§ 16-46B-3 — Funding for Teacher Professional Learning Programs

(a) Subject to appropriation from the Legislature, funds shall be appropriated to the department and the department shall allocate those funds to eligible entities to develop and implement teacher professional learning programs for the required computer science courses and content.
(b) For the purposes of this section, eligible entities shall include high quality computer science professional learning providers, including institutions of higher education physically located in the state, nonprofits dedicated to providing high quality computer science professional learning as determined by the superintendent, and private entities.
(c) For the purposes of this section, eligible entities do not include a local education agency or a consortium of local education agencies.
(d) Eligible uses of funds appropriated for computer science professional learning are as follows:
(1) High quality professional learning for K-12 computer science content, stipends for attending professional learning, traveling to professional learning activities, and participating in mentoring and coaching.
(2) Credentialing for K-12 computer science teachers, including course-specific permits and computer science endorsements pursuant to Section 16-46B-6.
(3) Creation of resources to support implementing computer science activities in the classroom. These resources may be developed during computer science professional learning workshops or at other times outside of the teacher instructional day.
(4) Recruiting students to enroll in high quality computer science coursework.
(5) Software. Funding may not be used for hardware and equipment.
(e) As a condition of receiving computer science professional learning funds, eligible entities shall submit an application to the department. The application, at a minimum, shall address how the entity plans to do all of the following:
(1) Reach inservice or preservice, or both, teachers with little to no computer science background who are presently teaching, or interested in teaching, high quality computer science courses in a public school.
(2) Use research-based or evidence-based practices for high quality professional learning.
(3) Focus professional learning on the conceptual foundations of computer science.
(4) Reach and support teachers who serve students who are underrepresented in computer science.
(5) Provide teachers experience with hands-on, inquiry-based practices for teaching computer science.
(6) Accommodate students with special needs in each district and school.
(7) Ensure that participating schools begin offering the courses or content, or both, within the same or no later than the next school year following the teacher receiving the professional learning.
(8) Confirm that the proposed curriculum is available on multiple platforms, so that teachers and students may access and use the curriculum on multiple devices.
(f) The department shall prioritize the following applications, in no specific order of preference:
(1) Institutions of higher education that are physically located in the state that are working with providers of high quality computer science professional learning.
(2) Proposals that describe strategies to enroll teachers in high quality computer science professional learning activities that will lead to more females and underrepresented minorities, students with significant economic barriers to academic success, students with disabilities, and English language learners enrolling in high quality computer science courses in public schools.
(3) Proposals from rural or urban areas with a low concentration of K-12 computer science offerings.
(4) Nonprofits dedicated to providing high quality computer science professional learning or private entities working in partnership with local education agencies.
(g) Any monies appropriated to the department not disbursed by the end of the fiscal year shall not revert and shall not be used for purposes not described in this section.
(h) Metrics.
(1) Not later than September 30 of each year, eligible entities receiving funds appropriated for computer science professional learning shall submit a computer science expansion data report to the department. The report, at a minimum, shall include all of the following information:
a. The number of teachers trained.
b. The grade levels for which those teachers were trained.
c. The schools in which those teachers were trained.
(2) Not later than September 30 of each year, each school that has received computer science professional learning shall submit a computer science expansion data report to the department. The report, at a minimum, shall include all of the following information:
a. The number of students enrolled in high quality computer science courses taught by a teacher trained in a high quality professional activity conducted during that year.
b. The number of students offered a computer science course through a virtual or distance learning course option and assurances that these settings shall continue to work towards in-person course options where students are taught by a trained teacher. A rationale for using the virtual or distance learning option shall be included in the annual report.
c. The aggregate gender, racial, and socioeconomic diversity of the students described in paragraph a.
d. The number of and diversity of students with a score of three or above on advanced placement examinations for high school advanced placement computer science courses, and the number of diverse students who earn postsecondary graduate credit for completing a dual enrollment course provided by an institution of higher education physically located in the state while that student is enrolled in high school. This student data shall be provided annually in the report in the year following the academic year of course completion.
e. The number of teachers that began implementing computer science as a result of attending a high quality computer science professional learning activity that year versus the number of teachers attending a high quality computer science professional learning activity who were already teaching high quality computer science courses at the middle or high school level.
(3) On or before December 1 of each year, the department shall post all computer science expansion data reports received on the website of the department.
(4) On or before June 30, 2020, the department shall establish the position of state computer science specialist and shall designate an individual to serve in that position. Among other duties, the specialist shall review the reports to ensure the requirements delineated in subdivisions (1) and (2) are satisfied.

Legislative History

(Act 2019-389, §3.)