Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding mastery-based education.

This legislation will allow more public school districts and public charter schools to participate in Idaho's mastery education initiative by removing the existing statutory cap on participation. The cap was put into place as the mastery initiative began, in order to create an incubator cohort of schools. As Idaho has made progress, more schools wish to participate. The legislation also adjusts the statute to support Idaho's long-term transition to mastery education.

Adds to existing law to enact the Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program Act.

Repeals and amends existing law to establish provisions regarding sex education.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding reading instruction and intervention, reading assessments and literacy intervention.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding rural education support networks.

This legislation authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to fund the establishment of one (1) Rural Education Support Network in FY 2019. The Network is a small, nimble coordinating body, providing member school districts and charter schools with dedicated staff and funding for the purposes of collaboration, resource sharing, and the pursuit of new resources through grants or philanthropic opportunities. A local school district or charter school must enter into an MOU with the Network, which is an opt-in entity, but no member district or charter school is compelled to participate in a manner that the local school board or superintendent does not deem appropriate. The State Department of Education would provide a model MOU to which Networks could attach addenda to meet their specific needs, but otherwise is not involved in the Network's coordination or decision-making. The superintendent may provide funding to the Network for up to three years, but the Network must become self-sustaining using the revenue saved through resource sharing and efficient coordination among the members.

Repeals and amends existing law to establish provisions regarding sex education.

Repealing Sections 33-1608 through 33-1611, Idaho Code, adding a new section that aligns with the current Idaho Content Standards Health Education. This removes antiquated language to address, in broad terms, what the study of "sex education" means and who should be involved in planning and revising curriculum. This revision also addresses an excuse request for a student to not participate in the program.

Amends existing law to revise a definition.

Section 33-3717B, Idaho Code, sets out the provisions for determining residency status for students attending our public four-year institutions. In 2016, legislation was enacted amending these provisions to allow students who enrolled at an Idaho public postsecondary institution within six years of graduating from an accredited secondary school to receive residency status for tuition purposes. The purpose of the original change was to accommodate those students that had deep ties to Idaho who had left the state to attend undergraduate school and now wanted to return to their home state to finish their education and live. While the current provision serves most of these students, there have been a handful of students who have fallen outside of this time period by three to six months, due to the gap in the spring secondary school graduation and the fall time period for postsecondary enrollment. While there have not been large numbers of students who have been impacted by this gap, those students who have been impacted fall into the group of students encouraged to return to Idaho. The proposed legislation would amend Section 33-3717B, Idaho Code, to extend the time period after secondary school graduation from six years to seven years.