GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1250

Short Title:  Public School Act of 1991.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Barnes, Black, Blue, Diamont, Fussell, Hackney, Miller, Nesbitt, Payne, Rogers, Warner, Wicker; and Bowman.
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Referred to:  Education.
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May 10, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ENACT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ACT OF 1991.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
––-TITLE OF ACT
Section 1.  This act shall be known as the "Public School Act of 1991".
––-TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE
Sec.  2. (a)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to a Reserve for Teachers Salary Increases the sum of $51,165,025 for the 1991-92 fiscal year. The Director of the Budget may transfer from the Reserve for Teachers Salary Increases for the 1991-92 fiscal year funds necessary to implement the teacher salary schedule set out in subsection (b) of this section, including funds for the employer's retirement and Social Security contributions and funds for annual longevity payments at two and one-half percent (2.5%) of base salary only upon the completion of 25 years of State service, commencing July 1, 1991, for all teachers whose salaries are supported from the State's General Fund.  These funds shall be allocated to individuals according to rules adopted by the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(b)(1)	Beginning July 1, 1991, the following monthly salary schedule shall apply to certified personnel of the public schools who are classified as "A"teachers.  The schedule contains 30 steps with each step corresponding to one year of teaching experience.
Years of	1991-92
Experience	Salary

00	$1,981
01	2,021
02	2,061
03	2,164
04	2,207
05	2,251
06	2,296
07	2,342
08	2,389
09	2,437
10	2,486
11	2,536
12	2,587
13	2,639
14	2,692
15	2,746
16	2,801
17	2,857
18	2,914
19	2,972
20	3,031
21	3,092
22	3,154
23	3,217
24	3,281
25	3,347
26	3,414
27	3,482
28	3,552
29+	3,623
(2)	Beginning July 1, 1991, the following monthly salary schedule shall apply to certified personnel of the public schools who are classified as "G"teachers.  The schedule contains 30 steps with each step corresponding to one year of teaching experience.
Years of	1991-92
Experience	Salary

00	$2,105
01	2,147
02	2,190
03	2,300
04	2,346
05	2,393
06	2,441
07	2,490
08	2,540
09	2,591
10	2,643
11	2,696
12	2,750
13	2,805
14	2,861
15	2,918
16	2,976
17	3,036
18	3,097
19	3,159
20	3,222
21	3,286
22	3,352
23	3,419
24	3,487
25	3,557
26	3,628
27	3,701
28	3,775
29+	3,851
(3)	The rules adopted by the State Board for allocating funds to individuals shall provide for (i) a seven and one-half percent (7.5%) salary increase for teachers with certification based on academic preparation at the six-year degree level; (ii) a ten percent (10%) salary increase for teachers with certification based on academic preparation at the doctoral degree level; and (iii) annual longevity pay at two and one-half percent (2.5%) of base salary only upon the completion of 25 years of State service.
Sec. 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to a Reserve for Teachers Salary Increases the sum of $59,805,286 for the 1992-93 fiscal year. Beginning with the mid-school year payroll date, the Director of the Budget may transfer from the Reserve for Teachers Salary Increases for the 1992-93 fiscal year funds necessary to move teachers one step on the salary schedules established in this section, including funds for the employer's retirement and Social Security contributions and funds for annual longevity payments at two and one-half percent (2.5%) of base salary only upon the completion of 25 years of State service for all teachers whose salaries are supported from the State's General Fund.  These funds shall be allocated to individuals according to rules adopted by the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
––-BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM
Sec. 4. G.S. 115C-81(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	The State Board of Education shall adopt a Basic Education Program for the public schools of the State. Before it adopts or revises the Basic Education Program, the State Board shall consult with an Advisory Committee, including at least eight members of local boards of education, that the State Board appoints from a list of nominees submitted by the North Carolina School Boards Association. The State Board shall report annually to the General Assembly on any changes it has made in the program in the preceding 12 months and any changes it is considering for the next 12 months.
The State Board of Education shall review the Basic Education Program in an effort to (i)	simplify the Basic Education Program, especially the standard course of study and the core curriculum for all students, and (ii) assure that the Program adopted by the State Board and implemented by the local boards of education carries out the intent of the General Assembly to provide every student in the State equal access to a Basic Education Program.  The State Board shall report the results of its review to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and to the General Assembly prior to March 15, 1992.
The State Board shall implement the Basic Education Program within funds appropriated for that purpose by the General Assembly and by units of local government.  It is the intent of the General Assembly that until the Basic Education Program is fully funded, the implementation of the Basic Education Program shall be the focus of State educational funding.  It is the goal of the General Assembly that the Basic Education Program be fully funded and completely operational in each local school administrative unit by July 1, 1995.
It is further a goal of the General Assembly to provide equalization funds to low-wealth counties to allow them to allow those counties to enhance the instructional program and student achievement."
Sec. 5.  G.S. 115C-12(9) reads as rewritten:
"(9)	Miscellaneous Powers and Duties. – All the powers and duties exercised by the State Board of Education shall be in conformity with the Constitution and subject to such laws as may be enacted from time to time by the General Assembly. Among such duties are:
a.	To certify and regulate the grade and salary of teachers and other school employees.
b.	To adopt and supply textbooks.
c.	To adopt rules requiring all local boards of education to implement the Basic Education Program on an incremental basis within funds appropriated for that purpose by the General Assembly and by units of local government.  Beginning with the 1991-92 school year, the rules shall require each local school administrative unit to implement fully the standard course of study in every school in the State in accordance with the Basic Education Program so that every student in the State shall have equal access to the curriculum as provided in the Basic Education Program and the standard course of study.
		The Board shall establish benchmarks by which to measure the progress that each local board of education has made in implementing the Basic Education Program.  The Board shall report to the General Assembly by December 31, 1991, and by February 1 of each subsequent year on each local board's progress in implementing the Basic Education Program, including the use of State and local funds for the Basic Education Program.
		The Board shall develop a State accreditation program that meets or exceeds the standards and requirements of the Basic Education Program. The Board shall require each local school administrative unit to comply with the State accreditation program to the extent that funds have been made available to the local school administrative unit for implementation of the Basic Education Program.
		The Board shall use the State accreditation program to monitor the implementation of the Basic Education Program.  
c1.	To issue an annual 'report card' for the State and for each local school administrative unit, assessing each unit's efforts to improve student performance and taking into account progress over the previous years' level of performance and the State's performance in comparison with other states.  This assessment shall take into account demographic, economic, and other factors that have been shown to affect student performance.
d.	To formulate rules and regulations for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance law.
e.	To manage and operate a system of insurance for public school property, as provided in Article 38 of this Chapter.
		In making substantial policy changes in administration, curriculum, or programs the Board should conduct hearings throughout the regions of the State, whenever feasible, in order that the public may be heard regarding these matters."
Sec. 6.  G.S. 115C-238.6(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Prior to June 30 each year, the State Superintendent shall review local school improvement plans submitted by the local school administrative units in accordance with policies and performance indicators adopted by the State Board of Education.  If the State Superintendent approves the plan for a local school administrative unit, that unit shall participate in the Program for the next fiscal year.
If a local plan contains a request for a waiver of State laws, regulations, or policies, in accordance with G.S. 115C-238.3(e), the State Superintendent shall determine whether and to what extent the identified laws, regulations, or policies should be waived.  The State Superintendent shall present that plan and his determination to the State Board of Education.  If the State Board of Education deems it necessary to do so to enable a local unit to reach its local accountability goals, the State Board, only upon the recommendation of the State Superintendent, may grant waivers of:
(1)	State laws pertaining to class size, teacher certification, assignment of teacher assistants, the use of State-adopted textbooks, and the purposes for which State funds for the public schools may be used: Provided, however, the State Board of Education shall not permit the use of funds for teachers for expanded programs under the Basic Education Program for any other purpose;
(2)	All State regulations and policies, except those pertaining to State salary schedules and employee benefits for school employees, the instructional program that must be offered under the Basic Education Program, the system of employment for public school teachers and administrators set out in G.S. 115C-325, health and safety codes, compulsory school attendance, the minimum lengths of the school day and year, and the Uniform Education Reporting System."
Sec. 7. The Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and to the General Assembly before May 1, 1992, on the methods used to measure student achievement.
Sec. 8.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of $28,907,374 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $28,907,374 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to complete the funding of teachers for expanded programs under the Basic Education Program.  These funds shall be used by local school administrative units to implement fully the standard course of study in every school in the State in accordance with the Basic Education Program so that every student in the State shall have equal access to the curriculum provided for therein.
The State Board of Education shall not waive, in accordance with G.S. 115C-238.6(a), the requirement that all local schools use these funds for teachers for expanded programs to implement fully the standard course of study in every school in the State.
––-EQUALIZATION FUNDING
Sec. 9.  (a) The General Assembly finds that it is appropriate to provide equalization funds in low-wealth counties to allow those counties to enhance the instructional program and student achievement;  therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of $15,000,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $15,000,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for equalization funds for schools.  These funds shall be allocated to counties on the basis of a formula based on the adjusted property tax base per student for the county and the per capita income for the county.
(b)	Funds received pursuant to this section shall be used only to provide instructional positions, instructional support positions, teacher assistant positions, clerical positions, and instructional supplies and equipment.
(c) Nonsupplant Requirement. – A county in which a local school administrative unit receives funds under this section shall use the funds to supplement and not supplant existing State and local funding for public schools.
The Local Government Commission shall analyze the budgets and the expenditures of school administrative units that receive funds under this section in light of their budgets and expenditures for the previous year and shall determine whether those funds were used to supplement and not supplant State and local funding for public schools.  The Local Government Commission shall report the results of its study to the State Board of Education, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and to the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, prior to May 1, 1992, and May 1, 1993.
(d) Minimum Effort Required. – Counties that receive funding under this section shall maintain an effective county tax rate that is at least one hundred percent (100%) of the State average effective tax in the most recent year for which data are available.
(e) Counties that receive funds under this section shall report to the State Board of Education before March 1 each year on how they are using the funds for the fiscal year.  The State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee prior to May 1, 1992, and May 1, 1993, on how the funds are being used.
––-EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY
Sec. 10.  G.S. 115C-84(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	School Day. – The length of the school day shall be determined by the several local boards of education for all public schools in their respective local school administrative units, and the minimum time for which teachers shall be employed in the schoolroom or on the grounds supervising the activities of children shall not be less than six hours: Provided, the several local boards of education may adopt rules and regulations allowing handicapped pupils, kindergarten pupils, and pupils attending the first, second, and third grades to attend school for a period less than six hours. The superintendent of the several local boards of education, in the event of an emergency, act of God, or any other conditions requiring the termination of classes before six hours have elapsed, may suspend the operation of any school for that particular day without loss of credit to the pupil or loss of pay to the teacher.
The General Assembly urges the local boards of education to expand the length of the school day so that it includes at least six hours of instructional time."
––-SCHOOL TO WORK TRANSITION
Sec. 11. (a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of $2,500,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year for grants to community colleges and local school administrative units to implement "Tech Prep", which is mandated in G.S. 115C-81(a1), as rewritten by subsection (b) of this section.
(b)	G.S. 115C-81(a1) reads as rewritten:
"(a1)	The Basic Education Program shall describe the education program to be offered to every child in the public schools. It shall provide every student in the State equal access to a Basic Education Program. Instruction shall be offered in the areas of arts, communication skills, physical education and personal health and safety, mathematics, media and computer skills, science, second languages, social studies, and vocational education.
Instruction in vocational education under the Basic Education Program shall be based on factors including:
(1)	The integration of academic and vocational education;
(2)	A sequential course of study leading to both academic and occupational competencies;
(3)	Increased student work skill attainment and job placement;
(4)	Increased linkages, where geographically feasible, between public schools and community colleges, so the public schools can emphasize academic preparation and the community colleges can emphasize specific job training; and
(5)	Instruction and experience, to the extent practicable, in all aspects of the industry the students are prepared to enter."
––-OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION
Sec. 12.(a)	Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 5. Outcome-Based Education Program.
"§ 115C-238.12.  Purpose of program.
An outcome-based education program is a program in which expectations for student achievement are clearly stated in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.  Students develop skills and attitudes to maximize the acquisition of knowledge. The program recognizes that achievement occurs as a result of individual and developmental progress towards goals, and reflects that students learn at different rates using varying learning styles.  Outcome-based education measures achievement periodically throughout the learning process and is the criteria for high school graduation. Measurement of student achievement is implemented by teachers to complement varied learning growth and styles.  The results of those measurements are used to determine when a student understands and has mastered the material and is ready to move forward in the learning process.
"§ 115C-238.13. Implementation of the project by the State Board of Education.
(a)	The State Board of Education shall develop and implement an outcome-based education program. The State Board of Education shall select four sites to participate in the program for five fiscal years beginning with the 1992-93 fiscal year.  The first year of the project shall be a year for the sites to plan their projects.  The remaining four years shall be to implement the projects and to demonstrate their effectiveness.
(b)	The State Board of Education shall adopt expectations for student achievement, necessary for students to function successfully in the next century.  These expectations shall be consistent with national education goals recommended by the National Governors' Association in 1990.  The State Board of Education, after consultation with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the State Board of Community Colleges, representatives of independent colleges, representatives of the business community, representatives of the Department of Public Instruction, representatives of local school administrative units, principals, teachers, and parents, shall adopt proficiencies that are required for graduation from high school.  These expectations and proficiencies shall be adopted no later than June 15, 1992, and shall be used by the sites to develop their local outcome-based education projects.
The proficiencies that are required for graduation from high school may include:
(1)	Writing – High school graduates will be able to organize complex, demanding, and extended subject matter clearly and effectively.  They will produce structured writings in which relationships between successive paragraphs are signaled by connective words and phrases.  They will punctuate their writing so that meaning and structure are clear.
(2)	Reading – High school graduates will be able to make independent and discriminating selections from a range of reference materials; retrieve information from those materials using techniques such as skimming; and evaluate and synthesize information from different parts of a text or different texts.
(3)	Mathematics – High school graduates will be able to present a set of complex data in a simplified form using a variety of diagrams and graphs.
(c)	The State Board of Education, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, and the State Board of Community Colleges shall work jointly to develop a mechanism by which the institutions of higher education accept certification of proficiencies on high school transcripts in lieu of Carnegie units.
"§ 115C-238.14. Selection of sites.
(a)	No later than October 10, 1991, the State Board of Education shall develop a competitive process for the selection of project sites.
(b)	No later than November 30, 1991, the Department of Public Instruction shall initiate the competitive process for the selection of project sites and shall conduct regional briefings for local school administrative units interested in submitting proposals.  The regional briefings shall provide detailed information about outcome-based education models so local school administrative units can decide whether to compete for selection as a project site.
(c)	No later than February 29, 1992, local school administrative units shall submit their proposals to the Department of Public Instruction.  The proposal may cover all or part of the schools in a local school administrative unit.
The proposal shall include information regarding the local school administrative unit's plan for, ability to, and commitment to complying with the following requirements for local programs:
(1)	The program shall ensure that all students have access to a common core of knowledge and that all students are treated equitably.
(2)	Student advancement shall be based on the mastery of the proficiencies adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-238.13(b).
(3)	Students shall be allowed to progress at different rates; however, expectations for progress shall be based on the goal that all students master the proficiencies required for high school graduation. Computer assisted, personal education plans shall be available for every student.
(4)	Parents and guardians shall be involved in a student's selection of high school completion options.
(5)	Teachers and principals shall have a major role in development of local projects.
(6)	A majority of the teachers and principals who will participate in the pilot project shall approve the proposal for selection as a pilot site and the  plans for the local program before they are submitted to the Department of Public Instruction.
(7)	Programs shall provide each student a school-based adult advocate to foster self-esteem, protect learning options, ensure that student needs are being met, and ensure that students are being treated equitably.
(8)	Projects shall be shared with the public.  Annual reports describing program goals, activities, and accomplishments shall be made available to the public.  The reports shall contain specific information regarding the contributions of teachers, administrators, and the local board of education to the program, and to student progress under the program.
(d)	The Department of Public Instruction shall review the proposals and shall transmit its recommendations regarding the sites to the State Board of Education no later than April 30, 1992.  The Department of Public Instruction shall involve an advisory committee comprised of business leaders, legislators, school board members, public school administrators, and other educators in the review process.
(e)	The State Board of Education shall select the project sites no later than June 15, 1992.  The State Board shall base its decision on the local school administrative units' plans for, ability to, and commitment to complying with the requirements for local programs set out in subsection (c) of this section.
"§ 115C-238.15.  Development of local programs by the project sites.
(a)	From June 15, 1992, through March 15, 1993, the project sites shall develop their local programs.  No later than March 15, 1993, the sites shall submit their plans to the Department of Public Instruction for review.  No later than May 30, 1993, the Department shall review the plans and work with the sites to assure that the plans carry out the provisions of this Part.
(b)	The Department of Public Instruction shall provide technical assistance to the sites in developing their local programs.
(c)	In developing its local plan, each local school administrative unit shall select the outcome-based education model to be followed.  Each local school administrative unit shall determine the instructional programs and strategies used to develop student proficiencies at its site.  Under the plan, teachers shall determine when the proficiencies of a group of students are assessed; provided, however, State-administered tests shall be used to test proficiencies at a site no more than four times a year.  Student advancement shall be determined by school-based personnel assigned to oversee the instructional program of a group of students.
(d)	In developing and administering local projects, local boards of education need broad decision-making authority so that teachers and administrators at the sites can experiment with the instructional activities that meet the instructional needs in that particular setting.  Each local school administrative unit shall set forth in its plan, with specificity, those aspects of the plan that would be enhanced by flexibility with regard to statutes and regulations.  The State Board of Education may grant each local school administrative unit such flexibility with regard to statutes and regulations as it finds necessary and appropriate to implement a local program (i) so long as the projects and activities are carried out within total funds available for that purpose and (ii) so long as the State Board of Education does not find as a fact that the flexibility is being abused.
The State Board of Education shall report such flexibility with regard to statutes and regulations contained in any projects or proposed changes to projects to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.
(e)	Local projects may include model accountability programs that meet the needs of the project sites.  To the extent that the State Board of Education finds that these accountability programs provide sufficient data for oversight, they may be used instead of other State-mandated programs.
(f)	Local projects shall include plans to train and retrain teachers, administrators, and school board members to implement the projects.
"§ 115C-238.16.  Approval and implementation of plans.
(a)	Between March 15, 1993, and June 1, 1993, the State Board of Education shall receive plans for projects from the project sites and the comments of the Department of Public Instruction regarding the projects.
(b)	No later than June 15, 1993, the State Board of Education shall approve the plans for the projects, approve the plans with modifications, or reject the plans.
(c)	The project sites shall begin implementation immediately of projects approved, or approved with modifications, by the State Board.
"§ 115C-238.17.  Annual assessment and reapproval of plans.
(a)	Between March 15 and May 15 of each subsequent year of the project, the projects shall submit to the Department of Public Instruction any data requested by the Department of Public Instruction or the State Board of Education and any proposed changes in the projects.  No later than May 30 each year, the Department shall review the data and the proposed changes in the plans for the projects and shall work with the project sites to assure that the plans carry out the provisions of this Part.
(b)	Between March 15 and June 1 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall receive the data requested and the proposed changes in plans for projects from the project sites and shall receive the comments of the Department of Public Instruction regarding the data and the proposed changes in the projects.  The State Board shall also consider the results of audits and evaluations performed pursuant to G.S. 115C-238.18.
(b)	No later than June 15 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall reapprove the plans and any changes for the projects, reapprove the plans and any changes with modifications, or reject the plans.
(c)	The project sites shall begin implementation immediately of projects reapproved, or reapproved with modifications, by the State Board.
"§ 115C-238.18. Evaluation of program.
(a)	State-Level Program Evaluation Procedures. – A program audit shall be conducted by the Office of the State Auditor following the first and second years of the program.  The audit shall certify that the State Board of Education and State Department of Public Instruction have implemented procedures as specified by the General Assembly.  The audit shall focus on the autonomy and flexibility given to local school administrative units in the development of outcome-based education models and plans so as to determine if the appropriate amount of autonomy and flexibility was sought and granted and if the autonomy and flexibility were used properly.
(b)	Local-Level Program Evaluation Procedures. –
(1)	The program audit conducted by the Office of the State Auditor following the second year of the program shall include a local-level procedures component.  The audit shall certify that local plans contain elements as specified by the General Assembly.  The audit shall also certify that teachers and building level administrators were involved in the development of plans.
(2)	The Department of Public Instruction  shall conduct a process evaluation of each pilot site following the second through sixth years of the program.  The evaluation shall determine how well plans have been implemented.  The evaluation shall focus on staff development, organizational and instructional activities, and the involvement and acceptance of the project by all concerned groups including the board of education, administrators, teachers, parents, students, and the business community.
(c)	Student-Level Outcomes Evaluation. –
(1)	Local pilot sites shall develop and implement accountability models designed to measure student outcomes.  The plans shall include the use of tests available through the State's testing program.  Accountability models shall be part of the site plans submitted to the State Board for approval.
(2)	The State Department of Public Instruction shall audit the implementation of accountability models.  Audits shall be conducted following the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth years of the program.
(3)	The State Department of Public Instruction shall conduct a summative evaluation following the sixth year of the program.  Student outcomes shall be the focus of the summative evaluation.
(d)	Reports to the General Assembly. – The State Board of Education shall submit a summative evaluation report on the projects to the General Assembly no later than March 15, 1998.
"§ 115C-238.19.  Solicitation of private funds for additional sites.
The State Board of Education shall design and implement a program for soliciting private funds to support the outcome-based education pilot sites.  As funds become available, the State Board may request that the General Assembly authorize additional sites to participate in the program."
(b)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of $4,000,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to implement the outcome-based education program at four sites pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.  These funds shall be allocated on the basis of $500.00 for each State-funded certificated employee participating in the program.  These funds shall be used (i) for staff development activities, including planning activities, for teachers, administrators, and school board members, (ii) to pay substitute teachers while teachers are engaged in staff development activities, and (iii) to pay 10-month employees for participating in staff development activities, including planning activities during the summer.
It is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate an additional $4,000,000 each year for the 1993-94 through 1996-97 fiscal years to complete the implementation of the outcome-based education program at the four sites. 
––-SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Sec. 13.(a)	G.S. 115C-284 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-284.  Method of selection and requirements.
(a)	Principals and supervisors shall be elected by the local boards of education upon the recommendation of the superintendent, in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-276(j).
(b)	In the city administrative units, principals shall be elected by the board of education of such administrative unit upon the recommendation of the superintendent of city schools.
(c)	The State Board of Education shall have entire control of certifying all applicants for supervisory and professional positions in all public elementary and high schools of North Carolina; and it shall prescribe the rules and regulations for the renewal and extension of all certificates, and shall determine and fix the salary for each grade and type of certificate which it authorizes.  Provided, that the State Board of Education shall require each applicant for an initial certificate or graduate certificate to demonstrate his academic and professional preparation by achieving a prescribed minimum score at least equivalent to that required by the Board on November 30, 1972, on a standard examination appropriate and adequate for that purpose: Provided, further, that in the event the Board shall specify the National Teachers Examination for this purpose, the required minimum score shall not be lower than that which the Board required on November 30, 1971: Provided, further, that the Board shall not issue provisional certificates for principals and assistant principals.
(c1)	It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to maintain the highest quality principal and assistant principal education programs in order to enhance the competence of professional personnel certified in North Carolina. To ensure that principal and assistant principal preparation programs are upgraded to reflect a more rigorous course of study, the State Board of Education shall submit to the General Assembly not later than March 1, 1992, a plan to promote this policy. In developing this plan, the State Board shall consider (i) requiring these programs to include additional preparation for site-based decision making and for the additional autonomy being granted to local schools units, (ii) enhancing program entrance requirements to include assessment of an applicant's ability to complete the program and to perform as a principal, and (iii) enhancing the overall content of the programs.
The State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination and cooperation with the University Board of Governors and such other public and private agencies as are necessary, shall refine the several certification requirements, standards for approval of institutions of principal and assistant principal education, standards for institution-based innovative and experimental programs, and standards for improved efficiencies in the administration of the approved programs.
(d)	Repealed by Session Laws 1989, c. 385, s. 1.
(d1)	It is the policy of the State of North Carolina that, subsequent to the adoption of a system of classroom teacher differentiation and prerequisites to candidacy for principal, a classroom teacher must have attained at least the second level of differentiation, have at least four years of classroom teaching experience, and possess, at least, a Masters Degree in Education Administration.  This subsection shall not apply to educational personnel certified as of July 1, 1984.
(e)	It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any principal or supervisor who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a certificate in compliance with the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education.
(f)	The allotment of classified principals shall be one principal for each duly constituted school with seven or more state-allotted teachers and shall be included in the calculation of the allotment of general teachers set out in G.S. 115C-301(b)(i).
(g)	Local boards of education shall have authority to employ supervisors in addition to those that may be furnished by the State when, in the discretion of the board of education, the schools of the local school administrative unit can thereby be more efficiently and more economically operated and when funds for the same are provided in the current expense fund budget. The duties of such supervisors shall be assigned by the superintendent with the approval of the board of education.
(h)	All principals and supervisors employed in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a certificate in compliance with the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education."
(b)	G.S. 115C-289 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-289. Assignment of principal's duties to assistant or acting principal; duties of State-funded assistant principals.
(a)	Any duty or responsibility assigned to a principal by statute, State Board of Education regulation, or by the superintendent may, with the approval of the local board of education, be assigned by the principal to an assistant principal designated by the local board of education or to an acting principal designated by a principal.
(b)	All persons employed as assistant principals in State-allotted positions, or as assistant principals in full-time positions regardless of funding source, in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public funds, shall, in addition to other applicable requirements, be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a principal's certificate in compliance with applicable law and in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education.  It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any assistant principal who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a principal's certificate in compliance with applicable law and in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education.  
	(d)	Assistant principals paid from State funds shall not have regularly assigned teaching duties."
(c)	Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C-12.1.  Training of State Board members.
The State Board of Education shall establish minimum training requirements for members of the State Board of Education.  All Board members shall participate in training programs, as required by the State Board."
(d)	Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C-50.  Training of board members.
All members of local boards of education shall receive a minimum of 12 clock hours of training annually.  The training shall include but not be limited to public school law, public school finance, and duties and responsibilities of local boards of education.  The training may be provided by the North Carolina School Boards Association, the Institute of Government, or other qualified sources at the choice of the local board of education."
(e) Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 116-11.2.  Duties regarding programs in education administration.
The Board of Governors shall direct the constituent institutions with programs in education administration to revise the programs to reflect any increased standards required for programs approved by the State Board of Education, including new requirements for school-based leadership in the public schools.  The Board of Governors shall monitor the programs and devise an assessment plan for all programs leading to certification in education administration."
(f)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $150,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $570,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to expand the Principals Executive Program operated by the Institute of Government.  Of these funds, the sum of $150,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $150,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year shall be used to expand the program at the Chapel Hill site; the sum of $420,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year shall be used to provide the program at additional sites throughout the State and to offer the program to assistant principals.
––-EARLY INTERVENTION, DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES, AND EDUCATION FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Sec. 14.(a)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Resources the sum of $1,329,293 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $4,145,289 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for early intervention and preschool services for children from birth through 4 years of age, to be allocated as follows:
(1)	Fiscal year 1991-92:
a.	$832,338 for preschool services for blind and visually impaired children; and
b.	$496,955 for preschool services for deaf and hearing impaired children.
(2)	Fiscal year 1992-93:
a.	$2,040,820 for child developmental disabilities;
b.	$1,527,318 for preschool services for blind and visually impaired children; and
c.	$577,151 for preschool services for deaf and hearing impaired children.
(b)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, the sum of $3,093,512 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $6,031,131 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for developmental services for children from birth through 2 years of age, to be allocated as follows:
(1)	Fiscal year 1991-92:
a.	$878,172 for the expansion of child services coordination;
b.	$162,196 for the expansion of nutrition services;
c.	$467,144 for the expansion of special therapies; and
d.	$1,586,000 for the expansion of evaluation services.
(2)	Fiscal year 1992-93:
a.	$1,762,646 for the expansion of child services coordination;
b.	$162,196 for the expansion of nutrition services;
c.	$934,289 for the expansion of special therapies; and
d.	$3,172,000 for the expansion of evaluation services.
(c)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of $16,492,183 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $20,338,040 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for education for handicapped children from 3 through 4 years of age.
––-EFFECT OF HEADINGS
Sec. 15.  The headings to the sections of this act are a convenience to the reader and are for reference only.  The headings do not expand, limit, or define the text of the act.
––-EFFECTIVE DATE
Sec. 16.  Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 1991.