PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1086, 1207 PRINTER'S NO. 2127
No. 919 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY D. EVANS, ROEBUCK, BAKER, DePASQUALE, FREEMAN,
GALLOWAY, GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, W. KELLER, KING, 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 Providing for Commonwealth support for a Specialty Teacher Loan
2 Forgiveness Program for Pennsylvania residents who graduate
3 from institutions of higher education and who apply their
4 degrees to teaching certain subjects in urban and rural <--
5 public schools in this Commonwealth and for Commonwealth
6 support for a Professional Personnel Recruitment Initiative
7 Program to provide grants to certain institutions of higher
8 education; and making appropriations.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 CHAPTER 1
12 GENERAL PROVISIONS
13 Section 101. Short title.
14 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Teach for
15 Pennsylvania Program Act.
16 Section 102. Findings and declaration of intent.
17 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
18 (1) The number of college students planning to enter the
19 teaching profession in urban and rural areas THE COMMONWEALTH <--
1 OF PENNSYLVANIA appears to be inadequate to meet the need for
2 specialty teachers in those public schools.
3 (2) Demand from industry and other opportunities attract
4 existing and potential teachers away from specialty teaching
5 positions in urban and rural THE public school districts of <--
6 this Commonwealth.
7 (3) The pool of qualified specialty teachers, especially
8 math, reading, computer science, science and special
9 education, and principals has diminished.
10 (4) Economically hard-pressed urban and rural school <--
11 districts find it difficult to attract qualified specialty
12 teachers or principals from the diminished pool.
13 (5) Payment of a portion of student loans for certified
14 specialty teachers serves the important public purpose of
15 encouraging new teachers to teach in rural and urban areas of <--
16 this Commonwealth.
17 Section 103. Definitions.
18 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
19 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
20 context clearly indicates otherwise:
21 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
22 Agency.
23 "Designated specialty teacher certification category." Any
24 specialty category or subject area that a teacher is certified
25 to teach in this Commonwealth and that is determined by the
26 Secretary of Education under this act as a category or subject
27 area with an insufficient number of teachers to meet the
28 education needs of a designated urban or rural public school <--
29 district. The secretary's determination of the specialty teacher
30 certification categories for each eligible urban or rural public <--
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1 school district shall be based on recommendations from the
2 school district's superintendent regarding recruitment or
3 personnel needs for specialty teachers or information from the
4 Department of Education, organized by school district, which
5 demonstrates any distribution of emergency, special temporary or
6 special permanent teacher certificates for specialty category or
7 subject areas.
8 "Designated urban or rural public school district." An <--
9 eligible urban or rural public school district which the <--
10 Secretary of Education has certified as having a need for
11 teacher loan forgiveness assistance or teacher or principal
12 recruitment because of difficulty in attracting specialty
13 teachers or principals who are qualified.
14 "Eligible rural public school district." A public school <--
15 district that has a population of less than 300 per square mile
16 and either:
17 (1) more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
18 membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
19 2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
20 as the Public School Code of 1949; or
21 (2) the market value/income aid ratio as defined in
22 section 2501 of the Public School Code of 1949 is greater
23 than .7.
24 The term shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
25 vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
26 participating school districts meet the criteria specified in
27 Chapter 3.
28 "Eligible urban public school district." A public school <--
29 district that has a population greater than 850 per square mile
30 and either:
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1 (1) more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
2 membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
3 2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
4 as the Public School Code of 1949; or
5 (2) the market value/income aid ratio, as defined in
6 section 2501 of the Public School Code of 1949, is greater
7 than .7.
8 The term shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
9 vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
10 participating school districts meet the criteria specified in
11 Chapter 3.
12 "Program." The Specialty Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
13 created by Chapter 3.
14 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the
15 following criteria:
16 (1) Has graduated from an undergraduate or graduate
17 college and completed a teacher education curriculum or
18 program.
19 (2) Has achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in
20 the applicant's major area of study.
21 (3) Has completed the National Teaching Exam as
22 administered by the Educational Testing Service and achieved
23 a minimum score, as determined by the Secretary of Education,
24 in the Core Battery Exams that relate to general knowledge,
25 communications and professional knowledge and in any
26 designated specialty teacher certification category or any
27 combination of those categories.
28 (4) Holds a form of teacher certification to teach in
29 the public schools of this Commonwealth, valid for the
30 subjects or grades in which the teacher is giving
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1 instruction.
2 (5) Is within the first five years of full-time teaching
3 and:
4 (i) has achieved consecutive better-than-average <--
5 SATISFACTORY teacher evaluation performance ratings; or <--
6 (ii) in the case of a teacher having worked more
7 than five months but less than one year, has obtained a
8 better-than-average SATISFACTORY new-hire probationary <--
9 review.
10 (6) Is teaching in a designated specialty teacher
11 certification category at a designated urban or rural public <--
12 school district or at a nonprofit public school in such
13 district at which students may fulfill compulsory attendance
14 requirements.
15 (7) Has borrowed through the agency-administered Federal
16 Stafford Loan Program.
17 (8) Commits to residing in the urban or rural public <--
18 school district in which the applicant is teaching for a
19 minimum period of five years.
20 CHAPTER 3
21 SPECIALTY TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS
22 Section 301. Specialty Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
23 (a) General rule.--Qualified applicants who are selected for
24 the Specialty Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program in accordance
25 with this chapter shall be eligible for payment by the agency of
26 a portion of the debt incurred by the applicant through the
27 agency-administered Federal Stafford Loan Program for the
28 education necessary to be certified to teach in this
29 Commonwealth. Subject to subsection (b), for each academic year
30 that the qualified applicant is a full-time teacher in a
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1 designated urban or rural public school district, the agency may <--
2 forgive a part of the applicant's loan as follows:
3 (1) Year one, 5%.
4 (2) Year two, 10%.
5 (3) Year three, 20%.
6 (4) Year four, 25%.
7 (5) Year five, 40%.
8 (b) Amounts to be forgiven.--
9 (1) Where a qualified applicant has achieved a 3.51 to
10 4.0 grade point average on a scale of 4.0 or the equivalent
11 for teaching certification in a designated specialty teacher
12 certification category, no more than $5,000 shall be forgiven
13 in any year, and no more than $25,000 shall be forgiven for
14 the qualified applicant who satisfies the requirements of
15 this chapter.
16 (2) Where a qualified applicant has achieved a 3.0 to
17 3.5 grade point average on a scale of 4.0 or the equivalent
18 for teaching certification in a designated specialty teacher
19 certification category, no more than $2,500 shall be forgiven
20 in any year, and no more than $12,500 shall be forgiven for
21 the qualified applicant who satisfies the requirements of
22 this chapter.
23 (c) Designations.--The Secretary of Education shall
24 designate specialty teacher certification categories and
25 eligible urban and rural public school districts no later than <--
26 January 1 of the year preceding the beginning of an academic
27 year during which qualified applicants are eligible for loan
28 forgiveness.
29 Section 302. Loan forgiveness awards.
30 (A) DOCUMENTATION.--A recipient for loan forgiveness shall <--
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1 be required to submit such documentation of continued
2 eligibility as the agency may require. A recipient who fails to
3 maintain eligibility shall be removed from the program and shall
4 repay, with interest, any loan forgiveness award made by the
5 agency to the recipient during any period of ineligibility.
6 (B) WAIVER OF REPAYMENT.--UPON APPLICATION OF THE RECIPIENT <--
7 OF THE LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARD, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL WAIVE THE
8 REPAYMENT REQUIREMENT IF THE DEPARTMENT FINDS THAT THE RECIPIENT
9 WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY IN THE PROGRAM DUE TO
10 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION ON THE PART OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR
11 OTHER THAN CAUSES ENUMERATED IN SECTION 1122 OF THE ACT OF MARCH
12 10, 1949 (P.L.30, NO.14), KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF
13 1949, OR UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY DUE TO ILLNESS OR
14 CATASTROPHIC ILLNESS OF A MEMBER OF THE RECIPIENT'S IMMEDIATE
15 FAMILY, OR PARENTAL LEAVE TO CARE FOR A NEWBORN OR NEWLY ADOPTED
16 CHILD AND MAY WAIVE THE REPAYMENT REQUIREMENT DUE TO OTHER
17 EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
18 Section 303. Funding.
19 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
20 are appropriated by the General Assembly and are sufficient to
21 cover the administration of the program. In the event that
22 funding is insufficient to fully fund administration and all
23 eligible applicants, the agency shall utilize a random lottery <--
24 system for determining which applicants receive loan forgiveness
25 awards. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, PRIORITY FUNDING SHALL BE GIVEN TO <--
26 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARDS
27 UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
28 Section 304. Responsibility of agency.
29 (A) ADMINISTRATION.--It shall be the responsibility of the <--
30 agency to administer the Specialty Teacher Loan Forgiveness
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1 Program established by this chapter and to adopt such
2 regulations, policies, procedures and forms as are necessary and
3 consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
4 (B) ANNUAL REPORT.--THE AGENCY SHALL PROVIDE AN ANNUAL <--
5 REPORT ON THE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
6 EDUCATION AND THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AND THE
7 EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND POST A
8 COPY OF THE ANNUAL REPORT ON ITS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET
9 WEBSITE BY APRIL 1 OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR. THE ANNUAL REPORT
10 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, INFORMATION REGARDING THE
11 PROGRAM'S OPERATIONS, NUMBER OF LOAN FORGIVENESS RECIPIENTS, THE
12 TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARDED, THE NUMBER OF
13 NAMES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE RECIPIENTS RECEIVING LOAN
14 FORGIVENESS ARE EMPLOYED AND THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTED LOAN
15 FORGIVENESS TO BE AWARDED TO RECIPIENTS IN THEIR FIVE YEARS IN
16 THE PROGRAM.
17 CHAPTER 5
18 PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE
19 Section 501. Program authorization.
20 The Secretary of Education shall make awards to eligible
21 applicants, on a competitive basis, for efforts that result in
22 the recruitment of highly qualified teachers and principals.
23 Recruitment efforts regarding highly qualified teachers shall be
24 limited to individuals who will teach in a designated specialty
25 teacher certification category. All recruitment efforts paid for
26 by these funds shall be directed to providing teachers and
27 principals who agree to both work and live WORK in designated <--
28 urban or rural public school districts. Awards to eligible <--
29 applicants shall be made for a five-year period and shall be
30 subject to renewal without limit.
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1 Section 502. Eligible applicant.
2 An eligible applicant shall be a Pennsylvania-based
3 institution of higher education with an approved teacher
4 education program and/or an approved certification program for
5 elementary and secondary principals.
6 Section 503. Grant requirements.
7 To be eligible for a grant, an eligible applicant must submit
8 a proposal containing the following:
9 (1) A narrative statement explaining how the proposal
10 will result in meeting the goals of the program as described
11 in section 501.
12 (2) A demonstration that the application was developed
13 in association with participating designated urban or rural <--
14 public school districts, teacher professional organizations
15 and administrator professional organizations.
16 (3) An assessment of the need for teachers in a
17 designated specialty teacher certification category or for
18 principals to demonstrate that the participating designated
19 urban or rural public school districts are underserved in <--
20 either one or both categories of professional personnel.
21 (4) A plan demonstrating how potential teachers and
22 principals will be recruited for participation in a program.
23 The plan must assure that recruitment efforts will result in
24 an increase in candidates above the average numbers prepared
25 by the eligible applicant for the past five years. The plan
26 must show what types of support will be given to candidates
27 in areas such as, but not limited to, scholarships, academic
28 support, PRAXIS TEST PREPARATION and placement efforts. The <--
29 plan must include a multiyear program of professional support
30 for newly hired teachers and principals.
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1 Section 504. Requirements for program participants.
2 (a) Teacher participants.--Program participants who are
3 teachers must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
4 Such participants must complete the National Teaching Exam as
5 administered by the Educational Testing Service and achieve a
6 minimum score, as determined by the Secretary of Education, in
7 the Core Battery Exams that relate to general knowledge,
8 communications and professional knowledge and in any designated
9 specialty teacher certification category or any combination of
10 those categories. Such participants must agree to both teach in <--
11 and reside in a participating designated urban or rural public <--
12 school district for at least five years or repay all financial
13 assistance. Participants must maintain a satisfactory job
14 performance rating.
15 (b) Principal participants.--Program participants who are
16 principals must meet all requirements of the Department of
17 Education for certification as an elementary and/or secondary
18 principal. Such participants must agree to both serve in and <--
19 reside in SERVE IN a participating designated urban or rural <--
20 public school district for at least five years or repay all
21 financial assistance.
22 CHAPTER 11
23 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
24 Section 1101. Appropriations.
25 (a) Agency.--The sum of $1,000,000, or as much thereof as
26 may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania
27 Higher Education Assistance Agency for the fiscal year July 1,
28 2007, to June 30, 2008, for the support of the Specialty Teacher
29 Loan Forgiveness Program under Chapter 3.
30 (b) Department.--The sum of $500,000, or as much thereof as
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1 may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
2 Education for the fiscal year July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008,
3 for the support of the Professional Personnel Recruitment
4 Initiative Program under Chapter 5. In subsequent fiscal years
5 the Secretary of Education shall request such sums as are deemed
6 necessary to provide grants for the support of both continuing
7 and new programs under Chapter 5.
8 Section 1102. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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