(a) Effective with school year 2007-2008, each school and LEA shall include in their annual school improvement plans specific goals for improvement, including, but not limited to, school performance on value added assessment and other benchmarks for student proficiency, graduation rates, ACT or SAT scores where applicable and student attendance. School improvement plans shall also identify areas of strengths and weakness, as well as strategies to improve areas of weakness, how additional funds provided through the basic education program (BEP) as the result of changes made in the BEP formula for school year 2007-2008 will be used to address these areas and how the LEA will measure the improvements supported by these funds. The strategies may include, but are not limited to:

(1) Developing school or content-based professional development;

(2) Developing teacher induction programs;

(3) Increasing the number of reading and math specialists;

(4) Increasing classroom equipment and supplies;

(5) Reducing class size;

(6) Using targeted tutoring and remediation;

(7) Increasing numbers of school counselors and social workers;

(8) Providing principal professional development;

(9) Using enhanced technology for remediation and retesting;

(10) Employing school attendance officers;

(11) Reorganizing the school day instructional time; and

(12) Implementing a standards-based curriculum and associated instructional strategies.

(b) The department of education shall have the primary responsibility for collecting, evaluating, approving and monitoring system and school improvement plans.