Sec 15-720.01. Mathematics or science achievement grant program; criteria; report; fund; program termination

A. The mathematics or science achievement grant program is established in the state board of education and shall be administered by the state board of education. The purpose of the program is to promote improved pupil achievement in mathematics or science by providing supplemental funding for innovative mathematics or science programs.

B. The state board of education shall develop application procedures, selection criteria and minimum performance standards. The state board of education shall award mathematics or science achievement grants to school districts and charter schools that demonstrate through specific performance measures and supporting data that the proposed programs provide new and innovative ways to increase pupils' mathematics or science skills. School districts and charter schools may contract with a service provider. The state board of education shall give priority to school districts and charter schools that have low mathematics or science achievement scores as measured by the Arizona instrument to measure standards test prescribed in section 15-741.

C. On or before December 15, the state board of education shall submit an annual report concerning each grant recipient's mathematics or science achievement program to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the joint legislative budget committee. The state board of education shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state and the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records and the joint legislative budget committee. The state board shall include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and a comparison of the annual academic achievement of pupils in the grant recipient's mathematics or science achievement program to pupils in comparable schools that are not in the mathematics or science achievement program.

D. The mathematics or science achievement program fund is established consisting of monies appropriated for this purpose. The state board of education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The state board of education may retain up to five per cent of the monies appropriated to the state board for the purposes of this section for costs associated with administering the mathematics or science achievement grant program.

E. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2017 pursuant to section 41-3102.