 developmental needs of their children, (iv) Parental ability to
27 develop consistent and effective communications with the school
28 concerning the progress of their children in school and school
29 programs.
30 (c) Each school district shall conduct an annual review and
19910H1909B2298 - 2 -
1 assessment of the program's progress in meeting the objectives.
2 Parents shall be made aware of the existence of this review and
3 assessment through regular school communications mechanisms and
4 shall be given a copy upon the parent's request.
5 (d) The Department of Education shall disseminate
6 information and research on emergent parent enabling programs to
7 the school districts.
8 Section 1522. State Curriculum Regulations.--(a) The
9 General Assembly finds as follows:
10 (1) That citizens of a democracy need to be able to learn
11 independently and collaboratively; read and understand complex
12 materials; think critically and creatively; apply quantitative
13 tools to the solution of problems; listen, speak and write
14 effectively; work cooperatively with people of different
15 backgrounds; and make ethical judgments.
16 (2) That curriculum requirements of the State Board of
17 Education should emphasize the Commonwealth's expectations of
18 learning for its students in terms of achieving the specific
19 learning outcomes that will prepare them for successful
20 citizenship, lifelong learning, employment and family life.
21 (3) That educational improvement will be successful and
22 meaningful if it directs the energies of schools and their
23 professional employes to meet challenging learning outcomes for
24 all students.
25 (b) (1) Based upon these legislative findings, the General
26 Assembly determines that the legislative policies set forth in
27 this subsection shall be implemented by the State Board of
28 Education in the development of regulations during the school
29 year 1991-1992.
30 (2) The State Board of Education shall develop its
19910H1909B2298 - 3 -
1 curriculum regulations so that they focus on specific statements
2 of student learning outcomes based on the challenging
3 expectations inherent in the goals of quality education.
4 (3) The State Board of Education shall develop its
5 curriculum regulations so that they provide flexibility for
6 school districts and their professional employes to develop
7 programs and instructional strategies which recognize the
8 individual differences among students and which promote high
9 expectations that enable students to achieve their full
10 potential.
11 (4) The State Board of Education shall develop its
12 curriculum regulations so that they focus local planning efforts
13 on ways schools actively involve students in order to achieve
14 learning outcomes.
15 (5) The State Board of Education shall revise its secondary
16 and vocational-technical education curriculum regulations to
17 ensure the integration of academic and skill-based programs so
18 all secondary students have the opportunity to participate in
19 quality programs.
20 (6) The State Board of Education shall initiate the
21 development of an assessment system, based on the State and
22 local learning outcomes, to be used to determine strengths and
23 weaknesses of district and school programs. Multiple forms of
24 assessment shall be utilized in State and local assessment
25 systems. The State assessment system shall be used to determine
26 progress in achieving State level policy. Local assessment
27 systems shall be used to provide schools with student data to
28 monitor student progress and to provide individual schools and
29 their professional staffs with the information necessary to
30 adjust programs to assure student success. Local assessments
19910H1909B2298 - 4 -
1 should also be designed and used to determine student mastery of
2 expected skills and knowledge associated with State and local
3 learning outcomes at transition points between primary and
4 intermediate grades, intermediate grades and middle level grades
5 and middle level grades and high school.
6 (c) During the school year 1991-1992, the State Board of
7 Education shall adopt its curriculum and assessment regulations
8 according to the following procedures:
9 (1) The State Board of Education shall adopt the final form
10 regulations not later than April 15, 1992.
11 (2) In developing such regulations, the State Board of
12 Education shall receive testimony and conduct at least three
13 public hearings.
14 (3) The State Board of Education shall provide opportunities
15 for broad-based professional, parental, business and community
16 advice and participation in the development of student learning
17 outcomes.
18 (4) The State Board of Education shall, in creating
19 assessment systems for student learning outcomes, utilize
20 educational professionals, measurement experts and practitioners
21 and content experts and practitioners in the development of new
22 assessment systems or in acquisition and adaptation of existing
23 assessment systems.
24 (5) The State Board of Education shall provide for the
25 regulations to be implemented according to a schedule published
26 with the regulations; provided, however, that initial
27 implementation shall begin not later than the school year 1992-
28 1993.
29 (6) The State Board of Education and the Department of
30 Education shall jointly provide to the Education Committee of
19910H1909B2298 - 5 -
1 the Senate and the Education Committee of the House of
2 Representatives the implementation schedule and department
3 guidelines for the implementation process by August 1, 1991. The
4 implementation schedule shall include, at a minimum, procedures
5 to be followed and time lines for development of learning
6 outcomes and associated assessment procedures. Additionally,
7 this report shall include specifications for a comprehensive
8 student information system at the State and local levels. The
9 local systems shall deal with relevant information on students
10 and student progress toward achieving learning outcomes to
11 facilitate effective utilization of data by schools and school
12 districts for planning and instructional decision making. The
13 State system shall use aggregate data to inform the State Board
14 of Education and the General Assembly on the progress of meeting
15 the established expectations. After consultation with the
16 Education Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of
17 the House of Representatives, the State Board of Education shall
18 proceed to develop appropriate regulations.
19 (d) By January 15, 1992, the State Board of Education and
20 the Department of Education shall jointly report to the
21 Education Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of
22 the House of Representatives on potential changes in teacher
23 certification and teacher preparation programs, and planned
24 staff development activities that will be required to ensure
25 that professional and support staff have the skills and
26 knowledge necessary to implement the curriculum regulations.
27 (e) (1) By January 15, 1992, the State Board of Education
28 and the Department of Education shall jointly recommend to the
29 Education Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of
30 the House of Representatives legislation regarding State policy
19910H1909B2298 - 6 -
1 toward academically distressed school districts and academic
2 leadership school districts.
3 (2) As to academically distressed school districts, the
4 recommended legislation shall include, at a minimum, a
5 definition of the criteria by which school districts are to be
6 judged to be academically distressed, methods to assist school
7 districts determined to be academically distressed, measures to
8 be taken if such assistance is unsuccessful, and procedures by
9 which a school district may contest a determination that it is
10 academically distressed.
11 (3) As to academic leadership school districts, the
12 recommended legislation shall include, at a minimum, a
13 definition of and criteria by which school districts are judged
14 to be academic leaders, measures to eliminate barriers that
15 constrain school districts designated as academic leaders, and
16 procedures by which the Department of Education will incorporate
17 into the school improvement program the dissemination of
18 successful programs and practices of schools designated as
19 academic leaders.
20 (4) As used in this subsection, the following words and
21 phrases shall have the following meanings:
22 (i) "Academically distressed school district" shall mean a
23 school district whose students are not demonstrating progress in
24 student mastery of the learning outcomes specified in State
25 Board of Education curriculum regulations.
26 (ii) "Academic leadership school district" shall mean a
27 school district whose students are demonstrating exemplary
28 progress in student mastery of the learning outcomes specified
29 in the State Board of Education curriculum regulations, or whose
30 programs and practices have resulted in improved outcomes or
19910H1909B2298 - 7 -
1 procedures.
2 Section 2. This act shall take effect as follows:
3 (1) Section 528 of the act shall take effect January 1,
4 1992.
5 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect
6 immediately.
G1L24DGS/19910H1909B2298 - 8 -