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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY DePASQUALE, MATZIE, BISHOP, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CONKLIN, DALEY, DAVIS, DEASY, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HARKINS, HORNAMAN, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MICOZZIE, M. O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, PRESTON, ROEBUCK, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, M. SMITH, STURLA, THOMAS, WATERS, YOUNGBLOOD AND MURT, MARCH 12, 2012 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 12, 2012 |
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| AN ACT |
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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 Priority Assistance |
6 | Grant for Education Program. |
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 a |
11 | section to read: |
12 | Section 2599.4. Priority Assistance Grant for Education |
13 | Program.--(a) Beginning with the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the |
14 | Department of Education shall establish the Priority Assistance |
15 | Grant for Education Program to support students enrolled in |
16 | qualifying school districts. The purpose of the program is to |
17 | ensure that students in qualifying school districts have access |
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1 | to proven, research-based academic programs that will improve |
2 | student learning and academic achievement. |
3 | (b) To qualify for the program under this section, a school |
4 | district shall: |
5 | (1) (i) Be classified as a school district of the second, |
6 | third or fourth class. |
7 | (ii) Be certified as a Corrective Action 2 school district |
8 | pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law |
9 | 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425) as of the effective date of this |
10 | section; or |
11 | (2) meet all of the following: |
12 | (i) Have a 2009 personal income divided by the adjusted |
13 | average daily membership for the 2009-2010 school year of less |
14 | than or equal to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). |
15 | (ii) Have a market value/personal income aid ratio for the |
16 | 2011-2012 school year greater than or equal to 0.7000. |
17 | (iii) Have the percentage of students eligible for free or |
18 | reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program |
19 | during the 2009-2010 school year greater than or equal to sixty- |
20 | five percent (65%), calculated by dividing the number of |
21 | students eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the |
22 | 2009-2010 school year by the adjusted average daily membership |
23 | of the school district for the 2009-2010 school year. |
24 | (iv) Have a percentage of students scoring below proficient |
25 | on the 2009-2010 PSSA test in reading of greater than or equal |
26 | to thirty percent (30%), calculated by dividing the number of |
27 | PSSA tests administered in the school district on which students |
28 | scored below proficient in reading during the 2009-2010 school |
29 | year by the total number of PSSA tests scored in reading in the |
30 | school district during the 2009-2010 school year. |
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1 | (v) Have a percentage of students scoring below proficient |
2 | on the 2009-2010 PSSA test in mathematics of greater than or |
3 | equal to thirty percent (30%), calculated by dividing the number |
4 | of PSSA tests administered in the school district on which |
5 | students scored below proficient in mathematics during the |
6 | 2009-2010 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored |
7 | in mathematics in the school district during the 2009-2010 |
8 | school year. |
9 | (c) A school district that qualifies for the program under |
10 | subsection (b) shall establish a school leadership team in order |
11 | to develop the priority assistance plan required under |
12 | subsection (f)(2) and monitor the academic achievement of |
13 | students impacted by the program. The school leadership team |
14 | shall meet at least quarterly and shall continue for as long as |
15 | the school district receives a priority assistance grant for |
16 | education under subsection (e). The school leadership team shall |
17 | include: |
18 | (1) The school district superintendent or a designee. |
19 | (2) Two (2) building principals. |
20 | (3) Five (5) professional employes, selected by the exclusive |
21 | representative of professional employes in the school district. |
22 | (4) Two (2) parents, selected by the members enumerated in |
23 | paragraphs (1), (2) and (3). |
24 | (5) If practicable, one (1) faculty member of a certified |
25 | education program at a Pennsylvania accredited college or |
26 | university selected by the members enumerated in paragraphs (1), |
27 | (2) and (3). |
28 | (d) A school district that qualifies for the program under |
29 | subsection (b) shall use the priority assistance grant for |
30 | education funds provided under subsection (e) to support proven, |
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1 | research-based academic programs. Specifically, priority |
2 | assistance grant for education funds may be used only for any of |
3 | the following: |
4 | (1) Establishing or expanding prekindergarten programs. |
5 | (2) Establishing or expanding full-day kindergarten |
6 | programs. |
7 | (3) Reducing class sizes such that one teacher in any |
8 | elementary-level class for which funds under this section are |
9 | used is responsible for no more than twenty (20) students per |
10 | class period and that one teacher in any secondary-level class |
11 | for which funds under this section are used is responsible for |
12 | no more than twenty-five (25) students per class period: |
13 | Provided, That a school district that has increased class sizes |
14 | in the school year prior to the first year in which priority |
15 | assistance grant for education funds under subsection (e) are |
16 | allocated shall use funds provided under subsection (e) such |
17 | that one teacher is responsible for no more than twenty (20) |
18 | elementary-level students or twenty-five (25) secondary-level |
19 | students per class period. |
20 | (4) Establishing or expanding programs to provide additional |
21 | student learning time. Programs offered under this paragraph |
22 | shall first focus on school buildings with the highest |
23 | proportion of students who scored "basic" or "below basic" on |
24 | the PSSA tests in reading or mathematics administered in the |
25 | school year prior to the school year in which priority |
26 | assistance grant for education funds are allocated under |
27 | subsection (e). Programs offered under this paragraph may |
28 | include before-school and after-school tutoring opportunities, |
29 | tutoring programs offered during the regular school day or |
30 | behavior support programs. |
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1 | (5) Establishing or expanding programs to provide |
2 | vocational-education opportunities to students. Programs |
3 | eligible under this paragraph may include initiatives to |
4 | identify students for vocational-education opportunities, create |
5 | partnerships with existing vocational-education providers and |
6 | create partnerships for internships and externships with |
7 | employers. |
8 | (6) Establishing or expanding parent involvement programs. |
9 | Initiatives eligible under this paragraph include expanded use |
10 | of parent-teacher conferences, establishment of online student |
11 | grading report systems and establishment of school-wide or |
12 | school district-wide activities aimed at fostering greater |
13 | involvement by parents and others in school or school district |
14 | activities. |
15 | (7) Establishing or expanding programs that promote |
16 | connections with local law enforcement, that expand the |
17 | availability, coordination, integration and utilization of |
18 | social and health services and that promote connections with |
19 | other State and local organizations and agencies that exist to |
20 | meet the needs of children and families in addressing issues |
21 | that may serve to limit student academic achievement. |
22 | (8) Establishing or expanding programs to place eligible |
23 | students in alternative education programs. Initiatives under |
24 | this paragraph may include the use of priority assistance grant |
25 | for education funds to finance the placement of eligible |
26 | students in existing alternative education programs. |
27 | (9) Establishing or expanding programs to educate students |
28 | about and to train school employes to prevent bullying, threats |
29 | and other abusive behaviors. |
30 | (10) Establishing or expanding programs to provide mentoring |
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1 | opportunities to school employes who have been employed by a |
2 | qualifying school district for less than five (5) years or who |
3 | are newly assigned to a school building impacted by a program |
4 | under this subsection. Initiatives under this paragraph shall |
5 | provide opportunities for such school employes to learn from |
6 | colleagues and receive targeted professional development. |
7 | (11) Making expenditures essential to the continued |
8 | operation of the school district or reinstating any initiative, |
9 | course offering or other academic program not otherwise |
10 | enumerated in this subsection that was eliminated or curtailed |
11 | during the school year in which priority assistance grant for |
12 | education funds under subsection (e) are allocated or during the |
13 | school year immediately preceding the school year in which |
14 | priority assistance grant for education funds are allocated: |
15 | Provided, That a qualifying school district that elects to use |
16 | grant funds under this paragraph shall be subject to the |
17 | provisions of subsection (g). |
18 | (12) In years subsequent to the first year in which priority |
19 | assistance grant for education funds under subsection (e) are |
20 | allocated, a qualifying school district may use such funds to |
21 | maintain any program or expenditure authorized in this |
22 | subsection. |
23 | (e) During the 2012-2013 school year and each school year |
24 | thereafter, a school district that qualifies for the program |
25 | under subsection (b) shall receive a priority assistance grant |
26 | for education, calculated as follows: |
27 | (1) Determine the percentage of students who scored below |
28 | proficient on the 2009-2010 PSSA tests in reading by dividing |
29 | the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district on |
30 | which students scored below proficient in reading during the |
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1 | 2009-2010 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored |
2 | in reading in the school district during the 2009-2010 school |
3 | year. |
4 | (2) Determine the percentage of students who scored below |
5 | proficient on the 2009-2010 PSSA tests in mathematics by |
6 | dividing the number of PSSA tests administered in the school |
7 | district on which students scored below proficient in |
8 | mathematics during the 2009-2010 school year by the total number |
9 | of PSSA tests scored in mathematics in the school district |
10 | during the 2009-2010 school year. |
11 | (3) Divide the sum of paragraphs (1) and (2) by 2.0. |
12 | (4) Multiply the quotient from paragraph (3) by the adjusted |
13 | average daily membership of the school district for the |
14 | 2009-2010 school year. |
15 | (5) Multiply the product from paragraph (4) by the sum of |
16 | 1.0 and the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced- |
17 | price meals under the National School Lunch Program during the |
18 | 2009-2010 school year. The percentage of students under this |
19 | paragraph shall be calculated by dividing the number of students |
20 | eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the 2009-2010 |
21 | school year by the adjusted average daily membership of the |
22 | school district for the 2009-2010 school year. |
23 | (6) Multiply the product from paragraph (5) by the quotient |
24 | of one hundred thousand (100,000) and the 2009 personal income |
25 | per adjusted average daily membership of the school district. |
26 | (7) Multiply the product from paragraph (6) by the market |
27 | value/personal income aid ratio of the school district for the |
28 | 2011-2012 school year. |
29 | (8) Divide the product from paragraph (7) by the sum of the |
30 | products of paragraph (6) for all qualifying school districts. |
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1 | (9) Multiply the quotient from paragraph (8) by thirty |
2 | million dollars ($30,000,000). |
3 | (f) (1) Within fifteen (15) days of the effective date of |
4 | this section and no later than June 1 of each year thereafter, |
5 | the Department of Education shall notify a school district that |
6 | qualifies for the program under subsection (b) of the amount of |
7 | priority assistance grant for education funds it will receive |
8 | under subsection (e) and of the programs authorized under |
9 | subsection (d). |
10 | (2) No later than forty-five (45) days after a qualifying |
11 | school district receives the notice under paragraph (1), the |
12 | board of school directors shall submit a priority assistance |
13 | plan to the Department of Education. The priority assistance |
14 | plan shall be developed and submitted to the board of school |
15 | directors by the school leadership team established under |
16 | subsection (c). A qualifying school district that fails to |
17 | establish a school leadership team under subsection (c) and |
18 | submit a priority assistance plan under this paragraph shall |
19 | forfeit its priority assistance grant for education funds under |
20 | subsection (e). The priority assistance plan shall include: |
21 | (i) The program or programs under subsection (d) that |
22 | priority assistance grant for education funds will be used to |
23 | support. |
24 | (ii) The amount of priority assistance grant for education |
25 | funds used for each program identified under subparagraph (i). |
26 | (iii) A detailed description of each program for which |
27 | priority assistance grant for education funds will be used. |
28 | (iv) A description of the academic accountability measures |
29 | the school district will use to measure the impact the program |
30 | or programs identified under subparagraph (i) have on students. |
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1 | (v) An indication of whether the program or programs |
2 | identified under subparagraph (i) are new, an expansion of |
3 | existing programs or a reinstatement of programs that were |
4 | previously eliminated or curtailed. |
5 | (3) Where a qualifying school district's priority assistance |
6 | plan under paragraph (2) indicates that it intends to use |
7 | twenty-five percent (25%) or more of its priority assistance |
8 | grant for education funds pursuant to subsection (d)(11), such |
9 | qualifying school district shall be subject to the provisions of |
10 | subsection (g). |
11 | (4) No later than October 1, 2012, and September 1 of each |
12 | year thereafter, the Department of Education shall pay priority |
13 | assistance grant for education funds pursuant to subsection (e) |
14 | to a qualifying school district that complies with paragraphs |
15 | (2) and (3). |
16 | (5) No later than March 1, 2013, and March 1 of each year |
17 | thereafter, the Department of Education shall, in consultation |
18 | with the academic excellence advisory commission established |
19 | under subsection (h), submit a report to the Chairman and |
20 | Minority Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, |
21 | the Chairman and Minority Chairman of the Education Committee of |
22 | the Senate, the Chairman and Minority Chairman of the |
23 | Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives and the |
24 | Chairman and Minority Chairman of the Education Committee of the |
25 | House of Representatives summarizing the operation of the |
26 | program for the fiscal year in which the report is submitted. |
27 | The report shall include: |
28 | (i) A description of the operation of the program. |
29 | (ii) A summary of the total amount of priority assistance |
30 | grant for education funds paid to qualifying school districts. |
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1 | (iii) A summary of the uses of priority assistance grant for |
2 | education funds in qualifying school districts. |
3 | (iv) An identification of the number of qualifying school |
4 | districts that used priority assistance grant for education |
5 | funds for each of the programs under subsection (d). |
6 | (v) A listing of each qualifying school district and the |
7 | program or programs under subsection (d) for which priority |
8 | assistance grant for education funds were used. |
9 | (g) (1) Where a qualifying school district's priority |
10 | assistance plan includes expenditures within subsection (f)(3), |
11 | the Secretary of Education shall appoint a State monitor to |
12 | oversee the expenditure of only that portion of the qualifying |
13 | school district's priority assistance grant for education funds |
14 | used for the purpose enumerated under subsection (d)(11). The |
15 | State monitor shall be appointed no later than thirty (30) days |
16 | subsequent to the allocation of priority assistance grant for |
17 | education funds under subsection (e). |
18 | (2) The State monitor shall not be employed by or at any |
19 | time act in any official capacity connected with the qualifying |
20 | school district and shall remain in place for as long as the |
21 | qualifying school district receives priority assistance grant |
22 | for education funds under subsection (e), unless removed by the |
23 | Secretary of Education. |
24 | (3) The State monitor shall have the following powers and |
25 | duties: |
26 | (i) To review the school district's revenues and |
27 | expenditures in order to determine whether any other school |
28 | district resources, other than priority assistance grant for |
29 | education funds, are available for the purposes authorized under |
30 | subsection (d)(11). |
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1 | (ii) To oversee the expenditure of priority assistance grant |
2 | for education funds for the purposes authorized under subsection |
3 | (d)(11). |
4 | (iii) To have access to all records of expenditures made by |
5 | the school district for the purposes authorized under subsection |
6 | (d)(11). |
7 | (h) (1) The Secretary of Education shall appoint members of |
8 | an academic excellence advisory commission, which shall meet at |
9 | least quarterly, at the call of the commission's chairperson. |
10 | (2) The commission shall: |
11 | (i) Review priority assistance plans submitted by qualifying |
12 | school districts under subsection (f)(2). |
13 | (ii) Identify successful, research-based initiatives |
14 | qualifying school districts may use to implement the programs |
15 | identified under subsection (d). |
16 | (iii) Assist the Secretary of Education in the creation and |
17 | maintenance of the clearinghouse established under subsection |
18 | (i). |
19 | (iv) Advise the Secretary of Education in the selection of |
20 | any State monitor appointed under subsection (g). |
21 | (v) Advise the Secretary of Education in the development of |
22 | the report required under subsection (f)(5). |
23 | (3) Commission members shall include: |
24 | (i) The Department of Education's deputy secretary for basic |
25 | education, who shall serve as chairperson. |
26 | (ii) Two (2) members of the State Board of Education. |
27 | (iii) Three (3) teachers who are actively employed by |
28 | Pennsylvania school districts, as recommended by the |
29 | Pennsylvania State Education Association. |
30 | (iv) Three (3) members of Pennsylvania boards of school |
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1 | directors, as recommended by the Pennsylvania School Boards |
2 | Association. |
3 | (v) Three (3) school superintendents who are actively |
4 | employed by Pennsylvania school districts, as recommended by the |
5 | Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. |
6 | (vi) Three (3) principals who are actively employed by |
7 | Pennsylvania school districts, including an elementary school |
8 | principal, a middle school principal and a secondary school |
9 | principal, as recommended by the Pennsylvania Association of |
10 | Elementary and Secondary School Principals. |
11 | (vii) Three (3) parents of students enrolled in school |
12 | districts that qualify for the program under subsection (b), as |
13 | recommended by the Pennsylvania Parent Teacher Association. |
14 | (viii) Three (3) faculty members of certified education |
15 | programs at a Pennsylvania-accredited college or university. |
16 | (i) The Secretary of Education shall, in consultation with |
17 | the academic excellence advisory commission, establish a |
18 | clearinghouse of information, initiatives and research that |
19 | school districts that qualify for the program under subsection |
20 | (b) may use to implement the programs identified under |
21 | subsection (d). The contents of the clearinghouse shall be |
22 | updated quarterly with the most current information, initiatives |
23 | and research and made available to qualifying school districts |
24 | through the Department of Education's publicly accessible |
25 | Internet website. |
26 | (j) (1) The Department of Education shall establish |
27 | reporting procedures and auditing guidelines to ensure that |
28 | priority assistance grant for education funds are utilized in |
29 | accordance with subsection (d). |
30 | (2) A school district shall maintain separate accounts in |
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1 | its budget to facilitate monitoring the use of the priority |
2 | assistance grant for education funds. |
3 | (3) The Department of Education shall reduce the amount of a |
4 | State subsidy payment to a school district that qualifies for |
5 | the program under subsection (b) by an amount equal to the |
6 | amount of any priority assistance grant for education funds |
7 | under subsection (e) that are not used in accordance with |
8 | subsection (d). |
9 | (4) No later than September 1, 2013, and September 1 of each |
10 | year thereafter, the Auditor General shall issue a report on the |
11 | program under this section. |
12 | (5) No school district may place priority assistance grant |
13 | for education funds under this section in a reserve account. |
14 | (k) Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or |
15 | otherwise affect the rights, remedies and procedures afforded |
16 | school or school district employes under Federal, State or local |
17 | laws, including applicable regulations or court orders, or under |
18 | the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of |
19 | understanding or other agreements between such employes and |
20 | their employers. |
21 | Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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