AN ACT relating to increasing student achievement.
     Create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to require the scholastic audit team auditing a school that for 2 successive accountability cycles failed to meet its goal and has declining student performance to consider the functioning of the school council and make recommendations concerning the council in the improvement plan; require the audit team to recommend to the commissioner of education whether the school council shall retain the authority granted to it under KRS 160.345 and if not, recommend whether the authority shall be transferred to the superintendent or a highly skilled educator and whether the school council shall continue to act in an advisory capacity until all authority has been restored; a scholastic audit team auditing a district of a school that for 2 successive accountability cycles failed to meet its goal shall consider the functioning of the district and make recommendations concerning the school's council in the district's assistance plan; require the district audit team to recommend to the commissioner of education whether the school council shall retain the authority granted to it under KRS 160.345 and if not, recommend whether the authority shall be transferred to the superintendent or a highly skilled educator and whether the school council shall continue to act in an advisory capacity until all authority has been restored; provide that if the school and district audit teams recommend transfer of the council's authority to the superintendent, the commissioner of education shall transfer the authority; within 30 days of the commissioner's action, the school council may request that the Kentucky Board of Education consider the matter by submitting a written request including any supporting information; if both the audit teams recommend transfer of the council's authority to a highly skilled educator or if they recommend transfer of the council's authority but are not in agreement as to the party granted the council's authority, the commissioner shall make a recommendation to the state board; the school's right to establish a council or the school's right for the council to assume the full authority granted under KRS 160.345 shall be restored when the school meets its accountability goal for an accountability cycle as determined by the Kentucky Department of Education; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to establish a technical assistance program to be administered by the Department of Education to help schools that have a significant gap in academic performance between nonminority and minority students as defined in KRS 160.345; create a new section of KRS Chapter 18A to establish a program to encourage and allow state employees to volunteer mentoring services in low-performing public schools; a state employee may be granted leave from work with pay for up to a total of 5 work days from the agency in any 12 month period with time matched by the employee; the agency may require reports from the employee and the public school related to the volunteer mentor's participation and attendance; amend KRS 157.320 to define a student with limited English proficiency; amend KRS 157.360 to include students with limited English proficiency in the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky funding formula; amend KRS 158.070 to permit a local school board to use additional instructional days funded over the current 175 instructional days to provide a longer school calendar in a low-performing school and sunset the provision when the General Assembly provides more than 180 instructional days; amend KRS 158.6455 and 160.345 to conform.

     Jan 24-introduced in Senate
     Jan 29-to Education (S)
     Feb 13-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute
     Feb 14-2nd reading, to Rules
     Feb 15-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 19, 2002
     Feb 19-3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute
     Feb 20-received in House
     Feb 21-to Education (H)
     Feb 22-posted in committee
     Mar 6-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute
     Mar 7-2nd reading, to Rules
     Mar 11-recommitted to Appropriations and Revenue (H)
     Mar 15-posted in committee
     Mar 19-reported favorably, to Rules with committee amendment (1) to the Committee Substitute
     Mar 20-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 21, 2002
     Mar 27-floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute, floor amendment (2-title) filed
     Mar 28-floor amendments (3) (5) (7) and (8) filed to Committee Substitute, floor amendments (4-title) (6-title) and (9-title) filed
     Apr 1-floor amendments (11) and (12) filed to Committee Substitute, floor amendment (10-title) filed ; recommitted to Appropriations and Revenue (H)