In considering or creating an empowerment plan each school district board of education is encouraged to consider innovations in the following areas:

1. Curriculum and academic standards and assessments;

2. Accountability measures, including, but not limited to, expanding the use of a variety of accountability measures to more accurately present a complete measure of student learning and accomplishment. The accountability measures adopted may include, but not be limited to:

a.use of graduation or exit examinations,

b.use of end-of-course examinations,

c.use of formative assessments which measure student growth over time,

d.use of the Explore and Plan assessments,

e.measuring the percentage of students continuing into higher education, and

f.measuring the percentage of students simultaneously obtaining a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or a career and technical education certificate;

3. Provision of services, including, but not limited to, special education services, services for gifted and talented students, services for limited English proficient students, educational services for students at risk of academic failure, expulsion, or dropping out; and support services provided by the Department of Human Services or county social services agencies;

4. Teacher recruitment, training, preparation, and professional development;

5. Teacher employment;

6. Performance expectations and evaluation procedures for teachers and principals;

7. Compensation for teachers, principals, and other school building personnel, including, but not limited to, performance pay plans, total compensation plans, and other innovations with regard to retirement and other benefits;

8. School governance and the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of principals in empowered schools or schools within an empowered school zone; and

9. Preparation and counseling of students for transition to postsecondary education or the workforce.

Added by Laws 2010, c. 353, § 4.