CSSB 225(L&C): "An Act relating to a paraprofessional training program; creating a limited teacher resident certificate; creating a teacher residency program; relating to requirements to issue a teacher certificate; relating to subject-matter expert limited teacher certificates; relating to limited teacher certificates; creating a teacher registered apprenticeship program; and creating a teacher recruitment and retention fund."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 225(L&C) 01 "An Act relating to a paraprofessional training program; creating a limited teacher 02 resident certificate; creating a teacher residency program; relating to requirements to 03 issue a teacher certificate; relating to subject-matter expert limited teacher certificates; 04 relating to limited teacher certificates; creating a teacher registered apprenticeship 05 program; and creating a teacher recruitment and retention fund." 06 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 07 * Section 1. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 08 (a) The department shall 09 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 10 except the University of Alaska; 11 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 12 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 13 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement
01 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 02 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 03 preparatory courses; 04 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 05 governing bodies and personnel; 06 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 07 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 08 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 09 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 10 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in juvenile 11 detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are defined in 12 AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 13 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 14 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 15 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 16 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 17 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 18 the members of each house; 19 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 20 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 21 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 22 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 23 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 24 (8) exercise general supervision over pre-elementary schools that 25 receive direct state or federal funding; 26 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 27 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 28 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 29 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 30 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 31 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this
01 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 02 licensed; 03 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 04 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 05 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 06 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 07 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 08 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 09 and costs, and final contract documents; 10 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 11 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 12 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 13 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 14 will lead to employment opportunities; 15 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 16 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 17 school bus driver training course; 18 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 19 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 20 behavior; 21 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 22 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 23 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 24 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 25 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 26 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 27 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 28 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 29 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 30 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 31 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for
01 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 02 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 03 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 04 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 05 (18) collaborate with the University of Alaska and districts to 06 establish a paraprofessional training program for districts designed to prepare 07 high school students for entry into the teacher registered apprenticeship program 08 established in AS 14.20.700. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 14.20 is amended by adding new sections to read: 10 Sec. 14.20.013. Limited teacher resident certificate. (a) Notwithstanding 11 AS 14.20.020, the department shall issue a limited teacher resident certificate to a 12 person who meets the requirements of (b) of this section. 13 (b) To be eligible for a limited teacher resident certificate, a person must 14 (1) either 15 (A) hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher 16 education accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting 17 association or approved by the commissioner and be currently enrolled in an 18 approved 19 (i) post-baccalaureate teacher education program at a 20 nationally or regionally accredited institution meeting the requirements 21 of AS 14.20.020(b) that provides for completion of the regular teacher 22 certificate education requirements within three years after receipt of a 23 limited teacher resident certificate under this section; or 24 (ii) nontraditional or alternative teacher education 25 program; or 26 (B) be currently enrolled in the final year of a baccalaureate 27 degree teacher education program at an institution of higher education 28 accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting association or 29 approved by the commissioner; 30 (2) have submitted fingerprints and the fees required by the 31 Department of Public Safety under AS 12.62.160 for criminal justice information and
01 a national criminal history record check to the department; the department must have 02 submitted the fingerprints and fees to the Department of Public Safety for a report of 03 criminal justice information under AS 12.62 and a national criminal history record 04 check under AS 12.62.400, and the person must have been found by the department to 05 be suitable for employment as a teacher under AS 14.20.020(f); and 06 (3) have taken the competency examination or examinations described 07 in AS 14.20.020(i). 08 (c) A limited teacher resident certificate is valid for one school year and only 09 valid while a teacher resident is participating in the teacher residency program 10 established under AS 14.20.014. A limited teacher resident certificate may be renewed 11 for two additional school years upon a showing of substantial progress toward 12 completion of a teacher education program required under (b)(1) of this section and 13 continued participation in the teacher residency program under AS 14.20.014. In this 14 subsection, "teacher resident" means a teacher qualified to teach under (b) of this 15 section. 16 (d) The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this section 17 and shall consult with school districts, regional educational attendance areas, the 18 University of Alaska, and other stakeholders before adopting regulations as required 19 under this subsection. 20 (e) The board shall establish standards for the approval of nontraditional and 21 alternative teacher education programs described in (b)(1)(A)(ii) of this section. The 22 standards must be comparable to the standards for approving institutions of higher 23 education under AS 14.20.020(b). 24 Sec. 14.20.014. Teacher residency program. (a) The teacher residency 25 program is established in the department to help a teacher resident work as a teacher 26 while progressing toward completion of the teacher education program required under 27 AS 14.20.013(b)(1). The program must 28 (1) require that, during a teacher resident's first year of participation in 29 the program, the teacher resident teach under the direct supervision of a program 30 mentor who 31 (A) is an experienced teacher;
01 (B) has primary responsibility for teaching the content; and 02 (C) awards the grade or credit in the content area; 03 (2) provide a teacher resident a structured learning experience 04 supervised by an institution of higher education; 05 (3) allow a school district or a regional educational attendance area to 06 further design and implement the program to 07 (A) meet the needs of the school district or regional educational 08 attendance area; 09 (B) provide a teacher resident with an instructional experience 10 connected to program learning goals and district priorities; and 11 (C) develop shared expectations for the teacher resident's 12 gradual assumption of responsibilities in the teacher resident's placement as a 13 fully certificated teacher; 14 (4) require that a school district and a regional educational attendance 15 area participating in the program 16 (A) provide compensation to a teacher resident who is 17 participating in the program and working for the school district or regional 18 educational attendance area; 19 (B) provide each teacher resident participating in the program 20 with a program mentor as described in (1) of this subsection who has been 21 trained as a program mentor in accordance with the standards established by 22 the board under (e) of this section; and 23 (C) collaborate with an institution of higher education through 24 a memorandum of understanding or similar collaborative agreement when 25 designing and implementing the school district or regional educational 26 attendance area program under (3) of this subsection; and 27 (5) require that the department 28 (A) ensure that each school district and regional educational 29 attendance area participating in the program provides each teacher resident 30 with a program mentor as described in (1) of this subsection; 31 (B) help a school district or a regional educational attendance
01 area meet the standards for the training of program mentors established by the 02 board under (e) of this section; and 03 (C) help place a teacher resident in a school district or regional 04 educational attendance area where the teacher resident will work as a teacher 05 while progressing toward completion of the teacher education program under 06 AS 14.20.013(b)(1). 07 (b) For purposes of (a)(4)(C) of this section, a school district or a regional 08 educational attendance area shall give preference to an institution of higher education 09 located in the state. 10 (c) The department shall 11 (1) adopt regulations to implement and govern the program; 12 (2) consult with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development 13 and the United States Department of Labor to establish a standard form a school 14 district or regional educational attendance area may use to apply to register the 15 program as a registered apprenticeship program under 29 U.S.C. 50 - 50c (National 16 Apprenticeship Act); and 17 (3) before adopting regulations under this subsection, consult with 18 school districts, regional educational attendance areas, the University of Alaska, and 19 other stakeholders. 20 (d) A person employed as a teacher resident under this section is considered a 21 certificated employee for purposes of AS 14.25 (teachers' retirement system). 22 Employment as a teacher resident under this section counts as employment for 23 purposes of acquiring tenure under AS 14.20.150; however, a teacher resident is not 24 entitled to tenure until the teacher resident receives a teacher certificate under 25 AS 14.20.020. 26 (e) The board shall establish standards for the training of program mentors as 27 described in this section. 28 (f) A school district or regional educational attendance area may apply to 29 register a program established under this section as a registered apprenticeship 30 program under 29 U.S.C. 50 - 50c (National Apprenticeship Act). A school district or 31 regional educational attendance area may use the standard form established by the
01 department under (c)(2) of this section to apply under this subsection. 02 (g) In this section, 03 (1) "program" means the teacher residency program established under 04 this section; 05 (2) "teacher resident" means a teacher qualified to teach under 06 AS 14.20.013(b). 07 * Sec. 3. AS 14.20.020(h) is amended to read: 08 (h) A person is not eligible for a teacher certificate unless the person has 09 completed the coursework, training, and examinations [THREE SEMESTER 10 HOURS] in Alaska studies and [THREE SEMESTER HOURS] in multicultural 11 education or cross-cultural communications as required by the board by regulation. 12 However, the commissioner may issue a provisional certificate, valid for not [NO] 13 longer than two years, to an applicant who has not completed the coursework, 14 training, and examinations [SEMESTER HOURS] required under this subsection at 15 the time of application. A school district or regional educational attendance area 16 may establish coursework, training, and examination requirements that are more 17 stringent than the coursework, training, and examinations required under this 18 subsection. 19 * Sec. 4. AS 14.20.020(i) is amended to read: 20 (i) Beginning on July 1, 1998, a person is not eligible for an initial regular 21 teacher certificate unless the person has taken and successfully completed a 22 competency examination or examinations designated, at the time the person took the 23 test, by the board, or the person has demonstrated competency through an 24 alternative method established under this subsection. The board shall review 25 nationally recognized examinations that are designed to test the competency of new 26 teachers and shall designate those examinations that it finds adequately test the skills 27 and abilities of new teachers. For each examination designated under this subsection, 28 the board shall establish the minimum acceptable level of performance. The board 29 may establish an alternative method to test the competency, skills, and abilities of 30 new teachers who have taken but have not successfully completed the 31 competency examination or examinations designated by the board under this
01 subsection. 02 * Sec. 5. AS 14.20.022(b) is amended to read: 03 (b) To be eligible for a subject-matter expert limited teacher certificate, a 04 person shall 05 (1) hold at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher 06 education accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting association or 07 approved by the commissioner and 08 (A) have majored or minored in the subject that the person will 09 be teaching; [OR] 10 (B) have at least five years of experience in the subject matter 11 that the person will be teaching; or 12 (C) have achieved a passing score, as defined by 13 department regulations, on a subject–matter examination approved by the 14 board; 15 (2) have submitted fingerprints and the fees required by the 16 Department of Public Safety under AS 12.62.160 for criminal justice information and 17 a national criminal history record check to the department; the department must have 18 submitted the fingerprints and fees to the Department of Public Safety for a report of 19 criminal justice information under AS 12.62 and a national criminal history record 20 check under AS 12.62.400 and the person must have been found by the department to 21 be suitable for employment as a teacher under AS 14.20.020(f); [AND] 22 (3) be currently enrolled in an approved 23 (A) post-baccalaureate teacher education program at a 24 nationally or regionally accredited institution meeting the requirements of 25 AS 14.20.020(b) that provides for completion of the regular teacher certificate 26 education requirements within three [TWO] years after receipt of a subject- 27 matter expert limited teacher certificate under this section; or 28 (B) nontraditional or alternative teacher education 29 program; and 30 (4) have demonstrated competency under AS 14.20.020(i). 31 * Sec. 6. AS 14.20.022(d) is amended to read:
01 (d) A subject-matter expert limited teacher certificate is valid for one school 02 year and may be renewed for two [ONE] additional school years [YEAR] upon a 03 showing of substantial progress toward [TOWARDS] completion of a [THE] teacher 04 education program required under (b)(3) of this section. 05 * Sec. 7. AS 14.20.022(e) is amended to read: 06 (e) A school district or regional educational attendance area that employs a 07 subject-matter expert teacher shall provide a mentor who is an experienced teacher for 08 the subject-matter expert teacher for at least the first two years [YEAR] of the 09 subject-matter expert teacher's employment as a subject-matter expert teacher in the 10 school district or regional educational attendance area. 11 * Sec. 8. AS 14.20.022 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 12 (i) The board shall establish standards for the approval of nontraditional and 13 alternative teacher education programs described in (b)(3)(B) of this section. The 14 standards must be comparable to the standards for approving institutions of higher 15 education under AS 14.20.020(b). 16 * Sec. 9. AS 14.20.025 is amended to read: 17 Sec. 14.20.025. Limited teacher certificates. Notwithstanding 18 AS 14.20.020(b), a person may be issued a limited certificate, valid only in the area of 19 expertise for which it is issued, to teach Alaska Native language or culture, military 20 science, or a vocational or technical course [FOR WHICH THE BOARD 21 DETERMINES BY REGULATION THAT BACCALAUREATE DEGREE 22 TRAINING IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY AVAILABLE]. A limited certificate may be 23 issued under this section only if the school board of the district or regional educational 24 attendance area in which the person will be teaching has requested its issuance. A 25 person who applies for a limited certificate shall demonstrate, as required by 26 regulations adopted by the board, instructional skills and subject matter expertise 27 sufficient to ensure the public that the person is competent as a teacher. The board 28 may require a person issued a limited certificate to undertake academic training as 29 may be required by the board by regulation and make satisfactory progress in the 30 academic training. 31 * Sec. 10. AS 14.20 is amended by adding new sections to read:
01 Article 8. Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program. 02 Sec. 14.20.700. Teacher registered apprenticeship program. (a) The teacher 03 registered apprenticeship program is established in the department to help 04 paraprofessionals or persons who possess a valid limited teacher certificate issued 05 under AS 14.20.025 continue to work as a paraprofessional or teacher under a limited 06 teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20.025 while earning credit toward a bachelor's 07 degree and teaching certification. The program must 08 (1) be a multi-year program designed for a person who has not yet 09 obtained a bachelor's degree; 10 (2) include tiered compensation and responsibilities that increase as the 11 participant gains pedagogical expertise; 12 (3) be designed to allow participants who successfully complete the 13 program to obtain a teacher certificate; and 14 (4) require that each school district participating in the program 15 provide each participant with a program mentor who 16 (A) is an experienced teacher; and 17 (B) has been trained as a program mentor in accordance with 18 the standards established by the board under (c) of this section. 19 (b) The department shall 20 (1) adopt regulations to implement and govern the program; at a 21 minimum, the regulations must establish 22 (A) program standards that meet the requirements necessary to 23 qualify the program as a registered apprenticeship program under 29 U.S.C. 50 24 - 50c (National Apprenticeship Act); and 25 (B) a mentor-to-apprentice ratio; 26 (2) consult with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development 27 and the United States Department of Labor to establish a standard form a school 28 district may use to apply to register the program as a registered apprenticeship 29 program under 29 U.S.C. 50 - 50c (National Apprenticeship Act); and 30 (3) in conjunction with the Department of Labor and Workforce 31 Development, help school districts
01 (A) develop programs established under this section; and 02 (B) secure funding for the programs from sources other than 03 the state. 04 (c) The board shall establish standards for the training of program mentors as 05 described in this section. 06 (d) A school district may apply to register a program established under this 07 section as a registered apprenticeship program under 29 U.S.C. 50 - 50c (National 08 Apprenticeship Act). A school district may use the standard form established by the 09 department under (b)(2) of this section to apply under this subsection. 10 (e) When collaborating with an institution of higher education in connection 11 with the program, a school district shall 12 (1) give preference to an institution of higher education located in the 13 state; and 14 (2) execute a memorandum of understanding or similar collaborative 15 agreement. 16 (f) In this section, "program" means the teacher registered apprenticeship 17 program. 18 Sec. 14.20.710. Teacher recruitment and retention fund. (a) The teacher 19 recruitment and retention fund is established in the general fund for the purpose of 20 providing grants under (b) of this section. The fund consists of money appropriated to 21 it by the legislature, including grants and donations, money from other sources, and 22 interest earned on money in the fund. Appropriations to the fund do not lapse. 23 (b) Money in the fund may be appropriated for the department to provide 24 grants to nonprofit organizations that advance recruitment and retention efforts in the 25 state and to provide grants to school districts for the school districts to design, 26 develop, implement, or fund 27 (1) teacher registered apprenticeship programs; 28 (2) teacher residency programs; 29 (3) alternative pathway programs; 30 (4) student loan repayment; 31 (5) housing stipends;
01 (6) cost of living subsidies; 02 (7) recruitment bonuses; 03 (8) longevity bonuses; 04 (9) mentorship coaching; 05 (10) teacher training; 06 (11) professional development for superintendents, principals, and 07 other school administrators; 08 (12) continuing education; and 09 (13) other programs approved by the department that are likely to 10 improve teacher recruitment and reduce teacher turnover. 11 (c) The department shall 12 (1) apply for and use money from the fund to obtain private and 13 federal grants for the purposes under AS 14.20.700 and this section; 14 (2) help school districts complete grant applications for a grant under 15 (b) of this section; 16 (3) award grants under (b) of this section based on a scoring matrix 17 established by the department in regulation; the scoring matrix must give the most 18 weight to applications from school districts that 19 (A) have the greatest need for a grant; and 20 (B) will use the grant money for purposes that most greatly 21 benefit student performance through improved teacher recruitment and 22 retention rates. 23 (d) The department may require that a school district provide matching funds 24 for the implementation and operation of the program for which the school district 25 requests the grant. The matching funds may come from private sources, including a 26 corporation organized under 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. (Alaska Native Claims Settlement 27 Act). 28 (e) The department shall, after each award cycle, provide to each school 29 district a copy of each grant application that resulted in an award of a grant under (b) 30 of this section for the purpose of spreading innovative ideas across the state. 31 (f) In this section, "fund" means the teacher recruitment and retention fund.
01 * Sec. 11. AS 37.05.146(c) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 02 (80) the teacher recruitment and retention fund under AS 14.20.710. 03 * Sec. 12. AS 14.16.050(a)(3)(C); AS 14.20.022(c), and 14.20.220 are repealed. 04 * Sec. 13. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 05 read: 06 REPORT ON STUDY OF TEACHER HOUSING NEEDS. The Department of 07 Education and Early Development shall conduct a study that assesses the need for teacher 08 housing in rural areas of the state. The study must include a projection of future teacher 09 housing needs in rural areas of the state, a plan to meet those needs, and the annual 10 appropriations required to satisfy the identified needs. The Department of Education and 11 Early Development shall collaborate with the Department of Labor and Workforce 12 Development to determine the projection of future teacher housing needs as part of the study. 13 The Department of Education and Early Development shall collaborate with the Alaska 14 Housing Finance Corporation and school districts in the state to develop the plan to meet the 15 needs for teacher housing identified in the study. Not later than December 31, 2023, the 16 Department of Education and Early Development shall submit a report on the study to the 17 senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that 18 the report is available.