21.0643.05000
Sixty-seventh
Legislative Assembly HOUSE BILL NO. 1478
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Schreiber-Beck, Heinert, D. Johnson, M. Johnson, Longmuir, Zubke
1 A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1-07 of the North Dakota
2 Century Code, relating to alternative education opportunities outside the classroom for course
3 credit; and to provide for a legislative management report.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
5 SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 15.1-07 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
6 and enacted as follows:
7 School districts - Policy - Alternative curriculum outside the classroom -
8 Participation - Report to legislative management.
9 1. For purposes of this section:
10 a. "Educational opportunity" means instruction outside the classroom which meets
11 course content standards, as determined by the superintendent of public
12 instruction. The term includes work-based learning, apprenticeships, internships,
13 industry certifications, and community programs.
14 b. "Sponsoring entity" means a business, for-profit organization, nonprofit
15 organization, trade association, parent of a student, teacher, or administrator that
16 partners with a school district or governing board of a nonpublic school to provide
17 educational opportunities for students.
18 2. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to administer this section.
19 3. The board of a school district or governing board of a nonpublic school may adopt a
20 policy to allow students enrolled in grades six through twelve to earn course credit
21 through educational opportunities with a sponsoring entity.
22 4. A policy adopted under this section must provide criteria for:
23 a. The submission, approval, and evaluation of proposals for educational
24 opportunities by sponsoring entities for which a student may earn course credit;
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Legislative Assembly
1 b. Sponsoring entity eligibility; and
2 c. Educational opportunity accountability.
3 5. The board of a school district or governing board of a nonpublic school may accept a
4 proposal from any eligible sponsoring entity. To be approved, a proposal must:
5 a. Provide increased educational opportunities for students;
6 b. Improve the academic success of students; and
7 c. Identify a teacher of record who is employed by the school district or nonpublic
8 school, is licensed under chapter 15.1-18, and has approved the proposal.
9 6. Upon approval by the board of a school district or governing board of a nonpublic
10 school, the proposal must be submitted to the superintendent of public instruction for
11 review and approval before implementation. The superintendent of public instruction
12 shall convene a review committee to approve or deny a proposal under this section
13 within ninety days of submission to the superintendent. The review committee consists
14 of the superintendent, who shall serve as the chairman of the review committee, the
15 chairman of the house education committee or the chairman's designee, the chairman
16 of the senate education committee or the chairman's designee, one member of the
17 minority party selected through collaboration between the respective minority leaders
18 of each chamber, and the director of career and technical education.
19 7. If a proposal is denied under subsection 6, the superintendent shall provide the board
20 of a school district or governing board of a nonpublic school with a written explanation
21 including the reasons for denial.
22 8. If a proposal is approved by the superintendent of public instruction, the board of a
23 school district or governing board of a nonpublic school shall implement the proposal
24 and allow students to participate in the educational opportunity for course credit.
25 9. Any school district or nonpublic school participating in the program shall provide
26 evaluation data to the superintendent of public instruction at the time and in the
27 manner requested by the superintendent of public instruction.
28 10. The superintendent of public instruction may revoke proposal approval if the
29 superintendent of public instruction determines the school district, nonpublic school, or
30 sponsoring entity failed to comply with the agreed upon terms of the educational
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1 opportunity proposal or the school district policy, or failed to meet the requirements of
2 this section.
3 11. If approval of a proposal is revoked under subsection 10, the superintendent of public
4 instruction shall provide a report to the legislative management regarding the
5 revocation.
6 12. The superintendent of public instruction shall provide information on the
7 superintendent of public instruction's website and in biennial reports to the legislative
8 management regarding proposals under this section.
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