Section 92-14-004 - Requirements for All Schools004.01Mandatory Requirements for Legal Operation. To be eligible for approval or to continue as an approved school or school system, the following requirements must shall be met when applicable. Failure to comply with Sections 004.01A through 004.01G1 of this Chapter will be just cause for the Commissioner to initiate proceedings before the Board to terminate approval and end legal operation during the school year. 004.01ATeachers. The school must use only persons certificated pursuant to 92 NAC 21 to teach. Persons conducting religion or prekindergarten classes which are not counted as a part of the nonpublic school's courses for purposes of complying with the requirements of this Chapter are excluded from this requirement.004.01BGrade Levels. The school must operate, offer instruction in, and give credit in only the grades for which the school is approved.004.01CRequired Instruction. Instruction in English, mathematics, science, and social studies must be provided each school year for all grades.004.01DGraduation Requirements. Each high school must require from grades nine through twelve at least 200 credit hours for graduation, for which at least 80 percent must be from the core curriculum. The number of credit hours given for a course may be less than the number of instructional units and may be increased up to 25 percent above the number of instructional units.004.01ESchool Year. Each school must provide at least the following instruction annually between July 1 and June 30 for the grades it offers: (a) for grades through eight, the time equivalent to at least 1,032 hours,(b) for grades nine through twelve, the time equivalent to at least 1,080 hours, and(c) if kindergarten is provided, the time equivalent to at least 400 hours. When a school is dismissed for any reason such as tournaments or contests, parent/teacher conferences, funerals, parades, and school picnics, such time may not be counted in meeting the 400/1,032/1,080 hour school year requirement. Time scheduled for the school lunch period may not be counted in meeting the school year requirements.004.01FAssurance Statement. Each school or school system must, by November 1 of each year, submit to the Department an Assurance Statement, as prescribed by the Department, signed by a representative of the governing body affirming compliance or specifically noting any noncompliance with the regulations contained in this Chapter.004.01GReports. The head administrator, or head teacher, or presiding officer of the governing body of each school must submit each school year a Fall Personnel Report on or before September 15 and a Curriculum Report on or before the last day of February to the Department electronically via the Department's reporting system.004.01G1 Additions of certificated staff after submission of the Fall Personnel Report must be reported to the Department at the time of contracting.004.02The School and School System. Regulations contained in this section apply to all approved schools. 004.02ASchool Policies004.02A1 The governing body annually updates a written set of policies based upon the purposes and goals of the school or school system. This document is on file in each school building.004.02A2 The school has a written policy which describes the 1,080 hour instructional program scheduled for high school students and the 1,032 hour instructional program scheduled for elementary students and, if provided, the 400 hour instructional program for kindergarten students. The policy(ies) or regulations stipulate the conditions for which individual students may be excused from the regular school days.004.02BThe Instructional Program004.02B1 The instructional program of the school is based on a written statement of purposes and/or goals developed at the local level and approved by the local board of education or governing body. This document is on file in each school building and each certificated staff member is provided a copy.004.02B2 The school has written guides or frameworks for each core curriculum area and for the library and guidance programs. The guide in each core curriculum area addresses, as appropriate, instruction in written composition.004.02B3 The school ensures its teachers arrange and present instruction in the manner specified in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-725 to promote and develop an upright and desirable citizenry.004.02B4 The school provides a comprehensive cumulative record of attendance, academic progress, and dates of enrollment in and withdrawal from the school for each student enrolled.004.02B5 No student in grades seven or eight participates in interscholastic athletic contests between schools within a school system or between school systems which exceed six games in football, fourteen matches in volleyball, twelve games in basketball, eight meets in wrestling, eight meets in track and field, and eight contests in all other activities. Contest limits must be based upon the total number of contests played. Each game, match, or meet played in a tournament setting must count as one of the contests permitted within these contest limits. Pupils in kindergarten through sixth grade do not participate in any kinds of athletic contests between schools within a school system or between school systems, except that nonpublic elementary school systems having seventh and eighth grade athletics may include sixth grade boys or girls when combined enrollment for seventh and eighth grade becomes fewer than 12 boys or 12 girls and if the local governing body has a policy regulating participation for sixth graders. Annual field or play days are excluded from this regulation.004.02C Number, Preparation, and Assignment of Staff Members 004.02C1 Each K-12 and each secondary school having grades ten through twelve or high school has a head administrator who holds a Nebraska Administrative Certificate issued pursuant to 92 NAC 21 with an endorsement for serving as a superintendent issued pursuant to 92 NAC 24. Nonpublic schools may share an area or diocesan head administrator.004.02C2 Any person employed in an administrative or supervisory capacity in addition to the head administrator holds a Nebraska Administrative Certificate with an appropriate endorsement for the position held.004.02C3 A copy of the certificate or permit of each staff member who is required to have a certificate is on file in the school or school system's administrative office.004.02C4 The ratio of pupils to certificated staff members computed on a full-time equivalency basis in each school does not exceed 30 to 1.004.02C5 Each teacher participates in at least ten hours of staff development activities each year.004.02DMaterials and Facilities004.02D1 Each school has a library media area(s) which is available to students during the entire school day. All library media resources are properly cataloged, marked, and shelved according to a standard classification system. Each elementary school has at least one set of encyclopedias which has a copyright date within six years of the current school year. Each secondary school has two sets of encyclopedia from different publishers with copyright dates in the past five years. Required encyclopedia may be in print or electronic format.004.02D2 Each elementary, middle, and high school acquires a minimum of 25 new library media resources, exclusive of textbooks and encyclopedia, of different titles, per teacher per year, up to 150 titles during one year. The minimum full text hard copy titles is 100 if library media resources are also available through electronic format.004.02D3 Each middle and high school subscribes to at least ten periodicals listed in the guide or index to periodicals used by the school. At least six are hard copy. The remainder may be obtained through electronic format.004.02D4 Each school maintains safe, healthful, and sanitary conditions within the school building(s) and on the school grounds and meets fire, safety, and health codes.004.02ESchool System Performance: Evaluation and Improvement004.02E1 Each school annually prepares a written report which includes but need not be limited to student performance and school demographics. No public reports of student performance are provided for any grades having fewer than five students.004.02E2 Each school selects and uses a standardized norm-referenced assessment instrument. Whole grade assessment begins no earlier than grade two and assessment is conducted annually in at least one grade in each of the following three levels: grades 4-6; grades 7-9; grades 10-12.004.02E3 Each school uses criterion referenced assessment data, beginning at least in grade five, to determine acquisition of competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics. The assessment is based upon local checklists or benchmarks of progress, portfolio collections showing student progress, or other criterion-referenced measures.004.02E4 At least once every three years, each high school conducts a follow-up study of its graduates.92 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 14, § 004
Amended effective 6/2/2024