H 3326 Session 105 (1983-1984)
H 3326 General Bill, By House Education and Public Works
A Bill to enact the "South Carolina Educational Improvement Act of 1984" which
includes provisions to impose certain additional beer, wine, and alcoholic
liquor taxes and to provide for the use of these taxes imposed; to freeze the
salaries of judges of this State paid from state funds and provide for the use
of the funds saved thereby; to amend Section 59-39-100, Code of Laws of South
Carolina, 1976, relating to high school diplomas, so as to provide that twenty
units shall be required for a student to receive a high school diploma; to
provide that in order to participate in interscholastic activities students in
grades nine through twelve must have passed at least four courses with an
overall passing average in the preceding semester; to provide that all
secondary schools shall offer a clearly defined college preparatory program;
to provide that the State Department of Education and all school districts
shall emphasize certain problem solving skills in curricula at all levels; to
amend Section 59-19-90, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
relating to school trustees, so as to implement rules for student behavior; to
amend Section 59-65-90, relating to pupil attendance, so as to require that
pupil absences in excess of ten days must be acted on by the district board of
trustees; to provide an instructional day of not less than six hours for
secondary and elementary students and limit class interruptions; to amend
Section 59-35-10, as amended, relating to kindergartens, so as to require
five-year-olds to attend either public, private, or church-related
kindergartens, and to permit child development centers to be established for
children who are not less than four years of age; to amend Section 59-63-20,
as amended, relating to age requirements to attend public schools, so as to
provide that four-year-olds may attend optional child development programs; to
amend the 1976 Code by adding Section 59-1-430 so as to prohibit make-up days
on Saturday; to provide certain programs for talented students and handicapped
students and to provide certain vocational training programs; to amend Act 631
of 1978, as amended, relating to the Basic Skills Assessment Program, so as to
provide that beginning with school year 1985-86 the eleventh grade examination
in basic skills shall no longer be given and instead exit exams be given in
the tenth grade with remedial programs for students failing the exam, to
provide that passage of this exit exam shall be a condition of graduation from
high school for those students who enter the tenth grade during school year
1989-90 and thereafter, to provide for implementation of a childhood
development program for four-year-olds with significant readiness deficiencies
and certain other remedial instruction programs, and to establish standards of
student achievement in science; to provide that promotions shall be based on
academic achievement; to allow the State Board of Education to adjust the
amount of instructional time required in each of the subjects in the State's
defined minimum program; to provide that colleges develop programs to extend
tutoring opportunities to students; to provide that the importance of the
teaching profession shall be emphasized by the Governor's Schools for Talented
Students; to amend Act 187 of 1979, as amended, relating to the training,
employment, and evaluation of teachers and public educators, so as to empower
the State Board of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to
administer a loan program for in-state residents to attend a college for the
purpose of becoming teachers and provide for the forgiveness of a portion or
all of this loan under certain conditions, to authorize the granting of a
provisional teaching certificate to a person who has expertise in an area of
critical need, to require that approval standards for teacher education
programs shall be upgraded by the State Board beginning with school year
1984-85, to require the State Board to designate selected colleges which shall
have the responsibility of developing centers of excellence in teaching
education programs, to provide that student teachers in addition to one
semester of student teaching must also participate in other field experiences
and teacher development techniques, and to provide that the State Board and
the Commission on Higher Education shall require state-supported colleges and
universities offering graduate degrees in school administration to increase
the entrance requirements for admission to these programs; to amend Act 163 of
1977, as amended, relating to the South Carolina Education Finance Act, so as
to provide that beginning with fiscal year 1985, the State Board of Education
shall annually adjust the state's minimum salary schedule for teachers so that
the average teacher salary in this State for a particular year equals the
average teacher salary of the other southeastern states as determined by the
Board, to revise the formula whereby funds are allocated to school districts
employing instructional staff members with Class 1 Certificates or higher, to
revise the name and contents of the annual school report required by the
Education Finance Act, and to change the name of School Advisory Councils to
School Improvement Councils and further provide for their duties; to provide
for a cap on the compensation of personnel employed to implement the
provisions of this Act and to provide exceptions; to require the State Board
to develop a Teacher Incentive Program including provision for Teacher
Incentive Bonuses; to provide that the State Board shall develop a program for
the in-service training of teachers; to provide that, beginning with fiscal
year 1985-86, teachers, principals, and supervisors shall be eligible for
certain tuition reimbursement; to amend Act 436 of 1982, relating to the
length of the school term, so as to lengthen the term from one hundred
eighty-five days to one hundred ninety days and provide for the use of the
additional five days; to amend Section 59-21-20, as amended, relating to the
General Assembly appropriating funds for state aid for teachers' salaries
based on a term of one hundred eighty-five days, so as to increase such term
to one hundred ninety days; to provide that the State Board shall develop
programs designed to reduce the paperwork required of teachers and shall also
develop a competitive grant program for teachers; to provide that the teacher
evaluation system mandated by Act 187 of 1979 shall be fully implemented by
school year 1984-85; to require newly hired principals to be assessed for
instructional leadership prior to appointment; to require school
administrators to successfully participate in administrative seminars every
two years; to provide that the State Board shall develop compensation programs
for school principals whereby principals who demonstrate superior performance
and productivity will receive additional financial rewards and compensation;
to require an annual evaluation of school administrators; to provide for
certain other training and evaluation of prospective and current school
administrators; to require that all school board members presently appointed
be elected in nonpartisan elections; to establish incentive grant and
competitive grant programs for schools and school districts; to provide for
the annual monitoring of the provisions of this Act; to amend Section 59-5-60,
relating to the powers of the State Board of Education, so as to authorize the
State Superintendent of Education to intervene in the affairs of a local
school district under certain conditions where the quality of education in
that district is seriously impaired; to establish criteria designed to
increase parent, community, and business involvement in the public schools; to
provide certain state funding for improvements to school buildings and to
authorize the use of this funding in other designated ways; to amend Section
59-21-320, relating to state aid for school capital improvements, so as to
increase the rate of state aid from thirty dollars per pupil to eighty dollars
per pupil beginning with fiscal year 1989-90; to authorize the State Board
andthe Commission on Higher Education to promulgate regulations to implement
the provisions of this Act under their jurisdiction; to require local school
districts after the effective date of this Act to maintain at least the same
level of financial support provided during fiscal year 1983-84; to amend
Section 11-35-40, relating to the South Carolina Consolidated Procurement
Code, so as to make certain provisions therein apply to the school districts
of this State, and to provide that the provisions of Section 12, Part II, of
Act 517 of 1980, relating to statutory spending limitations, shall not apply
to the provisions of this Act.
01/11/84 House Introduced and read first time HJ-356
01/11/84 House Referred to Committee on Ways and Means HJ-360
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