FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1576
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVESMITH(68).
3130H.02I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection170.018,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingto
computersciencecoursesinschools.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section170.018,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection170.018,toreadasfollows:
170.018.1.(1)Forpurposesofthissection,"computersciencecourse"meansa
2courseinwhichstudentsstudycomputers[and],algorithmicprocesses,cybersecurity,social
3mediatraining,andartificialintelligenceincludingtheirprinciples,hardwareandsoftware
4designs,implementation,andimpactonsociety.Thetermshallinclude,butnotbelimitedto,
5astand-alonecourseatanyelementary,middle,orhighschooloracourseatanyelementary
6ormiddleschoolthatembedscomputersciencecontentwithinothersubjects.
7 (2)Thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshall,beforeJuly1,2019,
8developahighschoolgraduationpolicythatallowsastudenttofulfilloneunitofacademic
9creditwithadistrict-approvedcomputersciencecoursemeetingthestandardsofsubsection2
10ofthissectionforanymathematics,science,orpracticalartsunitrequiredforhighschool
11graduation.Thepolicyshallrequirethatallstudentshaveeithertakenallcoursesthatrequire
12end-of-courseexaminationsformathandscienceorareontracktotakeallcoursesthat
13requireend-of-courseexaminationsformathandscienceundertheMissourischool
14improvementprograminordertoreceivecredittowardhighschoolgraduationunderthis
15subsection.
16 (3)Aschooldistrictshallcommunicatetostudentselectingtouseacomputerscience
17courseforamathematicsunitthatsomeinstitutionsofhighereducationmayrequirefour
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18unitsofacademiccreditinmathematicsforcollegeadmission.Theparent,guardian,orlegal
19custodianofeachstudentwhochoosestotakeacomputersciencecoursetofulfillaunitof
20academiccreditinmathematicsshallsignandsubmittotheschooldistrictadocument
21containingastatementacknowledgingthattakingacomputersciencecoursetofulfillaunit
22ofacademiccreditinmathematicsmayhaveanadverseeffectoncollegeadmission
23decisions.
24 (4)Thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationandthedepartmentof
25highereducationandworkforcedevelopmentshallcooperateindevelopingandimplementing
26academicrequirementsforcomputersciencecoursesofferedinanygradeorgradesnotlower
27thantheninthnorhigherthanthetwelfthgrade.
28 2.(1)Thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshallconveneawork
29grouptodevelopandrecommendrigorousacademicperformancestandardsrelatingto
30computerscienceforstudentsinkindergartenandineachgradenothigherthanthetwelfth
31grade.Theworkgroupshallinclude,butnotbelimitedto,educatorsprovidinginstructionin
32kindergartenorinanygradenothigherthanthetwelfthgradeandrepresentativesfromthe
33departmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducation,thedepartmentofhighereducationand
34workforcedevelopment,businessandindustry,andinstitutionsofhighereducation.The
35departmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshalldevelopwrittencurriculum
36frameworksrelatingtocomputersciencethatmaybeusedbyschooldistricts.The
37requirementsofsection160.514shallnotapplytothissection.
38 (2)Thestateboardofeducationshalladoptandimplementacademicperformance
39standardsrelatingtocomputersciencebeginninginthe2019-20schoolyear.
40 3.BeforeJuly1,2019,thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshall
41developaprocedurebywhichanyteacherwhoholdsacertificateoflicensetoteachunder
42section168.021anddemonstratessufficientcontentknowledgeofcomputerscienceshall
43receiveaspecialendorsementontheteacher'slicensesignifyingtheteacher'sspecialized
44knowledgeincomputerscience.
45 4.(1)Forpurposesofthissubsection,"eligibleentity"means:
46 (a)Alocaleducationalagency,oraconsortiumoflocaleducationalagencies,inthe
47state,includingcharterschoolsthathavedeclaredthemselveslocaleducationalagencies;
48 (b)Aninstitutionofhighereducationinthestate;or
49 (c)Anonprofitorprivateproviderofnationallyrecognizedandhigh-quality
50computerscienceprofessionaldevelopment,asdeterminedbythedepartmentofelementary
51andsecondaryeducation.
52 (2)Thereisherebycreatedinthestatetreasurythe"ComputerScienceEducation
53Fund".Thefundshallconsistofallmoneysthatmaybeappropriatedtoitbythegeneral
54assemblyandanygifts,contributions,grants,orbequestsreceivedfromprivateorother
HB1576 2 55sourcesforthepurposeofprovidingteacherprofessionaldevelopmentprogramsrelatingto
56computerscience.Thestatetreasurershallbecustodianofthefund.Inaccordancewith
57sections30.170and30.180,thestatetreasurermayapprovedisbursements.Thefundshallbe
58adedicatedfundand,uponappropriation,moneysinthefundshallbeusedsolelyforthe
59administrationofgrantstoeligibleentitiesasdescribedinthissection.Notwithstandingthe
60provisionsofsection33.080tothecontrary,anymoneysremaininginthefundattheendof
61thebienniumshallnotreverttothecreditofthegeneralrevenuefund.Thestatetreasurer
62shallinvestmoneysinthefundinthesamemannerasotherfundsareinvested.Anyinterest
63andmoneysearnedonsuchinvestmentsshallbecreditedtothefund.
64 (3)Thestateboardofeducationshallawardgrantsfromthecomputerscience
65educationfundtoeligibleentitiesforthepurposeofprovidingteacherprofessional
66developmentprogramsrelatingtocomputerscience.Aneligibleentitywishingtoreceive
67suchagrantshallsubmitanapplicationtothedepartmentofelementaryandsecondary
68educationaddressinghowtheentityplansto:
69 (a)Reachnewandexistingteacherswithlittlecomputersciencebackground;
70 (b)Useeffectivepracticesforprofessionaldevelopment;
71 (c)Focusthetrainingontheconceptualfoundationsofcomputerscience;
72 (d)Reachandsupporthistoricallyunderrepresentedstudentsincomputerscience;
73 (e)Provideteacherswithconcreteexperiencewithhands-on,inquiry-basedpractices;
74and
75 (f)Accommodatetheparticularneedsofstudentsandteachersineachdistrictand
76school.
77 5.(1)ForallschoolyearsbeginningonorafterJuly1,2023,eachpublichighschool
78andcharterhighschoolshallofferatleastonecomputersciencecourseinanin-personsetting
79orasavirtualordistancecourseoption.
80 (2)Anycomputersciencecourseorinstructionofferedunderthissubsectionshall:
81 (a)Beofhighqualityasdefinedbythestateboardofeducation;
82 (b)Meetorexceedthecomputerscienceperformancestandardsdevelopedand
83adoptedbythedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationunderthissection;and
84 (c)Foranycomputersciencecourseofferedbyapublichighschoolorcharterhigh
85school,beofferedinsuchschool'scoursecatalog.
86 (3)OnorbeforeJunethirtiethofeachschoolyear,eachschooldistrictshallsubmitto
87thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationareportforthecurrentschoolyear
88whichshallinclude,butnotbelimitedto:
89 (a)Thenamesandcoursecodesofcomputersciencecoursesofferedineachschoolin
90thedistrictwithacoursedescriptionandwhichcomputerscienceperformancestandardsare
91covered,totheextentsuchinformationisavailable;
HB1576 3 92 (b)Thenumberandpercentageofstudentswhoenrolledineachcomputerscience
93course,listedbythecategoriesinsubparagraphsa.tof.ofthisparagraph.Ifacategory
94containsonetofivestudentsorcontainsaquantityofstudentsthatwouldallowthequantity
95ofanothercategorythatcontainsfiveorfewertobededuced,thenumbershallbereplaced
96withasymbol:
97 a.Sex;
98 b.Raceandethnicity;
99 c.Specialeducationstatusincluding,butnotlimitedto,studentsreceivingservices
100underthefederalIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA)(20U.S.C.Section1400
101etseq.,asamended)orSection504ofthefederalRehabilitationActof1973(29U.S.C.
102Section794),asamended;
103 d.Englishlanguagelearnerstatus;
104 e.Eligibilityforfreeorreducedpricemeals;and
105 f.Gradelevel;and
106 (c)Thenumberofcomputerscienceinstructorsateachschool,listedbythefollowing
107categories:
108 a.Applicablecertifications;
109 b.Sex;
110 c.Raceandethnicity;and
111 d.Highestacademicdegree.
112 (4)OnorbeforeSeptemberthirtiethofeachschoolyear,thedepartmentof
113elementaryandsecondaryeducationshallpostthefollowingonthedepartment'swebsite:
114 (a)Datareceivedunderparagraphs(a)and(b)ofsubdivision(3)ofthissubsection,
115disaggregatedbyschoolandaggregatedstatewide;and
116 (b)Datareceivedunderparagraph(c)ofsubdivision(3)ofthissubsection,
117aggregatedstatewide.
118 (5)OnorbeforeJunethirtiethofeachschoolyear,thedepartmentofelementaryand
119secondaryeducationshallpublishalistofcomputersciencecoursecodesandnameswitha
120coursedescriptionandanindicationofwhichcoursesmeetorexceedthedepartmentof
121elementaryandsecondaryeducation'scomputerscienceperformancestandards.
122 6.Thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshallappointacomputer
123sciencesupervisor.Thecomputersciencesupervisorshallberesponsibleforimplementing
124theprovisionsofthissection.
125 7.ForallschoolyearsbeginningonorafterJuly1,2023,acomputersciencecourse
126successfullycompletedandcountedtowardstategraduationrequirementsshallbeequivalent
127toonesciencecourseoronepracticalartscreditforthepurposeofsatisfyinganyadmission
128requirementsofanypublicinstitutionofhighereducationinthisstate.
HB1576 4 129 8.(1)Theworkgroupestablishedundersubsection2ofthissectionshalldevelop
130additionalacademicperformancestandardsforcomputersciencecoursesthat
131incorporateacademicrequirementsrelatedtocybersecurity,socialmediatraining,
132andartificialintelligence.
133 (2)Thestateboardofeducationshalladoptandimplementsuchacademic
134performancestandardsbeginninginthe2026-27schoolyear.
135 (3)Forthe2026-27schoolyearandallsubsequentschoolyears:
136 (a)Eachpupilwhoreceivesahighschooldiplomaorcertificateofgraduation
137shallhavesatisfactorilycompletedone-halfunitofacademiccreditwithacomputer
138sciencecoursebeforetheendofgradetwelve;and
139 (b)Beforeapupilmaysubstituteacoursethatfulfillsanymathematics,science,
140orpracticalartsunitrequiredforhighschoolgraduation,thepupilshallsatisfactorily
141completeone-halfunitofacademiccreditwithacomputersciencecourse.
142 [8.]9.Thedepartmentofelementaryandsecondaryeducationshallpromulgaterules
143toimplementtheprovisionsofthissection.Anyruleorportionofarule,asthattermis
144definedinsection536.010,thatiscreatedundertheauthoritydelegatedinthissectionshall
145becomeeffectiveonlyifitcomplieswithandissubjecttoalloftheprovisionsofchapter536
146and,ifapplicable,section536.028.Thissectionandchapter536arenonseverableandifany
147ofthepowersvestedwiththegeneralassemblypursuanttochapter536toreview,todelaythe
148effectivedate,ortodisapproveandannularulearesubsequentlyheldunconstitutional,then
149thegrantofrulemakingauthorityandanyruleproposedoradoptedafterDecember18,2018,
150shallbeinvalidandvoid.
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HB1576 5