GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-65

SENATE BILL 597

AN ACT to repeal references to the ABCs program in the general statutes.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.1.  G.S. 115C‑17 is repealed.

SECTION 1.2.  G.S. 115C‑105.36 is repealed.

SECTION 1.3.  G.S. 143B‑146.1 reads as rewritten:

"§ 143B‑146.1.  Mission of schools; definitions.

(a)        It is the intent of the General Assembly that the mission of the residential school community is to challenge with high expectations each child to learn, to achieve, and to fulfill his or her potential.

(b)        The following definitions apply in this Part:

(1)        ABC's Program or Program. – The School‑Based Management and Accountability Program developed by the State Board.

(2)        Department. – The Department of Health and Human Services.

(3)        Instructional personnel. – Assistant principals, teachers, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, and teacher assistants employed in a residential school.

(4)        Participating school. – A residential school that is required to participate in the ABC's Program.

(4a)      Residential school. – A school operated by the Department of Health and Human Services that provides residential services to students. For the purposes of this Part, "residential school" does not include a school operated pursuant to Article 9C of Chapter 115C.

(5)        Residential school personnel. – The individuals included in G.S. 143B‑146.16(a)(2).

(6)        Schools. – The residential schools under the control of the Secretary.

(7)        Secretary. – The Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(8)        State Board. – The State Board of Education."

SECTION 1.4.  G.S. 143B‑146.2 reads as rewritten:

"§ 143B‑146.2.  ABC's School‑Based Management and Accountability Program in residential schools.

(a)        The Secretary, in consultation with the General Assembly and the State Board, may designate residential schools that must participate in the ABC's Program. The primary goal of the ABC's Program is to improve student performance. The Program is based upon an accountability, recognition, assistance, and intervention process in order to hold each participating school, its principal, and the instructional personnel accountable for improved student performance in that school.

(b)        In order to support the participating schools in the implementation of this Program, the State Board, in consultation with the Secretary, shall adopt guidelines, including guidelines to:

(1)        Assist the Secretary and the participating schools in the development and implementation of the ABC's Program.

(2)        Recognize the participating schools that meet or exceed their goals.

(3)        Identify participating schools that are low‑performing and assign assistance teams to those schools. The assistance teams should include individuals with expertise in residential schools, individuals with experience in the education of children with disabilities, and others the State Board, in consultation with the Secretary, considers appropriate.

(4)        Enable assistance teams to make appropriate recommendations.

(c)        The ABC's Program shall provide increased decision making and parental involvement at the school level with the goal of improving student performance.

(d)        Consistent with improving student performance, the Secretary shall provide maximum flexibility to participating schools in the use of funds to enable those schools to accomplish their goals."

SECTION 1.5.  G.S. 143B‑146.3 reads as rewritten:

"§ 143B‑146.3.  Annual performance goals.

The ABC's Program shall (i) focus on student performance in the basics of reading, mathematics, and communications skills in elementary and middle schools, (ii) focus on student performance in courses required for graduation and on other measures required by the State Board in the high schools, and (iii) hold participating schools accountable for the educational growth of their students. To those ends, the State Board shall design and implement an accountability system that sets annual performance standards for each participating school in order to measure the growth in performance of the students in each individual school."

SECTION 1.6.  G.S. 143B‑146.4 is repealed.

SECTION 1.7.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 3^rd day of June, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 10:00 a.m. this 11^th day of June, 2015