AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROFICIENCY ON STUDENT ASSESSMENTS.

This Act requires that the superintendent, school leader, or equivalent chief school officer who oversees a school or a charter school where students have single-digit proficiency in English language arts or mathematics, or both, collaborate with the Department of Education and school building-level administration to create a short-term plan to raise performance so that the school no longer has single-digit proficiency. This Act also requires the creation of a long-term plan for how to further improve student performance on State assessments and increase the school’s overall student body achievement proficiency level. This Act does not apply to a school with a plan for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) or targeted support and improvement (TSI) under 20 U.S.C. § 6311, a school participating in a locally established entity that requires the creation of a plan to improve school performance, or a school required to a create a plan to improve school performance under any other State or federal law. Single-digit proficiency is based on the most recent State assessment data reported under § 124A of Title 14. Under this Act, a superintendent, school leader, or equivalent chief school officer must present the short-term plan and the long-term plan at a school board meeting for approval by the school board. Additionally, the superintendent, school leader, or equivalent chief school officer must provide annual updates, including any proposed changes to the plans as well as information about implementation of the plans. Any changes to the plans must be approved by the school board. The plans must be displayed on the school’s website or webpage and the Department’s website. The short-term plan and the long-term plan must be presented at a school board meeting and displayed on the school’s website or webpage by May 1. The superintendent may stop providing updates about the plans once certain State assessment performance conditions are met. If a school subsequently ceases to meet performance conditions, then the plan must be revised to incorporate strategies to improve performance. This Act also requires the Department to submit an annual report that contains information on schools with single-digit proficiency and schools with an overall student body achievement proficiency level of less than 20% but greater than single-digit proficiency in English language arts or mathematics, including data from prior years. This Act is effective immediately and shall be implemented the first August 1 after enactment of this Act.