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Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following:
‘Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:
 
1-A.  Developmentally appropriate educational practices; kindergarten to grade 2.    The commissioner shall adopt rules to address developmentally appropriate educational practices for kindergarten to grade 2. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 275, subchapter 2-A.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 4 the following:
‘Sec. 5. Basic approval standards; rulemaking. The Commissioner of Education shall amend the Department of Education rule Chapter 125: Basic Approval Standards: Public Schools and School Administrative Units to address developmentally appropriate educational practices for kindergarten to grade 2. The rule must be amended to provide for:
1. Classroom instruction with hands-on experiences with concrete materials and opportunities for students to interact with the world, ask questions, seek answers to questions and reflect on learning;
2. Instruction that includes integration of learning experiences from all content areas arranged around themes relevant to the lives of students in kindergarten to grade 2; and
3. An integrated school day that includes opportunities for student-centered and teacher-directed time combined with large and small group instruction.
Rules adopted or amended pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The commissioner shall provisionally adopt the amended rules and submit the provisionally adopted rules to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council by January 10, 2020.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report, requires the Commissioner of Education to provisionally adopt amendments to the Department of Education rule Chapter 125: Basic Approval Standards: Public Schools and School Administrative Units to address developmentally appropriate educational practices for kindergarten to grade 2.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)