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An Act To Allow Teachers To Teach and Students To Learn by Amending the Laws Governing Education Standards
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §253, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 669, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §2902, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §2, is further amended to read:
 
3. Courses required by law.   Provide instruction in elementary schools as specified in sections 4701, 4704, 4706 and 4711 and in secondary schools as specified in sections 4701, 4704, 4706, 4722, 4723 and 4724.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §3, is further amended to read:
 
1. General requirements.   Elementary and secondary schools and school administrative units, including an educational program or school located in or operated by a juvenile correctional facility, shall meet all requirements of the system of learning results as established in section 6209 as well as other requirements of this Title and other statutory requirements applicable to the public schools and basic school approval standards. Each school administrative unit shall prepare and implement a comprehensive education plan that is aligned with the system of learning results, focused on the learning of all students and oriented to continuous improvement. The comprehensive education plan must include a plan for transitioning to proficiency-based graduation in accordance with section 4722-A. This plan must also address all other plans required by the department.
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §4, is further amended to read:
 
6. Annual report on comprehensive education plan.   The superintendent shall make an annual report of progress on the comprehensive education plan, developed pursuant to subsection 1, to the citizens of the school administrative unit. The school board shall annually review and approve the plan. The superintendent shall certify progress on the plan to the commissioner on an annual basis and shall submit to the commissioner a copy of the minutes of the school board meeting at which the school board reviewed and approved the plan.
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §5, is further amended to read:
 
8. Waivers.   The commissioner may grant a school administrative unit a waiver of one or more school approval requirements upon receipt of an application from the school administrative unit that includes the basis for the waiver request and a plan to reduce reliance on waivers in subsequent years. Financial hardship is one criterion the commissioner must consider in determining whether to grant a waiver.
 
A.  Financial hardship is one criterion the commissioner must consider in determining whether to grant a waiver.
 
B.  A request to waive the requirement for a transition plan to proficiency-based graduation in accordance with section 4722-A by January 1, 2017 must include specific information about the reason for the waiver request and a date by which the proficiency-based graduation requirement will be met. Any waiver granted by the commissioner under this paragraph must require an annual report to the commissioner on the school administrative unit's progress toward meeting the requirements of section 4722-A. This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2020.
 
C.  The commissioner shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters by February 1st annually on the number of waivers provided pursuant to paragraph B, including the reasons for the waivers granted. The commissioner shall promptly post the annual report submitted pursuant to this paragraph on the department's publicly accessible website.
 
This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2020.
Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §4722, sub-§§7 and 8, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 669, §6, are repealed.
Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §4722-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 439, §4, is repealed.
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §13016, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §8, is further amended to read:
 
2. Professional teacher certificates.   A professional teacher certificate may be renewed for 5-year periods in accordance with state board rules, which must require, at a minimum, that the teacher complete at least 6 hours of professional or academic study, or in-service training designed to improve the performance of the teacher in the field for which the teacher holds an endorsement, or in a related subject area, or to improve the teacher's knowledge of, and skill in, standards-based education. Teachers who desire to qualify for a master teacher certificate must coordinate their continuing professional education with the requirements of an applicable teacher action plan.
Sec. 9. 20-A MRSA §15688-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, §12, is repealed.
Sec. 10.  PL 2011, c. 669, §§9 to 11  are repealed.
 
SUMMARY
This bill repeals the requirements for a system of proficiency-based education standards scheduled to become effective in 2017.