exempt

                                                   (Reprinted with amendments adopted on June 2, 2003)

 

Senate Bill No. 210–Committee on Finance

 

(On Behalf of the Legislative Committee on
Education (NRS 218.5352))

 

February 26, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Finance

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing regional training programs for professional development of teachers and administrators. (BDR 34‑636)

 

FISCAL NOTE:    Effect on Local Government: Yes.

                             Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget.

 

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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; revising provisions governing the regional training programs for the professional development of teachers and administrators and the Statewide Council for the Coordination of the Regional Training Programs; 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 391.512 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  391.512  1.  The Clark County School District, Douglas

1-3  County School District, Elko County School District and

1-4  Washoe County School District shall each establish and operate a

1-5  [regional] :

1-6  (a) Regional training program for the professional development

1-7  of teachers and administrators.

1-8  (b) Nevada Early Literacy Intervention Program through the

1-9  regional training program established pursuant to paragraph (a).

1-10      2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, the regional

1-11  training program established by the Clark County School District

2-1  must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-2  are employed by school districts in:

2-3  (a) Clark County;

2-4  (b) Esmeralda County;

2-5  (c) Lincoln County; and

2-6  (d) Nye County.

2-7  3.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, the regional

2-8  training program established by the Douglas County School District

2-9  must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-10  are employed by school districts in:

2-11      (a) Carson City;

2-12      (b) Churchill County;

2-13      (c) Douglas County;

2-14      (d) Lyon County; and

2-15      (e) Mineral County.

2-16      4.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, the regional

2-17  training program established by the Elko County School District

2-18  must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-19  are employed by school districts in:

2-20      (a) Elko County;

2-21      (b) Eureka County;

2-22      (c) Lander County;

2-23      (d) Humboldt County; and

2-24      (e) White Pine County.

2-25      5.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, the regional

2-26  training program established by the Washoe County School District

2-27  must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-28  are employed by school districts in:

2-29      (a) Pershing County;

2-30      (b) Storey County; and

2-31      (c) Washoe County.

2-32      6.  Each regional training program shall, when practicable,

2-33  make reasonable accommodations for the attendance of teachers and

2-34  administrators who are employed by school districts outside the

2-35  primary jurisdiction of the regional training program.

2-36      Sec. 2.  NRS 391.516 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-37      391.516  1.  The Statewide Council for the Coordination of the

2-38  Regional Training Programs, consisting of [eight] nine members, is

2-39  hereby created. The membership of the Council consists of:

2-40      (a) Each coordinator appointed by the governing body of each

2-41  regional training program pursuant to NRS 391.532 . [; and]

2-42      (b) One member of the governing body of each regional training

2-43  program, appointed by the governing body. The member appointed

2-44  pursuant to this paragraph may appoint a designee to serve in his

2-45  place.

3-1  (c) One representative of the Nevada State Education

3-2  Association, appointed by the President of that Association.

3-3  2.  Each coordinator who serves on the Statewide Council is a

3-4  member of the Statewide Council only for the period of his service

3-5  as coordinator of the regional training program pursuant to

3-6  NRS 391.532.

3-7  3.  Each member appointed by the governing body pursuant to

3-8  paragraph (b) of subsection 1 [serves] and the member appointed

3-9  pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1 serve a term of 2 years.

3-10      4.  Members of the Statewide Council serve without salary [or

3-11  compensation for their travel or per diem expenses.] , but are

3-12  entitled to receive the per diem allowance and travel expenses

3-13  provided for state officers and employees generally for each day or

3-14  portion of a day during which a member attends a meeting of the

3-15  Statewide Council or is otherwise engaged in the work of the

3-16  Statewide Council. For the members of the Statewide Council who

3-17  are appointed pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 1,

3-18  the governing body of the regional training program represented

3-19  by those members shall pay the per diem allowance and travel

3-20  expenses. For the member of the Statewide Council who is

3-21  appointed pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1, the Nevada

3-22  State Education Association shall pay the per diem allowance and

3-23  travel expenses.

3-24      5.  The governing bodies of the regional training programs may

3-25  mutually agree to expend a portion of their respective budgets to pay

3-26  for the administrative support of the Statewide Council.

3-27      Sec. 3.  NRS 391.520 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-28      391.520  1.  The Statewide Council shall meet not less than

3-29  four times per year.

3-30      2.  The Statewide Council shall:

3-31      (a) Adopt uniform standards for use by the governing body of

3-32  each regional training program in the review and approval by the

3-33  governing body of the training to be provided by the regional

3-34  training program pursuant to NRS 391.540 and 391.544. The

3-35  standards must ensure that the training provided by the regional

3-36  training programs is of high quality and is effective in addressing

3-37  the training programs specified in subsection 1 of NRS 391.544.

3-38      (b) Coordinate the dissemination of information to school

3-39  districts, administrators and teachers concerning the training,

3-40  programs and services provided by the regional training programs.

3-41      (c) Disseminate information to the regional training programs

3-42  concerning innovative and effective methods to provide professional

3-43  development.

4-1  (d) Conduct long-range planning concerning the professional

4-2  development needs of teachers and administrators employed in this

4-3  state.

4-4  (e) Adopt uniform procedures for use by the governing body of

4-5  each regional training program to report the evaluation conducted

4-6  pursuant to NRS 391.552.

4-7  3.  The Statewide Council may:

4-8  (a) Accept gifts and grants from any source on behalf of one

4-9  or more regional training programs to assist with the training

4-10  provided pursuant to NRS 391.544.

4-11      (b) Comply with applicable federal laws and regulations

4-12  governing the provision of federal grants to assist with the training

4-13  provided pursuant to NRS 391.544, including, without limitation,

4-14  providing money from the budget of the Statewide Council to

4-15  match the money received from a federal grant.

4-16      Sec. 4.  NRS 391.536 is hereby amended to read as follows:

4-17      391.536  1.  On an annual basis, the governing body of each

4-18  regional training program shall review the budget for the program

4-19  and submit a proposed budget to the Legislative Committee on

4-20  Education. The proposed budget must include, without limitation,

4-21  the amount of money requested by the governing body to pay for the

4-22  services of the coordinator of the program appointed pursuant to

4-23  NRS 391.532. In even-numbered years, the proposed budget must

4-24  be submitted to the Legislative Committee on Education at least 4

4-25  months before the commencement of the next regular session of the

4-26  Legislature.

4-27      2.  The governing body of a regional training program may:

4-28      (a) Accept gifts and grants from any source to assist the

4-29  governing body in providing the training required by

4-30  NRS 391.544.

4-31      (b) Comply with applicable federal laws and regulations

4-32  governing the provision of federal grants to assist with the training

4-33  provided pursuant to NRS 391.544, including, without limitation,

4-34  providing money from the budget of the governing body to match

4-35  the money received from a federal grant.

4-36      Sec. 5.  NRS 391.544 is hereby amended to read as follows:

4-37      391.544  1.  Based upon the assessment of needs for training

4-38  within the region and priorities of training adopted by the governing

4-39  body pursuant to NRS 391.540, each regional training program must

4-40  provide:

4-41      (a) Training for teachers in the standards established by the

4-42  Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools

4-43  pursuant to NRS 389.520 . [; and]

4-44      (b) Through the Nevada Early Literacy Intervention Program

4-45  established for the regional training program, training for

5-1  teachers who teach kindergarten and grades 1, 2 or 3 on methods

5-2  to teach fundamental reading skills, including, without limitation:

5-3       (1) Phonemic awareness;

5-4       (2) Phonics;

5-5       (3) Vocabulary;

5-6       (4) Fluency;

5-7       (5) Comprehension; and

5-8       (6) Motivation.

5-9  (c) At least one of the following types of training:

5-10          (1) Training for teachers and school administrators in the

5-11  assessment and measurement of pupil achievement and the effective

5-12  methods to analyze the test results and scores of pupils to improve

5-13  the achievement and proficiency of pupils.

5-14          (2) Training for teachers in specific content areas to enable

5-15  the teachers to provide a higher level of instruction in their

5-16  respective fields of teaching. Such training must include instruction

5-17  in effective methods to teach in a content area provided by teachers

5-18  who are considered masters in that content area.

5-19          (3) [Training] In addition to the training provided pursuant

5-20  to paragraph (b) of subsection 1, training for teachers in the

5-21  methods to teach basic skills to pupils, such as providing instruction

5-22  in reading with the use of phonics and providing instruction in basic

5-23  skills of mathematics computation.

5-24      2.  The training required pursuant to subsection 1 must:

5-25      (a) Include appropriate procedures to ensure follow-up training

5-26  for teachers and administrators who have received training through

5-27  the program.

5-28      (b) Incorporate training that addresses the educational needs of:

5-29          (1) Pupils with disabilities who participate in programs of

5-30  special education; and

5-31          (2) Pupils whose primary language is not English.

5-32      3.  The governing body of each regional training program shall

5-33  prepare and maintain a list that identifies programs for the

5-34  professional development of teachers and administrators that

5-35  successfully incorporate [the] :

5-36      (a) The standards of content and performance established by the

5-37  Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools

5-38  pursuant to NRS 389.520 [and other] ;

5-39      (b) Fundamental reading skills; and

5-40      (c) Other training listed in subsection 1.

5-41  The governing body shall provide a copy of the list on an annual

5-42  basis to school districts for dissemination to teachers and

5-43  administrators.

6-1  4.  A regional training program may include model classrooms

6-2  that demonstrate the use of educational technology for teaching and

6-3  learning.

6-4  Sec. 6.  NRS 391.552 is hereby amended to read as follows:

6-5  391.552  The governing body of each regional training program

6-6  shall:

6-7  1.  Establish a method for the evaluation of the success of the

6-8  regional training program[.] , including, without limitation, the

6-9  Nevada Early Literacy Intervention Program. The method must be

6-10  consistent with the uniform procedures adopted by the Statewide

6-11  Council pursuant to NRS 391.520.

6-12      2.  On or before July 1 of each year, submit an annual report to

6-13  the State Board, the Commission, the Legislative Committee on

6-14  Education and the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability

6-15  and Program Evaluation that includes:

6-16      (a) The priorities for training adopted by the governing body

6-17  pursuant to NRS 391.540 . [;]

6-18      (b) The type of training offered through the program in the

6-19  immediately preceding year . [;]

6-20      (c) The number of teachers and administrators who received

6-21  training through the program in the immediately preceding year . [;]

6-22      (d) An evaluation of the success of the program , including,

6-23  without limitation, the Nevada Early Literacy Intervention

6-24  Program, in accordance with the method established pursuant to

6-25  subsection 1 . [; and]

6-26      (e) A description of the gifts and grants, if any, received by the

6-27  governing body in the immediately preceding year and the gifts

6-28  and grants, if any, received by the Statewide Council during the

6-29  immediately preceding year on behalf of the regional training

6-30  program. The description must include the manner in which the

6-31  gifts and grants were expended.

6-32      (f) The 5-year plan for the program prepared pursuant to NRS

6-33  391.540 and any revisions to the plan made by the governing body

6-34  in the immediately preceding year.

6-35      Sec. 7.  On or before September 1, 2003, the President of the

6-36  Nevada State Education Association shall appoint one member to

6-37  the Statewide Council for the Coordination of the Regional Training

6-38  Programs pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 391.516.

6-39      Sec. 8.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003.

 

6-40  H