PRINTER'S NO. 301
No. 264 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, BOSCOLA, RHOADES, COSTA, WASHINGTON AND
FERLO, MARCH 8, 2007
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 8, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing a pilot program to enrich classroom instruction in
2 primary grades by increasing the teacher instructional time
3 per pupil through the placement of a teaching aide in
4 participating classrooms.
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 Primary
9 Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot Program Act.
10 Section 2. Legislative findings and purpose.
11 (a) Legislative findings.--The General Assembly declares and
12 finds that:
13 (1) National debate is taking place over the educational
14 benefits to be gained in reducing class size, particularly in
15 primary grades. The premise behind these discussions is that
16 smaller class sizes allow teachers to spend more time helping
17 individual students, thereby enhancing student performance.
18 (2) While some early studies have indicated improved
1 student performance where class sizes are reduced, other
2 studies have indicated that poor teaching by underqualified
3 staff, particularly in urban areas, nullifies any potential
4 benefits of smaller class size.
5 (3) The costs to implement traditional class size
6 reduction programs have been high. A recent study for the
7 Federal Government indicates that a nationwide push to reduce
8 class sizes in the primary grades to 18 students could cost
9 up to $6,000,000,000 per year. These costs are directly
10 related to the need to hire additional staff and to expand
11 the number of available classrooms resulting from mandatory
12 reduced class sizes.
13 (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this act is to implement a
14 Statewide pilot program which would:
15 (1) Examine whether improved academic achievement in
16 primary grades can be achieved by placing an additional
17 teaching aide in participating classrooms, thereby increasing
18 the time available for the regular classroom teacher to spend
19 with individual students.
20 (2) Avoid the negative cost impact of more traditional
21 class size reduction proposals related to the hiring of
22 additional teachers and the need to add classroom space.
23 Section 3. Definitions.
24 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
25 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
26 context clearly indicates otherwise:
27 "Department." The Department of Education of the
28 Commonwealth.
29 "Primary grades." Kindergarten through third grade.
30 "Program." The Primary Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot
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1 Program implemented pursuant to this act.
2 "School." An individual public elementary school building
3 designated to participate in the pilot program.
4 "Teaching aide." A full-time paraprofessional school
5 employee hired solely for the purposes of this act to assist the
6 regularly assigned teacher in the classroom.
7 Section 4. Establishment.
8 The department is authorized to establish and administer the
9 Primary Grades Learning Enrichment Pilot Program beginning in
10 the 2007-2008 school year and continuing through the 2011-2012
11 school year to increase the time available for classroom
12 teachers to spend with individual students in kindergarten
13 through third grade by assigning a full-time teaching aide to
14 each kindergarten through third grade classroom in a school
15 chosen to participate in the program. This aide shall be in
16 addition to any aides required for a student identified as
17 exceptional pursuant to 22 Pa. Code Ch. 14 (relating to special
18 education services and programs).
19 Section 5. Duties.
20 The department shall:
21 (1) Develop and publicize an application procedure for
22 school districts interested in having one of their schools
23 participate in the program.
24 (2) Select ten schools to participate in the program
25 from the list of applicant school districts.
26 The department shall assure that the schools chosen for the
27 program are representative of urban, rural and suburban
28 districts and are geographically dispersed throughout this
29 Commonwealth. At least six of the schools chosen to participate
30 in the program shall have more than 40% of low-income pupils in
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1 average daily membership.
2 Section 6. School district requirements.
3 (a) Eligibility.--The local board of school directors of a
4 school district may apply to have one of its schools participate
5 in the program.
6 (b) Application.--Applicants shall submit applications at a
7 time and in the manner prescribed by the department. Each school
8 district which applies to have one of its schools considered for
9 participation in the program shall agree to do all of the
10 following:
11 (1) Employ an additional classroom aide for each primary
12 grade classroom in the participating school.
13 (2) Participate in the program for four years.
14 (3) Develop an in-service program for all teaching aides
15 to acquaint them with the requirements of their position and
16 the school's current academic curriculum.
17 (4) Participate in the annual evaluation and related
18 activities conducted pursuant to section 7.
19 Section 7. Evaluation of program.
20 (a) Contract.--The department shall contract with a
21 Pennsylvania institution of higher education to conduct an
22 ongoing evaluation of the program as prescribed in subsection
23 (b).
24 (b) Requirements of evaluation.--The evaluation contracted
25 for under subsection (a) shall annually compare the academic
26 achievement of the group of primary grade students in the ten
27 schools participating in the program to a group of primary grade
28 students in comparison schools that are similar, except for
29 participation in the program. Students are to be measured
30 utilizing the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
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1 test and any other evaluative measures or techniques agreed to
2 in the contract with the department. The evaluation shall be
3 used to determine the overall effectiveness of the program in
4 improving the academic achievement of kindergarten through third
5 grade students in the selected participating schools.
6 (c) Consortium.--The institution of higher education
7 contracted with under subsection (a) shall, as part of its
8 contract, agree to form a consortium of participating schools
9 and at least once per school year shall convene a meeting of
10 participating schools in order to share information and
11 suggestions regarding implementation of the program.
12 (d) Report.--Upon the conclusion of the 2010-2011 school
13 year, the contracting institution of higher education shall
14 prepare a comprehensive report outlining the three-year history
15 of academic achievement in the program schools and making
16 recommendations on the continuation, alteration or expansion of
17 the program. This final report shall be made to the Governor and
18 the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2011.
19 Section 8. Reports.
20 The department shall annually furnish to the Governor and the
21 Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee of the
22 Senate and the Education Committee and the Appropriations
23 Committee of the House of Representatives a report on the
24 program, including any evaluations or reports prepared pursuant
25 to section 7.
26 Section 9. Funding.
27 Each school district with a school participating in the
28 program shall annually receive from the department the sum of
29 $25,000 per primary grade classroom in the school to offset the
30 cost of hiring a teaching aide.
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1 Section 10. Additional funding.
2 Additional funding shall be provided to the department in an
3 amount to be determined by an annual appropriation by the
4 General Assembly to cover the administrative costs related to
5 this program and the cost of the contract entered into pursuant
6 to section 7.
7 Section 11. Expiration.
8 This act shall expire on July 1, 2012, unless otherwise
9 extended by act of the General Assembly.
10 Section 25. Effective date.
11 This act shall take effect immediately.
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