The bill amends the "Education Accountability Act" to include the use of school climate indicators from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's SurveyWorks or its future equivalent in the evaluation of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and individual public schools. The evaluation system assesses student performance across various subjects using different assessment instruments and aims to measure outcomes, improve curriculum effectiveness, and ensure fairness while accommodating diverse learning styles and challenges.

Furthermore, the bill details the responsibilities of the board of education, the commissioner, and school districts in using data to enhance educational outcomes. This includes developing diagnostic assessments for certain grades, establishing a data system for evaluating district systems, maintaining individual records, and submitting a comprehensive district improvement plan every three years. School principals are tasked with setting performance goals and creating plans to improve student performance. The bill also sets reporting requirements for schools on a wide range of data, including graduation rates, post-secondary applications, FAFSA completion, curriculum, staff demographics, and more. Schools with a significant percentage of students not meeting grade-level expectations must submit a RICAS success plan. The commissioner is responsible for analyzing and publishing this data, and the term "local education agencies" encompasses various types of public schools. The act will be effective upon passage.

Statutes affected:
7232: 16-97.1-1