REFERENCE TITLE: teachers; professional development; pilot program

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature First Regular Session 2017

SB 1038

Introduced by Senator Allen S: Representatives Boyer, Rubalcava

 

AN ACT

 

establishing the High‑quality teacher professional development pilot program; APPROPRIATING monies.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  High‑quality teacher professional development pilot program; annual report; program termination; delayed repeal; definitions

A.  The department of education shall establish a high‑quality teacher professional development pilot program and issue scholarships or grants, or both, on a competitive basis as determined by the department, to qualified applicants in order to obtain high-quality teacher professional development from a qualifying postsecondary institution that will support certificated teachers in gaining additional credentials and certifications to teach in high-need content areas, including career and technical education.  Scholarships and grants issued pursuant to this subsection may not exceed two thousand dollars per qualified applicant.  Any qualified applicant who receives a scholarship or grant pursuant to this subsection shall agree to teach in a public school in this state for at least three additional years after completing the coursework or program at a qualifying postsecondary institution.  A qualified applicant who accepts a scholarship or grant pursuant to this subsection and who does not teach in a public school in this state for at least three additional years after completing the coursework or program at a qualifying postsecondary institution shall be required to pay back the full amount of the scholarship or grant in a manner to be determined by the department.

B.  On or before November 1 of each year of the pilot program, the department of education shall submit to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives a report that summarizes the results of the pilot program.  The department shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

C.  The pilot program established pursuant to this section ends on July 1, 2020.

D.  This section is repealed from and after July 1, 2022.

E.  For the purposes of this section:

1.  "High-need content area" means a subject or content area that is taught in this state and that has a lack of qualified instructors to teach the content as determined by the department of education.

2.  "Qualified applicant" means a teacher who is certificated in this state by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-203, Arizona Revised Statutes, and who is currently teaching in a public school in this state.

3.  "Qualifying postsecondary institution" means a regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary educational institution in this state.

Sec. 2.  Appropriation; department of education; high‑quality teacher professional development pilot program; exemption

A.  The sum of $500,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2017-2018 to the department of education to provide scholarships or grants, or both, to qualified applicants to complete high‑quality teacher professional development at a qualifying postsecondary institution as prescribed in this act.

B.  The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.