Rep. Bob Behning

Provides that the commission for higher education shall do the following: (1) In cooperation with the department of education, identify students who meet the requirements to participate in the twenty-first century scholars program (program). (2) Notify the student and the custodial parent or guardian of the student, if the student is an unemancipated minor, that: (A) the student is eligible to participate in the program; (B) the student must agree to the conditions required to participate in the program; and (C) the student has the right to opt out of the program at any time.

Provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must include timetables for reporting bullying incidents to parents of both the targeted student and the alleged perpetrator in an expedited manner that is not later than five business days after the incident is reported. (Current law provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must include timetables for reporting bullying incidents to parents of both the targeted student and the bully in an expedited manner.) Provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation: (1) must include provisions that require a school to prioritize the safety of the victim; (2) may include provisions to determine: (A) the severity of an incident of bullying; and (B) whether an incident of bullying may warrant the transfer of the victim or the alleged perpetrator to another school in the school corporation; and (3) must include policies to allow a parent of a child in the school corporation to review any materials used in any bullying prevention or suicide prevention program. Requires public schools to document acts of bullying and abusive behaviors against a victim and committed by a verified perpetrator.

Provides that a: (1) school that seeks state accreditation; and (2) national or regional accreditation agency that seeks to be recognized by the state board of education (state board); must complete and submit the applicable application form established by the state board. Requires the state board to do the following: (1) Not later than six months after the date a completed application is submitted, approve or deny the accreditation or recognition. (2) If the state board denies an accreditation or recognition, send notice to the school or national or regional accreditation agency stating the reasons for the denial. Requires the department of education (department) to post a copy of the application forms on the department's website. Provides that the Internet dashboard on the state board's website must include: (1) a school's disciplinary incident data; (2) data regarding a school's socioeconomic status and poverty rate; and (3) a school's proportion of fully licensed teachers. Allows the department to award grants under the student learning recovery grant program (program) in state fiscal years 2024 and 2025 from funds appropriated during the 2021 regular session of the Indiana general assembly that have not been obligated. Establishes additional dates for reporting requirements regarding the program. Provides that, as a component of the program application, the department may include a requirement for a school corporation or charter school to provide a matching grant. Provides that funds appropriated to the student learning recovery grant program fund do not revert to the state general fund and remain available to be spent for purposes of the program. Amends agreement requirements for the Indiana student enrichment grant program. Provides that an enrichment student who currently maintains an account is entitled to a grant amount that is subject to available funding and determined by the department. Repeals a provision that establishes a one time enrichment grant amount.

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.

Repeals teacher training requirements regarding: (1) criminal gang organizations awareness; (2) certain information concerning homeless students; and (3) recognizing the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to the symptoms; and requires that information concerning these subjects be included within the curriculum of teacher preparation programs. Provides that the department of education (department) may establish or license for use an online platform to provide information and training concerning these and other subjects. Removes certain requirements regarding annual performance evaluation plans for certificated employees, including: (1) certain content requirements; and (2) certain requirements that a plan be discussed. Amends requirements to be considered a probationary teacher and professional teacher. Provides that, after a school corporation has assigned an evaluator to perform a certificated employee's evaluation, the certificated employee may request the school corporation to assign another evaluator. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate interim study committee the task of studying current school assessments in an effort to reduce and streamline assessments for Indiana students. Removes a provision that requires a school employer to discuss certain items with the exclusive representative of certificated employees and provides that a school employer may discuss: (1) with a certificated employee or group of certificated employees; or (2) at one or more meetings that are open to all certificated employees; any topic that significantly impacts a certificated employee's working conditions or impacts the educational quality of the school employer's students. Repeals provisions concerning: (1) requirements regarding the adoption of model evaluation plans and an approval process for the plans; (2) the obligation to discuss certain items not requiring either party to enter into a contract, agree to a proposal, or make a concession; and (3) the definition of "discuss" for purposes of the collective bargaining provisions.

Establishes the robotics competition program to provide grants to eligible robotics competition teams (eligible teams) in order to expand opportunities to increase interest and improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through participation in competitive robotics programs. Provides a procedure for eligible teams to apply to the department of education (department) to receive a grant. Establishes the robotics competition program fund. Provides that the department shall establish guidelines to: (1) award grants to eligible teams for allowable expenses; and (2) accommodate the participation of students with disabilities on eligible teams or in robotics competitions.

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.

Makes various changes to the education law concerning the following: (1) The science of reading and licensing requirements. (2) The grant for benchmark, formative, interim, or similar assessments with regards to certain assessments, including universal screeners that screen for dyslexia. (3) Eligibility requirements for the next level computer science program. (4) Reading deficiency remediation plan requirements. (5) Payments and funding for excess costs of educating certain students with disabilities. (6) The use of funds from the Senator David C. Ford educational technology fund. (7) Requirements for public schools regarding adopting or replacing data technology systems. (8) The evaluation of curricular materials by the department of education (department). Requires the department to evaluate, approve, and publish a list of high quality curricular materials in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math. Provides that, before curricular material is included on the list, the publisher of the curricular material must enter into a data share agreement with the department. Requires, not later than July 1, 2024, the department to conduct a statewide survey to determine which curricular materials have been adopted for use in certain subjects.

Requires the Indiana archives and records administration to: (1) establish procedures to retain an original record, document, plat, paper, or instrument-in-writing in an electronic format; (2) establish a period of time after which an original record, document, plat, paper, or instrument-in-writing may be destroyed; and (3) prepare and submit, not later than November 1, 2023, a report to the general assembly regarding these matters. Amends the duties of the early learning advisory committee. Changes the prekindergarten pilot program to the prekindergarten program and removes the expiration date. Provides that, at least once every five years, the office, in cooperation with the department of education (department), must carry out a longitudinal study regarding students who participate in the prekindergarten program. Amends requirements regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for child care centers, child care homes, and child care ministries. Requires: (1) each public school to provide information to the department concerning certain physical injuries to employees; and (2) the department to report the information on the department's website. Requires the department to provide certain information to public schools and state accredited nonpublic schools and requires each school to post the information on the school's website home page. Amends innovation network school and participating innovation network charter school provisions regarding: (1) certain agreement requirements and limitations; (2) appeals to the state board of education regarding the failure to follow an agreement renewal process; and (3) negotiating the requirement of specific services. Allows an innovation network team or organizer to enter into an agreement with a school corporation to transfer the ownership of a school corporation facility to the team or organizer and provides that a transfer is not subject to provisions in the law concerning the transfer of vacant school buildings to charter schools. Provides that a school corporation may not require an innovation network team or an organizer to contract for specific goods or services provided by the school corporation or any other entity. Requires information regarding certain possible criminal activity, concluded personnel matter investigations, and matters involving legal expenses be provided to the governing body of a school corporation. Provides that at-risk students who are receiving certain educational services are not included in a public school's four year graduation rate and are included in an eligible school's graduation rate under certain conditions. Amends the definition of "teacher" regarding certain teacher compensation provisions and requires a school corporation to expend at least 62% of the school corporation's state tuition support on teacher compensation. (Current law requires a school corporation to expend at least 45% on full-time teacher salaries.) Requires special education grade 8 through 12 case conference committees to discuss decision making skills and alternatives to appointing a guardian. Requires the department to, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, provide schools the same per pupil exam fee amounts for international baccalaureate and Cambridge International exams as is provided for advanced placement exams. Provides that: (1) any course that meets the requirements of a career and technical education program may be taught virtually by a virtual provider if certain conditions are met; and (2) the virtual course is eligible for a career and technical education grant. Amends the definition of "school scholarship", with regard to scholarship granting organizations. Removes a provision that requires choice scholarship schools to conduct random drawings in a public meeting if applicants for enrollment exceed the number of choice scholarships available to the school. 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 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. Provides that, when developing a proposal for a revised school performance designation, the department shall consider using certain metrics.