Text of NC H 755 (2022)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2021 H D HOUSE BILL DRH10375-NG-72 Short Title: Academic Transparency. (Public) Sponsors: Representative Blackwell. Referred to: *DRH10375-NG-72* A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 AN ACT TO ENSURE ACADEMIC TRANSPARENCY. 2 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3 SECTION 1. Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding 4 a new section to read: 5 "§ 115C-98A. Inform the public about instructional materials. 6 (a) The governing body of a public school unit shall ensure that the following information 7 for each school it governs is prominently displayed on the school website by July 1 of each year, 8 organized, at a minimum, by subject area and grade level: 9 (1) The instructional materials and activities that were used at the school during 10 the prior school year, including all of the following: 11 a. Anything assigned, distributed, or otherwise presented in any course 12 for which a student receives credit. 13 b. Any materials from among which students are required to select one 14 or more if the selection is restricted by the school. 15 (2) Any procedures for the documentation, review, or approval of the learning 16 materials used for student instruction at the school, including by the principal, 17 curriculum administrators, or other teachers. 18 (b) The information displayed shall include the information necessary to identify the 19 learning materials and activities used for instruction, including the title and the author, 20 organization, or website associated with each material and activity. Nothing in this section shall 21 be construed to require the digital reproduction of the materials themselves or the separate 22 reporting of individual components of materials produced as a single volume. 23 (c) A governing body that is responsible for the operation of schools with fewer than 500 24 students cumulatively is not required to comply with the requirements of this section. 25 (d) The following definitions apply in this section: 26 (1) Activities. – Any instructional task, including, but not limited to, 27 presentations, assemblies, lectures, or other activities or events facilitated by 28 the school, excluding student presentations. 29 (2) Instructional materials. – Any material used for instruction, including, but not 30 limited to, all textbooks, other reading materials, videos, digital materials, 31 websites, and other online applications." 32 SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 33 "(9e) Duty to Inform the Public About Instructional Materials. – The Board shall 34 ensure that information about instructional materials for any school operated 35 H.B. 755 Apr 29, 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 Page 2 DRH10375-NG-72 under Article 7A and Article 9C of this Chapter is prominently displayed on 1 the website of the school, as required by G.S. 115C-98A." 2 SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 3 "(58a) To Inform the Public About Instructional Materials. – Local boards of 4 education shall ensure that information about instructional materials for each 5 school in the local school administrative unit is prominently displayed on the 6 website of the school, as required by G.S. 115C-98A." 7 SECTION 4. G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 8 "(11a) Instructional materials. – The board of directors shall ensure that information 9 about instructional materials is prominently displayed on the website of the 10 regional school, in accordance with G.S. 115C-98A." 11 SECTION 5 G.S. 115C-218.85 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 12 "(c) Instructional Materials. – A charter school shall ensure that information about 13 instructional materials is prominently displayed on the website of the regional school, in 14 accordance with G.S. 115C-98A." 15 SECTION 6. G.S. 116-239.8 reads as rewritten: 16 "§ 116-239.8. Chancellor; powers and duties. 17 … 18 (b) The chancellor shall be the administrative head of a laboratory school approved by 19 the Subcommittee and shall provide general direction for the establishment and operation of a 20 laboratory school. The chancellor, with advice and input from the advisory board established in 21 subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall adopt policies, operating procedures, and the courses of 22 study to govern the operation of the laboratory school. The chancellor may designate the duties 23 required by this Article to other personnel as necessary. The chancellor shall also have the 24 following powers and duties: 25 … 26 (2a) Instructional materials. – The chancellor shall ensure that information about 27 instructional materials is prominently displayed on the website of the 28 laboratory school, in accordance with G.S. 115C-98A. 29 …." 30 SECTION 7. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law 31 and applies beginning with the display of instructional materials used during the 2021-2022 32 school year. 33