Requires the department of education (department) to report to the legislative council findings and recommendations for reducing the amount of redundant data that schools are required to submit to state agencies. Provides that a student presently enrolled in a public high school may retake a virtual course that was previously completed by the student at the same public high school under certain conditions. Provides that if a student elects to retake a virtual course, the retaken course must meet certain criteria. Provides that a student who has retaken a course before July 1, 2023, must receive full credit and a replacement grade for the course under certain conditions. Provides that the department shall require publication of a corrected graduation rate as prescribed by the department (instead of in the next school year's report). Provides that before July 1, 2024, the department may establish or license for use an online platform to provide certain required training programs. Moves up deadlines for recommending and approving streamlined academic standards in order to implement the new standards in the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the department shall: (1) consider the skills, knowledge, and practices that are necessary to understand and utilize emerging technologies and that may be rendered obsolete by emerging technologies; (2) consider for removal any academic standards that may be obsolete as a result of emerging technologies; and (3) provide support to school corporations regarding the implementation of revised academic standards that have an emerging technologies component. Provides that individuals appointed to an academic standards committee must be racially and geographically diverse. Requires employers to report the employment of students enrolled in work based learning courses to the department of workforce development. Requires a secondary or postsecondary educational institution to ensure that a student's completion of a work based learning course is indicated on the student's transcript. Establishes a science of reading grant. Repeals: (1) the school corporation annual performance report law; (2) the charter school obligation to publish an annual performance report; (3) the performance based awards law; and (4) annual financial reports by school corporations.
Sponsored bills
Specifies certain entities, actions taken, or factors considered to which the ESG commitment provisions do not apply. Provides that if the treasurer of state concludes that the service provider has made an ESG commitment, the treasurer of state shall provide the name of the service provider and research supporting the conclusion to the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board). Prohibits the board from making an investment decision with the purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy or attempting to influence the governance of any corporation for nonfinancial purposes. Prohibits the Indiana public retirement system (system) from making an ESG commitment with respect to system assets. Provides that in making and supervising investments of the system, the board shall discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system for the exclusive purposes of providing financial benefits to participants and beneficiaries and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system. Provides that the board, in accordance with certain fiduciary duties, shall make investment decisions with the primary purpose of maximizing the target rate of return on the board's investments. Prohibits the board from entering a contract or modifying, amending, or continuing a contract with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment unless taking the action violates the board's fiduciary duty to the system's participants and beneficiaries. Requires the board to continue contracting with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment if the board determines that there is not a comparable service provider to replace the service provider. Requires the board to, at least annually, tabulate and report all proxy votes made by a service provider that is not a private market fund in relation to the administration of the system. Specifies certain persons and entities that are immune from civil liability and entitled to indemnification. Requires the board to: (1) ensure that reasonable efforts are made during the due diligence process before an investment is made and in monitoring investments in the public employees' defined contribution plan, an annuity savings account for the public employees' retirement fund or the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund, the teachers' defined contribution plan, the legislators' defined contribution plan, and a private market fund to determine whether any investments would violate the requirement that the board discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system; and (2) take appropriate action, if necessary, consistent with the board's fiduciary duties. Defines terms and makes conforming amendments.
Defines "science of reading". Requires the state board of education (state board) in collaboration with the department of education (department) to prepare and submit a report regarding the alignment of science of reading concepts in IREAD. Requires a school corporation and charter school to report certain information regarding reading and writing curricula, remedial programs, and administrative contact information on the school corporation's or charter school's website. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, a superintendent, advisory committee, or governing body or the equivalent for a charter school: (1) shall adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and to the student's reading proficiency; and (2) may not adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are based on the three-cueing model. Requires the department to develop guidelines for science of reading integration into teacher preparation programs. Makes changes to the education law concerning the science of reading and teacher preparation and licensing requirements. Requires a school corporation to differentiate the amount of salary increases or increments for teachers who possess a required literacy endorsement. Removes a requirement that a discussion regarding teacher supplemental payment be held. Requires the state board to establish and require literacy endorsements for certain individuals first licensed after June 30, 2025. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2024, the state board shall adopt rules to establish early childhood content area licenses and required endorsements. Requires the department to publish an advisory list of science of reading curricula on the department's website. Provides that the state board and the department: (1) shall implement academic standards for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and developmentally appropriate based on student need; and (2) may not implement an academic standard for reading based on the three-cueing model.
Increases the jury fee collected from a defendant who has committed a crime or committed certain violations to $6. (Current jury fee is $2.) Requires the clerk to collect a jury fee of $75 from a party filing a civil tort or plenary action. Increases the jury appearance fee to $30 per day for each day a juror is in attendance until the jury is impaneled. (Current rate is $15 per day.) Increases the juror payment rate to $80 per day for the first five days of trial and to $90 per day starting on the sixth day of trial until the jury is discharged. (Current rate is $40 per day.) Specifies that a prospective juror is considered to be in actual attendance if certain criteria are met, regardless of whether the prospective juror is not seated or is removed.
Provides that a school, an employee or staff member of a school, or a third party vendor used by a school to provide instruction may not provide any instruction to a student in prekindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality. Provides that a school employee or a school staff member is not prohibited from responding to a question from a student regarding certain topics. Requires a school to notify in writing at least one parent of a student, if the student is an unemancipated minor, of a request made by the student to change the student's name or pronoun, title, or word to identify the student.
Provides that, for a resolution to adopt a school operating referendum tax levy or school safety referendum tax levy adopted after May 10, 2023, a county auditor must distribute a portion of revenue received from the school operating referendum tax levy or school safety referendum tax levy to each charter school in which students who receive not more than 50% virtual instruction and who have legal settlement in certain school corporations attend. Provides that if a charter school receives a distribution from a school corporation from a school operating referendum tax levy or a school safety referendum tax levy, the charter school must post certain information on the charter school's website. Provides that a charter school that may receive money from a school operating referendum tax levy or a school safety referendum tax levy may not promote a position on a referendum, in the same manner as a school corporation is prohibited from promoting a position on a referendum. Provides that the maximum length of a charter is 15 years. (Current law provides that the maximum length of a charter is seven years.) Provides all charter schools access to loans through the Indiana bond bank. Provides that the state board of education (state board) may advance money to charter schools to be used for: (1) school building construction programs; and (2) educational technology programs. Amends the definition of "school building construction program" to: (1) include the purchase, lease, or financing of land, the construction and equipping of school buildings, and the remodeling, repairing, or improving of school buildings by a charter school; and (2) replace "adjusted assessed valuation" with "assessed valuation" with regard to school corporation eligibility for an advance from the common school fund. Provides that a charter school may not receive an advance from the common school fund for an educational technology program unless the charter school develops a three year technology plan. Provides that a school corporation may not (instead of is not entitled to) receive or use certain money or advances unless the school corporation develops a three year technology plan. Makes conforming changes regarding advances to charter schools from the common school fund. Establishes standards concerning when a school corporation may close an underutilized school building that had been used at any time for classroom instruction. Provides procedures regarding petitioning for a determination as to whether a school building meets criteria for closure or should be made available for sale or lease. Requires the department of education (department) to make a determination regarding a petition. Requires each school corporation to annually report to the department certain information regarding school buildings. Provides procedures for notifying charter schools or state educational institutions through the department of the availability of a covered school building. Provides for appeals of certain orders or decisions to the state board. Provides that the: (1) department; or (2) selected charter school or state educational institution; may request the attorney general to commence a legal action to enforce a final order for the sale or lease of a covered school building or file a civil action to enforce the final order for the sale or lease after certain time periods. Repeals certain provisions regarding investigating complaints and enforcement by the attorney general. Establishes the charter school facility grant program. Makes conforming amendments. Makes a technical correction.
Requires the department of education to, not later than November 1, 2023, do the following: (1) Create a list of personal liability insurers that offer personal liability insurance policies for teachers. (2) Post the list on the department's website. Provides that the academic standards committee appointed by the secretary of education must include employers (in addition to other members under current law). Provides that a school psychologist may provide services on a private basis to an individual if the school psychologist receives a referral from the individual's parent and the individual is an unemancipated minor.
Exempts military pay for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard from the individual income tax. (Current law provides an individual income tax exemption for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard for the period the member is mobilized and deployed.) Exempts military pay earned by members of an active component of the armed forces of the United States from the individual income tax. (Current law exempts from the individual income tax the military pay earned by members of the National Guard and reserve components of the armed forces of the United States while serving on active duty.)
Repeals provisions concerning the work Indiana program. Defines "adult education and literacy activities" and requires that certain money appropriated by the general assembly be used for workforce preparation activities and integrated education and training. Removes or amends certain provisions regarding: (1) reimbursements to eligible providers for adult education that is provided to certain individuals; and (2) adult education grants provided to employers of eligible employees. Allows the department of workforce development to grant a specified diploma to an individual who demonstrates high school level skills through certain competency based assessments and obtains an industry recognized credential. Specifies the meaning of "authorization" for the purpose of certain provisions related to postsecondary proprietary educational institutions. Makes conforming changes.
Makes changes to the permissible uses of the Indiana secured school fund. Moves provisions in the Indiana Code pertaining to the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist programs, and school safety plans. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund application procedures. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund reporting requirements. Makes various changes to provisions regulating the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist program, and school safety plans. Requires before December 31, 2023, that each county shall establish a county school safety commission. (Current law provides that a county may establish a county school safety commission.) Requires each school corporation and charter school to establish a safe school committee. Requires the division of school building physical security and safety of the department of education to establish and maintain guidelines, in consultation with the department of homeland security and institute for criminal justice, for developing and maintaining school safety plans and assist the secured school safety board in conducting the review and submitting certain reports. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation or charter school organizer shall: (1) approve or disapprove all school safety specialists chosen by the superintendent of the school corporation or leadership of the charter school; and (2) review the school safety plan. Makes changes to the duties of a school resource officer. Makes changes to information reported by a school corporation or charter school pertaining to a school resource officer that is reported to the department of homeland security. Requires the secured schools safety board to include certain aggregate information relating to the number of school resource officers employed by schools. Provides that an organizer of a charter school shall require each charter school under the authority of the organizer to conduct annual emergency preparedness drills. Makes changes to distribution amounts from the state user fee fund. Makes conforming amendments. Repeals provisions establishing the Indiana safe schools fund, school safe haven programs, and existing provisions relating to the establishment of school safety specialists, county school safety commissions, school safety specialist training and safe school programs. Defines various terms. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school may receive a matching grant from the Indiana secured school fund to purchase student safety management technology. Makes a technical correction.