84Th General Assembly a Bill Act 1793 of 2003

1 Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the 2 law as it existed prior to this session of the General Assembly.

1State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/11/03 284th General Assembly A Bill Act 1793 of 2003 3Regular Session, 2003 HOUSE BILL 2879 4 5By: Representative Hardwick 6 7 8 For An Act To Be Entitled 9 AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN LAWS PERTAINING 10 TO HOME SCHOOLS; AND FOR OTHER 11 PURPOSES. 12 13 Subtitle 14 AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN LAWS 15 PERTAINING TO HOME SCHOOLS. 16 17 18BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19 20 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6-15-504 is amended to read as follows: 21 6-15-504. Home-schooled students - Achievement tests - Enrollment or 22reenrollment in local schools. 23 (a) Each student enrolled in a home school program who is considered to be at 24a grade level, or no more than two (2) years beyond the normal age for the appropriate 25grade, for which the state mandates norm-referenced tests for public school students 26shall be tested using a nationally recognized norm-referenced achievement test 27selected by the State Board of Education. 28 (b)(1)(A) The administration of the tests required of home-schooled students 29shall be by the directors of the education service cooperatives established under § 6- 3013-1001 et seq. or as otherwise designated by the Department of Education. 31 (B) For the purposes of this section, the superintendents of the 32Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Pulaski County school districts shall act in lieu of an 33education service cooperative director. 34 (2) The directors of the education service cooperatives shall establish a 35common set of procedures, approved by the Director of the Department of Education, 36for the proper administration of the tests required by this section.

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1 (3) The administration shall include purchasing the test materials, giving 2the tests, scoring and interpreting the tests, and reporting test results. 3 (c) The cost of testing required by this section shall be the responsibility of the 4department when the tests are administered by the directors of the education service 5cooperatives or other department designees. 6 (d) Alternate testing procedures may be approved by the director of an 7education service cooperative after consultation with the parents of a home-schooled 8student; provided, however, that any costs associated with an alternate testing 9procedure shall be the responsibility of the parents. 10 (e)(1)(A) Any student that refuses to participate in the testing program or the 11alternate testing program required by this section has not met the statutory 12prerequisites for home schooling and shall be subject to the applicable Arkansas laws 13regarding truancy as any other student. 14 (B) After a student corrects any refusal to participate in the testing 15program or the alternate testing program as determined by the Department of 16Education required by this subsection (e), the student shall be restored to his or her 17home school status after his or her parent or guardian has complied with all 18requirements of § 6-15-503. 19 (2) This subsection (e) shall not be applicable to any parent who can 20present written acknowledgement that the child has been enrolled in a public, private, or 21parochial school within thirty (30) days of the administration of the state-mandated 22achievement test. 23 (f)(1) Each local school district shall have authority to assess any home- 24schooled student who enrolls or reenrolls in the district in order to determine proper 25educational placement. 26 (2) The local school district shall utilize, among other means of 27assessment, the norm-referenced test approved by the board to assess the student and 28shall determine placement in the appropriate grade level as indicated by the test 29results. 30 (g) Any home-schooled student who enrolls or reenrolls in a local school district 31must attend classes for at least nine (9) months immediately prior to graduation before 32the student can become eligible to receive a high school diploma from the district. 33 34 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6-15-507 is amended to read as follows: 35 6-15-507. Ineligibility of home schools for local, state, or federal funds. 36 (a) Home schools authorized by this subchapter shall are not be eligible for

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1entitled to local, state, or federal funds allocated to a public school district. For 2purposes of this section, eligible children with disabilities, identified under the 3Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., in home school 4settings shall be given the same consideration afforded to students in private school 5settings for special education services as provided for in the Individuals with Disabilities 6Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. 7 (b) School districts providing services to home school students shall be eligible 8for local, state, or federal funds allocated or approved for such services. 9 10 /s/ Hardwick 11 12 13 APPROVED: 4/22/2003 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

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