PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1114, 2324 PRINTER'S NO. 2713
No. 973 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY SAYLOR, STAIRS, MACKERETH, R. MILLER, DALLY,
SCHULER, ARGALL, M. BAKER, BELFANTI, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE,
L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, COSTA, DALEY, DERMODY, GEIST, GEORGE,
GRUCELA, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, MANDERINO, McCALL,
McILHATTAN, MELIO, PIPPY, PISTELLA, READSHAW, SATHER, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, T. STEVENSON, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
J. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRELLO, WATERS, C. WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI,
YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, STEELMAN, COLAFELLA, THOMAS AND MYERS,
MARCH 14, 2001
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 22, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing Commonwealth support for a Science and Mathematics
2 Educator Recruitment Loan Forgiveness Program for
3 Pennsylvania residents who graduate from institutions of
4 higher education with certification in science and
5 mathematics and who agree to apply their expertise to public
6 schools in this Commonwealth; and providing for a study of
7 Pennsylvania's teacher and administrator staffing patterns.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Short title.
11 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Science and
12 Mathematics Educator Recruitment Loan Forgiveness Program Act.
13 Section 2. Findings and declaration of intent.
14 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
15 (1) National surveys indicate that having a qualified
16 teacher in every classroom is the most significant
1 contributor to student success.
2 (2) In the fastest growing communities in Pennsylvania,
3 rural areas and certain urban centers the most immediate
4 challenge faced by school entities is finding the quantity of
5 teachers needed to fill their classrooms.
6 (3) A critical shortage of teachers already exists
7 nationally in the curricular areas of science and mathematics
8 with 96% of school districts reporting an immediate demand
9 for science teachers and 67% indicating a need for
10 mathematics teachers.
11 (4) The increasing demand of the highly technical global
12 marketplace necessitates that our graduating high school
13 students be proficient in mathematics and science.
14 (5) Forgiveness of a portion of student loans for
15 certified mathematics and science teachers may encourage new
16 teachers certified in these critical areas to remain in
17 Pennsylvania public schools for at least four years and thus
18 help alleviate any current or projected shortages.
19 (6) The General Assembly should undertake an immediate
20 study to determine the extent of present and future needs in
21 the areas of classroom teaching and school administration and
22 examine possible methods to attract sufficient educational
23 professionals into our public schools and retain those who
24 are currently so employed.
25 Section 3. Definitions.
26 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
27 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
28 context clearly indicates otherwise:
29 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
30 Agency.
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1 "Eligible school entity." A public school district,
2 intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school certified
3 by the Secretary of Education as having a need for teacher loan
4 forgiveness assistance because of difficulty in attracting
5 qualified mathematics and science teachers.
6 "Program." The Science and Mathematics Educator Recruitment
7 Loan Forgiveness Program established by this act.
8 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the
9 following criteria:
10 (1) Is certified by the Department of Education to teach
11 either mathematics or science.
12 (2) Is in the first year of full-time teaching in either
13 mathematics or science.
14 (3) Is teaching in an eligible school entity within this
15 Commonwealth.
16 (4) Has borrowed through the agency-administered <--
17 federally insured student loan programs. AND HAS A CURRENT <--
18 OUTSTANDING BALANCE WITH THE AGENCY-GUARANTEED STAFFORD OR
19 CONSOLIDATION LOAN PROGRAMS.
20 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
21 Section 4. Science and Mathematics Educator Recruitment Loan
22 Forgiveness Program.
23 (a) Loan forgiveness authorized.--A qualified applicant who
24 is selected for the program in accordance with this act shall be
25 eligible for payment by the agency of a portion of the debt
26 incurred by the applicant through the agency-administered <--
27 AGENCY-GUARANTEED federally insured student loan programs <--
28 STAFFORD OR CONSOLIDATION LOAN PROGRAMS for the education <--
29 necessary to be certified to teach either mathematics or science
30 in Pennsylvania. For each consecutive academic year that the
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1 applicant is a full-time teacher in an eligible school entity,
2 the agency may forgive a proportional part of the applicant's
3 loan so that the loan may be entirely forgiven over four years
4 of full-time teaching.
5 (b) Amount of loan forgiveness.--No more than $3,000 shall
6 be forgiven in any year, and no more than $12,000 shall be
7 forgiven for any applicant. Payments shall be made in accordance
8 with the procedures established by the agency and shall be
9 referred to as loan forgiveness awards.
10 Section 5. Eligibility for loan forgiveness awards.
11 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
12 teachers who are certified by the Department of Education in
13 mathematics or science and who have received a satisfactory
14 rating by their district of employment for the academic year.
15 Each applicant shall be required to submit such documentation of
16 continued eligibility as the agency may require.
17 Section 6. Funding.
18 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
19 are appropriated by the General Assembly.
20 Section 7. Responsibility of agency.
21 The agency shall administer the program and shall adopt such
22 regulations, policies, procedures and forms as are necessary to
23 carry out the provisions of this act.
24 Section 8. Educational staffing study.
25 (a) General rule.--The Joint State Government Commission
26 shall undertake a study of the sufficiency of educational
27 staffing in Pennsylvania's public schools, both current and
28 projected. This study shall include:
29 (1) An entity-by-entity analysis of existing teaching
30 and administrative shortages and those projected for the next
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1 ten years, including elementary education, special education,
2 middle and high school subject-specific areas, vocational-
3 education certifications, elementary and secondary principals
4 and chief school administrators. Data shall be aggregated to
5 reflect regional or geographic trends.
6 (2) An assessment of the effect of statutory early
7 retirement incentives on these projections.
8 (3) An analysis of innovative programs that could be
9 utilized to:
10 (i) recruit candidates into the teaching and school
11 administrator professions; and
12 (ii) recruit teachers and administrators into
13 geographic regions and subject areas where shortages
14 exist, or will exist.
15 This analysis shall include a review of approaches being
16 taken nationally to address these issues, including:
17 financial and other incentives, such as signing bonuses,
18 teacher cadet programs and Troops to Teachers programs, being
19 used to attract teachers or administrators into specific
20 geographic regions or subject areas; and programs to attract
21 classroom teachers into educational administration.
22 (4) A review of programs and initiatives to reduce
23 teacher and administrator turnover and to promote retention
24 of well-qualified teachers and administrators.
25 (b) Intergovernmental cooperation.--The Joint State
26 Government Commission shall work in cooperation with the
27 Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Committee on Education
28 of the Senate and the Committee on Education of the House of
29 Representatives, the Education Commission of the States, the
30 National Conference of State Legislatures, Pennsylvania's higher
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1 education institutions, this Commonwealth's public school
2 entities and other interested parties in the completion of this
3 study and shall hold such public hearings as it deems necessary
4 to complete this task.
5 (c) Reporting.--The Joint State Government Commission shall
6 issue a report of its findings and recommendations regarding
7 this subject to the General Assembly no later than November 30,
8 2001.
9 Section 9. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect as follows:
11 (1) Section 8 shall take effect immediately.
12 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect July 1,
13 2001, or immediately, which is later.
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