1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 1990 By: Dollens |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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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; |
| modifying program eligibility; and providing an |
10| effective date. |
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13|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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14| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as |
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15|amended by Section 1, Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
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16|Section 698.1), is amended to read as follows: |
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17| Section 698.1 A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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18|Education shall establish and maintain an incentive scholarship |
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19|program and teacher employment incentive program, as funding is |
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20|available, to encourage the preparation of public school teachers |
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21|for prekindergarten through twelfth grade, including minority |
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22|teachers, at all state public higher education institutions or |
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23|private higher education institutions accredited pursuant to Section |
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24|4103 of this title and incentivize employment as public teachers for |
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1|prekindergarten through twelfth grade in the state for at least five |
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2|(5) years, to be known as the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship |
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3|and Employment Incentive Program. Prospective teachers planning to |
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4|pursue an undergraduate teacher education program at an accredited |
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5|Oklahoma teacher preparation program shall be considered if they |
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6|graduated received a diploma from an Oklahoma high school, completed |
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7|high-school level instruction at home, or completed General |
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8|Educational Development (GED) test requirements, meet the higher |
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9|education admission standards, and declare a major in an approved |
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10|Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard |
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11|teaching certificate. To the extent that funds are available, |
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12|scholarships, renewable for up to three (3) additional years for |
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13|qualified students meeting satisfactory academic progress standards |
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14|in completing a teacher preparation degree program leading to a |
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15|standard teaching certificate, shall be awarded to cover costs of |
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16|tuition, general enrollment fees, other fees, books, materials, and |
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17|services provided by the institution, including room and board, in |
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18|the following manner: |
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19| 1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic year for up to |
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20|three (3) academic years for full-time students who have earned less |
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21|than ninety (90) credit hours; and |
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22| 2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the final |
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23|academic year for full-time students who have earned ninety (90) or |
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24|more credit hours. |
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1|The maximum amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this |
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2|subsection to any qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand |
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3|Five Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00). |
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4| B. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the |
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5|Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee |
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6|composed of educators, teacher educators from the participating |
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7|institutions, and representatives of the public schools and the |
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8|State Department of Education to provide recommendations to the |
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9|State Regents to improve effectiveness of the program. |
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10| The committee shall prepare and deliver a report on the program |
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11|to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year. |
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12| C. Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the |
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13|program, shall have agreed to teach in an Oklahoma public |
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14|prekindergarten through twelfth grade school for a minimum of five |
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15|(5) consecutive years upon graduation and licensure as a teacher. |
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16|Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5 grade point |
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17|average, changing to an ineligible area of study, failing to meet |
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18|satisfactory academic progress standards, withdrawing or otherwise |
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19|leaving school, or failing to meet requirements for licensure and |
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20|certification to teach as established by law shall be subject to |
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21|disqualification from the program. |
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22| D. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are |
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23|authorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the |
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24|provisions of this section to program participants who are employed |
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1|as traditionally certified teachers in Oklahoma public |
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2|prekindergarten through twelfth grade schools following graduation. |
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3|Incentive payments may be awarded following each consecutive year of |
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4|satisfactory service as documented by the employing school district, |
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5|up to five (5) years of service for scholarship recipients as |
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6|provided in subsection A of this section, upon graduation from an |
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7|accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program. The maximum |
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8|amount of employment incentive payments for any qualified |
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9|participant shall be Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) per year for |
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10|up to five (5) years, not to exceed a total of Twenty Thousand |
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11|Dollars ($20,000.00) per participant. |
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12| E. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall |
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13|require the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible program |
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14|participants. Participants failing to comply with the requirements |
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15|of this section or failing to provide current contact information |
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16|shall not be eligible for the employment incentive payments provided |
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17|for in this section. The Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents |
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18|for Higher Education, with the approval of the State Regents, may |
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19|contract with any other appropriate organization or unit of |
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20|government for the administration of the provisions of this section. |
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21| F. If sufficient funds are not available for employment |
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22|incentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year, |
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23|the Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified |
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24|participants. |
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1| G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may, at the |
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2|time an award is made on behalf of the Oklahoma Future Teacher |
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3|Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program, set aside funds for |
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4|the full commitment made to an eligible student. |
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5| H. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may utilize |
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6|Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program |
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7|designated funds for administration of the program. |
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8| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. |
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10| 59-1-5182 EK 11/29/22 |
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