ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 2559 By: McBride, Baker, Waldron, Fugate, Dollens, Davis, West (Tammy), and Schreiber of the House
and
Pemberton
of the Senate
An Act relating to teacher
scholarships; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as amended by Section 1,
Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 698.1), which relates to
the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program;
renaming program to Inspired to Teach Program; including eligibility for
certain students; defining term; specifying grade point average requirement; and
providing an effective date.
SUBJECT: Teacher scholarships
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
SECTION 1.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 698.1, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp.
2022, Section 698.1), is amended to read as follows:
Section 698.1 A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education shall establish and maintain an incentive scholarship program and
teacher employment incentive program, as funding is available, to encourage the
preparation of public school teachers for prekindergarten through twelfth
grade, including minority teachers, at all state public higher education
institutions or private higher education institutions accredited pursuant to
Section 4103 of this title and incentivize employment as public teachers for
prekindergarten through twelfth grade in the state for at least five (5) years,
to be known as the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment
Incentive Inspired to Teach Program.
Prospective teachers planning to pursue an undergraduate teacher
education program at an accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation program shall
be considered if they graduated from an Oklahoma high school, completed
high-school level instruction at home, or completed General Educational
Development (GED) test requirements; meet the higher education admission
standards,; and declare a pre-education major or major in
an approved Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard
teaching certificate.
B. To the extent that funds are available,
scholarships, renewable for up to three (3) additional years for qualified
students meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in completing a
teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard teaching certificate,
shall be awarded to cover costs of tuition, general enrollment fees, other
fees, books, materials, and services provided by the institution, including
room and board, in the following manner:
1.
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic year for up to three (3)
academic years for full-time students who have earned less than ninety (90)
credit hours; and
2. Two Thousand Five
Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the final academic year for full-time students
who have earned ninety (90) or more credit hours.
The maximum
amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this subsection to any
qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand Five Hundred Dollars
($5,500.00).
C. As used in this section, "full-time
student" means:
1. An undergraduate student enrolled in twelve (12)
or more semester credits toward teacher education degree requirements;
2. An undergraduate student who is a teacher
education major who is enrolled in or has completed an internship or student
teaching credit hours in order to complete the degree program prior to certification
and who has been approved to take less than twelve (12) credit hours; or
3. An undergraduate student who is a teacher
education major with an approved reasonable accommodation from Student
Accessibility Services at the institution due to a documented disability and
who has been approved to take less than twelve (12) credit hours.
B. D. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature
that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee
composed of educators, teacher educators from the participating institutions,
and representatives of the public schools and the State Department of Education
to provide recommendations to the State Regents to improve effectiveness of the
program Inspired to Teach Program. The committee shall prepare and deliver a
report on the program to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year.
C. E. Each
scholarship participant, prior to entry into the program Inspired to
Teach Program, shall have agreed to teach in an Oklahoma public prekindergarten
through twelfth grade school for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years upon
graduation and licensure as a teacher.
Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5 grade point
average throughout matriculation, changing to an ineligible area of
study, failing to meet satisfactory academic progress standards, withdrawing or
otherwise leaving school, or failing to meet requirements for licensure and
certification to teach as established by law shall be subject to
disqualification from the program.
D. F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education are authorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the
provisions of this section to program Inspired to Teach Program
participants who are employed as traditionally certified teachers in Oklahoma
public prekindergarten through twelfth grade schools following graduation. Incentive payments may be awarded following
each consecutive year of satisfactory service as documented by the employing school
district, up to five (5) years of service for scholarship recipients as
provided in subsection A of this section, upon graduation from an accredited
Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program.
The maximum amount of employment incentive payments for any qualified
participant shall be Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) per year for up to five
(5) years, not to exceed a total of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) per
participant.
E. G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education shall require the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible program
Inspired to Teach Program participants.
Participants failing to comply with the requirements of this section or
failing to provide current contact information shall not be eligible for the
employment incentive payments provided for in this section. The Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education, with the approval of the State Regents, may contract with
any other appropriate organization or unit of government for the administration
of the provisions of this section.
F. H. If sufficient funds are not available for
employment incentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year,
the Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified
participants.
G. I. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education may, at the time an award is made on behalf of the Oklahoma Future
Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Inspired to Teach
Program, set aside funds for the full commitment made to an eligible student.
H. J. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education may utilize Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment
Incentive Inspired to Teach Program designated funds for
administration of the program.
SECTION 2.
This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
Passed the
House of Representatives the 10th day of May, 2023.
Presiding
Officer of the House
of
Representatives
Passed the Senate the 25th day of
April, 2023.
Presiding
Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office
of the Governor this ____________________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________
Approved by the
Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of
the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE
OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office
of the Secretary of State this __________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________