Section 7-203 - Education accountability program.
§ 7-203. Education accountability program.
(a) Program established.- The State Board, the State Superintendent, each county board, and each public school shall implement a program of education accountability for the operation and management of the public schools.
(b) Contents of program.- The education accountability program shall include the following:
(1) The State Board and the State Superintendent shall assist each county board to establish educational goals and objectives that conform with statewide educational objectives for subject areas including reading, writing, and mathematics;
(2) With the assistance of its county board, each public school shall survey current student achievement in reading, language, mathematics, and other areas to assess its needs;
(3) Each public school shall establish as the basis for its assessment of its needs, project goals and objectives that are in keeping with the goals and objectives established by its county board and the State Board;
(4) With the assistance of its county board, the State Board, and the State Superintendent, each public school shall develop programs to meet its needs on the basis of the priorities it sets;
(5) Evaluation programs shall be developed at the same time to determine if the goals and objectives are being met; and
(6) A reevaluation of programs, goals, and objectives shall be undertaken regularly.
(c) Standardized testing not the only measurement.- National standardized testing may not be the only measure for evaluating educational accountability.
(d) Assistance from Department.- The Department shall assist each county board to establish an education accountability program by providing:
(1) Guidelines for development and implementation of the program by the county boards; and
(2) Assistance and coordination where it is needed and requested by the county boards.
(e) Annual report.- The State Superintendent shall send the Governor and, subject to § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly a report each January that includes:
(1) Documentation of the progress of the Department, the county boards, and each public school in this State towards their respective goals and objectives; and
(2) Recommendations for legislation that the State Board and the State Superintendent consider necessary to improve the quality of education in this State.
(f) Funding.- On the recommendation of the State Superintendent, the State Board shall include in its annual budget request the funds it considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
[An. Code 1957, art. 77, § 28A; 1978, ch. 22, § 2; 1982, ch. 911, § 10; 1984, ch. 285, § 2; 1997, ch. 635, § 9; ch. 636, § 9.]