ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1660	By:	Denney and Coody of the House

				and

			Ford of the Senate

An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2011, Sections 6-204.1 and 6-204.2, as last amended by Section 13 of Enrolled House Bill No. 1385 of the 1st Session of the 54th Oklahoma Legislature, which relate to the Education Leadership Oklahoma program; modifying definitions; deleting funding contingency; modifying purposes of the program; modifying duties of the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation; changing which teachers may participate in the program; deleting the application review committee; changing the number and process for selection of applications for the program; specifying the charges and fees to be paid by the Commission; limiting the amount of certain charges and fees paid by the Commission; directing the Commission to promulgate certain rules; providing for repayment of certain payments; providing for reimbursement of certain charges and fees; limiting amount of reimbursement; deleting certain rule requirement; limiting bonus payments to certain teachers who meet certain conditions; setting time period on payment of the bonus; modifying verification process; deleting requirement to increase the bonus to certain amount; deleting certain contingency; deleting certain restrictions on accepting applications, awarding scholarships and payment of bonuses; establishing minimum salary schedule for teachers; defining fringe benefits; specifying certain recognition of college degrees; requiring the State Board of Education to accept certain teaching experience; limiting teaching credit for certain service and experience; allowing school district to offer more credit; directing the Board to recognize certain experiences; prohibiting application of minimum salary schedule to certain retired teachers; repealing 70 O.S. 2011, Section 18-114.12, which relates to the teacher minimum salary schedule; and providing for codification.

SUBJECT:  Teachers

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2011, Section 6-204.1, is amended to read as follows:

Section 6-204.1  For purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act:

1.  "Salary bonus" means additional monies granted to eligible teachers as provided for in subsection I of Section 6-204.2 of this title maintaining National Board certification subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated by the Legislature to the State Board of Education for that purpose;

2.  "Salary increment" means the National Board certification salary category as set forth in Section 3 of this act which is granted to eligible teachers as provided for in subsection I of Section 6-204.2 of this title maintaining National Board certification;

3.  "Certification" means National Board certification;

3. 4.  "Commission" means the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation;

4. 5.  "National Board" means the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;

5. 6.  "National Board certification" means National Board certification as provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; and

6. 7.  "Teacher" means a classroom teacher, counselor, or librarian employed by a public school district on a full-time basis.

SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2011, Section 6-204.2, as last amended by Section 13 of Enrolled House Bill No. 1385 of the 1st Session of the 54th Oklahoma Legislature, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-204.2  A.  Subject to the availability of funds, the The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation and the State Board of Education are authorized to establish the Education Leadership Oklahoma program.

B.  The purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program are to:

1.  Provide teachers throughout the state information about National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma program scholarships and services;

2.  Provide technical assistance and National-Board-certified mentors to all teachers seeking National Board certification upon request;

3.  Provide scholarships, pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act and Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation rules, for teachers seeking National Board certification;

4.  Provide a bonus to teachers who achieve National Board certification pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act and State Board of Education rules;

5.  Reward teachers who achieve are seeking National Board certification without the financial support of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program by awarding them the a portion of the application processing charge and assessment fee and the amount of the scholarship given to Education Leadership Oklahoma participants pursuant to this section and commission rules as provided in subsection D of this section; and

6. 4.  Provide recognition to National-Board-certified teachers.

C.  Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, to To fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall:

1.  Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program and the scholarships and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board certification, emphasizing recruiting efforts toward teachers at high-poverty schools, schools identified as in need of improvement and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have achieved National Board certification; and

2.  Collect and review applications to the scholarship program from interested teachers;

3.  Establish an applicant review committee for the purpose of identifying scholarship recipients pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program; and

4.  Ensure that all scholarship recipients, alternates, and teachers seeking National Board certification independently receive adequate information regarding the level of commitment required to acquire National Board certification.

D.  The applicant review committee shall:

1.  Consist of:

a.	five classroom teachers appointed by the State Board of Education, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available,

b.	five classroom teachers appointed by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available,

c.	three classroom teachers appointed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available, and

d.	a chair to be designated by the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation from among the appointed members; and

2.  Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, select up to four hundred teachers each year, of whom a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) teach at schools identified as in need of improvement as determined by the State Board of Education pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act or schools with more than fifty percent (50%) of students who qualify for the free and reduced price lunch program, and the appropriate number of alternates, who:

a.	have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching,

b.	meet all eligibility requirements for potential certification as established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,

c.	are employed in an Oklahoma public school, and

d.	meet other requirements of the Commission.

E.  Subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of this subsection and except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, The Commission shall select not more than one hundred applicants to participate in the program each fiscal year for whom the Commission shall pay one-half (1/2) of the application processing charge and assessment fee for National Board certification shall be paid for scholarship recipients by the Commission, and scholarship recipients shall be provided.  The total amount paid by the Commission shall not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00).  In addition the Commission shall also provide to the selected applicants a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obtaining National Board certification.

E.  The Commission shall promulgate rules establishing a process for accepting applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program and for providing to applicants selected for the program up-front payment of the application processing charge and assessment fee and scholarship.  If a selected applicant who receives the up-front payment does not complete National Board certification within three (3) years, the applicant shall repay the Commission the full amount paid by the Commission pursuant to subsection D of this section.  All selected applicants who do not receive an up-front payment and successfully complete National Board certification shall be reimbursed by the Commission for the application processing charge and assessment fee.  The total amount of reimbursement paid by the Commission shall not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00).

F.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation contract with Southeastern Oklahoma State University to establish Education Leadership Oklahoma program training in higher education teacher preparation programs in the state to assist teachers in meeting the requirements to obtain National Board certification.

G.  Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, all All teachers seeking National Board certification shall be eligible to participate in Education Leadership Oklahoma program training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National Board certification process, free of charge.

H.  The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall promulgate rules for the selection of scholarship recipients, the selection and utilization of alternates, the payment and reimbursement of application fees, and the issuance of scholarships.

I.  Subject to district board of education policy or collective bargaining agreement, additional professional leave days may be granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for National Board certification portfolio development.  During the two (2) days of the additional professional days granted to teachers for National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the teacher.

J.  Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, the I.  1.  The State Board of Education shall provide all to teachers who attain attained National Board certification prior to June 30, 2013, a bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually over a ten-year period, to be paid no later than January 31 each year.  The Board shall provide a bonus to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June 30, 2013, if the teacher was selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2013, or the teacher has submitted an application for National Board certification to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2013.

2.  The teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall receive the annual bonus for as long as they maintain the ten-year duration of their National Board certification and so long as they are teaching in the classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school.  No school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this section.

K. 3.  The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the teacher’s salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory minimum salary schedule or for purposes of compensating Oklahoma Teachers’ Retirement System contributions or benefits.

L. 4.  Teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not be eligible to receive the additional salary increment for National Board certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act.

5.  Teachers who attain National Board certification after June 30, 2013, shall be eligible to receive the additional salary increments for National Board certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act.

6.  The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for the provision of the bonus pursuant to this section to include, but not be limited to, a process by which a National-Board-certified teacher will verify that:

1.  The 

a.	the National Board certification has not lapsed; and,

2.  The 

b.	the teacher is still a full-time teacher, and

c.	for teachers eligible for the bonus, the teacher has not exceeded the limit of annual bonus payments as provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection.

M. J.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board certification portfolio development into all programs in education leading to a master’s level degree.

N.  Upon implementation of this subsection as provided for in subsection O of this section, the State Board of Education shall provide all teachers who attain National Board certification a bonus in the amount of Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) annually no later than January 31 for as long as they maintain their National Board certification and are full-time teachers in an Oklahoma public school.  No school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this section.  Upon implementation, the bonus provided for in this subsection shall replace the bonus provided for in subsection J of this section.

O.  Implementation of subsection N of this section shall be contingent upon the appropriation by the Legislature of state funds for the specific purpose of implementing subsection N of this section.  Nothing in this section shall prevent the State Board of Education or a school district board of education from utilizing private, local, or federal funds to implement subsection N of this section.

P.  1.  Except as otherwise provided, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall not accept any applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program, award scholarships pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act or pay the National Board certification application fee for scholarship recipients after June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2013.  The Commission may pay any scholarship amounts or pay the National Board certification application fees incurred after June 30, 2010, for any teacher selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2010.

2.  Except as otherwise provided, the State Board of Education shall not provide a bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) as authorized in subsection J of this section beginning June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2013, to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2013.  The Board shall provide a bonus to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June 30, 2010, if the teacher was selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2010, or the teacher has submitted an application for National Board certification to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2010.

SECTION 3.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 18-114.14 of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

A.  Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, teachers in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amounts specified in the following schedule:

MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE

		National
Years of	Bachelor’s	Board	Master’s	Doctor’s
Experience	Degree	Certification	Degree	Degree
0	$31,600	$32,600	$32,800	$34,000

1	$31,975	$32,975	$33,175	$34,375

2	$32,350	$33,350	$33,550	$34,750

3	$32,725	$33,725	$33,925	$35,125

4	$33,100	$34,100	$34,300	$35,500

5	$33,500	$34,500	$34,700	$35,900

6	$33,900	$34,900	35,100	$36,300

7	$34,300	$35,300	$35,500	$36,700

8	$34,700	$35,700	$35,900	$37,100

9	$35,100	$36,100	$36,300	$37,500

10	$35,950	$36,950	$37,575	$39,625

11	$36,375	$37,375	$38,000	$40,050

12	$36,800	$37,800	$38,425	$40,475

13	$37,225	$38,225	$38,850	$40,900

14	$37,650	$38,650	$39,275	$41,325

15	$38,075	$39,075	$39,700	$41,750

16	$38,500	$39,500	$40,125	$42,175

17	$38,925	$39,925	$40,550	$42,600

18	$39,350	$40,350	$40,975	$43,025

19	$39,775	$40,775	$41,400	$43,450

20	$40,200	$41,200	$41,825	$43,875

21	$40,625	$41,625	$42,250	$44,300

22	$41,050	$42,050	$42,675	$44,725
23	$41,475	$42,475	$43,100	$45,150

24	$41,900	$42,900	$43,525	$45,575

25	$42,325	$43,325	$43,950	$46,000

	Master’s Degree +
Years of	National Board
Experience	Certification

0	$33,800

1	$34,175

2	$34,550

3	$34,925

4	$35,300

5	$35,700

6	$36,100

7	$36,500

8	$36,900

9	$37,300

10	$38,575

11	$39,000

12	$39,425

13	$39,850

14	$40,275

15	$40,700

16	$41,125

17	$41,550
18	$41,975

19	$42,400

20	$42,825

21	$43,250

22	$43,675

23	$44,100

24	$44,525

25	$44,950

B.  When determining the Minimum Salary Schedule, "fringe benefits" shall mean all or part of retirement benefits, excluding the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17-108.1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and the flexible benefit allowance pursuant to Section 26-105 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes from the flexible benefit allowance funds disbursed by the State Board of Education and the State Board of Career and Technology Education pursuant to Section 26-104 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

C.  Any of the degrees referred to in this section shall be from a college recognized by the State Board of Education.  The State Board of Education shall accept teaching experience from out-of-state school districts that are accredited by the state board of education or appropriate state accrediting agency for the districts.

D.  For the purpose of state salary increments and retirement, no teacher shall be granted credit for more than five (5) years of active duty in the military service or out-of-state teaching experience as a certified teacher or its equivalent.  Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of education from crediting more years of experience on district salary schedules than those allowed for state purposes.

E.  The State Board of Education shall recognize, for purposes of certification and salary increments, all the years of experience of a:

1.  Certified teacher who teaches in the educational program of the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981;

2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of Human Services if the counselor was employed as a certified teacher by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board of Career and Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma Public Welfare Commission on July 1, 1968;

3.  Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a teacher in Oklahoma;

4.  Certified teacher which were completed while employed by the Department of Human Services Child Study Center at University Hospital, if the teacher was certified as a teacher in Oklahoma; and

5.  Certified school psychologist or psychometrist which were completed while employed as a doctoral intern, psychological assistant, or psychologist with any agency of the State of Oklahoma if the experience primarily involved work with persons of school- or preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was acquired, certified as, or eligible for certification as, a school psychologist or psychometrist.

F.  The provisions of this section shall not apply to teachers who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retirement benefit.

SECTION 4.     REPEALER     70 O.S. 2011, Section 18-114.12, is hereby repealed.

Passed the House of Representatives the 23rd day of May, 2013.

	
	Presiding Officer of the House
	of Representatives

Passed the Senate the 24th day of May, 2013.

	
	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: _________________________________