PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

H.B. 261

House Bill No. 261

AN ACT concerning

Education — School Performance Recognition Awards

FOR the purpose of recognizing a public school's progress on meeting or exceeding
satisfactory that shows substantial improvement towards meeting standards
established by the State Board of Education under the Maryland School
Performance Program; providing for distribution of the awards by the State
Superintendent; requiring the State Board of Education to establish certain
guidelines; establishing certain parameters for use of the funds; requiring certain
annual reports; and generally relating to recognition awards and education.

BY adding to

Article - Education

Section 5-203.3

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1992 Replacement Volume and 1995 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article -Education

5-203.3.

(A)     (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.

(2)      "DATA-BASED AREAS" MEANS THOSE AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE
STATE BOARD THROUGH THE MARYLAND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROGRAM FOR
WHICH INFORMATION IS TO BE TRACKED FOR EACH SCHOOL, EACH SCHOOL
SYSTEM, AND THE STATE.

(3)      "MARYLAND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROGRAM" MEANS A
PERFORMANCE BASED EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON
ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

(4)      "RECIPIENT SCHOOL" MEANS A PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT RECEIVES A
RECOGNITION AWARD UNDER THIS SECTION.

(B)     IT IS THE INTENT OF THIS SECTION TO REWARD A SCHOOL'S PROGRESS
ON MEETING OR EXCEEDING SCHOOL THAT SHOWS SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
TOWARDS MEETING STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE BOARD FOR THE
DATA-BASED AREAS OF THE MARYLAND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROGRAM.

(C)     (1) TO THE EXTENT THAT FUNDS ARE PROVIDED IN THE STATE
BUDGET, THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT ANNUALLY SHALL DISTRIBUTE
RECOGNITION AWARDS TO:

(I) EACH ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL THAT MEETS
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