Bill Text: MS SB2658 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Mississippi Education Works Program; enact education reforms.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 10-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-18 - Approved by Governor [SB2658 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2013-SB2658-Enrolled.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Education; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Tollison, Burton, Collins, Harkins, Hill, McDaniel, Moran, Sojourner, Tindell, Ward, Watson
Senate Bill 2658
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT CREATING THE MISSISSIPPI EDUCATION WORKS PROGRAM; TO AMEND SECTION 37-16-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DIRECT HIGH SCHOOLS WITH GRADUATION RATES LOWER THAN 80% TO SUBMIT A PLAN TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR RESTRUCTURE; TO CREATE THE TEACHER EDUCATION SCHOLARS PROGRAM AND ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND FUNDING; TO ESTABLISH A PILOT SYSTEM IN CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF AWARDING PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-3-53, 37-18-1 AND 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Education Works Program."
SECTION 2. Section 37-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a minimum:
(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by assessments developed and administered by the State Board of Education.
(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district school board.
(c) By school, information on high school graduation rates. High schools with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit a detailed plan to the Mississippi Department of Education to restructure the high school experience to improve graduation rates.
(2) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.
(3) The State Board of Education may establish student proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to graduation.
SECTION 3. Teacher Education Scholars Program. (1) There is created the Teacher Education Scholars Program administered by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The program shall provide an annual scholarship not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for each approved teacher education scholar who is enrolled in one of Mississippi's public or private universities in the junior year and is admitted into a teacher education program. Additionally, the program shall provide an annual scholarship not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for each approved teacher education scholar who is enrolled in one (1) of Mississippi's public or private universities in the freshman year and intends to enter into a teacher education program.
(2) Qualifying teacher education scholars must hold a minimum 28 ACT score and a 3.5 GPA.
(3) A student may receive a scholarship from the program for four (4) consecutive years if the student remains enrolled full time in the program and makes satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree with a major in education.
(4) (a) If a teacher education scholar graduates and is employed as a teacher by a Mississippi district school board, the scholar is not required to repay the scholarship amount so long as the scholar teaches in a Mississippi public school. The entire scholarship amount shall be forgiven if the scholar remains employed as a Mississippi public school teacher for five (5) years.
(b) Any teacher who enters the education scholar program and graduates, and is employed as a teacher by a Mississippi public school board, in a school rated as "D" or "F", in addition to being exempt from the repayment of loan requirement while employed as a Mississippi public school teacher, such teacher education scholar shall also receive an annual salary supplement of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for each year the scholar remains in the "D" or "F" school, up to a maximum of five (5) years. Each scholar employed in a Mississippi public school under the provisions of this paragraph shall endeavor, within the five-year period of initial employment, to fulfill the necessary requirements to acquire a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, at which time the scholar shall be eligible to receive an annual salary supplement for such National Board Certified teachers under the provisions of Section 37-19-7(2)(a)(i). However, if any teacher education scholar graduate receiving an annual salary supplement provided for in this paragraph (b) shall complete the certification requirements to become a National Board Certified teacher within the five-year period of eligibility for salary supplementation, that teacher shall be entitled to only the annual salary supplement provided for such National Board Certified teachers, such that the teacher receives only one (1) annual salary supplement of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00).
(5) If a teacher education scholar does not graduate, or if the scholar graduates but does not teach in a Mississippi public school, the scholar must repay the total amount awarded, plus annual interest at a rate to be determined by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
(a) Interest begins accruing the first day of the thirteenth month after the month in which the recipient completes an approved teacher education program or after the month in which enrollment as a full-time student is terminated. Interest does not accrue during any period of deferment or eligible teaching service.
(b) The repayment period begins the first day of the thirteenth month after the month in which the recipient completes an approved teacher education program or after the month in which enrollment as a full-time student is terminated.
(c) The terms and conditions of the scholarship repayment must be contained in a promissory note and a repayment schedule. The loan must be paid within ten (10) years after the date of graduation or termination of full-time enrollment, including any periods of deferment. A shorter repayment period maybe granted. The minimum monthly repayment is Fifty Dollars ($50.00) or the unpaid balance, unless otherwise approved, except that the monthly payment may not be less than the accruing interest. The recipient may prepay any part of the scholarship without penalty.
(d) The holder of the promissory note may grant a deferment of repayment for a recipient who is a full-time student, who is unable to secure a teaching position that would qualify as repayment, who becomes disabled, or who experiences other hardships. Such a deferment may be granted for a total of twenty-four (24) months.
(e) If a student defaults on the scholarship, the entire unpaid balance, including interest accrued, becomes due and payable at the option of the holder of the promissory note, or when the recipient is no longer able to pay or no longer intends to pay. The recipient is responsible for paying all reasonable attorney's fees and other costs and charges necessary for administration of the collection process.
(6) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall promulgate such rules as are necessary to administer the teacher education scholars program and establish necessary eligibility criteria not specifically set forth in this section.
SECTION 4. Performance-Based compensation systems. (1) There is established a Pilot-Performance-Based Compensation System for school years 2013-2015.
(a) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, a pilot study will be conducted in Lamar County, Clarksdale, Gulfport and Rankin County School Districts as outlined in subsection (2) of this section. Measures of effective instruction, instrumentation, student learning growth and performance evaluation results will be collected. Reporting data from the pilot study will be disseminated to all school districts.
(b) The results of the pilot study in the four (4) districts in combination with Teacher Improvement Fund (TIF), School Improvement Grant (SIG), and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Districts will be collected and analyzed by the Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit and reported to the Department of Education for policy recommendations.
Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based Compensation System pursuant to this section may award additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon.
(c) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the Department of Education will develop proposed legislation based on pilot results for statewide implementation of a Performance-Based Compensation System.
(d) Recommended legislation will be reported to the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees and the Governor by November 30, 2015, for consideration during the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature.
(2) The statewide performance compensation system for instructional personnel and school administrators must:
(a) Contain a qualitative measure of teacher effectiveness, a quantitative measure of student performance and a quantitative measure of student learning growth.
(b) Be designed by districts to support achievement of district goals in line with realization of the district's vision.
(c) Include individual, school and district achievement goals and measures.
(d) Be designed to support effective instruction and student learning growth and use performance evaluation results when developing district and school level improvement plans.
(e) Provide appropriate instruments, procedures and criteria for continuous quality improvement of the professional skills of instructional personnel and school administrators and use performance evaluation results when identifying professional development.
(f) Include a mechanism to examine performance data from multiple sources, including opportunities for parents to provide input into employee performance evaluations when appropriate.
(g) Identify those teaching fields for which special evaluation procedures and criteria are necessary.
(h) Differentiate among four (4) levels of performance as follows:
(i) Highly effective.
(ii) Effective.
(iii) Needs improvement or, for instructional personnel in the first three (3) years of employment who need improvement, developing.
(iv) Unsatisfactory.
(i) Provide for training programs that are based upon guidelines provided by the department to ensure that all individuals with evaluation responsibilities understand the proper use of the evaluation criteria and procedures.
(j) Include a process for monitoring and evaluating the effective and consistent use of the evaluation criteria by employees with evaluation responsibilities.
(k) Include a process for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the system itself in improving instruction and student learning. In addition, each district school board may establish a peer assistance process. This process may be a part of the regular evaluation system or used to assist employees placed on performance probation, newly hired classroom teachers, or employees who request assistance.
SECTION 5. Section 37-3-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-3-53. (1) (a) Each school year, the State Board of Education, acting through the Office of Educational Accountability, shall develop a public school reporting system, or "Mississippi Report Card," on the performance of students and schools at the local, district and state level. In developing the report card, the Office of Educational Accountability shall collect school, district and state level student achievement data in the appropriate grades as designated by the State Board of Education in all core subjects, and compare the data with national standards to identify students' strengths and weaknesses. The Mississippi Report Card shall provide more than reports to parents on the level at which their children are performing; the report shall provide clear and comparable public information on the level at which schools, school districts and the state public education system are performing. The Office of Educational Accountability shall encourage local school districts and the general public to use Mississippi Report Card information along with local individual student data to assess the quality of instructional programs and the performance of schools and to plan and implement programs of instructional improvement.
(b) Beginning with the 1998-1999 school year, the Mississippi Report Card shall include information, as compiled by the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement, which demonstrates clearly the absenteeism and dropout rates in each school district and the state and whether those rates reflect a positive or negative change from the same information as reported in the previous year's Mississippi Report Card.
(c) Each local school district shall be required to develop and publish an annual report as prescribed by the State Board of Education. By November 1 of each year, as prescribed by the State Board of Education, the report shall be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the county and posted on the school district's website in a printable format. The public notice shall include information on the report's availability on the district's website, with the website address, and the location(s) in the school district where a copy of the report can be obtained.
(2) The State Department of Education may benefit from the use of performance data from the Mississippi Report Card in making evaluations under Section 4 of this act.
SECTION 6. Section 37-18-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-18-1. (1) The State Board of Education shall establish, design and implement a Superior-Performing Schools Program and an Exemplary Schools Program for identifying and rewarding public schools that improve. The State Board of Education shall develop rules and regulations for the program, establish criteria and establish a process through which Superior-Performing and Exemplary Schools will be identified and rewarded. Upon full implementation of the statewide testing program, Superior-Performing, Exemplary or School At-Risk designation shall be made by the State Board of Education in accordance with the following:
(a) A growth expectation will be established by testing students annually and, using a psychometrically approved formula, by tracking their progress. This growth expectation will result in a composite score each year for each school.
(b) A determination will be made as to the percentage of students proficient in each school. This measurement will define what a student must know in order to be deemed proficient at each grade level and will clearly show how well a student is performing. The definition of proficiency shall be developed for each grade, based on a demonstrated range of performance in relation to content as reflected in the Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks. This range of performance must be established through a formal procedure including educators, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders.
(c) A school has the following two (2) methods for designation as either a Superior-Performing or an Exemplary School, to be determined on an annual basis:
(i) A school exceeds its growth expectation by a percentage established by the State Board of Education; or
(ii) A school achieves the grade level proficiency standard established by the State Board of Education.
Any school designated as a School At-Risk which exceeds its growth expectation by a percentage established by the State Board of Education shall no longer be considered a School At-Risk and shall be eligible for monetary awards under this section.
(2) Superior-Performing and Exemplary Schools may apply to the State Board of Education for monetary incentives to be used for selected school needs, as identified by a vote of all licensed and instructional personnel employed at the school. These incentive funds may be used for specific school needs, including, but not limited to:
(a) Funding for professional development activities. Staff participating in such activities will report to the school and school district about the benefits and lessons learned from such training;
(b) Technology needs;
(c) Sabbaticals for teachers or administrators, or both, to pursue additional professional development or educational enrichment;
(d) Paid professional leave;
(e) Training for parents, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) Curriculum;
(ii) Chapter 1;
(iii) Special need students;
(iv) Student rights and responsibility;
(v) School and community relations;
(vi) Effective parenting.
All funds awarded under this subsection shall be subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature.
(3) The State Board of Education shall provide special recognition to all schools receiving Superior-Performing or Exemplary designation and their school districts. Examples of such recognition include, but are not limited to: public announcements and events; special recognition of student progress and effort; certificates of recognition and plaques for teachers, principals, superintendents, support and classified personnel and parents; and media announcements utilizing the services of Mississippi Educational Television.
(4) The State Department of Education may benefit from the use of growth expectation measurements under this section in making evaluations under Section 4 of this act.
SECTION 7. Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-19-7. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Mississippi "Teacher Opportunity Program (TOP)." The allowance in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program for teachers' salaries in each county and separate school district shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale for teachers' salaries as provided in this subsection. For teachers holding the following types of licenses or the equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as follows:
2007-2008 School Year and School Years Thereafter
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA............................................... $ 35,020.00
AAA................................................ 33,990.00
AA................................................. 32,960.00
A.................................................. 30,900.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA............................................... $ 37,080.00
AAA................................................ 36,050.00
AA................................................. 35,020.00
A.................................................. 32,960.00
The State Board of Education shall revise the salary scale prescribed above for the 2007-2008 school year to conform to any adjustments made to the salary scale in prior fiscal years due to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). For each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die General Fund Revenue Estimate Growth exceeds five percent (5%) for fiscal year 2006, as certified by the Legislative Budget Office to the State Board of Education and subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of Education shall revise the salary scale to provide an additional one percent (1%) across-the-board increase in the base salaries for each type of license.
It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal and compensation system implemented by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to establish, administer and maintain the system.
All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no school district shall receive any funds under this section for any school year during which the local supplement paid to any individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties from local supplement during the immediately preceding school year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a part of the amount of individual local supplement.
2008-2009 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Seven Hundred Ninety-four Dollars ($794.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Three Hundred Ninety-seven Dollars ($397.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-five (25) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Seven Hundred Twenty-seven Dollars ($727.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Three Hundred Sixty-four Dollars ($364.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-five (25) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($660.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Three Hundred Thirty Dollars ($330.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-five (25) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Four Hundred Ninety-five Dollars ($495.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-four (24) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Two Hundred Forty-eight Dollars ($248.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-four (24) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
2009-2010 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Seven Hundred Ninety-four Dollars ($794.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have thirty-five (35) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Seven Hundred Twenty-seven Dollars ($727.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have thirty-five (35) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($660.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have thirty-five (35) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Four Hundred Ninety-five Dollars ($495.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have thirty-five (35) years of teaching experience.
The level of professional training of each teacher to be used in establishing the salary allotment for the teachers for each year shall be determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to those teachers on or before October 1 of the current school year. Provided, however, that school districts are authorized, in their discretion, to negotiate the salary levels applicable to certificated employees who are receiving retirement benefits from the retirement system of another state, and the annual experience increment provided above in Section 37-19-7 shall not be applicable to any such retired certificated employee.
(2) (a) The following employees shall receive an annual salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other compensation to which the employee may be entitled:
(i) Any licensed teacher who has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an administrator. Such teacher shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the teacher shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.
(ii) A licensed
nurse who has met the requirements and acquired a certificate from the National
Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc., and who is employed by a local
school board or the State Board of Education as a school nurse and not as an
administrator. The licensed school nurse shall submit documentation to the
State Department of Education that the certificate was received before October
15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school
year, or the licensed school nurse shall submit the documentation to the State
Department of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a
prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.
Provided, however, that the total number of licensed school nurses eligible for
a salary supplement under this subparagraph (ii) shall not exceed * * * thirty-five (35).
(iii) Any licensed school counselor who has met the requirements and acquired a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) endorsement from the National Board of Certified Counselors and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a counselor and not as an administrator. Such licensed school counselor shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed school counselor shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. However, any school counselor who started the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process for school counselors between June 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and completes the requirements and acquires the Master Teacher certificate shall be entitled to the master teacher supplement, and those counselors who complete the process shall be entitled to a one-time reimbursement for the actual cost of the process as outlined in paragraph (b) of this subsection.
(iv) Any licensed
speech-language pathologist and audiologist who has met the requirements and
acquired a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association and any certified academic language therapist (CALT) who has met
the certification requirements of the Academic Language Therapy Association and
who is employed by a local school board or is employed by a state agency under
the State Personnel Board. * * * The licensed speech-language
pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language therapist
shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the
certificate or endorsement was received * * * before October 15 in order to
be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the
licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist and certified academic
language therapist shall submit * * * the documentation to the State
Department of Education * * *prior to before February 15 in order to be eligible for
a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school
year. However, the total number of certified academic language therapists
eligible for a salary supplement under this paragraph (iv) shall not exceed
twenty (20).
(b) An employee shall be reimbursed one (1) time for the actual cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement, excluding any costs incurred for postgraduate courses, not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for a school counselor or speech-language pathologist and audiologist, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. A local school district or any private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for any employee of the school district described under paragraph (a), and the State Department of Education shall reimburse the school district for such cost, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. If a private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for an employee, the local school district may agree to directly reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the employee.
(c) All salary
supplements, fringe benefits and process reimbursement authorized under this
subsection shall be paid directly by the State Department of Education to the
local school district and shall be in addition to its minimum education program
allotments and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated by
the State Board of Education * * *.
Local school districts shall not reduce the local supplement paid to any
employee receiving such salary supplement, and the employee shall receive any
local supplement to which employees with similar training and experience
otherwise are entitled.
(d) The State Department of Education may not pay any process reimbursement to a school district for an employee who does not complete the certification or endorsement process required to be eligible for the certificate or endorsement. If an employee for whom such cost has been paid, in full or in part, by a local school district or private individual or entity fails to complete the certification or endorsement process, the employee shall be liable to the school district or individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district or individual or entity on behalf of that employee toward his or her certificate or endorsement.
(3) (a) Effective July 1, 2007, if funds are available for that purpose, the Legislature may authorize state funds for additional base compensation for teachers holding licenses in critical subject areas or the equivalent and who teach at least a majority of their courses in a critical subject area, as determined by the State Board of Education.
(b) Effective July 1, 2007, if funds are available for that purpose, the Legislature may authorize state funds for additional base compensation for teachers employed in a public school district located in a geographic area of the state designated as a critical teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education.
(4) (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Performance-Based Pay (MPBP)" plan. In addition to the minimum base pay described in this section, only after full funding of MAEP and if funds are available for that purpose, the State of Mississippi may provide monies from state funds to school districts for the purposes of rewarding certified teachers, administrators and nonlicensed personnel at individual schools showing improvement in student test scores. The MPBP plan shall be developed by the State Department of Education based on the following criteria:
(i) It is the express intent of this legislation that the MPBP plan shall utilize only existing standards of accreditation and assessment as established by the State Board of Education.
(ii) To ensure that all of Mississippi's teachers, administrators and nonlicensed personnel at all schools have equal access to the monies set aside in this section, the MPBP program shall be designed to calculate each school's performance as determined by the school's increase in scores from the prior school year. The MPBP program shall be based on a standardized scores rating where all levels of schools can be judged in a statistically fair and reasonable way upon implementation. At the end of each year, after all student achievement scores have been standardized, the State Department of Education shall implement the MPBP plan.
(iii) To ensure all teachers cooperate in the spirit of teamwork, individual schools shall submit a plan to the local school district to be approved before the beginning of each school year beginning July 1, 2008. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, how all teachers, regardless of subject area, and administrators will be responsible for improving student achievement for their individual school.
(b) The State Board of Education shall develop the processes and procedures for designating schools eligible to participate in the MPBP. State assessment results, growth in student achievement at individual schools and other measures deemed appropriate in designating successful student achievement shall be used in establishing MPBP criteria. The State Board of Education shall develop the MPBP policies and procedures and report to the Legislature and Governor by December 1, 2006.
(5) (a) Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, if funds are available for that purpose, each school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers, as defined by Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213, who shall receive additional base compensation provided for by the State Legislature in the amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per each beginning teacher that is being mentored. The additional state compensation shall be limited to those mentor teachers that provide mentoring services to beginning teachers. For the purposes of such funding, a beginning teacher shall be defined as any teacher in any school in Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of classroom experience teaching in a public school. For the purposes of such funding, no full-time academic teacher shall mentor more than two (2) beginning teachers.
(b) To be eligible for this state funding, the individual school must have a classroom management program approved by the local school board.
(6) Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based Compensation System pursuant to Section 4 of this act may award additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon.
SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.
