PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1089 PRINTER'S NO. 2129
No. 923 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY ROEBUCK, D. EVANS, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, W. KELLER, KORTZ, LEACH, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MURT, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYTON, PRESTON, READSHAW, SOLOBAY, STURLA, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD AND LONGIETTI, MARCH 29, 2007
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 27, 2007
AN ACT 1 Establishing and providing for the implementation and 2 administration of the Beginning Educator Support and Training 3 (BEST) Program; and providing for powers and duties of the 4 Department of Education. 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 Beginning 9 Educator Support and Training (BEST) Program. 10 Section 2. Declaration of policy. 11 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: 12 (1) The beginning years of a teacher's career are a 13 critical time in which intensive professional development and 14 training must occur. 15 (2) The public invests heavily in the preparation of 16 prospective teachers and more than half of all new teachers 17 leave some Pennsylvania school districts after one or two
1 years in the classroom. 2 (3) Intensive professional development and training are 3 necessary to build on the preparation that precedes initial 4 certification, to transform academic preparation into 5 practical success in the classroom, to retain greater numbers 6 of capable beginning educators and to remove novices who show 7 little promise as teachers. 8 Section 3. Definitions. 9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 11 context clearly indicates otherwise: 12 "Beginning educator." A first-year teacher with a valid 13 Pennsylvania Instructional I certificate or Educational 14 Specialist I certificate or who is a long-term substitute, 45 15 days or more, employed in an eligible school district. 16 "Department." The Department of Education of the 17 Commonwealth. 18 "Eligible school district." A school district with a high 19 turnover rate for beginning educators in a two-year period and 20 that is economically disadvantaged as determined by the 21 Secretary of Education. 22 "Performance-based assessment." An assessment that evaluates 23 beginning educators in relation to student learning and teaching 24 behaviors that is content-specific and reveals information about 25 the logic and coherence of the teachers' curriculum, the 26 appropriateness of their instructional decisions for students, 27 the range of pedagogical strategies they use effectively, the 28 quality of their assignments, their skill in assessing student 29 learning and their ability to reflect on their own teaching and 30 make changes based on evidence of student learning. 20070H0923B2129 - 2 -
1 "Program." The Beginning Educator Support and Training 2 (BEST) Program established by this act. 3 "Program quality." Excellence with respect to program 4 factors, including, but not limited to, all of the following: 5 (1) Program goals. 6 (2) Design resources. 7 (3) Management, evaluation and improvement of the 8 program. 9 (4) Working conditions. 10 (5) Support, training and assessment services to each 11 beginning educator. 12 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth. 13 Section 3 3.1. Establishment. <-- 14 (a) Program established.--There is hereby established the 15 Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) Program, to be 16 administered by the department. The department shall provide the 17 program to school districts with ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED <-- 18 AS HAVING high teacher turnover rates for first-year and second- 19 year teachers and that are economically disadvantaged as 20 determined by the secretary. Participation in the program shall 21 be mandatory for beginning educators employed in eligible school 22 districts THAT APPLY FOR FUNDING UNDER SECTION 5. The department <-- 23 shall adopt and implement criteria and standards for 24 participation in the program, including criteria regarding the 25 eligibility of educators and standards of local program quality 26 and intensity for schools, school districts, colleges, 27 universities and other educational and professional 28 organizations involved in the program. The criteria and 29 standards shall be consistent with the purposes of the program. 30 (b) Program description.--The program shall support locally 20070H0923B2129 - 3 -
1 designed, high-quality induction programs that provide 2 individualized support and performance-based assessment for all 3 participating beginning educators. The department shall develop 4 and implement policies to govern the support, training and 5 assessment of beginning educators., as a condition for the <-- 6 professional certification of those educators in the future. 7 (c) Continuing professional education.--For a beginning 8 educator who holds an Instructional I or Educational Specialist 9 I certificate who is subject to the requirements of section 10 1205.2 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as 11 the Public School Code of 1949, participation in the program 12 may, at the teacher's discretion, serve as credit towards hours 13 of continuing professional education programs, activities or 14 learning experiences. 15 Section 4. Administration. 16 The department shall implement and administer the program for 17 eligible school districts pursuant to this act. In administering 18 the program, the department shall provide for or contract for 19 all of the following: 20 (1) Establishment of requirements for reviewing and 21 approving local teacher induction programs. 22 (2) Development and administration of a system for 23 ensuring local teacher induction program quality and 24 effectiveness in producing excellent program outcomes. 25 (3) Ensuring that an eligible school district has a 26 local induction plan in place for each participating 27 beginning educator and that the program provides intensive, 28 mentor-based individualized support and assistance to each 29 participating beginning educator that includes a performance- 30 based assessment. 20070H0923B2129 - 4 -
1 (4) Conducting and tracking research related to best 2 practices for teacher induction programs and professional 3 development materials and strategies for personnel involved 4 in implementing induction programs. 5 Section 5. Funding. 6 (a) General rule.--An eligible school district or consortium 7 of eligible school districts shall MAY apply to the department <-- 8 for funding to establish a local teacher induction program 9 pursuant to this act. From amounts appropriated for the purposes 10 of this act, the department shall allocate $1,500 for each 11 beginning educator participating in the program at the eligible <-- 12 school district DISTRICTS. To be eligible to receive funding, an <-- 13 eligible school district shall meet all the criteria and 14 standards required by the department. 15 (b) Participation limitation.--State funding for 16 participation in the program by educators who hold a first-level 17 certificate is limited to two years or until the teacher has 18 satisfied requirements for successful completion of the local 19 teacher induction program, whichever occurs first. 20 (c) Funding limitation.--No more than 10% of the total sum 21 appropriated annually shall be granted to any single eligible 22 school district. 23 Section 6. Report. 24 The department shall evaluate the effectiveness of the 25 program two years following full implementation and report the 26 findings to the General Assembly. An interim report shall be 27 provided to the General Assembly no later than July 1, 2008, if 28 full funding has not been provided prior to that date. 29 Section 7. Effective date. 30 This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, or immediately, 20070H0923B2129 - 5 -
1 whichever is later. C20L24BIL/20070H0923B2129 - 6 -