1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," in preliminary provisions, providing
6for school grading system.

7The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8hereby enacts as follows:

9Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11section to read:

12Section 123. School grading system.--(a) The department
13shall develop and maintain, on the department's publicly
14accessible Internet website, an A, B, C, D and F school grading
15system that provides school and district-level performance data
16for all schools. School letter grades shall be administered
17annually and shall be based on academic indicators including,
18but not limited to:

19(1) Academic achievement indicators consisting of:

1(i) Student performance on the Pennsylvania System of School
2Assessment test, the Keystone Exam, an equivalent local
3assessment or another test established by the State Board of
4Education to meet the requirements of section 2603-B(d)(10)(i)
5and required under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public
6Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425) or its successor Federal statute or
7required to achieve other standards established by the
8department for the public school or school district under 22 Pa.
9Code 403.3 (relating to single accountability system).

10(ii) Industry certification exams performance.

11(iii) Advanced Placement achievement.

12(iv) SAT/ACT measures.

13(v) Closure of the achievement gap.

14(2) Academic growth as measured by the Pennsylvania Value-
15Added Assessment System (PVASS).

16(3) Other academic indicators including, but not limited to:

17(i) Cohort graduation and promotion rates.

18(ii) Attendance.

19(iii) Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate
20(IB) Diploma or Dual Enrollment offerings.

21(iv) PSAT participation.

22(b) Academic achievement indicators shall comprise at least
23fifty percent (50%) of the school grading system, growth
24measures shall comprise at least forty percent (40%) of the
25school grading system and other academic indicators shall
26comprise the remaining percentage of the school grading system.

27(c) The annual school grading system shall identify schools
28as having one of the following letter grades based upon the
29indicators in the previous subsection as follows:

30(1) "A," schools making excellent progress.

1(2) "B," schools making above average progress.

2(3) "C," schools making satisfactory progress.

3(4) "D," schools making less than satisfactory progress.

4(5) "F," schools failing to make adequate progress.

5(d) For schools subject to the rating system contained in
6section 1123, the department shall also include aggregate State
7level, district level and building level data related to
8educator effectiveness as measured by the four categories of the
9rating system on the publicly accessible Internet website.

10(e) The department shall collect data necessary to develop
11and implement the school grading system established by this
12section.

13(f) The department may include factors related to school
14climate and safety and fiscal indicators as it deems fit.

15(g) The department shall update the letter grade based on
16the system developed pursuant to this section at least annually
17beginning July 1, 2013, and by July 1 of each year thereafter
18using the most recent data available.

19(h) All school districts, individual school buildings,
20charter schools, cyber charter schools and comprehensive career
21and technical centers receiving a letter grade of "D" or "F"
22shall notify the parents or guardians of all students attending
23the school district, individual building, charter school, cyber
24charter school or comprehensive career and technical center of
25the grade within 30 days of receiving the grade.

26(i) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
27words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
28subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

29"Department." The Department of Education of the
30Commonwealth.

1"Schools." All public elementary, middle and high schools in
2this Commonwealth. This term shall include charter schools,
3cyber charter schools and career and technical centers receiving
4public funds.

5Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.