CSSB 194(EDC) Summary

• Designates schools in the bottom three percent of state performance as "low-performing" schools requiring improvement plans developed with maximum public participation from teachers, parents, students, and community members.

• Establishes department support measures for low-performing schools including assigning an education specialist, conducting operations audits, providing teacher and principal incentives, offering technical assistance, and implementing curriculum guidance.

• Requires external academic performance audits for two years following low-performing designation to identify reasons for poor performance based on curriculum, assessment, instruction, learning environment, professional development, and leadership.

• Creates revitalization designation and advisory councils for schools that remain low-performing after three consecutive years of improvement efforts, with councils consisting of up to 13 members including parents, teachers, community leaders, school board members, and department representatives.

• Mandates department reports to legislature by January 1, 2014 and October 1, 2019 on school revitalization monitoring, model comparisons, and progress indicators including discipline incidents, attendance rates, dropout rates, and teacher retention.