PRINTER'S NO. 1262
No. 1100 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, BLACKWELL,
BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, DALEY, DALLY, DIVEN,
FREEMAN, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, JAMES, KIRKLAND,
MANDERINO, ROSS, SCHRODER, SEMMEL, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS,
TIGUE, WALKO, WHEATLEY AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 24, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 24, 2005
AN ACT
1 Establishing a pilot program to enrich classroom instruction in
2 primary grades by increasing the teacher instructional time
3 per pupil through the placement of a teaching aide in
4 participating classrooms.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Primary
9 Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot Program Act.
10 Section 2. Legislative findings and purpose.
11 (a) Legislative findings.--The General Assembly declares and
12 finds that:
13 (1) National debate is taking place over the educational
14 benefits to be gained in reducing class size, particularly in
15 primary grades. The premise behind these discussions is that
16 smaller class sizes allow teachers to spend more time helping
17 individual students, thereby enhancing student performance.
1 (2) While some early studies have indicated improved
2 student performance where class sizes are reduced, other
3 studies have indicated that poor teaching by underqualified
4 staff, particularly in urban areas, nullifies any potential
5 benefits of smaller class size.
6 (3) The costs to implement traditional class size
7 reduction programs have been high. A recent study for the
8 Federal Government indicates that a nationwide push to reduce
9 class sizes in the primary grades to 18 students could cost
10 up to $6,000,000,000 per year. These costs are directly
11 related to the need to hire additional staff and to expand
12 the number of available classrooms resulting from mandatory
13 reduced class sizes.
14 (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this act is to implement a
15 Statewide pilot program which would:
16 (1) Examine whether improved academic achievement in
17 primary grades can be achieved by placing an additional
18 teaching aide in participating classrooms, thereby increasing
19 the time available for the regular classroom teacher to spend
20 with individual students.
21 (2) Avoid the negative cost impact of more traditional
22 class size reduction proposals related to the hiring of
23 additional teachers and the need to add classroom space.
24 Section 3. Definitions.
25 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
26 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
27 context clearly indicates otherwise:
28 "Department." The Department of Education of the
29 Commonwealth.
30 "Primary grades." Kindergarten through third grade.
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1 "Program." The Primary Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot
2 Program implemented pursuant to this act.
3 "School." An individual public elementary school building
4 designated to participate in the pilot program.
5 "Teaching aide." A full-time paraprofessional school
6 employee hired solely for the purposes of this act to assist the
7 regularly assigned teacher in the classroom.
8 Section 4. Establishment.
9 The department is authorized to establish and administer the
10 Primary Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot Program beginning in
11 the 2005-2006 school year and continuing through the 2009-2010
12 school year to increase the time available for classroom
13 teachers to spend with individual students in kindergarten
14 through third grade by assigning a full-time teaching aide to
15 each kindergarten through third grade classroom in a school
16 chosen to participate in the program. This aide shall be in
17 addition to any aides required for a student identified as
18 exceptional pursuant to 22 Pa. Code Ch. 14 (relating to special
19 education services and programs).
20 Section 5. Duties.
21 The department shall:
22 (1) Develop and publicize an application procedure for
23 school districts interested in having one of their schools
24 participate in the program.
25 (2) Select ten schools to participate in the program
26 from the list of applicant school districts.
27 The department shall assure that the schools chosen for the
28 program are representative of urban, rural and suburban
29 districts and are geographically dispersed throughout this
30 Commonwealth. At least six of the schools chosen to participate
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1 in the program shall have more than 40% of low-income pupils in
2 average daily membership.
3 Section 6. School district requirements.
4 (a) Eligibility.--The local board of school directors of a
5 school district may apply to have one of its schools participate
6 in the program.
7 (b) Application.--Applicants shall submit applications at a
8 time and in the manner prescribed by the department. Each school
9 district which applies to have one of its schools considered for
10 participation in the program shall agree to do all of the
11 following:
12 (1) Employ an additional classroom aide for each primary
13 grade classroom in the participating school.
14 (2) Participate in the program for four years.
15 (3) Develop an in-service program for all teaching aides
16 to acquaint them with the requirements of their position and
17 the school's current academic curriculum.
18 (4) Participate in the annual evaluation and related
19 activities conducted pursuant to section 7 (relating to
20 evaluation of program).
21 Section 7. Evaluation of program.
22 (a) Contract.--The department shall contract with a
23 Pennsylvania institution of higher education to conduct an
24 ongoing evaluation of the program as prescribed in subsection
25 (b).
26 (b) Requirements of evaluation.--The evaluation contracted
27 for under subsection (a) shall annually compare the academic
28 achievement of the group of primary grade students in the ten
29 schools participating in the program to a group of primary grade
30 students in comparison schools that are similar, except for
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1 participation in the program. Students are to be measured
2 utilizing the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
3 test and any other evaluative measures or techniques agreed to
4 in the contract with the department. The evaluation shall be
5 used to determine the overall effectiveness of the program in
6 improving the academic achievement of kindergarten through third
7 grade students in the selected participating schools.
8 (c) Consortium.--The institution of higher education
9 contracted with under subsection (a) shall, as part of its
10 contract, agree to form a consortium of participating schools
11 and at least once per school year shall convene a meeting of
12 participating schools in order to share information and
13 suggestions regarding implementation of the program.
14 (d) Report.--Upon the conclusion of the 2008-2009 school
15 year, the contracting institution of higher education shall
16 prepare a comprehensive report outlining the three-year history
17 of academic achievement in the program schools and making
18 recommendations on the continuation, alteration or expansion of
19 the program. This final report shall be made to the Governor and
20 the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2009.
21 Section 8. Reports.
22 The department shall annually furnish to the Governor and the
23 Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee of the
24 Senate and the Education Committee and the Appropriations
25 Committee of the House of Representatives a report on the
26 program, including any evaluations or reports prepared pursuant
27 to section 7 (relating to evaluation of program).
28 Section 9. Funding.
29 Each school district with a school participating in the
30 program shall annually receive from the department the sum of
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1 $25,000 per primary grade classroom in the school to offset the
2 cost of hiring a teaching aide.
3 Section 10. Additional funding.
4 Additional funding shall be provided to the department in an
5 amount to be determined by an annual appropriation by the
6 General Assembly to cover the administrative costs related to
7 this program and the cost of the contract entered into pursuant
8 to section 7 (relating to evaluation of program).
9 Section 11. Expiration.
10 This act shall expire on July 1, 2010, unless otherwise
11 extended by act of the General Assembly.
12 Section 25. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect immediately.
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