H.B. 1047
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
May 2, 2024
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH40595-MTa-244
Short Title: DRIVE Recommendations/Teacher Diversity. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Hawkins.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT VARIOUS INITIATIVES AND PROGRAM EXPANSIONS TO
3 PROMOTE TEACHER DIVERSITY AND INCREASE TEACHER RECRUITMENT, AS
4 RECOMMENDED BY THE GOVERNOR'S DRIVE TASK FORCE REPORT, AND TO
5 APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THESE PURPOSES.
6 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
7
8 PART I. ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS/TEACHER RECRUITMENT MODELS
9 SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
10 Public Instruction the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in recurring funds for the
11 2024-2025 fiscal year for research-based Grow-Your-Own and 2+2 programs in all regions of
12 the State, including high school-based career academy programs, the North Carolina Teacher
13 Cadet Program, Teaching as a Profession, and the TAs to Teachers and Troops to Teacher
14 programs.
15
16 PART II. DEVELOPING A REPRESENTATIVE AND INCLUSIVE VISION FOR THE
17 EDUCATION (DRIVE) GRANT PROGRAM
18 SECTION 2.(a) Purpose. – The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
19 Office of the Governor, The University of North Carolina System Office, and the Community
20 College System Office, shall establish a grant program to support strategic partnerships
21 committed to increasing the pipeline of educators of color across the State. As an extension of
22 the recommendations and strategies presented by the Governor's DRIVE Task Force on January
23 1, 2021, the grants shall be provided to local school administrative units, institutions of higher
24 education, and community organizations to implement innovative initiatives that support the
25 recruitment, preparation, support, and retention of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse
26 educators. The purpose of this program shall be to do at least the following:
27 (1) Increase the diversity of the educator workforce across the State through novel
28 recruitment efforts.
29 (2) Strengthen the pipeline of aspiring teachers of color across the State through
30 traditional and alternative certification pathways.
31 (3) Provide mechanisms to support and retain educators of color currently serving
32 in elementary and secondary public schools.
33 (4) Promote collaboration between school systems, institutions of higher
34 education, and community and nonprofit organizations to diversify the
35 educator workforce.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 SECTION 2.(b) Applications. – Applicants for grants shall demonstrate at least the
2 following for grant award consideration:
3 (1) A partnership between at least two of the following entities: local school
4 administrative units, Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
5 Historically Minority-Serving Institutions, educator preparation programs,
6 alternative certification programs, public and private colleges and universities,
7 community colleges, and community or nonprofit organizations.
8 (2) Proposals for strategies that address one or more of the following components
9 of the educator development continuum as highlighted by the DRIVE Task
10 Force's 2021 Report to the Governor: recruitment, placement and induction,
11 and support and retention of educators of color.
12 SECTION 2.(c) Use of Funds. – Grant funds may be used for the following
13 activities:
14 (1) Strengthening existing high school dual enrollment programs to offer
15 education-based college credit or honors courses as streamlined pathways for
16 future careers in education.
17 (2) Implementing targeted school system–level and community-based
18 recruitment programs for aspiring educators of color interested in traditional
19 and alternative educator preparation programs.
20 (3) Utilizing and leveraging existing financial aid programs that include
21 scholarships, loan forgiveness, and tuition reimbursement that reduce the
22 disproportionate financial burden incurred by aspiring candidates of color.
23 (4) Increasing preparation and supporting pre-service educators of color through
24 paid clinical learning experiences, with a commitment to teaching in North
25 Carolina public schools.
26 (5) Offering support for job placement and licensure for candidates of color after
27 completing their educator preparation program.
28 (6) Providing induction and mentoring programs that address the needs of
29 educators of color that include sustaining networking and professional
30 learning communities or affinity groups.
31 (7) Encouraging and financially supporting educators of color interested in
32 joining national professional organizations or attending national conferences.
33 SECTION 2.(d) Request for Proposal. – By October 1, 2024, the State Board of
34 Education shall issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the grant program. Applicants shall submit
35 their proposals by December 1, 2024. The RFP shall require that proposals include the following
36 information at a minimum:
37 (1) Description of the proposal.
38 (2) Evidence-based research that supports the proposal.
39 (3) An implementation time line for the plan.
40 (4) Plans for financial sustainability once grant money is no longer available.
41 SECTION 2.(e) Selection. – By February 1, 2025, a selection committee shall select
42 up to five grantees, making the effort to ensure that there is representation across the State as
43 reflected by rural and urban districts, institutions of higher education, and community-based
44 partners. Any grants awarded may be spent over a five-year period from the initial award. Grants
45 may be awarded for new or existing projects.
46 SECTION 2.(f) Reporting Requirements. – No later than September 1 of each year,
47 grant recipients shall submit to the State Board of Education an annual report for the preceding
48 grant year that describes the implementation of the program. This report must include qualitative
49 and quantitative data to demonstrate program effectiveness.
50 SECTION 2.(g) Evaluation and Reporting. – Of the funds appropriated by this
51 section, the State Board of Education may use up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000)
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 to contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the impact of this grant
2 program. The independent research organization shall report the results of this evaluation to the
3 Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Fiscal Research Division of the General
4 Assembly, and the Office of State Budget and Management by September 1, 2026. The State
5 Board of Education shall report annually on the implementation of this grant program beginning
6 on January 1, 2026.
7 SECTION 2.(h) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to
8 the Department of Public Instruction the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in recurring
9 funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to implement the grant program in accordance with this
10 section.
11 SECTION 2.(i) Carryforward. – Any unexpended funds at the end of each fiscal
12 year from the funds appropriated for the grant program under this section shall not revert to the
13 General Fund but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes set forth in this section.
14
15 PART III. RECRUITMENT BONUS PILOT PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS IN
16 LOW-WEALTH, LOW-PERFORMING, OR HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS
17 SECTION 3.(a) Purpose. – The State Board of Education shall establish a grant
18 program to assist local school administrative units in providing multiyear recruitment bonuses to
19 certified teachers who commit to teach multiple years in a low-performing or high-needs school.
20 Bonuses awarded as part of this grant program shall include, but are not limited to, the following
21 components:
22 (1) Awards over multiple years with a requirement that teachers remain in the
23 school over multiple years to receive the bonus.
24 (2) Awards to licensed teachers who commit to teach in a school identified as
25 low-performing, as defined in G.S. 115C-105.37, a school identified as
26 continually low-performing as defined in G.S. 115C-105.37A, or a school
27 with an identified student percentage (ISP) of seventy-five percent (75%) or
28 greater as used in the National School Lunch Program for qualification for the
29 Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Program.
30 SECTION 3.(b) Request for Proposal. – By September 1, 2024, and annually
31 thereafter, the State Board of Education shall issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the grant
32 program. Local boards of education shall submit their proposals by December 1, 2024. The RFP
33 shall require that proposals include the following information at a minimum:
34 (1) Description of the proposal, including details on targeted schools for the
35 bonuses and how the bonus program will be structured.
36 (2) Evidence-based research that supports the proposal.
37 (3) Implementation time line for the plan.
38 (4) Plans for financial sustainability once grant money is no longer available.
39 SECTION 3.(c) Grant Awards. – By February 15, 2025, the State Board of
40 Education shall review the proposals submitted by local boards of education and shall select up
41 to 10 local school administrative units for grant awards. The State Board of Education may make
42 grant awards for up to three years. A local school administrative unit may not receive more than
43 five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in a single fiscal year from the grant program.
44 SECTION 3.(d) Evaluation and Reporting. – Of the funds appropriated by this
45 section, the State Board of Education may use up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000)
46 to contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the impact of this grant
47 program. The independent research organization shall report the results of this evaluation to the
48 Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Fiscal Research Division of the General
49 Assembly, and the Office of State Budget and Management by September 1, 2027. The
50 Department of Public Instruction shall report annually on the implementation of this grant
51 program, beginning March 1, 2025.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 SECTION 3.(e) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to
2 the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) in recurring
3 funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to implement the grant program in accordance with this
4 section.
5 SECTION 3.(f) Carryforward. – Any unexpended funds appropriated under this
6 section at the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall
7 remain available for the purposes set forth in this section.
8
9 PART IV. TEACHER PREPARATION RESIDENCY PILOT GRANT PROGRAM
10 SECTION 4.(a) Purpose. – The State Board of Education shall establish a grant
11 program to assist local school administrative units in the development of teacher preparation
12 residency pilot programs. Teacher preparation residency programs provide the necessary
13 preparation and induction supports to teacher preparation candidates pursuing a continuing
14 professional license. Teacher preparation residency programs eligible to receive grant funding
15 through this program shall include, at a minimum, the following components:
16 (1) Coursework in the candidate's area of licensure.
17 (2) Tuition and stipends.
18 (3) Faculty advising.
19 (4) Clinical training experiences.
20 (5) Ongoing induction support.
21 Residency programs eligible for this grant program may include partnerships between
22 local school administrative units, educator preparation programs, local community college or
23 universities, and other community organizations. Grant funds awarded to local school
24 administrative units under this program shall be matched by the local school administrative unit
25 on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) in nongrant funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in grant funds.
26 SECTION 4.(b) Request for Proposal. – By October 1, 2024, the State Board of
27 Education shall issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the grant program. Local boards of
28 education shall submit their proposals by January 15, 2025. The RFP shall require that proposals
29 include the following information at a minimum:
30 (1) Description of the proposal, including the number of teacher preparation
31 candidates to be served.
32 (2) Evidence-based research that supports the proposal.
33 (3) Implementation time line for the plan.
34 (4) Plans for financial sustainability once grant money is no longer available.
35 SECTION 4.(c) Grant Awards. – By April 15, 2025, the State Board of Education
36 shall review the proposals submitted by local boards of education and shall select up to 10 local
37 school administrative units for grant awards. The State Board of Education may make grant
38 awards for up to three years. A local school administrative unit may not receive more than five
39 hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in a single fiscal year from this grant program.
40 SECTION 4.(d) Evaluation and Reporting. – Of the funds appropriated by this
41 section, the State Board of Education may use up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000)
42 to contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the impact of this grant
43 program. The independent research organization shall report the results of this evaluation to the
44 Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Fiscal Research Division of the General
45 Assembly, and the Office of State Budget and Management by September 1, 2028. The
46 Department of Public Instruction shall report annually on the implementation of this grant
47 program beginning by March 1, 2026.
48 SECTION 4.(e) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to
49 the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) in recurring
50 funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to implement the grant program in accordance with this
51 section.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 SECTION 4.(f) Carryforward. – Any unexpended funds appropriated under this
2 section at the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall
3 remain available for the purposes set forth in this section.
4
5 PART V. EXPANSION OF FELS PROGRAM/ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY
6 SECTION 5.1. G.S. 116-209.45(e) reads as rewritten:
7 "(e) Eligibility for Loans. – The Authority shall establish the criteria for initial and
8 continuing eligibility to participate in the Program. All loan recipients shall be residents of North
9 Carolina and shall attend an eligible institution.
10 The Authority shall adopt standards deemed appropriate by the Authority to ensure that only
11 qualified, potential recipients receive a loan under the Program. The standards may include
12 minimum grade point average and satisfactory academic progress. The Authority shall include
13 individuals currently holding a bachelor's degree seeking preparation for teacher licensure as
14 potential recipients to receive a loan under the Program."
15 SECTION 5.2. G.S. 116-209.45(g) reads as rewritten:
16 "(g) Advisory Group. – The Authority shall appoint an advisory group composed of, at
17 minimum, appropriate representatives from higher education institutions and health and labor
18 departments, agencies, or commissions to make recommendations to the Authority regarding the
19 Authority's future apportionment an