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COMMITTEE REPORT
February 20, 2020
H. 4758
S. Printed 2/20/20--H.
Read the first time January 14, 2020.
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 4758) to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section 59-25-25 so as to provide educator preparation programs within institutions of higher education may, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting SECTION 1 and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-25-25. (A) Educator preparation programs housed within an institution of higher education (IHE) may submit a separate and distinct educator preparation program for alternative preparation to the State Board of Education for approval. These alternative preparation programs are not required to be nationally accredited, but consistent with other alternative preparation programs, IHE-led alternative programs must include, but are not limited to, documented evidence of the following:
(1) budget and sources of revenue including fees paid by the candidates;
(2) organizational information including the names and qualifications of administrators, support staff, and faculty;
(3) entry requirements for candidates for each certification area program offered by the applicant;
(4) plans for curriculum offerings including delivery method and timeframe, field placements, field supervision plans, and assessments of success;
(5) partnerships with public schools for clinical experiences, if applicable, including signed memoranda of agreement with detailed responsibilities for the alternative route educator provider program and the school district;
(6) evidence of annual successful teaching experience by the candidates and progress toward obtaining a professional certificate;
(7) ongoing monitoring of candidates' performances in the classroom while in the alternative route program; and
(8) mentoring provided by the educator preparation program.
(B) The board shall cyclically review each alternative educator preparation program approved pursuant to subsection (A). The board may revoke its approval of such a program.
(C) The board shall promulgate regulations concerning the granting of approval, cyclical review, and revocation of approval for alternative educator preparation programs provided in this section.
(D) The department annually shall report the total number of individuals employed in this State, by district, with certificates issued by IHE alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly before March thirty-first of each year."/
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
MERITA A. ALLISON for Committee.
Explanation of Fiscal Impact
Amended by House Education and Public Works Higher Education Subcommittee on February 4, 2020
State Expenditure
The amended bill allows educator preparation programs housed within an institute of higher education to submit a separate and distinct educator preparation program for alternative preparation to the State Board of Education for approval. Additionally, the amended bill requires the State Board of Education to cyclically review each approved alternative educator preparation program. The State Board of Education may revoke its approval of such a program. Further, the State Board of Education must promulgate regulations for granting the approval, cyclical review, and revocation of approval for alternative educator preparation programs.
SDE must also report the number of individuals employed in the state, by district, with certificates issued by institution of higher education alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly before March 31st annually.
The amended bill also requires SDE to provide each college of education and state-approved educator preparation program with information regarding it graduates before December 1st annually. The information must include criteria as outlined in the bill. Also, a college of education or educator preparation program must develop and use a unique system for identifying individual educator graduates. Information provided to a college of education or educator preparation program pursuant to this bill is not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
State Department of Education. SDE indicates that the amended bill will increase general fund expenses of the agency by approximately $945,000 in FY 2020-21. Of this amount, $260,000 is recurring funding for 3 FTEs, including an administrative assistant and two education associates, and for operating expenses. The remaining $685,000 is non-recurring funding for the procurement of an educator preparation data system and equipment for the new FTEs. The data system will be used for the approval and cyclical review of all educator preparation providers and programs.
Institutions of Higher Education. The institutions of higher education are unclear as to how a unique identification system will be established pursuant to Section 2 of the amended bill. The establishment of this unique identifier will require the collaboration of all institutions of higher education, as well as other agencies. Due to this uncertainty, they are unable to determine a cost estimate. Therefore, the expenditure impact to institutions of higher education is undetermined.
Commission on Higher Education. The amended bill creates no new obligations for CHE. Therefore, this bill will have no expenditure impact on CHE.
State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. SBTCE does not offer educator preparation programs through its technical colleges. Therefore, the amended bill will have no expenditure impact on SBTCE.
Introduced on January 14, 2020
State Expenditure
This bill allows educator preparation programs housed within an institute of higher education to submit a separate and distinct educator preparation program for alternative preparation to the State Board of Education for approval. SDE must report the number of individuals employed in the state, by district, with certificates issued by institution of higher education alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly before March 31st annually.
This bill also requires SDE to provide each college of education and state-approved educator preparation program with information regarding it graduates before December 1st annually. The information must include criteria as outlined in the bill. Also, a college of education or educator preparation program must develop and use a unique system for identifying individual educator graduates. Information provided to a college of education or educator preparation program pursuant to this bill is not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
State Department of Education. SDE indicates that this bill will increase general fund expenses of the agency by approximately $945,000 in FY 2020-21. Of this amount, $260,000 is recurring funding for 3 FTEs, including an administrative assistant and two education associates, and for operating expenses. The remaining $685,000 is non-recurring funding for the procurement of an educator preparation data system and equipment for the new FTEs.
Institutions of Higher Education. The institutions of higher education are unclear as to how a unique identification system will be established pursuant to Section 2 of the bill. The establishment of this unique identifier will require the collaboration of all institutions of higher education, as well as other agencies. Due to this uncertainty, they are unable to determine a cost estimate. Therefore, the expenditure impact to institutions of higher education is undetermined.
Commission on Higher Education. This bill creates no new obligations for CHE. Therefore, this bill will have no expenditure impact on CHE.
State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. SBTCE does not offer educator preparation programs through its technical colleges. Therefore, this bill will have no expenditure impact on SBTCE.
Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director
Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-25 SO AS TO PROVIDE EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS WITHIN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION MAY SUBMIT SEPARATE AND DISTINCT EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR ALTERNATIVE PREPARATION TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR APPROVAL, TO PROVIDE THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED BUT MUST MEET CERTAIN OTHER REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ANNUALLY SHALL REPORT RELATED DATA TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; AND BY ADDING SECTION 59-26-120 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS WITH CERTAIN INFORMATION REGARDING GRADUATES OF THOSE PROGRAMS, TO PROVIDE EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS MAY NOT SHARE IDENTIFIABLE EDUCATOR DATA WITH THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT, AND TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-25-25. (A) Educator preparation programs housed within an institution of higher education (IHE) may submit a separate and distinct educator preparation program for alternative preparation to the State Board of Education for approval. These alternative preparation programs are not required to be nationally accredited, but consistent with other alternative preparation programs, IHE-led alternative programs must include, but are not limited to, documented evidence of the following:
(1) budget and sources of revenue including fees paid by the candidates;
(2) organizational information including the names and qualifications of administrators, support staff, and faculty;
(3) entry requirements for candidates for each certification area program offered by the applicant;
(4) plans for curriculum offerings including delivery method and timeframe, field placements, field supervision plans, and assessments of success;
(5) partnerships with public schools for clinical experiences, if applicable, including signed memoranda of agreement with detailed responsibilities for the alternative route educator provider program and the school district;
(6) evidence of annual successful teaching experience by the candidates and progress toward obtaining a professional certificate;
(7) ongoing monitoring of candidates' performances in the classroom while in the alternative route program; and
(8) mentoring provided by the educator preparation program.
(B) The department annually shall report the total number of individuals employed in this State, by district, with certificates issued by IHE alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly before March thirty-first of each year."
SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-26-120. (A) The State Department of Education annually before December first shall provide each college of education and state-approved educator preparation program with information regarding its graduates. Information must be provided to a college of education or educator preparation program regarding each of its individual educator graduates and must include, but is not limited to:
(1) SCPASS and SC READY, or the succeeding assessment, scores aggregated by classroom, content, and/or grade, school, district, and learner demographic;
(2) student learning objective data aggregated by classroom, content, and/or grade, school, district, and learner demographic;
(3) results of ADEPT Evaluation by individual educator graduate;
(4) records of employee certification by individual educator graduate; and
(5) other information requested by the programs designed to enhance the ability of the college of education or educator preparation program to provide improved education services.
(B) A college of education or educator preparation program receiving individualized information regarding its graduates pursuant to subsection (A) shall:
(1) develop and use a unique system for identifying each individual educator graduate for whom it receives such individualized information;
(2) strictly maintain the confidentiality of all information that can be used to identify an individual educator graduate for whom it receives such information; and
(3) not share such information with a third party without the express written consent of the educator.
(C) Information provided to a college of education or educator preparation program pursuant to this section is not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on February 20, 2020 at 3:22 PM