The bill focuses on improving data reporting requirements for local education providers, such as school districts, charter schools, and the state charter school institute. Below are the key provisions:
1. Data Reporting Audit:
The Department of Education (department) is required to conduct an audit by June 30, 2026, focusing on:
The data local education providers must report to meet state and federal laws.
The methods of reporting to the department.
Whether the current data requirements are aligned with the state's information needs.
The time local education providers spend on reporting.
Potential for more efficient reporting practices (e.g., consolidating submissions, aligning timelines, utilizing existing data systems).
An evaluation of the reporting protocols related to training requirements for data reporting.
An assessment of current training requirements for data reporting.
2. Audit Results and Recommendations:
By December 1, 2026, the department must submit the audit results and recommendations to the education committees of the house and senate. The recommendations will focus on:
Reducing the administrative burden on local education providers for data collection and reporting.
Identifying legislative changes that may be needed to improve the reporting process.
3. Performance and Improvement Plans:
For school districts or the state charter school institute (institute) on a performance or improvement plan, the bill allows these entities to submit the plan using a customizable format or template, as long as it meets the statutory requirements.
Similarly, for district public schools or institute charter schools on a performance or improvement plan, the local school board (for district schools) or the institute (for charter schools) may submit the school performance plan in a format that suits the school’s needs, provided that the plan addresses the statutory requirements.
The bill aims to reduce the administrative burden of data reporting on local education providers, ensuring that data collection is efficient and meets the state’s needs. The department of education will review existing reporting practices and recommend ways to streamline the process. It also allows flexibility in submitting performance plans for schools and charter schools on improvement plans, as long as they meet required standards.
Summary
The bill requires the department of education (department), on or
before June 30, 2026, to conduct an audit on data reporting requirements for schools of school districts, school districts, district charter schools, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute (local education providers). The audit must include:
•
Data that local education providers are required to report to comply with state and federal laws;
•
The methods by which data is reported to the department; •
Whether the current data requirements meet the information needs of the state;
•
How much time local education providers spend reporting to the department;
•
Whether there are more efficient ways to report data to the department, including, but not limited to, consolidating data report submissions, aligning data report submission timelines to limit the number of reports submitted, and using current data systems that already exist to collect relevant information;
•
An evaluation of the reporting protocols for local education providers to comply with training requirements; and
•
An evaluation of current training requirements regarding reporting data.
On or before December 1, 2026, the department shall submit the
results of the data audit recommendations on how to relieve the administrative data collection and reporting burdens on local education providers, and legislative changes that may be required to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or their successor committees.
For school districts and the state charter school institute (institute)
that are on a performance or improvement plan, the bill allows a local school board or the institute to submit the performance or improvement plan using a format or template that best meets the school district's or institute's needs, so long as the included plan addresses statutory requirements.
For schools of a school district or district charter schools (district
public schools) or institute charter schools that are on a school performance or improvement plan, the bill allows a local school board, on behalf of a district public school, or the institute, on behalf of an institute charter school, to submit the school performance or improvement plan using a format or template that best meets the district public school's or institute charter school's needs, so long as the included plan addresses statutory requirements.
