(1)Beginning with the 2009-10 school year for teachers, school counselors, and
principals who hold a certification from the national board for professional teaching
standards, and school counselors who hold a certification from the national board
for certified counselors, and beginning with the 2019-20 school year for nationally
certified school psychologists who hold a certification from the national association
of school psychologists, collectively referred to in this section as school
professionals, the department, subject to available appropriations, shall award an
annual stipend of one thousand six hundred dollars to any school professional who
is employed in a school district, a program operated by a board of cooperative
services, a charter school authorized by a school d
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(1)
Beginning with the 2009-10 school year for teachers, school counselors, and
principals who hold a certification from the national board for professional teaching
standards, and school counselors who hold a certification from the national board
for certified counselors, and beginning with the 2019-20 school year for nationally
certified school psychologists who hold a certification from the national association
of school psychologists, collectively referred to in this section as school
professionals, the department, subject to available appropriations, shall award an
annual stipend of one thousand six hundred dollars to any school professional who
is employed in a school district, a program operated by a board of cooperative
services, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article
30.5 of this title 22, or a charter school authorized by the state charter school
institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22. For any stipends that are
awarded, the department shall allocate the stipend money to the school district
that employs the school professional who is to receive the stipend, and the school
district shall then make payment directly to the eligible school professional. A
school district may, at its discretion, withhold any required employer retirement and
medicare contributions associated with the stipend pursuant to this section from
the one thousand six hundred dollar stipend amount. For any stipends that are
awarded, the stipend shall be:
(a) Payable on May 1, 2009, and each May 1 thereafter, for nationally
certified teachers, school counselors, and principals;
(b) Payable on May 1, 2020, and each May 1 thereafter, for nationally
certified school psychologists;
(c) Prorated for less than full-time employment;
(d) Considered regular salary pursuant to section 24-51-101 (42)(a); and
(e) In addition to, and not in lieu of, any existing compensation being
awarded at the local level to a school professional.
(2) Beginning with the 2009-10 school year for nationally certified teachers,
school counselors, and principals, and beginning with the 2019-20 school year for
nationally certified school psychologists, subject to available appropriations, an
additional annual stipend of three thousand two hundred dollars shall be awarded
to any school professional who meets the criteria set forth in subsection (1) of this
section and who is employed as of May 1 in a given school year in a low-performing,
high-needs school. Subject to available appropriations, a school professional shall
continue to receive the additional stipend award pursuant to this subsection (2) if
the school professional remains employed in a school that was previously a low-performing, high-needs school but improved sufficiently to implement an
improvement or performance plan pursuant to section 22-11-210. The additional
stipend for a school professional is subject to the same restrictions and
requirements as set forth in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) (a) On or before August 30, 2011, the department shall contract with an
outside source to conduct two studies concerning the effectiveness of any annual
stipends awarded to teachers pursuant to this section.
(b) The first study shall evaluate the effect of national board certification on
student achievement, using longitudinal growth as a measurement. The results of
the study shall describe, at a minimum, any differential effectiveness correlated to
school characteristics, including but not limited to:
(I) Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
20 U.S.C. sec. 6301 et seq., eligibility;
(II) School size; and
(III) The proportion of students who attend the school for whom English is a
second language.
(c) The second study shall evaluate the effectiveness of any stipends
awarded on encouraging teachers to obtain national board certification and
encouraging teachers to teach in low-performing schools, the effect of the national
board certification on teacher retention, and the effect of having national board
certified teachers on the culture of the school.
(d) On or before January 30, 2012, the department shall submit a report
containing the findings of the study to the education committees of the house of
representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, the governor, and the
commissioner of education.
(4) If insufficient funding is available to award a stipend pursuant to
subsection (1) of this section to all school professionals, stipends shall be awarded
only to those school professionals who meet the criteria of subsection (1) of this
section and who are employed in a low-performing, high-needs school.