H.B. 1032
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
May 2, 2024
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH40583-NGa-101
Short Title: Academic Transparency. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Johnson.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR INCREASED PUBLIC ACCESS TO LESSON PLANS AND
3 OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
4 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
5 SECTION 1.(a) Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by
6 adding a new Part to read:
7 "Part 7. Academic Transparency.
8 "§ 115C-76.75. Inform the public about course materials.
9 (a) The following definitions apply in this section:
10 (1) Action-oriented civics learning assignments or projects. – Assignments or
11 projects that require students to contact elected officials or advocate for a
12 political or social cause or to participate in political or social demonstrations.
13 (2) Course materials. – Any material used for instruction in a course, including,
14 but not limited to, all instructional materials, supplemental materials,
15 textbooks, other reading materials, videos, digital materials, websites, and
16 other online applications.
17 (3) Instructional materials. – Systematically organized material comprehensive
18 enough to cover the primary objectives outlined in the standard course of
19 study for a grade or course. Formats for instructional materials may be print
20 or nonprint, including hardbound books, softbound books, activity-oriented
21 programs, classroom kits, or digital resources that require the use of electronic
22 equipment in order to be used in the learning process.
23 (4) Lesson plan. – An outline of all of the following:
24 a. The instruction provided by a teacher for a course that includes a list
25 of (i) all course materials assigned, distributed, or otherwise presented
26 in the course and (ii) when students must select course materials from
27 a defined list, all course materials on that list.
28 b. Each grade- or school-wide presentation, assembly, lecture, or other
29 activity or event facilitated by the school during instructional hours
30 outside of an individual teacher's classroom, excluding student
31 presentations. The outline shall include a list of (i) each presenter by
32 name and organization and (ii) any course material used or presented.
33 (5) Supplemental materials. – Educational materials that supplement specific
34 instruction for the standard course of study selected and procured by a local
35 board of education for a grade or course or general education needs of the
36 school. Supplemental materials may include textbooks, library books,
*DRH40583-NGa-101*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 periodicals, audiovisual materials, action-oriented civics learning assignments
2 or projects, and other supplemental instructional materials needed for
3 instructional purposes in the local school administrative unit. Supplemental
4 materials may be print or nonprint, including hardbound books, softbound
5 books, activity-oriented programs, classroom kits, or digital resources that
6 require the use of electronic equipment in order to be used in the learning
7 process.
8 (b) The governing body of a public school unit shall ensure that the following information
9 for each school it governs is prominently displayed on the school website, organized, at a
10 minimum, by subject area and grade level:
11 (1) All lesson plans used shall be posted online no later than 10 days after the
12 lesson was given. Lesson plans shall include the following, at a minimum:
13 a. The names of all instructional and supplemental materials used by the
14 school with an electronic link to the instructional materials website.
15 b. Any other course materials used in a course, organized by title, and the
16 author, organization, or website associated with each material and
17 activity. These course materials shall include materials created by the
18 teacher, with the teacher identified as the author. The lesson plan shall
19 include a brief descriptor of the course materials and a link to the
20 course material, if publicly available on the internet, or information on
21 how to request review of a copy of the course material in person.
22 Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the digital
23 reproduction or posting of copies of the course materials themselves.
24 (2) For all public school units, any procedures for the documentation, review, or
25 approval of the lesson plans, including course materials identified in those
26 plans, by the principal, curriculum administrators, or other teachers.
27 (3) For all public school units, the procedure established by the governing board
28 for requesting an in-person review of a course material not publicly available
29 on the internet.
30 (4) For all public school units, a list of teacher and staff training materials and
31 activities used at each school during the current school year.
32 (c) The governing body shall provide access from the website of the public school unit
33 to the information required by subsection (b) of this section at all times, either through a website
34 maintained by the public school unit or by a link to another website where the information is
35 publicly accessible. Public access to the information shall be maintained by the public school
36 unit for two calendar years from the date the material is posted. The Department of Public
37 Instruction shall make available to public school units one or more templates for providing
38 information as required by this section. A public school unit may exercise flexibility in
39 determining the most effective means of compliance with the requirements of this section,
40 including, but not limited to, utilizing any of the following in its discretion:
41 (1) Providing a template created by the Department of Public Instruction to
42 teachers to facilitate reporting of lesson plans.
43 (2) Creating one or more templates to provide to teachers to facilitate reporting of
44 lesson plans. The public school unit may customize templates for grades or
45 courses and may autopopulate any course materials required by the public
46 school unit as part of the curriculum for a particular grade or course.
47 (3) Allowing utilization of online collaborative software, documents, or
48 spreadsheets to allow multiple authorized users to update content.
49 (d) A governing body that is responsible for the operation of schools with fewer than 30
50 students cumulatively is not required to comply with the requirements of this section.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 (e) For purposes of teacher privacy, a teacher or staff member may request that the school
2 use the teacher's or staff member's personal title and last initial rather than the teacher's or staff
3 member's full name when posting materials online to be viewed by the public."
4 SECTION 1.(b) Article 4 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended by
5 adding a new section to read:
6 "§ 116-69.3. Inform the public about course materials.
7 The Board of Trustees shall ensure that information about course materials is prominently
8 displayed on the website of the North Carolina School of the Arts for all elementary, middle, and
9 high school programs, in accordance with G.S. 115C-76.75."
10 SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 116-235 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
11 "(k) Course Materials. – The Board of Trustees shall ensure that information about course
12 materials is prominently displayed on the website of the School, in accordance with
13 G.S. 115C-76.75."
14 SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
15 Public Instruction the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in recurring funds for the 2024-2025
16 fiscal year for oversight and enforcement of the provisions implemented by this act.
17 SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with
18 the 2024-2025 school year.
DRH40583-NGa-101 Page 3


Statutes affected:
Filed: 116-235
Edition 1: 116-235