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Legislative Deadlines
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to meet next week as the deadline (June 6) for action on bills approaches. The House will be voting on the controversial gambling bill, which in committee failed to get a recommendation for adoption. However, the vote was very close, 23-22, leading to further speculation regarding the full membership vote during next week's House session. The Senate Ways & Means Committee announced lower revenue estimates than those adopted by the House, which impacts the Senate Finance Committee's budget development work. The deadline to act on the budget is June 6; the deadline to form Committees of Conference is June 13; the deadline to complete Committee of Conference work and sign reports is June 20; the deadline for House and Senate action on Committee of Conference reports is Thursday, June 27.
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SB 82 - Strategies for Developing and Implementing a Competency-Based Education System
SB 82 establishes a commission for the purpose of identifying strategies needed for developing and implementing a competency-based public education system. The 34-member commission includes people representing school boards, teachers, administrators, parents, charter schools, special education and post-secondary institutions. The commission is charged with I. Creating a report defining the development and implementation of a competency-based public education system which is based on each student attaining mastery of required competencies regardless of the learning environment; II. Identify multiple models and strategies of financing a competency-based public education; III. Identify the roles educators will play in a competency-based public education system; IV. Identify multiple models and strategies of financing for a competency-based education system in school districts of various sizes and financial capabilities; V. Identify support structures needed to facilitate the successful implementation of a competency-based system; VI. Identify potential barriers to successfully implementing a competency-based system; VII. Make recommendations for legislation that will facilitate the implementation of a competency-based system; and VIII. Not suggest or identify any new tax source to fund the commission's recommendation. The Commission's report is due on or before October 31, 2014. The bill has been under review by a House Education sub-committee, which voted this week to recommend to the House Education Committee that the bill be retained for further review and deliberation.
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SB 27 - Special Education - Program Monitoring
SB 27 requires the department of education to evaluate the effectiveness of the special education program approval and monitoring system in 2015. Current law required such a review in 2010, and decennially thereafter. This bill requires the Department of Education to select and contract with an independent organization to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiencies of the program approval and monitoring systems of programs for children with disabilities in 2015 and decennially thereafter. Additionally, the proposed legislation requires the Department to submit a written response to a comparable report summarizing a 2012 evaluation by September 1, 2013. The Department's written response must detail the Department's plan to address areas identified as needing improvement and other recommendations within the report including specific steps the Department plans to take to implement the report's recommendations and a timeline for each step.
The bill has been under review by a House Education sub-committee, which heard from the Department that the current funding for the state's educational programs for children with disabilities is derived from federal grants, and any costs incurred by the activities associated with the implementation of the proposed legislation would not be reimbursable with federal funds. Accordingly, the Department stated any costs associated with the proposed legislation would have to be borne by the state's general fund. Based on the cost of the 2012 evaluation, the Department estimates the 2015 evaluation would increase state expenditures by $75,000 and also require two new employees, one full time and one part time.
The sub-committee voted this week to recommend to the House Education Committee that the bill be adopted.
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SB 97 - High School Equivalency
SB 97 replaces references to the GED certificate with "high school equivalency". The General Educational Development (GED) Testing Service develops and distributes the GED Tests. The program gives adults and out-of-school youth an opportunity to demonstrate their academic skills and earn a New Hampshire High School Equivalency Certificate. This program will change for New Hampshire on January 1, 2014. The NH Board of Education has selected HiSet, published by Educational Testing Service, as the NH High School Equivalency Test for 2014. SB 97 changes NH's statutory reference, replacing "GED" with "high school equivalency". A House Education subcommittee has reviewed the bill and voted to recommend to the House Education Committee that the bill be adopted.
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HB 142 - Teacher Evaluation Update
HB 142 affirms that the school board is responsible for the adoption of a teacher evaluation system. The House approved language requiring local boards to adopt a "teacher evaluation and support system to be used in the school district or school for the continual improvement of instruction." The Senate deleted the reference to a "support system" as well as House language that included a reference to collective bargaining rights under RSA 273-A. Both the House and Senate versions include language stating that boards may consider any resources they deem reasonable, including any resources provided by the Department of Education. The House will likely nonconcur with the Senate amendment and request a Committee of Conference when the House meets next Wednesday.
ACTION ITEM
The House will likely formally request a Committee of Conference when it meets on May 22. Assuming the Senate accepts, the House Speaker and Senate President will name conferees to meet and work on reaching a compromise. It is important for school board members to share their opposition to statutory language requiring teacher support systems, or bargaining rights relevant to local school board policy. All Senate members, especially conferees, will need to strongly support the Senate position. NHSBA will continue to monitor the progress of HB 142 and notify school boards when conferees are named.
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