exempt

                                                 (Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 17, 2003)

 

Assembly Bill No. 508–Committee on Education

 

March 24, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Education

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing academic standards for certain grade levels to include certain cultural studies. (BDR 34‑1217)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: Yes.

                           Effect on the State: Yes.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to education; requiring the Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools to revise the academic standards in social studies for certain grade levels to include the study of certain cultures; revising related provisions that set forth the core academic subjects in public schools; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1  Section 1. NRS 386.590 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  386.590 1.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection,

1-3  at least 70 percent of the teachers who provide instruction at a

1-4  charter school must be licensed teachers. If a charter school is a

1-5  vocational school, the charter school shall, to the extent practicable,

1-6  ensure that at least 70 percent of the teachers who provide

1-7  instruction at the school are licensed teachers, but in no event may

1-8  more than 50 percent of the teachers who provide instruction at the

1-9  school be unlicensed teachers.

1-10      2.  A governing body of a charter school shall employ:

1-11      (a) If the charter school offers instruction in kindergarten or

1-12  grade 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, a licensed teacher to teach pupils who are

1-13  enrolled in those grades.

2-1  (b) If the charter school offers instruction in grade 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

2-2  11 or 12, a licensed teacher to teach pupils who are enrolled in those

2-3  grades for the following courses of study:

2-4       (1) English, including reading, composition and writing;

2-5       (2) Mathematics;

2-6       (3) Science; and

2-7       (4) Social studies, which includes :

2-8           (I) Except as otherwise provided in sub-subparagraph

2-9  (II), only the subjects of history, geography, economics and

2-10  government.

2-11             (II) In addition to the provisions of sub-subparagraph

2-12  (I), for kindergarten and grades 1 to 5, inclusive, the study of

2-13  cultures of various ethnic and racial groups represented in the

2-14  United States.

2-15      (c) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b):

2-16          (1) If a charter school specializes in arts and humanities,

2-17  physical education or health education, a licensed teacher to teach

2-18  those courses of study.

2-19          (2) If a charter school specializes in the construction industry

2-20  or other building industry, licensed teachers to teach courses of

2-21  study relating to the industry if those teachers are employed full-

2-22  time.

2-23          (3) If a charter school specializes in the construction industry

2-24  or other building industry and the school offers courses of study in

2-25  computer education, technology or business, licensed teachers to

2-26  teach those courses of study if those teachers are employed full-

2-27  time.

2-28      3.  A charter school may employ a person who is not licensed

2-29  pursuant to the provisions of chapter 391 of NRS to teach a course

2-30  of study for which a licensed teacher is not required pursuant to

2-31  subsection 2 if the person has:

2-32      (a) A degree, a license or a certificate in the field for which he is

2-33  employed to teach at the charter school; and

2-34      (b) At least 2 years of experience in that field.

2-35      4.  A charter school may employ such administrators for the

2-36  school as it deems necessary. A person employed as an

2-37  administrator must possess:

2-38      (a) A master’s degree in school administration, public

2-39  administration or business administration; or

2-40      (b) If the person has at least 5 years of experience in

2-41  administration, a baccalaureate degree.

2-42      5.  A charter school shall not employ a person pursuant to this

2-43  section if his license to teach or provide other educational services

2-44  has been revoked or suspended in this state or another state.

3-1  6.  On or before November 15 of each year, a charter school

3-2  shall submit to the Department, in a format prescribed by the

3-3  Superintendent of Public Instruction, the following information for

3-4  each licensed employee who is employed by the governing body on

3-5  October 1 of that year:

3-6  (a) The amount of salary of the employee; and

3-7  (b) The designated assignment, as that term is defined by the

3-8  Department, of the employee.

3-9  Sec. 2. NRS 389.018 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-10      389.018  1.  The following subjects are designated as the core

3-11  academic subjects that must be taught, as applicable for grade

3-12  levels, in all public schools, the Caliente Youth Center and the

3-13  Nevada Youth Training Center:

3-14      (a) English, including reading, composition and writing;

3-15      (b) Mathematics;

3-16      (c) Science; and

3-17      (d) Social studies, which includes :

3-18          (1) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (2), only

3-19  the subjects of history, geography, economics and government.

3-20          (2) In addition to the provisions of subparagraph (1), for

3-21  kindergarten and grades 1 to 5, inclusive, the study of cultures of

3-22  various ethnic and racial groups represented in the United States.

3-23      2.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, in addition

3-24  to the core academic subjects, the following subjects must be taught

3-25  as applicable for grade levels and to the extent practicable in all

3-26  public schools, the Caliente Youth Center and the Nevada Youth

3-27  Training Center:

3-28      (a) The arts;

3-29      (b) Computer education and technology;

3-30      (c) Health; and

3-31      (d) Physical education.

3-32  If the State Board requires the completion of course work in a

3-33  subject area set forth in this subsection for graduation from high

3-34  school or promotion to the next grade, a public school shall offer the

3-35  required course work. Unless a subject is required for graduation

3-36  from high school or promotion to the next grade, a charter school is

3-37  not required to comply with this subsection.

3-38      Sec. 3. NRS 389.520 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-39      389.520  1.  The Council shall:

3-40      (a) Establish standards of content and performance, including,

3-41  without limitation, a prescription of the resulting level of

3-42  achievement, for the grade levels set forth in subsection 2, based

3-43  upon the content of each course, that is expected of pupils for the

3-44  following courses of study:

3-45          (1) English, including reading, composition and writing;

4-1       (2) Mathematics;

4-2      (3) Science;

4-3       (4) Social studies, which includes :

4-4           (I) Except as otherwise provided in sub-subparagraph

4-5  (II), only the subjects of history, geography, economics and

4-6  government [;] .

4-7           (II) In addition to the provisions of sub-subparagraph

4-8  (I), for kindergarten and grades 1 to 5, inclusive, the study of

4-9  cultures of various ethnic and racial groups represented in the

4-10  United States;

4-11          (5) The arts;

4-12          (6) Computer education and technology;

4-13          (7) Health; and

4-14          (8) Physical education.

4-15      (b) Establish a schedule for the periodic review and, if

4-16  necessary, revision of the standards of content and performance. The

4-17  review must include, without limitation, the review required

4-18  pursuant to NRS 389.570 of the results of pupils on the

4-19  examinations administered pursuant to NRS 389.550.

4-20      (c) Assign priorities to the standards of content and performance

4-21  relative to importance and degree of emphasis and revise the

4-22  standards, if necessary, based upon the priorities.

4-23      2.  The Council shall establish standards of content and

4-24  performance for each grade level in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8,

4-25  inclusive, for English and mathematics. The Council shall establish

4-26  standards of content and performance for the grade levels selected

4-27  by the Council for the other courses of study prescribed in

4-28  subsection 1.

4-29      3.  The State Board shall adopt the standards of content and

4-30  performance established by the Council.

4-31      4.  The Council shall work in cooperation with the State Board

4-32  to prescribe the examinations required by NRS 389.550.

4-33      Sec. 4.  The Council to Establish Academic Standards for

4-34  Public Schools shall:

4-35      1.  On or before January 1, 2004, revise the standards of content

4-36  and performance for social studies to comply with the amendatory

4-37  provisions of section 3 of this act.

4-38      2.  On or before February 1, 2005, submit the revised standards

4-39  to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to

4-40  the 73rd Session of the Nevada Legislature.

4-41      Sec. 5. On or before April 1, 2004, the State Board of

4-42  Education shall adopt the standards of content and performance for

4-43  social studies revised by the Council to Establish Academic

4-44  Standards for Public Schools pursuant to the amendatory provisions

5-1  of section 3 of this act. The revised standards must be carried out in

5-2  elementary schools commencing with the 2004-2005 school year.

5-3  Sec. 6. 1.  This section and sections 3, 4 and 5 of this act

5-4  become effective on July 1, 2003.

5-5  2.  Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective on

5-6  July 1, 2004.

 

5-7  H