Reference is to the bill as introduced.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 19, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-19-360.
(A)(1) If a district or school is
seeking to implement competency-based education, the State Board
of Education may exempt the school from state laws, policies,
and regulations that hinder the implementation of certain
competency-based practices. A district that wishes to obtain an
exemption shall submit a waiver application to the State Board
of Education in a format developed by the State Department of
Education. To be considered, a waiver application must:
(a)
be approved by the local school district board of
trustees;
(b)
explain why the waiver is necessary and how it will
support implementation;
(c)
be aligned to the district strategic plan; and
(d)
provide for the implementation of the strategies described
in the waiver application for all students in the school, which
may be implemented in phases over a period of five or fewer
years.
(2)
A district must show evidence of the meaningful steps
already taken to engage parents and community stakeholders. A
district must also include a continued plan to seek parental
outreach and consultation using guidelines approved by the State
Board of Education when submitting a waiver application for
approval by its local board of trustees and the State Board of
Education, or the application may not be considered.
(3)
A district whose waiver application is approved may
request additional exemptions and may request amendments to its
current approved waiver on a rolling basis.
(B) Competency-based
education is designed to improve educational outcomes for
students by advancing their mastery of concepts and skills
through the following core principles:
(1)
Learning outcomes must emphasize competencies that
include:
(a)
application and creation of World Class Knowledge; and
(b)
the development and application of the World Class Skills
and Life and Career Characteristics identified in the Profile of
the South Carolina Graduate.
(2)
Competencies must include explicit, measureable, and
transferable student learning objectives that provide
transparency and guide students, with customized support from
teachers, as the students pursue their own inquiries,
understanding, and ownership of learning.
(3)
A student shall master competencies along a personalized
and flexible pathway before he may advance. A student may
demonstrate his mastery of competencies through his performance
of the competencies, application of the competencies, or
both.
(4)
An assessment must be meaningful and used to personalize
learning experiences with a student.
(5)
A student must receive timely and personalized support
based on his individual learning needs.
(C) A local school
board of trustees and the State Board of Education may not
exempt a school from:
(1)
federal and state laws and constitutional provisions
prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race,
creed, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for
special education services;
(2)
health, safety, civil rights, and disability rights
requirements as applied to other public schools operating in the
district; or
(3)
state and federal assessment requirements.
(D) A school operating
under a waiver pursuant to this section shall admit all children
eligible to attend the school, subject to space limitations, and
may not limit or deny admission or show preference in an
admission decision to an individual or group of individuals.
(E) If a school is
operating under a waiver pursuant to this section, each student
enrolled in the school is still considered to be a full-time
equivalent student enrolled in the school for the purpose of
calculating state financial support, average daily membership
and attendance, and for accountability purposes. The department
shall develop a process to ensure that schools and districts are
not penalized for the purposes of accreditation.
(F) If a school is
operating under a waiver pursuant to this section, each student
must remain enrolled in the state's student information system.
(G) The State
Department of Education shall establish procedures to ensure
that a student who attends a school that is operating under a
waiver pursuant to this section and subsequently transfers to
another school within the district or to another district is not
penalized by being required to repeat coursework that he
successfully has mastered. The department may provide a
necessary accreditation exemption to a school that launches a
competency-based education program.
(H)(1) The State
Department of Education shall create evaluation criteria and
guidelines for schools that are operating under a waiver
pursuant to this section. A participating school shall submit
required data for a biennial cyclical review on a form developed
by the department. The required data shall include, but not be
limited to, indicators of student engagement, instructional
practices, performance on assessments (formative, benchmark, and
summative), high school success, and post-secondary success. The
review must begin at the conclusion of the second academic year
of the school's implementation of the waiver. A report
summarizing the reviews, including the waivers requested and how
they hindered implementation, shall be distributed to the
Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the
Senate.
(2)
If upon the cyclical review the department determines that
a goal or objective is not being met, the department shall
notify the district and school in writing. The district and
school have sixty days to respond, after which the department
may recommend revocation of the flexibility provisions to the
State Board of Education.
(I) The Commission on
Higher Education and State Board for Technical and Comprehensive
Education shall establish policies to provide fair and equitable
access to institutions of higher education and technical
colleges as well as scholarships and financial aid for graduates
of schools implementing innovative school models and using
nontraditional diplomas and transcripts."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.