AB669: Bill Text

AB669,15,13 119.16 (1c) Standards for literacy and mathematics curricula. The board shall establish minimum standards for literacy and mathematics curricula employed in schools in the school district. The board shall require each school in the district to annually submit a report to the board regarding the literacy and mathematics curricula employed in the school and shall annually evaluate the efficacy of the curricula employed in schools in the district.

AB669, s. 32 Section 32. 119.16 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,15,22 119.16 (3m) Master facilities plan. (a) No later than December 1, 2010, the board shall evaluate all school buildings in the school district operating under this chapter according to the criteria established under par. (b), and shall develop a master plan governing the use, repair, renovation, and demolition of buildings in the school district. The master plan shall include procedures for notifying the partnership for success committee, created under s. 119.11, in the event that the board determines that one or more school buildings will be closed or demolished and the pupils in those buildings reassigned to other buildings in the school district.

AB669,16,2 (b) The board shall establish criteria to evaluate the safety, structural integrity, utility, and costs of maintenance and repair of school buildings in the school district. Subject to the requirements under sub. (10), the criteria shall include consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of repairing versus demolishing older buildings having high maintenance or operating costs.

AB669, s. 33 Section 33. 119.16 (7) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,16,6 119.16 (7) Parent involvement committee. The board shall establish a parent involvement committee to handle parent issues and complaints and to foster parental involvement in the schools.

AB669, s. 34 Section 34. 119.16 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,16,10 119.16 (9) Financial reporting; budgeting; accountability. (a) The board shall submit quarterly financial reports to all of the following and shall make the financial reports available to the public on the school district's Internet Web site:

AB669,16,11 1. The state superintendent.

AB669,16,12 2. The mayor.

AB669,16,13 3. The city comptroller.

AB669,16,14 4. The personnel and finance committee of the common council.

AB669,16,15 5. The joint committee on finance.

AB669,16,17 (b) The board shall annually prepare a budget for each school in the school district operating under this chapter.

AB669,16,19 (c) The board shall maintain a chief accountability office to ensure financial accountability.

AB669, s. 35 Section 35. 119.16 (11) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,16,23 119.16 (11) Board training. Each member of the board shall annually attend a professional training program related to the duties of their position on the board offered by a national or locally recognized association of school boards.

AB669, s. 36 Section 36. 119.16 (12) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,17,4 119.16 (12) Professional development and training. (a) The board shall establish a professional development and training program for principals employed by the board and may require a principal employed by the board to attend the program.

AB669,17,8 (b) The board shall establish training programs related to teaching multicultural pupils and children with disabilities, as defined in s. 115.76 (5). The board shall require all teachers, support staff, and administrators employed by the board to annually complete the training programs established under this paragraph.

AB669, s. 37 Section 37. 119.16 (13) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,17,13 119.16 (13) Public transportation for middle school pupils. The board shall ensure that pupils enrolled in the school district operating under this chapter in the middle school grades are able to be transported to and from school by a mass transit system, as defined in s. 85.20 (1) (e), at a reduced fare.

AB669, s. 38 Section 38. 119.16 (14) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,17,24 119.16 (14) Allocation of bonding authority under American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009. The board shall send a communication to the common council of the city regarding any unsecured bonding authority allocated to the board under section 2, division B, title I, subtitle F, part III of P.L. 111-5, stating the amount of unsecured bonding authority allocated to the board under section 2, division B, title I, subtitle F, part III of P.L. 111-5, and directing that the unsecured bonding authority be assigned to the department for reallocation as provided under this subsection. The department shall reallocate the bonding authority under this subsection to school districts that meet the following criteria and shall collaborate with the board regarding the reallocation of that bonding authority:

AB669,18,3 (a) At least 50 percent of the school district's membership in the previous school year was eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC 1758 (b). In this paragraph, "membership" has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5).

AB669,18,5 (b) 1. The school board has identified school buildings requiring significant maintenance or improvements.

AB669,18,8 2. The school board proposes improvements to the buildings identified in subd. 1. that are cost effective, technically feasible, and meet nationally recognized green building performance standards.

AB669, s. 39 Section 39. 119.16 (15) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,18,15 119.16 (15) Parent survey. Annually, the board shall conduct a survey of parents of pupils enrolled in the school district operating under this chapter and use the results of the survey to develop or modify parent involvement and school improvement plans. The board shall provide the results of the survey to the partnership for success committee under s. 119.11 and the parent involvement committee under sub. (7).

AB669, s. 40 Section 40. 119.16 (16) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,19,2 119.16 (16) Transition campuses. Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, the board shall designate at least 2 schools as transition campuses and provide for the assignment to a transition campus of disruptive pupils enrolled in the high school grades. The transition campuses shall provide the pupils with additional services and academic assistance in order to address their problems and facilitate their return to their previous schools. The board shall seek to establish partnerships between the transition campuses and local civic organizations or nonprofit corporations in order to provide comprehensive services to pupils attending a transition campus for the purpose of improving their stability, education, health, and economic opportunities.

AB669, s. 41 Section 41. 119.185 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,19,5 119.185 School governance councils. (1) In this section, "parent" has the meaning given in s. 115.76 (12) (a).

AB669,19,12 (2) The board shall ensure that each school in the school district operating under this chapter establishes a school governance council to provide a forum in which pupils enrolled in the school, the parents of pupils enrolled in the school, teachers, administrators, and other employees at the school, and members of the community may work together to analyze and make recommendations for the improvement of school policies, curricula, and educational plans at the school and the well-being of pupils enrolled in the school.

AB669,19,16 (3) (a) Members of a school governance council shall be elected in the manner provided under sub. (5) (a). Except as provided in par. (b), the number of members of a school governance council shall be determined by multiplying 0.01 by the number of pupils enrolled in the school. Each council shall consist of the following members:

AB669,19,20 1. Parents of pupils enrolled in the school, except that no parent elected to the council under this subdivision may be a paid employee of the school. At least 51 percent of the members of a school governance council shall be elected under this subdivision.

AB669,19,21 2. The principal of the school or his or her designee.

AB669,19,23 3. If the school has pupils enrolled in the middle school, junior high school, or high school grades, one pupil who is enrolled in the school in grade 6 or higher.

AB669,19,25 4. At least one person who is employed at the school as a teacher or support staff.

AB669,20,2 5. At least one person who is a resident of the city and who does not qualify for membership on the council under subds. 1. to 4.

AB669,20,6 (b) 1. Subject to the requirement under par. (a) 1., if the number of members determined under par. (a) is an even number, the board shall increase the membership of the council by one member in any one category, to be determined by the board.

AB669,20,7 2. No school governance council may have fewer than 9 members.

AB669,20,10 3. A school governance council may vote to increase the number of members on the council, but the number of members on the council shall always be an odd number.

AB669,20,14 (4) A school governance council may, on its own initiative or upon the written petition of a majority of the teachers of the school for which the council is established, direct the principal of the school to attend a professional development and training program established under s. 119.16 (12).

AB669,20,16 (5) The board shall establish policies and procedures governing all of the following:

AB669,20,19 (a) The nomination and election of initial members to a school governance council and for the transfer of the nomination and election process to the council following the first election.

AB669,20,24 (b) The manner of filling vacancies in the membership of the council that occur prior to the expiration of a term. The board shall permit the partnership for success committee, created under s. 119.11, to nominate persons to fill vacancies on the council. A person nominated by the partnership for success committee may fill a vacancy only upon the approval of a majority of the members serving on the council.

AB669,20,25 (c) The terms of office of council members.

AB669,21,1 (d) The selection of officers.

AB669,21,2 (e) The location and frequency of meetings.

AB669,21,4 (f) The powers, duties, and responsibilities of councils and the powers and duties of individual council members.

AB669,21,6 (g) The reimbursement of expenses incurred by council members in connection with their powers and duties.

AB669, s. 42 Section 42. 119.23 (11) of the statutes is renumbered 119.23 (11) (a).

AB669, s. 43 Section 43. 119.23 (11) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,21,15 119.23 (11) (b) 1. The department and the board shall jointly develop a survey to be taken by a parent who moves his or her child from a private school participating in the program under this section to a public school in the city or from a public school in the city to a private school participating in the program under this section. The survey shall include questions related to the decision of the parent to enroll the child in the private or public school and move the child from one educational setting to the other and shall be taken during the enrollment process.

AB669,21,20 2. a. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, the board shall annually administer the survey developed under subd. 1. to the parent of a pupil who was enrolled in the program under this section after the effective date of this subd. 2. a. .... [LRB inserts date], if the parent withdraws the pupil from the program under this section and enrolls the pupil instead in a public school in the city.

AB669,22,2 b. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, each private school participating in the program under this section shall annually administer the survey developed under subd. 1. to the parent of a pupil who was enrolled in a public school in the city after the effective date of this subd. 2. b. .... [LRB inserts date], if the parent withdraws the pupil from a public school in the city and enrolls the pupil instead in the private school.

AB669,22,7 3. Annually, by July 1, the board shall submit to the department, the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) the results of the surveys administered under subd. 2., and shall, subject to s. 118.125, upon request by any person, make information obtained from the surveys available for review.

AB669, s. 44 Section 44. 119.31 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,22,11 119.31 Achievement guarantee contracts for 9th grade pupils. (1) In this section, "class" means a core curriculum course, as determined by the department.

AB669,22,17 (2) If the department determines that state or federal aid is available to reduce class size in 9th grade classes in the district, the board may apply to the department on behalf of schools in the district that enroll 9th grade pupils to receive the state or federal aid and reduce class size as provided in this section. The board shall select for participation in the program under this section schools in the district with the lowest graduation rates.

AB669,22,22 (3) In the first school year in which funding is determined to be available, the board may enter into an achievement guarantee contract with the department on behalf of one or more schools in the district. An achievement guarantee contract under this section shall require the board to do all of the following in each participating school:

AB669,22,23 (a) Reduce each 9th grade class size to no more than 20.

AB669,22,25 (b) Keep the school open every day from early in the morning until late in the day, as specified in the contract.

AB669,23,3 (c) Collaborate with community organizations to make educational and recreational opportunities, as well as a variety of community and social services, available in the school to all residents in the school's attendance area.

AB669,23,5 (d) 1. Provide a rigorous academic curriculum designed to improve pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,9 2. In consultation with the department and with the participation of the school's teachers and administrators and residents in the school's attendance area, review the school's current 9th grade curriculum to determine how well it promotes 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,11 3. If necessary, outline any changes to the curriculum to improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,14 (e) 1. Develop a one-year program for all newly hired employees that helps them make the transition from their previous employment or school to their current employment.

AB669,23,15 2. Provide time for employees to collaborate and plan.

AB669,23,20 3. Require that each teacher and administrator submit to the board a professional development plan that focuses on how the individual will help improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement. The plan shall include a method by which the individual will receive evaluations on the success of his or her efforts from a variety of sources.

AB669,23,22 4. Regularly review staff development plans to determine if they are effective in helping to improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,24 5. Establish an evaluation process for professional staff members that does all of the following:

AB669,23,25 a. Identifies individual strengths and weaknesses.

AB669,24,1 b. Clearly describes areas in need of improvement.

AB669,24,2 c. Includes a support plan that provides opportunities to learn and improve.

AB669,24,3 d. Systematically documents performance in accordance with the support plan.

AB669,24,5 e. Allows professional staff members to comment on and contribute to revisions in the evaluation process.

AB669,24,7 (4) Each achievement guarantee contract under this section shall include all of the following:

AB669,24,10 (a) A description of how the school will implement each of the elements under sub. (3), including any alternative class configurations for specific educational activities that may be used to meet the class size requirement under sub. (3) (a).

AB669,24,12 (b) A description of the method that the board will use to evaluate the academic achievement of the 9th grade pupils enrolled in the school.

AB669,24,16 (c) A description of the school's performance objectives for the academic achievement of the 9th grade pupils enrolled in the school and the means that will be used to evaluate success in attaining the objectives. Performance objectives shall include all of the following:

AB669,24,17 1. The attainment of any educational goals adopted by the board.

AB669,24,19 2. Professional development with the objective of improving pupil academic achievement.

AB669,24,21 3. Methods by which the school involves pupils, parents or guardians of pupils, and other residents of the school attendance area in decisions affecting the school.

AB669,24,23 (d) A description of any statute or rule that is waived under s. 118.38 if the waiver is related to the contract.

AB669,24,25 (e) A description of the means by which the department will monitor compliance with the terms of the contract.

AB669, s. 45 Section 45. 119.315 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,25,9 119.315 Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pilot programs for pupils in grades kindergarten to 5. If the board determines that state or federal aid is available, any school in the city that enrolls pupils in grades kindergarten to 5 is eligible to apply to the board for funding to participate in a pilot program designed to develop innovative instructional programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; support pupils who are typically under-represented in these subjects; and increase the academic achievement of pupils in those subjects.