A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A STUDY of EXTENDED‑YEAR teacher contracts.
Whereas, students and teachers would benefit from additional opportunities for teachers to participate in professional development; and
Whereas, teachers have limited time to engage in professional development during the school year because their time is largely committed to working with students; and
Whereas, teachers need more time to learn from other teachers in the context of teacher‑designed and teacher‑led professional development; and
Whereas, effective professional development requires learning that is situated in teachers' actual practice and focused on students' thinking and work instead of separated from teaching and learning by time and location; and
Whereas, communities of practice are essential to providing teachers with opportunities to lead, learn from, and collaborate with their professional peers; and
Whereas, transformative learning takes time to become established, and professional development that is sustained over the course of an academic year provides that time; and
Whereas, teacher evaluations should provide meaningful feedback to teachers; and
Whereas, the teacher evaluation process can incorporate professional development in order to improve teacher performance; and
Whereas, teachers should be compensated for participating in professional activities by way of an extended contractual year; and
Whereas, the General Assembly supports providing compensation for teachers in accordance with advanced teaching roles; and
Whereas, extended‑year teacher contracts and advanced teaching roles can complement one another to improve teacher performance and student achievement; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Study. – The Department of Public Instruction shall contract for a detailed study on the feasibility and advisability of extending certain teacher contracts from 10 months to 11 months in order to provide teachers with more opportunities for professional development and to improve student achievement. Extended‑year contracts would be available to the following categories of teachers: (i) teachers with an initial professional license, (ii) master teachers, (iii) teachers assigned to schools identified as low‑performing, and (iv) certain teachers holding a continuing professional license.
The Department of Public Instruction shall issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) and select a consultant to study the feasibility and advisability of implementing extended‑year teacher contracts in North Carolina. The RFP shall require the proposals to include, at a minimum, all of the following information:
(1)	The composition of the team of persons that will perform the study, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
a.	The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or the Superintendent's designee.
b.	One principal employed by a local school administrative unit.
c.	One teacher from an elementary school located in a local school administrative unit, one teacher from a middle school located in a local school administrative unit, and one teacher from a high school located in a local school administrative unit.
(2)	The criteria for selecting and employing a separate, third‑party person to work alongside the study team and provide all of the following:
a.	A recommended process for evaluating the implementation of extended‑year teacher contracts over time pursuant to sub‑subdivision h. of subdivision (3) of this section.
b.	An in‑depth evaluation of the study pursuant to sub‑subdivision i. of subdivision (3) of this section.
(3)	A description of the report that shall be submitted at the conclusion of the study. The report shall include, at a minimum, all of the following elements:
a.	Recommendations regarding (i) the feasibility and advisability of implementing extended‑year teacher contracts, (ii) whether extended‑year teacher contracts should be implemented immediately or in stages, and (iii) a proposed process for implementing extended‑year teacher contracts in stages.
b.	Recommendations regarding (i) the appropriate definition of "master teacher" and (ii) ways to directly integrate master teachers in the teacher evaluation process.
c.	Recommendations for integrating extended‑year teacher contracts and, in particular, master teachers with teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles as described in Section 8.7 of S.L. 2016‑94, as amended by Section 7.9 of S.L. 2018‑5.
d.	Recommendations for providing evidence‑based, teacher‑designed, and teacher‑led professional development within schools and local school administrative units. These recommendations should include a description of how professional development could be implemented across local school administrative units.
e.	Recommendations for ways veteran teachers can use extended‑year teacher contracts to engage in course‑specific professional development with content experts in the private and public sectors.
f.	A recommended process for working with teachers and administrators during the implementation of extended‑year teacher contracts to ensure understanding, enthusiasm, and support.
g.	Possible legal barriers to extended‑year teacher contracts, including, but not limited to, whether a teacher's eventual transition from an extended‑year contract to a traditional contract would be considered a "demotion," and proposed solutions.
h.	A recommended process for evaluating the implementation of extended‑year teacher contracts over time, which would include, but not be limited to, the following elements:
1.	A mechanism for ensuring that professional development occurring in the eleventh month is designed and implemented according to evidence‑based practices.
2.	Metrics for determining the attributable impact, if any, of extended‑year teacher contracts on student performance, growth, and development.
3.	Metrics for determining the attributable impact, if any, of extended‑year teacher contracts on teachers' content knowledge and instructional skills.
4.	Methods for determining the effectiveness of the extended‑year teacher contracts and as compared to alternative plans for improved professional development and student achievement.
5.	Means of disseminating the information learned by extended‑contract teachers during the professional development occurring in the eleventh month.
i.	An in‑depth evaluation of the study.
SECTION 2.  Time Line. – The Department shall issue an RFP for the study by September 15, 2019. Proposals shall be submitted by October 15, 2019. The Department shall select a contractor to perform the study by December 15, 2019. The selected consultant shall report the results of the study to the Department of Public Instruction and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 15, 2020.
SECTION 3.  Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year to be awarded to the consultant selected by the Department of Public Instruction for expenses associated with the study.
SECTION 4.  Effective Date. – This act becomes effective July 1, 2019.