PRINTER'S NO. 894
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
907
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, HILL-EVANS, LONGIETTI, SANCHEZ,
D. WILLIAMS, PISCIOTTANO, NEILSON, ISAACSON, McNEILL, ROZZI,
FREEMAN, CIRESI, MADDEN, DALEY, HOWARD AND KINSEY,
MARCH 15, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 15, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further
providing for continuing professional development;
establishing the Access to Advanced Placement Courses for
Students Program; and imposing duties on the department and
on school entities.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1205.1(c.1)(3) of the act of March 10,
1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
is amended to read:
Section 1205.1. Continuing Professional Development.--* * *
(c.1) The continuing professional education plan shall
specify the professional education needs that will be met by
completion of each continuing professional education option and
how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or
potential administrative certification. The options may include,
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but shall not be limited to:
* * *
(3) Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken
for credit or hourly, to include:
(i) curriculum development and other program design and
delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as
determined by the school entity and approved by the board of
directors;
(ii) participation in professional conferences and
workshops;
(iii) education in the workplace, where the work relates to
the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved
by the board of directors;
(iv) review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,
organizations and functions as determined by the school entity
and approved by the board of directors;
(v) in-service programs that comply with guidelines
established by the department;
(vi) early childhood and child development activities for
professional educators whose area of assignment includes
kindergarten through third grade;
(vii) special education activities for professional
educators whose area of assignment includes students with
special needs;
(viii) successful completion of department training for
service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
Distinguished Educators Program;
(ix) other continuing professional education courses,
programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
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department; [or]
(x) visits by educators to a manufacturing workplace for
orientation and demonstrations to give the professional educator
a greater understanding of job opportunities in manufacturing
for students; or
(xi) access to the advanced placement courses for all
students program under section 1703-D.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:
ARTICLE XVII-D
ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT
COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS
Section 1701-D. Scope of article.
This article relates to access to advanced placement courses
for all students.
Section 1702-D. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Advanced placement course." A course of study authorized by
the college board that allows a student to study college-level
subjects while enrolled in high school and to receive advanced
placement and college credit for earning a qualified score on
the course-related Advanced Placement exam.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Eligible school entities." School entities that do not have
at least one advanced placement course in the four core academic
areas or computer science, or will no longer have an advanced
placement course in one of the four core academic areas or
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computer science due to the retirement or loss of a teacher who
teaches an advanced placement course.
"Eligible teacher." A professional employee who is certified
in the subject area of the advanced placement course that the
professional employee will be teaching. In the case of a
computer science course, the term means an individual who has
received professional development to teach computer science even
if the individual is certified in a different subject area.
"Four core academic areas." Mathematics, English language
arts, science and social science.
"Poverty level." The percentage of students in a school
district eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
"Program." The Advanced Placement Teacher Training Program
established under section 1703-D(b).
"School entity." A public school district, intermediate
unit, area vocational-technical school, charter school or cyber
charter school operating in this Commonwealth.
"Teacher training entities." Institutions of higher
education, intermediate units or organizations endorsed by the
college board to train teachers to teach advanced placement
courses.
"Virtual learning instruction." The provision of academic
courses and instruction to students through the Internet or the
use of technology.
Section 1703-D. Advanced Placement Teacher Training Program.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to provide
access to advanced placement courses in the four core academic
areas and computer science for students by eligible teachers at
all high schools that do not currently provide the courses. The
Pennsylvania School Performance Profile, established in 2012,
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includes advanced placement participation and performance in a
high school as an indicator of academic achievement that
determines a high school's academic performance score.
(b) Establishment.--The Advanced Placement Teacher Training
Program is established within the department to train teachers
in eligible school entities to teach advanced placement courses
in the four core academic areas and computer science.
(c) Teacher training.--A school entity that has an advanced
placement course in one or more of the four core academic areas
or computer science but not in all five areas shall be eligible
only to have a teacher trained in those academic areas in which
the school entity does not currently have an advanced placement
course.
(d) Limitation.-- No more than one teacher in an academic
area of an eligible school entity shall be trained under the
program.
(e) Joint application.--More than one eligible school entity
may apply jointly to the program to train a teacher in an
advanced placement course instruction if the teacher will
provide instruction in more than one school entity through
classroom instruction, virtual learning instruction or a blended
learning model.
(f) Publication.--A school entity that offers advanced
placement courses to students because of the program shall
publish on the school's publicly accessible Internet website the
advanced placement courses offered and notify parents of the
availability of the advanced placement courses and guidelines.
Section 1704-D. Application.
The application for an eligible school entity seeking funding
for the program must include the following:
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(1) The subject areas that currently have advanced
placement courses in the school entity.
(2) The four core academic areas or computer science
that do not have advanced placement courses in the school
entity.
(3) The following information:
(i) The names of the eligible teachers.
(ii) The high school where the teachers are
teaching.
(iii) The advanced placement academic subject area
for which the teacher would provide instruction.
(iv) Whether the instruction will be in a classroom,
through virtual learning instruction or a blended
learning model.
(4) The names of the eligible teacher training entities
that would provide training to teach advanced placement
courses.
(5) An agreement to offer the advanced placement courses
for high school students for at least three years.
(6) Guidelines the school entity will use to determine
which students may be eligible to enroll in an advanced
placement course, subject to the following:
(i) In developing the guidelines, the school entity
shall utilize data and information on the academic
performance of students, which may include the academic
performance of students on the preliminary scholastic
aptitude test and the scholastic aptitude test in
consultation with the college board, shall eliminate
barriers that restrict access to advanced placement
courses for student populations that have been
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traditionally underserved and shall make every effort to
ensure that advanced placement courses reflect the
diversity of the student population.
(ii) The school entity may not unlawfully
discriminate on any basis in enrollment of students.
(7) A statement agreeing to comply with the reporting
requirement under section 1705-D.
Section 1705-D. Report to department.
For each of the four core academic areas and computer science
for which an eligible teacher's training was funded by the
program a school entity shall annually report to the department
the following:
(1) Number of students who took advanced placement
courses.
(2) Grade levels for which advanced placement courses
are taught.
(3) Number of students who took advanced placement
examinations.
(4) Number of students who scored a three or higher on
advanced placement examinations.
(5) Number of teachers who taught advanced placement
courses within the school entity.
Section 1706-D. Powers and duties of department.
(a) General rule.--The department shall promulgate rules,
regulations and procedures necessary for the implementation of
this article, including the following:
(1) Certify teacher training entities, that are endorsed
by the college board, that may provide training to teachers
to teach advanced placement courses in the four core academic
areas or computer science. In certifying teacher training
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entities, the department shall ensure that the training
locations and times are geographically accessible for
teachers from eligible school entities to attend or are
administered in a manner that is not in person.
(2) The department shall ensure that training provided
by teacher training entities provides eligible teachers with
the necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to
prepare students for success in advanced placement courses
and examinations.
(b) Report.--Starting at the end of the first year of the
program and then annually thereafter, the department shall issue
a report to the General Assembly on the program that includes:
(1) The number of teachers who received training in
advanced placement instruction in school entities in each of
the four core areas and computer science.
(2) The number and percentage of high schools that offer
advanced placement programs in all four core academic areas
and computer science.
(3) The number and percentage of high schools that offer
advanced placement courses in each of the four core academic
areas and computer science.
(4) The number and percentage of students who took
advanced placement courses at school entities in each of the
four core academic areas and computer science.
(5) The number and percentage of students who scored a
three or more on an advanced placement examination at school
entities in each of the four core academic areas and computer
science.
(6) The names of the school entities and high schools
that do not offer advanced placement courses.
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(7) The number of teachers who were trained outside the
four core academic areas or computer science who are teaching
other advanced placement courses.
Section 1707-D. Funding to teacher training entities.
To the extent funds are available for the program, the
department shall allocate funds to certified teacher training
entities based on teacher attendance upon completion of the
training program.
Section 1708-D. Program funding.
(a) Funding.--Funding for the program shall be made from
available Federal funds and annual appropriations made by the
General Assembly to the department for that purpose or private
sources.
(b) Priorities.--In the event of insufficient funds in any
fiscal year, the department shall prioritize funding of eligible
school entities based on the poverty level of the school entity.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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