Synopsis of Committee Amendments Legislative Service Commission |
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Sub.
H.B. 276 126th General Assembly (S. Education) Harassment, intimidation, and bullyingProhibits the Auditor of State from prescribing the content or operation of a school district's or community school's anti-harassment policy. Requires school districts,
community schools, and educational service centers to provide elementary school
employees with training in violence and substance abuse prevention and positive
youth development (in addition to child abuse prevention, as under current
law). Achievement testing and diagnostic assessmentsEliminates the summer administration of the third
grade reading achievement test. Allows students who otherwise must pass the former
ninth grade proficiency tests for high school graduation but who have not
fulfilled the curriculum requirements for a diploma by September 15, 2006, to
meet the graduation testing requirement by passing any combination of
proficiency tests and Ohio Graduation Tests in the five tested subjects. Requires school districts and community schools to
administer the kindergarten readiness assessment between four weeks prior to
the start of school and October 1. Student informationProvides for the assignment of EMIS student data
verification codes for children receiving early intervention services under the
Help Me Grow program. Permits the Department of Education to have access
to personally identifiable information about a student if the Department needs
the information to (1) notify the student's school district or school of threats or
descriptions of harm included in the student's response to an achievement test
question, (2) verify the accuracy of the student's achievement test score, or
(3) determine whether the student satisfies the alternative conditions for a
high school diploma. Community schoolsExpands the definition of community school operator
to include a nonprofit organization that provides programmatic oversight and
support to the school and retains the right to terminate its affiliation with
the school for failure to meet quality standards. Allows community schools established outside of the
statewide caps to be managed by operators not currently managing schools in
Ohio. Permits a school district to include the academic
performance data of a community school located in the district on the district
report card if the district (1) leases a building to the school or (2) has an
agreement with the school to endorse each other's programs. Specifies a procedure for a parent to waive
entitlement to a computer from an Internet- or computer-based community school. Other provisionsRepeals the authorization for teachers to
temporarily teach a subject area or grade for which they are not licensed. Permits a school district to renew the contract of a
director, supervisor, or coach of a pupil-activity program who is not a
licensed educator without first offering that position to a licensed educator. Revises the requirements for textbook publishers to
file the wholesale prices of electronic files containing code for translating
textbooks into Braille and other formats for the blind and visually impaired. Permits temporary deficits in school district
special funds if state payments to cover the deficits are pending and the
unspent and unencumbered balance in the district's general fund exceeds the
aggregate deficit amounts. Permits the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
waiver the minimum number of school days in the 2006-2007 school year for a
joint vocational school district that experiences delays in a state-assisted
construction project. Permits the boards of trustees of Rio Grande
Community College and the University of Rio Grande to enter into a contract to
have the university operate the community college and to employ a joint
president. H0276-126.doc/ss 12/14/06 |