1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
| |
2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
| |
3|HOUSE BILL 1342 By: Davis |
| |
4| |
| |
5| |
| |
6| AS INTRODUCED |
| |
7| An Act relating to scholarship programs; amending 70 |
| O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as amended by Section 1, |
8| Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section |
| 698.1), which relates to the Oklahoma Future Teacher |
9| Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program; |
| providing program eligibility to home school |
10| students; and providing an effective date. |
| |
11| |
| |
12| |
| |
13|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
| |
14| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as |
| |
15|amended by Section 1, Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
| |
16|Section 698.1), is amended to read as follows: |
| |
17| Section 698.1 A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
| |
18|Education shall establish and maintain an incentive scholarship |
| |
19|program and teacher employment incentive program, as funding is |
| |
20|available, to encourage the preparation of public school teachers |
| |
21|for prekindergarten through twelfth grade, including minority |
| |
22|teachers, at all state public higher education institutions or |
| |
23|private higher education institutions accredited pursuant to Section |
| |
24|4103 of this title and incentivize employment as public teachers for |
| |
Req. No. 6161 Page 1
___________________________________________________________________________
1|prekindergarten through twelfth grade in the state for at least five |
| |
2|(5) years, to be known as the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship |
| |
3|and Employment Incentive Program. Prospective teachers planning to |
| |
4|pursue an undergraduate teacher education program at an accredited |
| |
5|Oklahoma teacher preparation program shall be considered if they |
| |
6|graduated received a diploma from an Oklahoma high school or |
| |
7|completed high-school level instruction at home, meet the higher |
| |
8|education admission standards, and declare a major in an approved |
| |
9|Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard |
| |
10|teaching certificate. To the extent that funds are available, |
| |
11|scholarships, renewable for up to three (3) additional years for |
| |
12|qualified students meeting satisfactory academic progress standards |
| |
13|in completing a teacher preparation degree program leading to a |
| |
14|standard teaching certificate, shall be awarded to cover costs of |
| |
15|tuition, general enrollment fees, other fees, books, materials, and |
| |
16|services provided by the institution, including room and board, in |
| |
17|the following manner: |
| |
18| 1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic year for up to |
| |
19|three (3) academic years for full-time students who have earned less |
| |
20|than ninety (90) credit hours; and |
| |
21| 2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the final |
| |
22|academic year for full-time students who have earned ninety (90) or |
| |
23|more credit hours. |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 6161 Page 2
___________________________________________________________________________
1|The maximum amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this |
| |
2|subsection to any qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand |
| |
3|Five Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00). |
| |
4| B. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the |
| |
5|Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee |
| |
6|composed of educators, teacher educators from the participating |
| |
7|institutions, and representatives of the public schools and the |
| |
8|State Department of Education to provide recommendations to the |
| |
9|State Regents to improve effectiveness of the program. |
| |
10| The committee shall prepare and deliver a report on the program |
| |
11|to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year. |
| |
12| C. Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the |
| |
13|program, shall have agreed to teach in an Oklahoma public |
| |
14|prekindergarten through twelfth grade school for a minimum of five |
| |
15|(5) consecutive years upon graduation and licensure as a teacher. |
| |
16|Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5 grade point |
| |
17|average, changing to an ineligible area of study, failing to meet |
| |
18|satisfactory academic progress standards, withdrawing or otherwise |
| |
19|leaving school, or failing to meet requirements for licensure and |
| |
20|certification to teach as established by law shall be subject to |
| |
21|disqualification from the program. |
| |
22| D. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are |
| |
23|authorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the |
| |
24|provisions of this section to program participants who are employed |
| |
Req. No. 6161 Page 3
___________________________________________________________________________
1|as traditionally certified teachers in Oklahoma public |
| |
2|prekindergarten through twelfth grade schools following graduation. |
| |
3|Incentive payments may be awarded following each consecutive year of |
| |
4|satisfactory service as documented by the employing school district, |
| |
5|up to five (5) years of service for scholarship recipients as |
| |
6|provided in subsection A of this section, upon graduation from an |
| |
7|accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program. The maximum |
| |
8|amount of employment incentive payments for any qualified |
| |
9|participant shall be Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) per year for |
| |
10|up to five (5) years, not to exceed a total of Twenty Thousand |
| |
11|Dollars ($20,000.00) per participant. |
| |
12| E. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall |
| |
13|require the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible program |
| |
14|participants. Participants failing to comply with the requirements |
| |
15|of this section or failing to provide current contact information |
| |
16|shall not be eligible for the employment incentive payments provided |
| |
17|for in this section. The Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents |
| |
18|for Higher Education, with the approval of the State Regents, may |
| |
19|contract with any other appropriate organization or unit of |
| |
20|government for the administration of the provisions of this section. |
| |
21| F. If sufficient funds are not available for employment |
| |
22|incentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year, |
| |
23|the Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified |
| |
24|participants. |
| |
Req. No. 6161 Page 4
___________________________________________________________________________
1| G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may, at the |
| |
2|time an award is made on behalf of the Oklahoma Future Teacher |
| |
3|Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program, set aside funds for |
| |
4|the full commitment made to an eligible student. |
| |
5| H. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may utilize |
| |
6|Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program |
| |
7|designated funds for administration of the program. |
| |
8| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. |
| |
9| |
| |
10| 59-1-6161 EK 12/08/22 |
| |
11| |
| |
12| |
| |
13| |
| |
14| |
| |
15| |
| |
16| |
| |
17| |
| |
18| |
| |
19| |
| |
20| |
| |
21| |
| |
22| |
| |
23| |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 6161 Page 5