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H.720
Introduced by Representatives Doyle of Richmond, Ginevan of Middlebury
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and Miller of Shaftsbury
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Referred to Committee on
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Date:
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Subject: Education; alternative learning environments; educator preparation
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and professional development; exchange of student information;
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appropriation
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Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to strengthen statutory policies
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regarding provision of educational services to underscore the focus on
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providing services within the classroom whenever possible; fund a study on
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alternative programs; strengthen educator preparation for handling a variety of
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needs and behaviors in the classroom; and direct educators and various
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administration branch administrators to develop a system for timely exchange
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of information about students.
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AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATOR PREPARATION FOR
HANDLING A VARIETY OF NEEDS AND BEHAVIORS IN THE
CLASSROOM, ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMS AND
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
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VT LEG 119528.1
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Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 2901(a) is amended to read:
(a) It is the policy of the state that each local school district develop and
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maintain, in consultation with parents, a comprehensive system of education
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that will result, to the extent appropriate, in all students succeeding in the
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general education environment. This chapter does not require that a child
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remain in the regular classroom if the child A comprehensive system of
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education includes an array of services which are needed by students in the
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district. These services could include a separate alternative program if the
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district finds that some of its students could be better served in an environment
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outside the classroom, or if the district finds that separate placement is the best
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way to provide services to a student who is disrupting the class and thereby
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impairing the ability of the classroom teacher to provide quality services to
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other pupils. This chapter does not replace or expand entitlements created by
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federal law, nor is it the intent of this chapter to create a higher standard for
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maintaining a student in the general classroom than the standard created in the
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following federal laws: 20 U.S.C. § 1401 et seq., Individuals with Disabilities
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Act; 29 U.S.C. § 794, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; and 42 U.S.C.
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§ 12101 et seq., Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. § 2902(b) is amended to read:
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(b) The educational support system shall:
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***
VT LEG 119528.1
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(4) Provide clear procedures and methods for handling a student who
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disrupts a class and shall include provision of educational options, support
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services and consultation or training for staff where appropriate. Procedures
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may include provision for removal of the student from the classroom for as
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long as appropriate, consistent with state and federal law and after reasonable
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effort has been made to support the student in the regular classroom
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environment.
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***
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Sec. 3. ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS; STUDY; APPROPRIATION
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(a) The amount of $50,000.00 is appropriated to the State Board of
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Education to:
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(1) Review the national research on alternative learning environments.
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(2) Describe the nature of Vermont alternative programs. This should
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include information about the process that went into designing each program,
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and describe alternatives that were considered or tried and rejected.
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(3) Determine whether existing alternatives do and can successfully
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operate within the current laws and regulations governing public and
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independent schools.
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(4) Describe the cost, funding and finance structures of Vermont’s
alternative programs.
VT LEG 119528.1
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(b) Based on this research, the commissioner shall develop
recommendations on the following:
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(1) Whether differential standards for alternative programs are necessary
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and, if so, the content of the standards, and a clear statutory definition of an
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alternative program required to meet the standards.
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(2) Changes that may be needed to the education finance structure.
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(3) A system which would enable the department of education to:
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(A) annually gather information about alternative learning programs,
and use the results of the survey to identify unmet needs and best practices;
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(B) monitor, evaluate the effectiveness of, and approve alternative
programs to ensure that they are providing a quality education.
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(c) On or before January 15, 2001, the State Board of Education shall
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report to the Senate and House Committees on Education the information
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gathered, recommendations, and recommended legislation and appropriations
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to implement the recommendations.
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Sec. 4. EDUCATOR PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL
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DEVELOPMENT; STANDARDS BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL
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EDUCATORS; STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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(a) The State Board of Education and Standards Board for Professional
Educators shall clarify and strengthen requirements for teacher and
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administrator training in basic classroom management, understanding of
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disabilities and special needs, instructional and curricular adaptations and
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accommodations, dealing with people of diverse cultural backgrounds,
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prevention of behavior problems, and handling of students who exhibit
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challenging behaviors.
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(b) The Commissioner of Education, in the next guidebook for local
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Standards Board for Professional Educators shall recommend that each board
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encourage teachers to consider the need for further training in classroom
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management, understanding of disabilities and special needs, adaptations and
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accommodations, dealing with people of diverse cultural backgrounds,
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prevention of behavior problems, and handling of students who exhibit
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challenging behaviors in their professional development plans.
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(c) The Commissioner of Education shall encourage school administrators
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to ensure that experienced teachers are available to help newer teachers learn
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effective classroom management skills, and that experienced teachers avail
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themselves of ongoing professional development opportunities in this area.
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(d) The Commissioner of Education shall meet with representatives of
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superintendents, the court system, the departments of public safety, of social
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and rehabilitation services, and of developmental and mental health services,
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and two representatives of education consumer groups to develop policies,
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possible recommendations for legislative change, and internal procedures and
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training that should be put into place to ensure timely exchange of appropriate
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information about a student’s behavior which may be needed to ensure the
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safety of other students or in order to be able to provide timely intervention or
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alternative educational or other services.
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(e) The Commissioner of Education and the chair of the State Board of
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Education shall report the results of work carried out under this section to the
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Senate and House Committees on Education by April 15, 2000.
VT LEG 119528.1