Organization And Administration Of Schools

(1) The minimum length of the school day for students shall be six and one-half (6½) hours. LEAs may elect to extend the school day to at least seven (7) hours for the purpose of accumulating stockpile days to meet instructional time requirements pursuant to T.C.A. § 49- 6-3004(e)(1). (2) The length of the kindergarten day shall not be less than four (4) hours. Double sessions in any kindergarten program may be permitted so long as both sessions meet all legal requirements for kindergarten programs. (3) A cumulative record provided to teachers by the LEA shall be kept up to date for each student, kindergarten (K) through grade twelve (12), and shall remain as local school property. (a) Each school shall provide for the storage and safekeeping of all records and reports. (b) The maintenance, use, dissemination, and confidentiality of information in school records and reports shall be governed by written policies of the local board of education. (4) Local boards of education shall have policies providing for class sizes in grades kindergarten (K) through twelve (12) in accordance with T.C.A. § 49-1-104. (5) Teachers shall be on duty at least seven (7) hours per day and such additional time as the LEA requires. (6) Local boards of education shall provide full-time classroom teachers in grades kindergarten (K) through twelve (12) with individual duty-free planning periods during the established instructional day. (a) Individual planning time shall consist of two and one-half (2½) hours each week during which teachers have no other assigned duties or responsibilities other than planning for instruction. The two and one-half (2½) hours may be divided on a daily or other basis. (b) In schools providing a lunch period for students, all teachers shall be provided each day with a lunch period during which they shall not have assigned duties. The lunch DISTRICT AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS CHAPTER 0520-01-02 period for each teacher shall be at least the same amount of time as that allowed for students. Individual duty-free planning time shall not occur during any period that teachers are entitled to duty-free lunch. (c) Any LEA which is providing an individual duty-free planning period by extending the school day by thirty (30) minutes as of the beginning of the 2000-01 school year may continue such practice and satisfy the planning time requirements. (7) Local boards of education shall ensure compliance with the background check requirements of T.C.A. §§ 49-5-406 and 49-5-413, for all teachers or for any other positions requiring close proximity to children. (8) Local boards of education shall develop, maintain, and implement a long-range strategic plan that addresses at least a five (5)-year period of time. The plan shall be posted to the LEA’s website and include a mission statement, goals, objectives, and strategies, and identify how the strategic plan supports one (1) or more goals contained in the State Board of Education Master Plan. The strategic plan shall be reviewed every two (2) years and updated, if necessary. The LEA shall develop and implement a district-level improvement plan that operationalizes the local board of education’s five (5)-year strategic plan in accordance with State Board District and School Improvement Planning Policy 2.101.