ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3564 By: McBride, Fugate, Baker, Phillips, Nollan, Conley, Waldron, Stark, and Provenzano of the House
and
Pemberton
and Stephens of the Senate
An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, which relates to teacher preparation scholarships; describing program purpose; creating the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program; providing program eligibility criteria; including payment of specified costs and fees; listing scholarship amounts for participants; specifying maximum scholarship amount per participant; modifying membership and duties of certain committee; setting minimum years of teaching for program; listing standards for program participants; providing for incentive payments after graduation and upon certain employment; providing annual amount of incentive and including incentive cap; requiring execution of certain agreements; declaring certain participants ineligible for program; authorizing Chancellor to contract with certain entities; permitting reduction in payments if funds are insufficient; allowing funds to be set aside at certain time; authorizing use of funds for program administration; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT:
Teachers
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
SECTION 1.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 698.1, is amended to read as follows:
Section 698.1 A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education are authorized to 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, in critical shortage areas for the public schools at one or
more of the Oklahoma 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 Program.
Prospective teachers, whether planning to pursue an undergraduate
teacher education program or to become qualified to teach after earning a
bachelor's degree in a critical shortage area, at an accredited Oklahoma
teacher preparation program shall be considered if they have
graduated from an Oklahoma high school with a grade point average
ranking them in the top fifteen percent (15%) of their graduating class,
meet the higher education admission standards, and declare a major in an
approved Oklahoma teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard
teaching certificate. To the extent
that funds are available, scholarships of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars
($1,500.00) per year, 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).
B. 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, other professionals from the shortage area fields, and
representatives of the public schools and the State Department of Education to recommend
provide recommendations to the State Regents the following:
1.
Further criteria for the selection of participants;
2.
Procedures for admission;
3.
Procedures and instruments for assessing the effectiveness of the
program; and
4.
Any other criteria or procedures deemed necessary by the State Regents to improve effectiveness of the program.
The committee shall prepare and
deliver a report on the program to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each
year.
C.
Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the program,
shall have agreed to teach in the shortage areas in the an Oklahoma
public schools prekindergarten through twelfth grade school of
this state for a minimum of three (3) five (5) consecutive
years upon graduation and licensure as a teacher. Any scholarship participant failing to
maintain a 2.5 grade point average, changing to an inappropriate 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. The Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education are authorized to make employment incentive
payments pursuant to the provisions of this section to 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. The Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education shall require the execution of appropriate
contracts with eligible 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. 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. 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 Program, set aside
funds for the full commitment made to an eligible student.
H. The Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education may utilize Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship
and Employment Incentive Program designated funds for administration of the
program.
SECTION 2.
This act shall become effective July 1, 2022.
SECTION 3.
It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace,
health or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof
this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and
approval.
Passed the
House of Representatives the 19th day of May, 2022.
Presiding
Officer of the House
of
Representatives
Passed the Senate the 20th day of
May, 2022.
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:
_________________________________