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

Overview: Sec. 8.27 of S.L. 2016-94 directs the State Board of Education (SBE) to establish a Request for Proposal (RFP) for up to five local alternative teacher preparation programs (LATP programs) administered by local boards of education to prepare, support, and recommend initially licensed lateral entry teachers for continuing licensure. The SBE must issue the RFP to local boards of education by September 15, 2016, and include the following criteria: program of study requirements; mentoring and support requirements; and minimum program size.

Proposals must be submitted to the SBE by January 6, 2017, and include detailed information on the estimated costs, including a cost per teacher participant and anticipated funding sources for the operation of the LATP program. The SBE must select up to five proposals by March 15, 2017, based on program quality, viability, and use of evidence-based principles in program design. The selected LATP programs must be implemented beginning with the 2017-2018 school year and ending with the 2021-2022 school year.

The selected LATP programs must meet prescribed annual benchmark standards and LATP programs that fail to meet any of the benchmark standards must be terminated by the SBE.

This section directs SBE to contract with an independent research organization to evaluate how the LATP programs have accomplished the following:

• Recruitment of lateral entry teachers into the classroom.
• Retention rates for lateral entry teachers beyond initial licensure.
• Quality of classroom instruction by lateral entry teachers prepared through the LATP program as compared to those prepared by traditional teacher education programs as demonstrated by multiple measures, including student performance.
• Teacher vacancy rates in local school administrative units participating in the LATP program as compared to similarly situated local school administrative units.
• Funding mechanisms used to support the LATP program, including sources and stability of funding.
• Recommendations regarding the continuation, expansion, or elimination of LATP programs.

The independent research organization must report annually to the SBE beginning October 15, 2017, on the progress of the LATP programs, with an initial evaluation report due by October 15, 2020, and a final report due by October 15, 2022, on all aspects of implementation and evaluation. The SBE must provide the report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15, 2020, and by December 15 of each year through 2022.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must issue licenses to all individuals who: (i) successfully complete LATP programs, (ii) are recommended by the local board of education, and (iii) otherwise meet licensure requirements. If an initially licensed lateral entry teacher leaves a local board of education with a LATP program before completing the program and is hired by another local board of education, that teacher must receive credit for any work successfully completed in the LATP program. The DPI may use up to $200,000 in the 2016-2017 fiscal year for the SBE to contract with the independent research organization. Any remaining funds must be used to award one-year grants to each LATP program selected for implementation purposes, with the awards being a proportional amount of the funds available.

This section became effective July 1, 2016.