A. A school district may develop an educational improvement plan which includes exemption from the educational-related statutory requirements set forth in subsection C of this section and State Board of Education rules for the school district, a school site or any program, grade level, consortium of schools or school districts or other group within the school district. The board of education of the school district shall, through adoption of a resolution, approve the plan prior to application being made to the State Board of Education.

B. Each educational improvement plan approved by the State Board of Education shall include the following components:

1. A description of the educational benefits to be derived;

2. A definition of the standards of the plan;

3. Development of definitive work products, such as site improvement plans and progress reports;

4. Demonstration of collaboration by teachers, administrators, higher education representatives, students, parents/families, and the community;

5. Development and the use of an assessment mechanism to determine progress in meeting the goals and objectives of the plan;

6. Development of an in-service training plan to be provided to personnel at the site who will participate in the project;

7. Report on the results of the plan to the State Board of Education and provision of appropriate technical assistance to other school districts and the State Department of Education as required; and

8. Explanation of how the plan will affect other schools, programs or sites in the district.

C. Each educational improvement plan shall include a list of the specific educational-related statutory requirements and State Board of Education rules the school district is requesting an exemption from and why each exemption is necessary to success of the plan. The school district shall not be granted an exemption from federal educational-related requirements. A school district may request an exemption from any statutory requirement or State Board of Education rule not related to bilingual and special education programs, health and safety provisions, school finance, State Aid, pupil formula weights, teacher salary and teacher retirement, the Oklahoma School Testing Program, the Oklahoma Educational Indicators Program and the teacher preparation, examination, certification, residency and professional development system. The State Board of Education may grant district-wide exemptions from certification requirements for Library Media Specialists to districts experiencing a shortage in this area. The State Board of Education may grant an exemption from certification requirements for superintendents to any district with an unweighted average daily membership over twenty-five thousand (25,000).

Added by Laws 1995, c. 307, § 3, eff. July 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 1996, c. 343, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1999, c. 311, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 24, § 1, emerg. eff. April 3, 2001; Laws 2014, c. 124, § 2, eff. July 1, 2014.