H1030 - 2016 Appropriations Act. (SL 2016-94)

Overview: Sec. 8.7 of S.L. 2016-94 establishes a three-year pilot program (Pilot) to develop advanced teaching roles and organizational models that link teacher performance and professional growth to salary increases for classroom teachers (teachers who work in the classroom providing instruction for at least 70% of the instructional day and who are not instructional support personnel) in selected local school administrative units (LEAs). The Pilot's purpose is to (i) allow highly effective classroom teachers to be accountable for the performance of a higher number of students or by leading a school-wide effort to implement new instructional models to improve school-wide performance; (ii) enable LEAs to provide salary supplements to classroom teachers in advanced teaching roles; (iii) enable LEAs to create innovative compensation models that focus on classroom teacher professional growth and student outcomes; and (iv) utilize local plans to establish organizational changes related to compensation to sustain evidenced-based teaching practices that can be replicated.

Proposals from local boards of education must be submitted by October 15, 2016, to the State Board of Education (SBE) and the SBE must select up to 10 LEAs by December 15, 2016, as follows: up to 5 LEAs with an average daily membership (ADM) equal to or less than 4,000; up to 3 LEAs with an ADM between 4,001 and 20,000; and up to 2 LEAs with an ADM of 20,001 or more. The selected LEAs must implement their plans beginning with the 2017-2018 school year through the 2019-2020 school year. Funds awarded to the LEAs can be used for (i) salary supplements for advanced teaching roles; (ii) development of advanced teaching role plans; (iii) development of professional development courses; (iv) transition costs associated with designing and implementing advanced teaching role models; and (v) development of the design and implementation of compensation plans that focus on teacher professional growth and student outcomes.

The SBE must contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the Pilot. The independent research organization must report annually beginning October 15, 2017, to the SBE until the conclusion of the Pilot on all aspects of the implementation and evaluation of the Pilot. It must also evaluate the existing Project LIFT program in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools and the proposed Project Advance in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools if that program is implemented. The SBE must provide the annual reports to the General Assembly.

The Department of Public Instruction may use up to $200,000 for the SBE to contract with an independent research organization for the pilot evaluations. It is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate $9.8 million in the 2017-2018 fiscal year to be used for grants for the selected LEAs. LEAs that receive grants under this Pilot may exceed the maximum class size requirements for kindergarten through third grade.

This section became effective July 1, 2016.