HB147: Teachers; revise duties and responsibilities relating to student assessment and achievement before promotion.

Legislative Summary

An Act To Require Local School Districts To Adopt Policies Allowing Instructors To Determine The Level Of Intensive Instruction And Intervention Needed By Students Using A Raw Grading Scale For Evaluating Student Performance; To Require Each Instructor To Maintain High Standards Of Instruction And Use His Or Her Evaluation Of Each Individual Student As The Final Basis For Assigning Grades In Regular Course Work And Daily Or Weekly Assessment; To Protect Students Against Prejudiced Or Capricious Academic Evaluation; To Prohibit The Rigid Application Of Arbitrary Percentages In The Assignment And Distribution Of Grades In Any Instance; To Require Grade Assignment To Be Based Solely On Achievement Of Course And Grade Level Standards Without Regard To Class Size Or The Quality Of The Class Group; To Amend Section 37-9-69, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Teachers To Determine A Student's Level Of Competence And Proficiency Through The Student's Performance On Regularly Assigned Coursework And Periodic Testing Assessments Before Promoting The Student To The Next Grade Level; To Require The Local School Board To Adopt A Raw Grading Scale For Evaluating Student Performance And The Adequacy Of Reading Skill Levels And Teachers' And Administrators' Ability To Meet Student Growth; To Require Teachers To Administer Incremental Weekly Or Biweekly Testing Assessments Subject To The Curriculum Adopted And The Instructional Modules Approved By The School Board; To Require Teachers To Conduct Scheduled Systematic Evaluations Of Pupils At Each Grade Level Using Regularly Assigned Coursework, Homework, Special Project Assignments, Periodic Testing Assessments And Any State Standardized Assessments Administered By The State Department Of Education; To Amend Section 37-9-23, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require That The Employment Contract For Licensed Instructional Staff Provide For Weekly Or Bi-weekly Evaluation Periods By The School Administrator To Determine The Teacher Level Of Performance; To Provide That Failure Of A School To Meet Growth Results In Administrative Sanctions Imposed Upon Teachers And Administrators; To Amend Section 37-3-2, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Prescribe The Administrative Sanction To Be Imposed Upon Teachers And Administrators For Failure To Meet Growth Based On A Certain Percentage Of Students Failing A Set Of Periodic And Standardized Testing Assessments Within A Particular Academic Period; To Bring Forward Sections 37-177-1, 37-177-3, 37-177-5, 37-177-7, 37-177-9, 37-177-11, 37-177-13, 37-177-15, 37-177-17, 37-177-19 And 37-177-21, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For Purposes Of Possible Amendments; And For Related Purposes.