ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
ENACTED
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2832/S.B. 1717
teachers academy; revisions.
Purpose
An emergency measure that modifies the Arizona Teachers Academy (Academy) amended by Proposition 208 to include changes made by Laws 2020, Chapter 85. Removes the requirement that a student be a full-time student to receive a scholarship as a part of the Academy. Contains requirements for enactment for initiatives and referendums.
Background
Established in 2017, the Academy encourages students at eligible postsecondary institutions to enter the teaching profession and commit to teaching in Arizona public schools. The Academy includes new or existing teacher preparation program pathways that are student-focused and that employ proven, research-based models of best practices. Each eligible university or community college can develop a portfolio of teacher preparation programs as part of the Academy and provide an annual scholarship for full-time students enrolled in the Academy (A.R.S. 15-1655).
Laws 2020, Chapter 85 amended the Academy to: 1) include students committed to teaching public school students with disabilities; 2) allow admission priority to junior and senior students; 3) prohibit excluding freshman and sophomore students; 3) expand accelerated program models offered; 4) allow an Arizona college operated by a qualifying Indian tribe to receive Arizona Teacher's Academy Fund (Fund) monies; and 5) define relevant terms.
Approved by voters in 2020, Proposition 208 further amended the Academy to modify: 1) the scholarship amount provided for students in the Academy; 2) funding mechanisms for the Fund; and 3) lapsing Fund requirements (A.R.S. 15-1655, Version 2). Proposition 208 did not include the changes made to the Academy by Laws 2020, Chapter 85.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Expands the Academy to include students committed to teaching for or in schools that serve primarily public school students with disabilities.
2. Considers schools that serve primarily public school students with disabilities as public schools, for the purposes of the Academy.
3. Allows eligible postsecondary institutions that admit students to the Academy to give priority to senior and junior students.
4. Prohibits excluding sophomore and freshman students from the Academy
5. Requires programs offered as part of the Academy to include accelerated models for:
a) schools that serve primarily public school students with disabilities;
b) teachers currently teaching a dual-enrollment course to satisfy the requirements for teaching a dual-enrollment course adopted by a higher learning commission that accredits degree-granting postsecondary educational institutions in the north central region, including Arizona; and
c) students in noneducation programs to complete at least one teacher preparation courses to prepare the student to receive a teaching certification following graduation.
6. Removes the requirement that a student be a full-time student to receive a scholarship through the Academy.
7. Prohibits a student's summer term enrollment from being included in the calculation of the student's postgraduation public service commitment.
8. Allows an Arizona college that is owned, operated or chartered by a qualifying Indian tribe on its own Indian reservation and that offers baccalaureate teacher education program to participate in the Academy and receive monies from the Fund.
9. Includes, as eligible postsecondary institutions, qualifying colleges owned, operated or chartered by an Indian tribe.
10. Defines school that serves primary public school students with disabilities as a school in which more than 75 percent of enrolled students are public school students who are placed at the school according to an agreement with a school, a charter school or the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
11. Repeals statute amended by Laws 2020, Chapter 85.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
13. Requires for enactment the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the Legislature (Proposition 105)
14. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted, retroactive to January 1, 2021.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
Adds an emergency clause.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
Makes a technical correction.
House Action Senate Action
ED 2/16/21 DPA 10-0-0-0 ED 2/16/21 DPA 7-0-1
3rd Read 2/24/21 56-3-1 3rd Read 3/1/21 29-0-1
(H.B. 2832 was substituted for S.B. 1717 on
3rd Read)
Signed by the Governor 3/8/21
Chapter 43
Prepared by Senate Research
March 15, 2021
JO/JP/gs