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An Act To Improve Science and Engineering Education for Maine's Students
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6209, first ¶, as amended by PL 2015, c. 489, §3, is further amended to read:
The department in consultation with the state board shall establish and implement a comprehensive, statewide system of learning results, which maymust include a core of standards in English language arts and, mathematics and science for kindergarten to grade 12 established in common with the other states, as set forth in this section and in department rules implementing this section and other curricular requirements. The department mustshall establish accountability standards at all grade levels in the areas of mathematics;, reading; and science and technology. The department shall establish parameters for essential instruction in English language arts; mathematics; science and technology; social studies; career and education development; visual and performing arts; health, physical education and wellness; and world languages. Only a public school, a public charter school as defined in section 2401, subsection 9 or a private school approved for tuition purposes that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students, as determined by the previous school year's October and April average enrollment, is required to participate in the system of learning results set forth in this section and in department rules implementing this section and other curricular requirements. The commissioner shall develop accommodation provisions for instances where course content conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of a student's parent or guardian. The system must be adapted to accommodate children with disabilities as defined in section 7001, subsection 1-B.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6209, sub-§1-A, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 259, §5, is amended to read:
 
C. Science, in those content areas concerning cells and continuity and change.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §13704, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2015, c. 3, §1, is further amended to read:
 
A. The rating must be based on standards of professional practice and measures of educator effectiveness. The proportionate weight of the standards and the measures is a local decision, but measurements of student learning and growth must be a significant factor in the determination of the rating of an educator. School administrative units shall use state assessment growth data for English language arts, literacy,science and mathematics as at least one measure of the performance of English language arts, science and mathematics teachers in tested grades and as a measure for the performance of principals.
 
An educator whose summative effectiveness rating indicates ineffectiveness must receive an annual summative effectiveness evaluation and rating until the rating improves.
 
An individualized education plan may not be used to measure student growth for the purposes of teacher and principal evaluation, but an individualized education plan may be a source of evidence from which learning objectives and learning targets may be developed.
Sec. 4. Rulemaking. The Commissioner of Education shall amend the Department of Education's rule Chapter 131, the Maine Federal, State, and Local Accountability Standards, and rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction, to include in the statewide system of learning results and assessment a core of science standards for kindergarten to grade 12 aligned to the "Next Generation Science Standards" that was developed by a collaborative, state-led process involving the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and others and released in April 2013. The science standards included in these rules must include science and engineering aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards that clarify for students the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to everyday life and help students become successful analytical thinkers, prepared for college and careers.
The 2 rule chapters to be amended by the Commissioner of Education in accordance with this section are major substantive rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6211. In order to implement the science standards as part of the State's system of learning results and assessment beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the Department of Education shall provisionally adopt these amended rules on or before December 31, 2019 and shall submit the provisionally adopted rules to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council by the deadline established for the legislative rule acceptance period in 2020 in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Education to include the so-called Next Generation Science Standards for kindergarten to grade 12 in the State's system of learning results and assessment and directs the Commissioner of Education to amend Department of Education rules on or before December 31, 2019 in order to include the science standards as part of the State's system of learning results and assessment beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.