Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

H.B. 26
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                                            Jan 26, 2023
                                      SESSION 2023                                    HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
     H                                                                                               D
                                   HOUSE BILL DRH10016-MT-12
     Short Title:   Education Omnibus.                                                          (Public)
     Sponsors:      Representative Torbett.
     Referred to:
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE EDUCATION LAWS.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
 4
 PART I. REVISE THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND ADMISSIONS
 STANDARDS FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
 OF TEACHING
              SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-296.5 reads as rewritten:
 "§ 115C-296.5. North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching; powers and
              duties of trustees; reporting requirement.
      (a)     The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (hereinafter called
 "NCCAT"), through itself or agencies with which it may contract, shall:shall do the following:
              (1)     Provide career teachers with opportunities to study advanced topics in the
                      sciences, arts, and humanities and to engage in informed discourse, assisted
                      by able mentors and outstanding leaders from all walks of life; andlife.
              (2)     Offer opportunities for teachers to engage in scholarly pursuits through a
                      center dedicated exclusively to the advancement of teaching as an art and as a
                      profession.
      (b)     Priority for admission to NCCAT opportunities shall be given to teachers with
 teaching experience of 15 years or less.Admission to NCCAT opportunities shall be available to
 all teachers regardless of years of teaching experience.
      (c)     NCCAT may also provide training and support for beginning teachers to enhance
 their skills and in support of the State's effort to recruit and retain beginning teachers.
      (d)     The Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching
 The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall hold all the powers and duties necessary or
 appropriate for the effective discharge of the functions of NCCAT.NCCAT, including full
 authority regarding all aspects of employment and contracts in accordance with State personnel
 policies and contract procedures. The Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the
 Advancement of Teaching shall advise the Superintendent in the exercise of these powers and
 duties.
      (e)     The Executive Director shall report directly to the Superintendent of Public
 Instruction. The Executive Director shall submit a copy of the NCCAT annual report to the
 Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Chair of the State Board of Education at the time of
 issuance."
              SECTION 1.(b) Section 9.13(a) of S.L. 2009-451 reads as rewritten:
                                    *DRH10016-MT-12*
     General Assembly Of North Carolina                                                  Session 2023
      "SECTION 9.13.(a) The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT)
 is transferred from the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to the State Board
 of Education. The Center shall be located administratively under the State Board of Education
 but shall exercise its powers and duties through its own board of trustees. The board of trustees
 shall have full authority regarding all aspects of employment and contracts for the North Carolina
 Center for the Advancement of Teaching in accordance with State personnel policies and contract
 procedures.
      …."
 9
 PART II. CONTRACT WITH GOORU FOR PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS
             SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Department
 of Public Instruction shall use funds provided pursuant to Section 3.5(a)(10) of S.L. 2021-25, as
 amended by S.L. 2021-180, to contract with Gooru, Inc., for a period of up to three years for the
 software program Gooru Navigator, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to evaluate and
 improve student learning and performance and to provide students with an individualized
 roadmap for improving learning and performance.
17
 PART III. NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE DATA
             SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Department
 of Public Instruction shall use funds provided pursuant to S.L. 2022-74 to enter into an agreement
 with the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State
 University to purchase attainment data from the National Student Clearinghouse and share the
 data annually with eligible and appropriate sectors, partners, and individuals as requested and
 approved by the Department.
25
 PART IV. STUDY AND EVALUATION OF SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT SCORES AND
 METRICS
             SECTION 4.(a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall study (i) school
 achievement, growth, achievement scores, and grades awarded pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15 and
 (ii) school performance indicators for compliance with federal law pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.16.
 The Superintendent shall report the results of the study to the House Committee on Education –
 K-12, the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education, and the Joint Legislative Education
 Oversight Committee on or before April 15, 2023. The report shall include the following:
             (1)    Any efforts by the Department of Public Instruction to review the statewide
                    model of evaluating school achievement, growth, achievement scores, and
                    grades.
             (2)    The results of any research regarding external school accountability systems
                    in states comparable to North Carolina and how those states were determined
                    to be comparable.
             SECTION 4.(b) On or before February 15, 2024, the Department of Public
 Instruction shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on
 suggested changes to the school evaluation model used in Part 1B of Article 8 of Chapter 115C
 of the General Statutes. The report shall include at least the following:
             (1)    Potential indicators to be considered when evaluating schools.
             (2)    The impact of potential indicators on school performance metrics and
                    compliance with federal law.
             (3)    Recommendations and suggested legislation for the General Assembly to
                    consider if there are changes to the methodology behind awarding scores and
                    grades pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15 or performance indicators pursuant to
                    G.S. 115C-83.16.
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     Page 2                                                                        DRH10016-MT-12
    General Assembly Of North Carolina                              Session 2023
 PART V. EFFECTIVE DATE
         SECTION 5. This act is effective when it becomes law.
    DRH10016-MT-12                                                       Page 3
Statutes affected: 
Filed: 115C-296.5
Edition 1: 115C-296.5
Edition 2: 115C-296.5, 115C-296.6