Existing law creates the Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation within the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation and prescribes the duties of the Office and its Executive Director, which include, without limitation, defining career pathways and identifying priority career pathways for secondary and postsecondary education. (NRS 232.965, 232.975) Section 2.4 of this bill requires the Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation to establish and administer a Career Pathways Demonstration Program. Section 2.4 requires the Office to identify not more than three priority industries, including K-12 education, for the development and implementation of career pathways and to take certain steps to implement the Program, including, without limitation, establishing measurable objectives for the outcomes of the Program and implementing a competitive process to select proposals for career pathway projects. Section 2.4 establishes requirements for proposals for career pathway projects selected by the Office. Section 7 of this bill requires the Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation to submit certain reports regarding the status of the Career Pathways Demonstration Program. Section 12 of this bill provides that the provisions of section 2.4 governing the Career Pathways Demonstration Program expire on June 30, 2028. Section 6.5 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Office for costs associated with the Career Pathways Demonstration Program. Section 6.5 also makes an appropriation to the Department of Education for: (1) certain costs associated with an interim study concerning the Praxis II and pedagogy examinations required by section 8 of this bill; and (2) other costs associated with the implementation of this bill, including, without limitation, personnel and travel costs. Section 2.5 of this bill requires the Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation to establish a program for work-based learning opportunities outside of school for pupils enrolled in grades 7 to 12, in coordination with the Department of Education. Section 2.7 of this bill makes a conforming change to indicate the proper placement of sections 2.4 and 2.5 in the Nevada Revised Statutes. Existing law creates the Board of Economic Development, which is required to review and make recommendations on various aspects of economic development in Nevada. (NRS 231.033, 231.037) Section 2 of this bill adds the Superintendent of Public Instruction as a nonvoting member of the Board. Existing law prescribes the duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. (NRS 385.175) Section 2.9 of this bill requires the Superintendent to develop a strategic plan for the recruitment of teachers and other licensed educational personnel and establishes requirements for the contents of the strategic plan. Section 3 of this bill requires each large school district, meaning a school district in this State which has more than 100,000 pupils enrolled in its public schools (currently only the Clark County School District), to offer a Teacher Academy College Pathway Program at every high school in the school district with 250 or more pupils enrolled to enable pupils in grades 9 to 12 to prepare for employment in professions in K-12 education and authorizes a large school district to offer the Program at high schools with fewer than 250 pupils. Section 3 authorizes a school district which is not a large school district to offer the Program at high schools in the school district. Section 3 requires a large school district and other school districts which offer the Program to take certain actions to implement the Program. Section 3 requires the State Board of Education to adopt regulations prescribing the curriculum for the Program and authorizes the State Board to adopt other necessary regulations. Section 1.7 of this bill requires the State Treasurer to establish a program to provide reimbursement for tuition charges, registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees paid to an institution within the Nevada System of Higher Education by a person who completed the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program and who worked as a full-time, licensed teacher for at least 3 consecutive school years at a public school in this State. Section 1.7 authorizes the State Treasurer to provide partial reimbursement for such tuition charges and fees to a person who completed the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program and who has worked as a full-time, licensed teacher for 1 year or 2 consecutive years. Section 1.9 of this bill creates the Nevada Grown Educator Account and requires the money in the Account to be used to carry out the program established pursuant to section 1.7. Section 6.7 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Account. Existing law: (1) creates the Commission on Professional Standards in Education to prescribe qualifications for the licensure of teachers and other educational personnel; and (2) provides that the Commission consists of 11 members who are appointed by the Governor, including a person who has expertise and experience in the operation of a business. (NRS 391.011, 391.019) Section 3.1 of this bill: (1) removes the member who has expertise and experience in the operation of a business; and (2) adds three members, including the dean of the School of Education at Nevada State College or a representative of the Teacher Education Program at Great Basin College, as well as two human resources professionals from school districts of different enrollment sizes. Section 3.2 of this bill makes a conforming change to refer to provisions that have been renumbered by section 3.1. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other educational personnel, including regulations governing examinations for the initial licensing of teachers and other educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and renewal of those licenses. (NRS 391.019, 391.021) Section 3.4 of this bill requires the Commission to adopt regulations that authorize an applicant to be exempt from any requirement to pass a competency test in basic reading, writing and mathematics, as prescribed by the Commission, if the applicant completes a course of study approved by the Department of Education with a grade of B or better in each subject area of the competency test that the applicant previously did not pass. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing course work on parental involvement and family engagement and multicultural education. (NRS 391.019, 391.0347) Sections 3.3 and 3.6 of this bill require the Commission to establish standards for professional development training which may be used to satisfy such course work requirements. Section 3.8 of this bill requires a school district and the governing body of a charter school to provide professional development training on: (1) parental involvement and family engagement in accordance with the standards adopted by the Commission; and (2) multicultural education in accordance with the standards adopted by the Commission. Section 3.8 requires that such training be provided at no cost to the employee. Section 3.9 of this bill makes a conforming change to indicate the proper placement of section 3.8 in the Nevada Revised Statutes. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations which provide for the issuance of provisional licenses to teachers and other educational personnel before completion of all courses of study or other requirements for a license in this State. (NRS 391.032) Section 3.5 of this bill requires the Commission to adopt regulations that require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a provisional license to teach if a person has graduated with a bachelor's degree or higher and is awaiting conferment of the degree and is otherwise qualified for a license. Existing law requires the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada to establish a program of student teaching and practicum which allows students to be assigned to a school district as student teachers, counselors or trainees in a library. (NRS 396.519) Existing law authorizes school districts to enter into agreements with certain institutions of higher education for the assignment of students to schools as student teachers, counselors or trainees in a library. (NRS 391.095) Section 3.7 of this bill authorizes: (1) a governing body of a charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to similarly enter into such agreements; and (2) a school district or governing body of a charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to compensate a student who is assigned within the school district for training purposes as a student teacher, counselor, student social worker or trainee in a library. Section 5 of this bill authorizes the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada to: (1) enter into an agreement with a school district to assist in the implementation of the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program; and (2) establish a program to identify pupils who have completed the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program, or who are expected to complete the Program by the end of grade 12, and who wish to apply for admission to an institution within the Nevada System of Higher Education, and inform such pupils of the institutions within the System where such pupils may qualify for admission.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 231.033
Reprint 1: 231.033, 232.900
Reprint 2: 231.033, 232.900
Reprint 3: 231.033, 232.900, 385.175, 391.011, 391.017, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.0347, 391.095, 391A.345
As Enrolled: 231.033, 232.900, 385.175, 391.011, 391.017, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.0347, 391.095, 391A.345
BDR: 231.033