This Act does the following: (1) Removes the requirement that applicants for initial and continuing educator licenses obtain a passing score on an approved performance assessment. (2) In place of the performance assessment requirement, requires professional development and mentoring activities include a focus on acquisition of pedagogical knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to meet student needs and requires the Department of Education (Department) to establish a committee of stakeholders to gather input and make recommendations on how to achieve professional development and mentoring activities that satisfy the requirements. (3) Removes requirements related to performance assessments, including reporting requirements and rulemaking requirements, from Chapter 12 of Title 14. (4) Allows individuals who serve in educator roles that are not teaching positions to receive their Delaware educator license by changing "teaching experience" to "experience as an educator" in § 1210(d) of Title 14 and § 1211(c) of Title 14. (5) Requires the Department to ensure there are a variety of professional development opportunities across different modes that meet a high standard of quality, including evidence-based programs. (6) In place of the performance assessment requirement for participants in alternative routes for teacher licensure and certification programs and participants in alternative routes to certification programs for teachers of students with disabilities, requires an assessment of program participants' abilities to apply pedagogical skills to meet the needs of students and requires the Department to establish a committee of stakeholders to gather input and make recommendations on how to assess the pedagogical skills of program participants. (7) In place of a performance assessment requirement, requires that educator preparation programs assess prospective educators' ability to apply pedagogical skills to meet student needs and requires the Department to establish a committee of stakeholders to gather input and make recommendations on how to assess the pedagogical skills of program participants. (8) Makes corrections, including standardizing references to the educator evaluation system and changing "certificate" to "license" in places where improperly used. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
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The Delaware Code does not currently contain any explicit direction for public schools relating to school absences for observance of religious holidays. This Act requires schools to excuse a pupil's absence for observance of a religious holiday, and further requires districts and charters to have a policy discouraging teachers from scheduling tests, presentations and the like on days where some students may be absent for a religious holiday. A pupil who does miss a grading event must be allowed to make-up the test or otherwise recover credit. The Department of Education is directed to promulgate rules and regulations relating to implementation of this Act, including a list of holidays on which an absence for religious observance must be excused.
This Act codifies a reasonableness requirement for the use of force, both non-lethal and lethal. This is important when the state of mind is an issue in a criminal trial, such as when the judge or jury must decide as to what someone believed, knew, or intended at a given time. The justification law as currently written uses the term “defendant believes” throughout its several sections. This Act makes it clear that the determination of one’s state of mind is an objective standard —that is, what a reasonable person would have believed, rather than what the defendant believed. Additionally, this Act makes clear that deadly force includes the use of a chokehold.
This Act allows one excused absence per school year for students grades 6 through 12 to attend civic engagements such as visits to the United States Capitol, Legislative Hall, and sites of political and cultural significance, or participation in a rally, march, protest, or walkout. For a student to attend a civic engagement event, the student’s parent or guardian must provide written permission no later than 3 school days prior to the student’s planned absence. The school shall determine what is acceptable as written permission. If the principal or another school or school district official does not confirm receipt of written permission with the parent or guardian prior to the student’s planned absence, permission for the student to attend the civic engagement event as an excused absence is presumed.
This Act appropriates $221,121,200 to provide one-time funded projects through the Office of Management and Budget.
This Resolution provides the official revenue, refund, and unencumbered funds estimates for Fiscal Year 2022.
This Act provides supplementary appropriations to certain Grants-in-Aid recipients for Fiscal Year 2022. Section 1 – Government Units and Senior Centers $27,599,217 Section 2 – One-Times and Community Agencies $28,158,601 Section 3 – Fire Companies $7,059,096 Section 4 – Veterans Organizations $431,348 GRAND TOTAL $63,248,262
This Bill is the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Act.
This Resolution provides the official revenue, refund, and unencumbered funds estimates for Fiscal Year 2021.
This Act codifies the Opportunity Fund, an additional source of educational funding for Delaware public schools intended to support the increased needs of low income and English learner students, and establishes the parameters for how the funding is to be distributed to school districts and charter schools.