HB271: requiring the department of education to collect data related to the reasons for suspension and expulsion of pupils.

HB 271 - AS INTRODUCED

2017 SESSION

17-0679

04/06

HOUSE BILL 271

AN ACT requiring the department of education to collect data related to the reasons for suspension and expulsion of pupils.

SPONSORS: Rep. Gile, Merr. 27; Sen. Watters, Dist 4

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS

This bill requires school districts to report data relating to the suspension or expulsion of students in kindergarten through grade 12 to the department of education and requires the department to collect and report data.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

17-0679

04/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen

AN ACT requiring the department of education to collect data related to the reasons for suspension and expulsion of pupils.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Paragraph; Department of Education; Duties of the Commissioner. Amend RSA 21-N:4 by inserting after paragraph XII the following new paragraph:

XIII.(a) Establish a system to collect, and annually publish on the department's public Internet website, all data related to the reasons for suspension and expulsion of students in kindergarten through grade 12, including, at a minimum, the following information on suspended or expelled children:

(1) Gender.

(2) Age.

(3) Special education status.

(4) School and school district.

(5) Reason for suspension, which shall be as descriptive as possible, but shall not include any personally identifiable information about a student.

(b) The commissioner shall utilize data reporting categories already used by school districts. The commissioner may collaborate with school districts to revise the categories used in reporting the data required under this paragraph. However, the commissioner shall not require or prohibit the use of these categories.

(c) The commissioner shall accept data as currently tracked by school districts and shall not require or prohibit a school district's use of a particular computer program or system. The commissioner may require school districts to submit data in a commonly readable and usable format.

2 New Section; School Boards; Report on Suspensions and Expulsions. Amend RSA 189 by inserting after section 28-a the following new section:

189:28-b Reporting of Suspension and Expulsion Data Required. The school board of each school district shall report or cause to be reported to the department of education all data relating to the suspension and expulsion of students in kindergarten through grade 12 as provided in RSA 21-N:4, XIII.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.