Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

PRINTER'S NO.     1957
                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 1341
                                               Session of
                                                 2024
     INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN AND BARTOLOTTA, OCTOBER 18, 2024
     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, OCTOBER 18, 2024
                                    AN ACT
 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
    act relating to the public school system, including certain
    provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
    schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
    laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further
    providing for continuing professional development; providing
    for access to advanced courses for all students; establishing
    the Access to Advanced Courses for All Students Grant
    Program; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.
    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 hereby enacts as follows:
    Section 1.    Section 1205.1(c.1)(3) of the act of March 10,
 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
 is amended to read:
    Section 1205.1.    Continuing Professional Development.--* * *
    (c.1)   The continuing professional education plan shall
 specify the professional education needs that will be met by
 completion of each continuing professional education option and
 how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or
 potential administrative certification. The options may include,
 but shall not be limited to:
    * * *
    (3)    Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken
 for credit or hourly, to include:
    (i)    curriculum development and other program design and
 delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as
 determined by the school entity and approved by the board of
 directors;
    (ii)    participation in professional conferences and
 workshops;
    (iii)     education in the workplace, where the work relates to
 the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved
 by the board of directors;
    (iv)    review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,
 organizations and functions as determined by the school entity
 and approved by the board of directors;
    (v)    in-service programs that comply with guidelines
 established by the department;
    (vi)    early childhood and child development activities for
 professional educators whose area of assignment includes
 kindergarten through third grade;
    (vii)     special education activities for professional
 educators whose area of assignment includes students with
 special needs;
    (viii)    successful completion of department training for
 service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
 participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
 Distinguished Educators Program;
    (ix)    other continuing professional education courses,
 programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
 department; [or]
    (x)    visits by educators to a manufacturing workplace for
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 orientation and demonstrations to give the professional educator
 a greater understanding of job opportunities in manufacturing
 for students[.]; or
    (xi)     providing opportunities for educators to serve as
 advanced coursework coaches to support teachers in delivering
 high-quality advanced coursework instruction.
    * * *
    Section 2.     The act is amended by adding an article to read:
                             ARTICLE XVII-E
              ACCESS TO ADVANCED COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS
 Section 1701-E.    Scope of article.
    This article relates to access to advanced courses for all
 students.
 Section 1702-E.    Definitions.
    The following words and phrases when used in this article
 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 context clearly indicates otherwise:
    "Advanced course."     An academically rigorous college-level
 course delivered to secondary students by an eligible educator
 that includes an end-of-course exam that qualifies students to
 earn college credit for prior learning.
    "Core academic areas."     Mathematics, English language arts,
 science, social studies and computer science.
    "Department."     The Department of Education of the
 Commonwealth.
    "Educator."     A "professional employe," "temporary
 professional employe" or "substitute" as those terms are defined
 in section 1101.
    "Educator training entity."       An institution of higher
 education, intermediate unit or other organization approved by
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 the department to train educators to teach advanced courses. For
 courses, the educator training entity shall also be endorsed by
 the provider of advanced course work.
    "Eligible educator."    An educator who is certified in the
 subject area of the advanced course that the educator will be
 teaching.
    "Eligible school entity."    A school entity that does not meet
 the minimum benchmarks for advanced course offerings established
 by the department under section 1703-E(b)(2)(i) or is unable to
 offer an advanced course due to the retirement, departure or
 other loss of an educator who teaches an advanced course.
    "Exam fee."   The amount required to take an exam associated
 with an advanced course.
    "Institution of higher education."    The term includes any of
 the following:
        (1)   A community college operating under Article XIX-A.
        (2)   A university within the State System of Higher
    Education under Article XX-A.
        (3)   A State-related institution as defined in section
    1502-A.
        (4)   Any accredited nonprofit public, private or
    independent college or university.
    "Program."    The Access to Advanced Courses for All Students
 Grant Program established under section 1704-E.
    "School entity."   A school district, area career and
 technical school, charter school or regional charter school
 operating in this Commonwealth.
    "Secondary student."    A student in grades seven through
 twelve who is enrolled in a school entity.
    "Virtual learning instruction."     The provision of academic
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 courses and instruction to students through the Internet or the
 use of video or audio technology.
 Section 1703-E.        Equitable access to advanced courses.
    (a)   Access.--Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each
 school entity receiving a grant under section 1704-E(b) shall
 provide secondary students with expanded opportunities to enroll
 in advanced courses as well as exam fee assistance, as
 appropriate.
    (b)   Duties.--
          (1)   No later than September 1, 2025, and every five
    years thereafter, each school entity shall report to the
    department, in a manner determined by the department, all
    advanced course offerings that are available to the school
    entity's secondary students for the current school year as
    well as the number of students participating in advanced
    courses, completing advanced courses and taking an end-of-
    course exam.
          (2)   No later than December 1, 2025, and every five years
    thereafter, the department shall:
                (i)    Establish benchmarks to improve secondary
          student access to and enrollment in advanced courses.
                (ii)    Identify school entities that require intensive
          assistance to improve secondary student access to and
          enrollment in advanced courses.
                (iii)    Prepare a report containing the information
          provided under paragraph (1), as well as the benchmarks
          established and school districts identified under
          subparagraphs (i) and (ii), and post the report on the
          department's publicly accessible Internet website.
          Beginning with the report required to be posted on
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          December 1, 2030, the report shall include an explanation
          of whether school entities in this Commonwealth are
          progressing or regressing in improving secondary student
          access to and enrollment in advanced courses.
 Section 1704-E.     Access to Advanced Courses for All Students
                Grant Program.
    (a)   Purpose.--The Access to Advanced Courses for All
 Students Grant Program is established in the department to help
 ensure that all school entities have properly trained educators
 to meet the advanced course benchmarks established under section
 1703-E(b)(2)(i), to provide advanced course exam fee assistance
 to students and to make money available for nationally normed
 assessments.
    (b)   Educator training grants to school entities.--
          (1)   A school entity that does not meet a minimum
    advanced course benchmark established by the department under
    section 1703-E(b)(2)(i) shall be eligible for annual grants
    for a maximum of five consecutive years to train educators to
    teach advanced courses to enable the school entity to meet
    the benchmark and further expand access to advanced courses
    beyond the benchmark over the five-year grant period.
          (2)   The department may limit the number of educators per
    school building within an eligible school entity for whom the
    eligible school entity may receive an educator training
    grant.
          (3)   Multiple eligible school entities may apply jointly
    for an educator training grant under the program if the
    educators to be trained will provide instruction in more than
    one eligible school entity through classroom instruction or
    virtual learning instruction.
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      (4)   The department shall develop an application process
  and application form for an eligible school entity seeking an
  educator training grant under the program. The application
  form shall include the following:
            (i)    The subject areas in which the eligible school
      entity currently has advanced course offerings.
            (ii)    The subject areas in which the eligible school
      entity does not have advanced course offerings.
            (iii)    The eligible school entity's plan to expand
      and increase advanced course participation within the
      eligible school entity, including for student populations
      that have been traditionally underserved, and how an
      educator training grant will help expedite the eligible
      school entity's progress toward its advanced course
      participation goals.
            (iv)    The following information:
                   (A)   The names of the eligible educators to be
            trained using educator training grant proceeds.
                   (B)   The school buildings within the eligible
            school entity where the eligible educators will
            teach.
                   (C)   The advanced course subject areas in which
            the eligible educators will provide instruction.
                   (D)   Whether the instruction will be provided
            through traditional classroom instruction or virtual
            learning instruction.
            (v)    The names of the educator training entities that
      will train the eligible educators to teach advanced
      courses.
            (vi)    An agreement that the eligible school entity
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          will commit to offering the advanced courses to secondary
          students for at least five years.
          (5)   By June 30 of each year, each school entity that
    receives an educator training grant under this section shall
    report to the department the following for the immediately
    preceding school year in a form and manner determined by the
    department:
                (i)    The number of students who enrolled in an
          advanced course taught by an educator who received
          training funded by the grant and the number of students
          who completed the course.
                (ii)    The number of students who took an end-of-
          course exam in an advanced course taught by an educator
          who received training funded by the grant.
                (iii)    The grade levels in which advanced courses
          were taught.
                (iv)    The number of educators who received training
          funded by the grant who taught advanced courses within
          the school entity.
    (c)   Exam fee grant to students.--Beginning with the 2024-
 2025 school year, the department shall provide advanced course
 exam fee assistance in accordance with the following:
          (1)   The department shall reimburse school entities 100%
    of the exam fee for each student at or above 185% of the
    Federal poverty level who completes an advanced course for
    which the student is required or chooses to take an exam.
          (2)   On an annual basis, each school entity shall certify
    to the department the amount of reimbursement due under
    paragraph (1) in accordance with guidelines developed by the
    department and posted on the department's publicly accessible
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    Internet website.
    (d)   Nationally normed assessments.--Beginning with the 2024-
 2025 school year, the department shall make money available to
 school entities to administer nationally normed assessments to
 students in grade 10 that can be used to identify students ready
 for advanced coursework, provide access to college scholarships
 and provide information about college and career opportunities.
 Section 1705-E.    Powers and duties of department.
    (a)   Rules.--The department shall promulgate rules and
 procedures necessary for the implementation of this article.
    (b)   Report.--By September 1, 2026, and every five years
 thereafter, the department shall issue a report on the program
 to the General Assembly that includes:
          (1)   The number of educators in school entities who
    received training in advanced course instruction delineated
    by type of advanced course instruction.
          (2)   The number and percentage of schools enrolling
    secondary students that offer advanced courses and the change
    in advanced course offerings over the five-year grant period.
          (3)   The number and percentage of secondary students who
    completed advanced courses at school entities.
          (4)   The number and percentage of secondary students who
    achieved a qualifying score, reported separately from an
    advanced course exam at school entities.
          (5)   The number and percentage of institutions of higher
    education located within this Commonwealth that provide
    academic course credit for advanced course exam scores.
          (6)   The names of the school entities and high schools
    that do not offer advanced courses or are below the minimum
    benchmark established by the department under section 1703-
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    E(b)(2)(i).
          (7)   The number of educators who where trained to teach
    advanced courses outside the core academic areas who are
    teaching other advanced courses.
 Section 1706-E.    Program funding.
    (a)   Funding.--Funding for the program shall be made from
 annual appropriations made by the General Assembly to the
 department for that purpose, as well as available Federal funds
 or funds from private sources.
    (b)   Priorities.--In the event of insufficient funds in any
 fiscal year, the department shall prioritize funding of eligible
 school entities based on the eligible school entity's poverty
 level and deficiency in providing advanced course opportunities
 as compared to the benchmark established by the department under
 section 1703-E(b)(2)(i).
 Section 1707-E.    Rights of school employees.
    Nothing in this article shall be construed to supersede or
 preempt the rights, remedies and procedures afforded to school
 employees or labor organizations under Federal or State law,
 including the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563, No.195), known as
 the Public Employe Relations Act, or any provision of a
 collective bargaining agreement negotiated between a school
 employer and an exclusive representative of the employees in
 accordance with that act.
    Section 3.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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Statutes/Laws affected: 
Printer's No. 1957: P.L.30, No.14