1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," further providing for continuing
6professional development; and providing for access to
7advanced placement for all students.

8The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9hereby enacts as follows:

10Section 1. Section 1205.1(c.1)(3) of the act of March 10, 
111949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, 
12amended July 11, 2006 (P.L.1092, No.114), is amended to read:

13Section 1205.1. Continuing Professional Development.--* * *

14(c.1) The continuing professional education plan shall
15specify the professional education needs that will be met by
16completion of each continuing professional education option and
17how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or
18potential administrative certification. The options may include,
19but shall not be limited to:

1* * *

2(3) Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken
3for credit or hourly, to include:

4(i) curriculum development and other program design and
5delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as
6determined by the school entity and approved by the board of
7directors;

8(ii) participation in professional conferences and
9workshops;

10(iii) education in the workplace, where the work relates to
11the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved
12by the board of directors;

13(iv) review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,
14organizations and functions as determined by the school entity
15and approved by the board of directors;

16(v) in-service programs that comply with guidelines
17established by the department;

18(vi) early childhood and child development activities for
19professional educators whose area of assignment includes
20kindergarten through third grade;

21(vii) special education activities for professional
22educators whose area of assignment includes students with
23special needs;

24(viii) successful completion of department training for
25service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
26participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
27Distinguished Educators Program; [or]

28(ix) other continuing professional education courses,
29programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
30department[.]; or

1(x) access to the Advanced Placement Course for All Students
2program.

3* * *

4Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:

5ARTICLE XVII-C

6ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

7FOR ALL STUDENTS

8Section 1701-C. Scope of article.

9This article relates to access to advanced placement courses
10for all students.

11Section 1702-C. Definitions.

12The following words and phrases when used in this article
13shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14context clearly indicates otherwise:

15"Advanced placement course." A high school-level preparatory
16course for a college advanced placement test that:

17(1) incorporates all topics specified by the college
18board on its standards syllabus for a given subject area; and

19(2) is authorized by the college board.

20"Department." The Department of Education of the
21Commonwealth.

22"Eligible teacher." A professional employee that is
23certified in the subject area of the advanced placement course
24that the teacher will be teaching.

25"Four core academic areas." Advanced placement courses in
26mathematics, English language arts, science and social science.

27"Poverty level." The percentage of students in a school
28district eligible for free or reduced price lunch.

29"Program." The Advanced Placement Teacher Training Program.

30"School entity." Any public school district, intermediate

1unit, area vocational-technical school, charter school or cyber
2charter school.

3"Teacher training entities." Institutions of higher
4education, intermediate units or organizations endorsed by the
5college board to train teachers to teach advanced placement
6courses.

7"Virtual learning instruction." Providing academic courses
8to students via the Internet and the use of technology in
9providing instruction to students.

10Section 1703-C. Advanced Placement Teacher Training Program.

11(a) Purpose.--The purpose of the Advanced Placement Teacher
12Training Program is to provide access to advanced placement
13courses in the four core academic areas for all students by
14training teachers in advanced placement course instruction at
15all high schools that do not presently provide advanced
16placement courses in one or more of these disciplines. The 
17importance of providing access to advanced placement courses for 
18all students is evident in the fact that the Pennsylvania School 
19Performance Profiles established in 2012 include advanced 
20placement participation and performance of a high school as an 
21indicator of academic achievement that determines a high 
22school's academic performance score.

23(b) Establishment.--Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year,
24the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Program shall be
25established in the department to train teachers in eligible
26school entities to teach advanced placement courses in the four
27core academic areas.

28(c) Eligible school entities.--Eligible school entities are
29those that do not have in each of their high schools at least
30one advanced placement course in the four core academic areas or

1will no longer have an advanced placement course in one of the
2four core academic areas due to the retirement or loss of a
3teacher who teaches an advanced placement course.

4(1) A school entity that has an advanced placement
5course in one or more of the four core academic areas but not
6in all four core academic areas is only eligible to have a
7teacher trained in those core academic areas in which the
8school entity does not have an advanced placement course.

9(2) No more than one teacher per core academic area in
10each high school of an eligible school entity shall be
11trained under this program.

12(3) More than one eligible school entity may apply
13jointly to the program to train a teacher in advanced
14placement course instruction if that teacher is to provide
15such instruction in more than one school entity either
16through classroom instruction or through virtual learning
17instruction.

18(d) Application requirements for eligible school entities.--
19The application by an eligible school entity seeking funding for
20the program shall include the following:

21(1) The subject areas that currently have advanced
22placement courses in each of the school entity's high
23schools.

24(2) The subject areas among the four core academic areas
25that the school entity does not have an advanced placement
26course in each of the school entity's high schools.

27(3) The names of the eligible teachers, including:

28(i) the high schools where they are teaching;

29(ii) the advanced placement academic subject area
30that each of the teachers will be providing instruction;

1and

2(iii) whether the instruction will be in a
3classroom, through virtual learning instruction, or both.

4(4) The names of the eligible teacher training entities
5that shall be providing the training for teachers in advanced
6placement instruction.

7(5) Agreement to offer the advanced placement course for
8high school students for at least three years.

9(6) Guidelines the school entity will use in determining
10which students may be eligible to enroll in an advanced
11placement course. In developing the guidelines, a school
12entity shall utilize data and information on the academic
13performance of students, which may include the academic
14performance of students on the Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test
15and the Scholastic Aptitude Test in consultation with the
16college board, and shall eliminate barriers that restrict
17access to advanced placement courses for student populations
18that have been traditionally underserved and shall make every
19effort to ensure that advanced placement classes reflect the
20diversity of the student population. The school entity shall
21not discriminate on any basis in enrollment of the students
22that is illegal under Federal or State law.

23(7) Agreement to annually report to the department for
24each of the four core academic areas that were taught by
25teachers whose training was funded by this program. The
26agreement shall include the following information:

27(i) the number of students taking advanced placement
28courses;

29(ii) the grade levels where advanced placement is
30being taught;

1(iii) the number of students who took advanced
2placement examinations; and

3(iv) the number of students scoring a three or
4higher on advanced placement examinations.

5(8) Agreement to annually report to the department for
6each of the four core academic areas the following
7information:

8(i) the number of students taking advanced placement
9courses;

10(ii) the grade levels where advanced placement is
11being taught;

12(iii) the number of students who took advanced
13placement examinations;

14(iv) the number of students scoring a three or
15higher on advanced placement examinations; and

16(v) the number of teachers teaching advanced
17placement courses.

18Section 1704-C. Powers and duties of department.

19(a) Guidelines.--The department shall promulgate rules,
20regulations and procedures necessary for the implementation of
21this article, including the following:

22(1) In consultation with the college board, certify
23those teacher training entities that are endorsed by the
24college board to provide training of teachers to teach
25advanced placement courses in the four core academic areas.

26(2) In certifying teacher training entities for this
27program, the department shall ensure that the training times
28and locations will be geographically accessible for teachers
29from eligible school entities to attend.

30(3) The department, in consultation with the college

1board, shall ensure that training provided by teacher
2training entities must provide teachers of advanced placement
3courses with the necessary content knowledge and
4instructional skills to prepare students for success in
5advanced placement courses and examinations.

6(4) Starting at the end of the first year of the program
7and every year thereafter the department shall issue a report
8to the General Assembly on the program that shall include:

9(i) The number of teachers receiving training in
10advanced placement instruction in school entities, school
11districts and high schools in each of the four core
12academic areas.

13(ii) The number and percentage of high schools that
14offer advanced placement courses in all four core
15academic areas.

16(iii) The number and percentage of high schools that
17offer advanced placement courses in each of the four core
18academic areas.

19(iv) The number and percentage of students taking
20advanced placement courses at school entities in each of
21the four core academic areas.

22(v) The number and percentage of students scoring a
23three or more on an advanced placement examination at
24school entities in each of the four core academic areas.

25(vi) The number of school entities and high schools
26that do not offer advanced placement courses.

27(vii) The number of teachers trained outside the
28four core academic areas teaching other advanced
29placement courses.

30(b) (Reserved).

1Section 1705-C. Funding to teacher training entities.

2To the extent funds are appropriated for this program, the
3department shall allocate the funds based on per teacher
4attendance to each certified teacher training entity that
5provides training to a teacher to teach advanced placement
6courses upon completion of the training program.

7Section 1706-C. Program funding.

8(a) Funding.--Funding for this program shall be made from
9annual appropriations made by the General Assembly to the
10department for that purpose.

11(b) Funding priorities.--In the event that insufficient
12moneys are appropriated in any fiscal year to provide funding
13for all eligible school entities applying to the program, the
14department shall prioritize funding of eligible school entities
15based on the poverty level of the school districts in which high
16school students who will be taking the advanced placement
17courses reside.

18Section 1707-C. Availability of advanced placement courses.

19(a) Eligibility.--Any school entity offering advanced
20placement courses to students shall notify parents of their
21availability and the guidelines the school entity uses in
22determining which students may be eligible to enroll in an
23advanced placement course.

24(b) Publication and guidelines.--Any school entity offering
25advanced placement courses to students shall publish on the
26school entity's Internet website the names of the advanced
27placement courses being offered to students and the guidelines
28the school entity uses in determining which students may be
29eligible to enroll in an advanced placement course.

30Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.