An Act To Ensure the Provision of Necessary Conditions for Effective Education Reform
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1292
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: NORTON, BOWMAN, CANAVAN, EDGECOMB, FARRINGTON, JACKSON, MAKAS, MUSE, SIROIS, MARTIN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6201, 20-A MRSA §6202-A

Legislative Document 
No. 1292 
H.P.91O 
House of Representatives, March 9, 2007 
An Act To Ensure the Provision of Necessary Conditions for 
Effective Education Reform 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative NORTON of Bangor. 
Cosponsored by Senator BOWMAN of York and 
--m~ 
1J1·771dC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CANAVAN of Waterville, EDGECOMB of Caribou, FARRINGTON of 
Gorham, JACKSON of Allagash, MAKAS of Lewiston, MUSE of Fryeburg, SIROIS of 
Turner, Senator: MARTIN of Aroostook. 
Prinled on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRS A §6201, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. D, §§3 
and 4, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6201, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2001, c. 454, §28, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRS A §6201-A is enacted to read: 
§6201-A. Implementation of standards-based education system 
Assessment of student learning must be done at the local level to assess student 
learning instead of student achievement. 
A classroom teacher shall design, determine 
and implement the assessment of an individual student at that student's level, with the 
assistance of a teacher learning community. For the purpose of this section, "teacher 
learning community" means a teacher working with other teachers to establish assessment 
standards to study student learning. A teacher learning community must be organized 
according to this section. 
1. 
Within the building. A teacher learning community is within each school 
building and must be composed of all the teachers within that building and any other 
person as determined by the teachers. 
2. Minimum time. Teachers must meet in a teacher learning community for a 
minimum of one hour daily within the normal school day. 
3. Teacher coverage. Teachers meeting in a teaching learning community must 
have coverage for their assigned responsibilities for student supervision, direct instruction 
or other assigned duties during the time allocated to the teacher learning community. 
4. Activity plan. The teachers may determine the specific activities during the 
allocated teacher learning community time and may include group discussion regarding 
professional practice, peer consultations, research, individual teacher preparation, 
planning and reflection and other professional activities. 
5. Time provided. The time provided for a teacher learning community must be to 
supplement, not replace, time otherwise provided for teacher planning, preparation and 
professional development by any school administrative unit. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §6202-A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 446, §4 and c. 593, §§ 1 
and 2, is further amended to read: 
§6202-A. High school graduation decisions 
Each school administrative unit shall establish a local assessment system to measure 
student achievement of the learning results established in section 6209. 
Local 
assessments may include portfolios, performances and demonstrations in addition to other 
measures of achievement. Commercially produced assessment tools may be part of a 
local assessment system but may not carry a maJonty of the 'Neight in detennining 
student perfonnance. The local assessment system must be imt*emented ail follows. 
1. TeehBieal assistaBee. The department shall provide technical assistance to school 
administrative units in using student achievement data to infonn teaching and learning. 
The department shall establish quality standards for the statevlide assessment program 
and the local assessment systems. 
2. ImplemeBtatieB. By the end of the 2003 2004 school year, the local assessment 
system established pursuant to this section must be fully implemented in school 
administrative units as the measure of student progress. 
,"". Meraterium. Nohvithstanding subsection 2, a moratorium is imposed for the 
1 
2006 2007 school year for activities associated with assessments designed to certify 
student achievement. /\ssessments used for infonning teaching and learning are exempt 
from this moratorium. This subsection is repealed June 30, 2007. 
3. 
Public high school graduation decisions; learning results endorsements; 
annual targets. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, each school administrative 
unit may award learning results endorsements in addition to the high school diploma 
awarded pursuant to section 4722. The awarding of the learning results endorsements 
must be determined by student achievement of the standards of the system of learning 
results in English language arts, health and physical education, mathematics, science and 
technology and social studies, based on the school administrative unit's local assessment 
system established pursuant to this section in addition to other requirements as 
established by school board policy. 
A. By the 2009-2010 school year, learning results endorsements may be awarded to 
students who, at a minimum, demonstrate achievement of the content standards in 
English language arts and mathematics based on the school administrative unit's local 
assessment system. 
B. By the 2010-2011 school year, learning results endorsements may be awarded to 
students who, at a minimum, demonstrate achievement of the content standards in 
English language arts, mathematics, science and technology, social studies and health 
and physical education based on the school administrative unit's local assessment 
system. 
C. 
By the 2011-2012 school year, the awarding of learning results endorsements 
must be determined by student achievement of the standards of the system of learning 
results in each of the 8 content areas of the system of learning results based on the 
school administrative unit's assessment system. 
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, the commissioner shall recommend to the 
Legislature annual targets for the percentage of students to whom school administrative 
units may award diplomas based on the awarding of credits and the percentage of 
students receiving learning results endorsements in addition to the high school diploma 
awarded pursuant to section 4722. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, school 
administrative units must include in their annual basic school approval reports to the 
commissioner the percentage of students receiving learning results endorsements. 
4. 
Graduation decisions at certain private high schools; learning results 
endorsements; annual targets. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, the option of 
learning results endorsements in addition to the high school diploma awarded pursuant to 
section 4722 may also be provided for publicly funded students in private schools 
approved for tuition that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students, as determined by 
the previous school year's October and April average enrollment. 
The awarding of 
learning results endorsements must be detennined by student achievement of the 
standards of the system of learning results in English language arts, health and physical 
education, mathematics, science and technology and social studies, in addition to other 
requirements that may be established by the trustees. 
A. By the 2009-2010 school year, learning results endorsements may be awarded to 
students who, at a minimum, demonstrate achievement of the content standards in 
English language arts and mathematics. 
B. By the 2010-2011 school year, learning results endorsements may be awarded to 
students who, at a minimum, demonstrate achievement of the content standards in 
English language arts, mathematics, science and technology, social studies and health 
and physical education. 
C. By the 2011-2012 school year, the awarding of learning results endorsements in 
addition to the high school diploma for publicly funded students in private schools 
must be detennined by student achievement of the standards of the system of learning 
results in each of the 8 content areas of the system of learning results, in addition to 
other requirements as established by the trustees. 
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, the commissioner shall recommend to the 
Legislature annual targets for the percentage of students to whom private schools 
approved for tuition that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students may award 
diplomas based on the awarding of credits and the percentage of students receiving 
learning results endorsements in addition to the high school diploma awarded pursuant to 
section 4722. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, private schools approved for 
tuition that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students must include in their annual basic 
school approval reports to the commissioner the percentage of students receiving learning 
results endorsements. 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the conditions and resources that implement the standards-based 
education system for all students and it requires these conditions and resources to be 
provided in all school administrative units. It also requires that comprehensive plans for 
the implementation of standards-based education be collaboratively developed.