Provides that at-risk students who are receiving certain educational services are not counted against a school's four year graduation rate.
Repeals the law that requires a person to obtain a license to carry a handgun in Indiana. Specifies that certain persons who are not otherwise prohibited from carrying or possessing a handgun are not required to obtain or possess a license or permit from the state to carry a handgun in Indiana. Prohibits certain individuals from knowingly or intentionally carrying a handgun. Creates the crime of "unlawful carrying of a handgun" and specifies the penalties for committing this crime. Allows particular individuals who do not meet the requirements to receive a handgun license and are not otherwise prohibited to carry a handgun in limited places. Allows a resident of Indiana to obtain in certain circumstances a license to carry a handgun in Indiana. Makes theft of a firearm a Level 5 felony. Defines certain terms. Makes conforming amendments and repeals obsolete provisions.
Requires the department of education (department) to apply to the United States Department of Education for assessment flexibility. Requires the department to: (1) prepare a report that includes information and recommendations regarding establishing and implementing a parent-teacher compact program; and (2) submit the report to the legislative council not later than November 1, 2022. Provides that the state board of education (state board) shall, in consultation with postsecondary educational institutions and various businesses and industries, identify what skills or traits students need to be successful upon completion of high school. Requires the department to conduct a research study regarding academic standards. Requires the department to establish an online adjunct teacher portal. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation may issue an adjunct teacher permit to an individual who meets certain requirements. Establishes requirements for adjunct teacher employment agreements. Provides that the employment agreements are not subject to certain requirements regarding teacher salaries and school corporation local compensation plans. Provides that: (1) an adjunct teacher is not a school employee for purposes of collective bargaining; and (2) an employment agreement with an adjunct teacher is not subject to a collective bargaining agreement. Provides that the school employer shall discuss the use of adjunct teachers with the exclusive representative of certificated employees. Requires the governing body of a school corporation to announce any vacant adjunct teacher positions at meetings of the governing body. Amends the definition of "primary use of the building" for certain applicable high schools for purposes of occupancy classification requirements. Amends the definition of "appropriate vehicle". Provides that a special purpose bus or an appropriate vehicle may be used to transport students under certain circumstances. Provides that the state board may adopt emergency rules relating to school accreditation. Provides that the driver of a special purpose bus or an appropriate vehicle must pass an expanded criminal history check and an expanded child protection index check. Makes changes to visual acuity requirements for a bus driver. Establishes the Indiana student enrichment grant program (program). Provides that an enrichment student is eligible to establish an Indiana enrichment scholarship account. Provides that an enrichment student may receive $1,000 to be used for certain qualified expenses. Provides that the department shall administer the program. Provides that the program expires July 1, 2025.
Provides that, in determining whether at least 50% of the instructional services that a student receives from a school corporation is virtual instruction for purposes of the 2021 fall count of ADM, the department of education (department) shall review the attendance of each student on each school day from the school corporation's first day of school until the school corporation's last day of school of the 2021 fall semester. Makes an exception regarding the school days the department reviews for students who transferred to or from a school corporation during the 2021 fall semester. Provides that, if a school corporation's tuition support amount is adjusted as a result of the application of this provision, the department shall, after December 31, 2021, settle any overpayment or underpayment of state tuition support to a school corporation resulting from the adjustment of tuition support on the schedule determined by the department. Requires each school corporation and charter school to annually report to the department the number of students who, during the students' expected graduation year: (1) were enrolled in the school corporation on the September ADM count day; (2) completed graduation requirements before the February ADM count day; and (3) were not enrolled in the school corporation on the February ADM count day. Requires, not later than September 1 of each year, the department to: (1) compile and prepare a report regarding the information reported by school corporations and charter schools; and (2) submit the report to the legislative council.
Makes changes to the requirements necessary to obtain an initial practitioner license for an individual who completes an alternative teacher certification program and changes regarding teaching special education under the license. Provides that, for school years beginning after June 30, 2022, a school corporation may provide a supplemental payment to a teacher in excess of the salary specified in the school corporation's compensation plan. (Current law allows a school corporation to provide supplemental payment to a teacher in excess of the salary specified in the school corporation's compensation plan if certain circumstances apply.)
Provides that, for purposes of determining the funding floor for teachers of a school corporation, the amount a school corporation expends for full-time teacher salaries shall include the amount the school corporation expends for participating in a special education cooperative or a career and technical education cooperative that is directly attributable to the salaries of full-time teachers employed by the cooperative, as determined by the department of education (department). Requires the department to annually report to the legislative council and the state budget committee on certain matters regarding full-time teacher salaries and benefits and the issuance of waivers of the requirement that a school corporation expend a specified percentage of tuition support for full-time teacher salaries. Authorizes the treasurer of state (treasurer) to deduct up to 10% of funds made available for the Indiana education scholarship account program (program) to cover costs of administering the program in the first year and up to 5% of funds made available in each year thereafter. Establishes the Indiana education scholarship account administration fund (fund) to support the administration of the program. Requires any amounts deducted by the treasurer for administration costs to be deposited in the fund. Removes a requirement for certain participating entities in the program to post a surety bond. Makes technical corrections.
Amends the membership and duties of the early learning advisory committee. Makes changes to the definition of "school resource officer". Provides that, after June 30, 2023, if a school corporation or charter school enters into a contract for a school resource officer, certain school corporations or charter schools must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the law enforcement agency that employs or appointed the law enforcement officer who will perform the duties of a school resource officer. Provides that certain parties are prohibited from incentivizing the enrollment, reenrollment, or continued attendance of a student or prospective student by offering or giving an item that has monetary value. Requires the Indiana charter school board (board) to appoint an executive director to carry out the duties and daily operations of the board. Establishes the executive director's duties. Provides that the board shall establish certain processes. Establishes the Indiana charter school board fund and provides that money in the fund is appropriated continuously for purposes of the board. Provides that the department of education (department) may grant an accomplished practitioner's license under certain conditions. Establishes: (1) a definition for "virtual student instructional day"; and (2) requirements for virtual student instructional days. Provides that a public school may conduct not more than three virtual student instructional days that do not meet the established requirements. Provides that a public school that does not comply with these provisions may not count a student instructional day toward the 180 day student instructional day requirement. Allows the department to waive these requirements. Provides that the instructional days tuition support distribution formula take into account only certain schools and grades within a school corporation if fewer than all the schools fail to conduct the minimum number of student instructional days. Authorizes the department to study and, if recommended, use machine scoring. Provides that, after a school receives statewide assessment score reports, a teacher of a student shall discuss the student's statewide assessment results with a parent at the next parent/teacher conference or, if the school does not hold parent/teacher conferences, send a notice to a parent of the student offering to meet with the parent to discuss the results. Provides that the department may include in a contract entered into or renewed after June 30, 2022, with a statewide assessment vendor a requirement that the vendor provide a summary of a student's statewide assessment results that meets certain requirements. Changes the department's review period for certain funds. Provides that the state board of education shall assign to a school or school corporation (including adult high schools) a "null" or "no letter grade" for the 2021-2022 school year. Repeals a provision concerning staffing of the board.
Requires the department of education (department) to establish a career coaching pilot program to award grants to school corporations to establish career coaching programs for students of the school corporation. Beginning July 1, 2022, requires the department to annually submit a report to the general assembly in an electronic format that provides certain information concerning high school graduation waiver rates and graduation pathways and to post the report on the department's Internet web site. Provides that, if the total amount of state tuition support that a school corporation receives or will receive during a school year decreases under the student instructional day reduction of tuition support provision by an amount that is equal to or more than $250,000 from the amount the school corporation would otherwise be eligible to receive during the school year, the budget committee shall review the amount of and the reason for the decrease before the implementation of the decrease. Provides that, if an adjustment by the state board of education (state board) of the count of enrolled eligible pupils for one or more school corporations would increase or decrease the total distribution of state tuition support in an amount that is equal to or more than $250,000, the adjustment must be reviewed by the budget committee before the state board may adjust the enrollment count. Provides that, if the state board determines that extreme patterns of certain conditions on the count day or the subsequent adjustment date cause the enrollment to be unrepresentative of the enrollment of one or more school corporations by a count of eligible pupils that would increase or decrease the total distribution of state tuition support in an amount that is equal to or more than $250,000 as a result of changing the count day, the state board may designate another day for determining the enrollment of the one or more school corporations after review by the budget committee. Provides that the state board shall assign to a school or school corporation (including adult high schools) a "null" or "no letter grade" for the 2021-2022 school year.
Requires, not later than December 31, 2022, the department of education (department) to: (1) issue a request for proposals for the purpose of contracting with a company to provide; or (2) enter into a memorandum of understanding with a statewide entity to facilitate the procurement of; adequate employer liability and worker's compensation insurance coverage for employers that employ students in work based learning courses. Specifies an exception. Provides that the total amount of funds that the department may expend to carry out the request for proposals or the memorandum of understanding must be less than $100,000. Provides that an employer: (1) may purchase the employer liability and worker's compensation coverage; and (2) is responsible for paying any costs associated with purchasing the coverage. Requires that, if the state board of education grants the designation of a transformation zone within a school corporation after June 30, 2022, the governing body of the school corporation may enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization to manage and operate all of the schools included in the transformation zone. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation or entity that is a party to any agreement for the management and operation of a transformation zone may submit a complaint first to the governing body, and second to the department for an alleged violation of the agreement. Provides that, not later than 15 days after the date an entity submits a complaint to the department, the department shall issue a decision concerning the complaint. Provides that employees of a transformation zone may organize and create a separate bargaining unit to collectively bargain with the entity operating the transformation zone.
Requires a governing body of a school corporation or charter school to permit oral public comment on a topic before the governing body takes final action on the topic. Allows the governing body of a state or local public agency to conduct a meeting electronically without any governing body members physically present if a state or local disaster emergency is declared and the following circumstances exist: (1) Meeting in person would present an imminent risk to the health or safety of the governing body and public. (2) In the case of a governing body of a school corporation or charter school, in addition to the presence of the circumstances described in (1), at least one school within the jurisdiction of the school corporation or charter school is closed because of the disaster emergency. Adds a definition of "charter school" for purposes of the open door law that includes a virtual charter school.
