§ 6-15-2202 - Access to public school information on school improvement plans. - Arkansas Statutes

6-15-2202. Access to public school information on school improvement plans.

(a) This section is intended to:

(1) Improve student achievement and close achievement gaps among student subgroups by providing public access to comprehensive school improvement plans;

(2) Improve parental involvement and communication with parents;

(3) Increase transparency and accountability of public schools and public school districts to the public; and

(4) Make public school and public school district data more accessible to researchers and policymakers.

(b) By the twentieth day following the date a public school or public school district is required by law or rule to provide the applicable information listed in this subsection (b), a public school district shall post the most recent version of the following information on its website:

(1) (A) The comprehensive school improvement plan developed under the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment, and Accountability Program Act, 6-15-401 et seq. for each public school in the public school district.

(B) A public school that accepts National School Lunch Act funds and national school lunch student state categorical funding under 6-20-2305 shall report in the public school's comprehensive school improvement plan the following:

(i) A description of how the public school plans to use National School Lunch Act funds and national school lunch student state categorical funds in the current school year; and

(ii) A description of how the school used National School Lunch Act funds and national school lunch student state categorical funds in the previous school year;

(2) The public school district's annual report card and the annual report card of each public school in the public school district;

(3) A parent-friendly explanation of:

(A) The school improvement status of the public school district;

(B) The school improvement status of each public school in the public school district, including the identification of any supplemental educational services available to each public school; and

(C) Why the public school district or any of its public schools are under academic distress, school improvement, or fiscal distress and what the district is doing to be removed from academic distress, school improvement, or fiscal distress;

(4) The public school district's parental involvement plan and the parental involvement plan of all public schools in the public school district and informational packets required under 6-15-1702 and under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and

(5) Teacher qualifications for all public schools in the public school district under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

(c) Not less than annually, the Department of Education shall monitor compliance with the requirements of this section when the department:

(1) Directly monitors a school for compliance with standards and accreditation; or

(2) Assists a school with its comprehensive school improvement plan.

(d) (1) The department shall report a failure to comply with this section to the State Board of Education.

(2) The state board shall establish by rule that compliance with this section is a requirement for accreditation of a public school or public school district.