An act to amend and reenact section 15.1-02-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the accreditation of schools., the official text

Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
SENATE BILL NO. 2362 (Senators Schaible, Lemm, Weber)
(Representatives Jonas, Pyle)
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-02-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the accreditation of schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA: SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 15.1-02-11 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and
reenacted as follows: 15.1-02-11. Superintendent of public instruction - Accreditation of schools - Rules. 1. The superintendent of public instruction may: a. May adopt rules governing the accreditation of public and nonpublic schools. Any rule adopted under this section must incorporate measures of student achievement and bear a direct relationship to improving student achievement. b. May provide schools with a choice of accreditation options, including: (1) Accreditation through a state-defined accreditation process established by the superintendent of public instruction; or (2) Accreditation through a nationally recognized accrediting organization, a formal school improvement organization, or a continuous improvement organization approved by the superintendent of public instruction. c. May establish a process to select the accreditation options for schools and a process for schools to select an accreditation option. Development of the process may include input and participation from a steering committee, including representatives of education stakeholder groups, school administrators, secondary and elementary school principals, and school board members. d. Periodically shall review and evaluate the effectiveness of each accreditation option in improving student achievement and school performance. 2. Each accreditation option must: a. Meet or exceed the state standards to ensure consistency in the quality of education. b. Provide measurable outcomes for student achievement, aligning with the state goals. 3. A school may select the accreditation option best aligning to the instructional goals and operational needs of the school, subject to approval by the superintendent of public instruction. 4. The superintendent of public instruction shall contract with an accreditation organization or vendor to create state-provided accreditation to offer to each public school district at no charge. 5. If a district chooses to use an accreditation process from the state-approved list, the district is responsible for any accreditation-related costs.

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____________________________ President of the Senate

____________________________ Speaker of the House

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

This certifies that the within bill originated in the Senate of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as Senate Bill No. 2362.

Senate Vote: House Vote:

Yeas 42 Yeas 91

Nays 4 Nays 1

Absent 1 Absent 2

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025. Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.

____________________________ Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025, at ________ o’clock ________M.

____________________________ Secretary of State