Assembly Bill No. 510–Committee on Education

 

March 24, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Education

 

SUMMARY—Requires State Board of Education to prescribe course to prepare pupils for high school proficiency examination and college entrance examinations. (BDR 34‑1239)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: Yes.

                           Effect on the State: Yes.

 

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

 

AN ACT relating to education; requiring the State Board of Education to prescribe a course of study to prepare pupils to pass the high school proficiency examination and college entrance examinations; requiring the boards of trustees of school districts to offer the course of study to pupils enrolled in high school; revising provisions governing the informational pamphlet concerning the high school proficiency examination to include a description of the course of study; 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. Chapter 389 of NRS is hereby amended by adding

1-2  thereto a new section to read as follows:

1-3  1.  The State Board shall prescribe, by regulation, a course of

1-4  study that is designed to assist pupils enrolled in high school with

1-5  passing the high school proficiency examination and the college

1-6  entrance examinations. The course of study must:

1-7  (a) Be consistent with the statewide program to prepare pupils

1-8  for the high school proficiency examination established pursuant

1-9  to NRS 389.0175; and

2-1  (b) Ensure the security and confidentiality of the high school

2-2  proficiency examination in accordance with the plan for test

2-3  security adopted by the Department pursuant to NRS 389.616.

2-4  2.  The board of trustees of each school district shall offer the

2-5  course of study prescribed by the State Board pursuant to

2-6  subsection 1 as an elective to pupils enrolled in high school in the

2-7  school district.

2-8  Sec. 2.  NRS 389.0173 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-9  389.0173  1.  The Department shall develop an informational

2-10  pamphlet concerning the high school proficiency examination for

2-11  pupils who are enrolled in junior high, middle school and high

2-12  school, and their parents and legal guardians. The pamphlet must

2-13  include a written explanation of the:

2-14      (a) Importance of passing the examination, including, without

2-15  limitation, an explanation that if the pupil fails the examination he is

2-16  not eligible to receive a standard high school diploma;

2-17      (b) Subject areas tested on the examination;

2-18      (c) Format for the examination, including, without limitation,

2-19  the range of items that are contained on the examination;

2-20      (d) Manner by which the scaled score, as reported to pupils and

2-21  their parents or legal guardians, is derived from the raw score;

2-22      (e) Timeline by which the results of the examination must be

2-23  reported to pupils and their parents or legal guardians;

2-24      (f) Maximum number of times that a pupil is allowed to take the

2-25  examination if he fails to pass the examination after the first

2-26  administration; [and]

2-27      (g) Courses of study that the Department recommends that

2-28  pupils take to prepare the pupils to successfully meet the academic

2-29  challenges of the examination and pass the examination[.] ; and

2-30      (h) Course of study prescribed by the State Board pursuant to

2-31  section 1 of this act to assist pupils enrolled in high school with

2-32  passing the high school proficiency examination and the college

2-33  entrance examinations.

2-34      2.  The Department shall review the pamphlet on an annual

2-35  basis and make such revisions to the pamphlet as it considers

2-36  necessary to ensure that pupils and their parents or legal guardians

2-37  fully understand the examination.

2-38      3.  On or before September 1, the Department shall provide a

2-39  copy of the pamphlet or revised pamphlet to the board of trustees of

2-40  each school district and the governing body of each charter school

2-41  that includes pupils enrolled in a junior high, middle school or high

2-42  school grade level.

2-43      4.  The board of trustees of each school district shall provide a

2-44  copy of the pamphlet to each junior high, middle school or high

2-45  school within the school district for posting. The governing body of

3-1  each charter school shall ensure that a copy of the pamphlet is

3-2  posted at the charter school. Each principal of a junior high, middle

3-3  school, high school or charter school shall ensure that the teachers,

3-4  counselors and administrators employed at the school fully

3-5  understand the contents of the pamphlet.

3-6  5.  On or before January 15, the:

3-7  (a) Board of trustees of each school district shall provide a copy

3-8  of the pamphlet to each pupil who is enrolled in a junior high,

3-9  middle school or high school of the school district and to the parents

3-10  or legal guardians of such a pupil.

3-11      (b) Governing body of each charter school shall provide a copy

3-12  of the pamphlet to each pupil who is enrolled in the charter school at

3-13  a junior high, middle school or high school grade level and to the

3-14  parents or legal guardians of such a pupil.

3-15      Sec. 3.  The informational pamphlet concerning the high

3-16  school proficiency examination that is prepared by the Department

3-17  of Education pursuant to section 2 of this act on or before

3-18  September 1, 2003, must:

3-19      1.  Include, to the extent such information is available at the

3-20  time the pamphlet is prepared, information on the course of study

3-21  prescribed by the State Board pursuant to section 1 of this act to

3-22  assist pupils enrolled in high school with passing the high school

3-23  proficiency examination and the college entrance examinations.

3-24      2.  Indicate that the course of study will be available for pupils

3-25  enrolled in high school commencing with the spring semester of

3-26  2004.

3-27      Sec. 4.  1.  This section and sections 2 and 3 of this act

3-28  become effective on July 1, 2003.

3-29      2.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective on July 1, 2003, for

3-30  the purpose of adopting regulations and on January 1, 2004, for all

3-31  other purposes.

 

3-32  H