A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-370 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY APPLY FOR FLEXIBILITY WAIVERS ALLOWING DEVIATION FROM CERTAIN STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-21-20, RELATING TO APPROPRIATION FOR TEACHER SALARIES BASED ON TERM OF ONE HUNDRED NINETY DAYS, SO AS TO SUSPEND REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRICTS GRANTED A FLEXIBILITY WAIVER PURSUANT TO SECTION 59-19-370.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 19, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 59-19-370. (A) A school district may, after approval from the local school district board of trustees, apply to the Department for a flexibility waiver allowing deviation from certain statutory and regulatory requirements to improve student engagement, enhance instructional quality, support teacher recruitment and retention, and implement innovative scheduling models.

    (B) A district seeking a flexibility waiver pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the Department. The application shall include:

        (1) a description of the proposed instructional schedule or calendar;

        (2) a rationale demonstrating how the flexibility will improve student learning, instructional quality, or teacher retention;

        (3) a plan for ensuring coverage of all required state academic standards;

        (4) a plan for evaluating student outcomes; and

        (5) documentation of stakeholder engagement, including input from teachers and parents.

    (C) The Department shall approve or deny the application within ninety days of submission.

    (D) The Department may approve a district's request for flexibility if the district demonstrates that its proposed plan:

        (1) maintains or improves instructional quality;

        (2) ensures students have access to all content required by state academic standards;

        (3) includes a method for evaluating student academic progress under the flexibility model; and

        (4) provides sufficient professional development, planning time, and instructional support for teachers.

    (E) A district granted a flexibility waiver pursuant to this section may implement alternative scheduling models including, but not limited to:

        (1) a four-day instructional week or other compressed-week schedules;

        (2) ongoing professional development provided throughout the school year and during the school day rather than on the ten designated days pursuant to Section 59-21-20;

        (3) school calendars designed around student and teacher needs, instructional pacing, or locally identified priorities;

        (4) an assessment schedule designed by the district that is less time-intensive than current statewide practice; the district being awarded the waiver may choose to utilize a state supported formative assessment for subjects in grades K-8 that encompasses the requirements for federal summative assessments as the sole assessment metric administered for accountability and reporting purposes; and

        (5) a district-developed school report card that is memorable, portable, timely, and uniformly applied to all public, private, charter, and other school types within the jurisdiction of the district.

    (F) A waiver granted under this section is valid for up to three years and may be renewed upon demonstration of satisfactory academic performance and operational effectiveness.

    (G) A district may request a waiver based on some or all of the above flexibility opportunities.

    (H) A district operating under an approved flexibility waiver pursuant to this section may design instructional schedules based on competency, content mastery, integrated learning experiences, and student needs rather than minimum daily time requirements. Districts may use this flexibility to include experiential learning and proficiency-based pacing or to incorporate more learning opportunities that focus on soft skills, play, life experiences, and other non-assessed, but important, life skills.

    (I) Districts operating under an approved flexibility waiver shall submit an annual report to the Department including:

        (1) student achievement data;

        (2) teacher retention data;

        (3) stakeholder feedback; and

        (4) any recommended adjustments to the flexibility model.

    (J) The Department shall:

        (1) compile an annual statewide summary report to be submitted to the General Assembly; and

        (2) develop application procedures, evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and guidance necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 59-21-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 59-21-20.  The General Assembly shall make sufficient appropriation to pay state aid to salaries of all school teachers in the public schools on the basis and for the length of one hundred ninety days in the elementary and secondary schools in the State. For districts operating under an approved flexibility waiver pursuant to Section 59-19-370, the requirement that teacher contracts be based on one hundred and ninety days and student attendance be based on one hundred and eighty days is suspended.

 

SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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