SB2585_H_Cmte_Amend

SECTION 1. Section 37-106-36, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-106-36. (1) There is established the "William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program."

(2) Subject to the availability of funds, an eligible applicant for an initial award must have:

(a) Graduated from a baccalaureate degree-granting institution of higher learning which is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or a comparable accreditation body;

(b) Signed a contract as a full-time * * * ~~first‑year~~ teacher in a public school district in Mississippi;

(c) Obtained a standard five-year license or a nontraditional five-year alternate route license. Persons with provisional emergency licenses shall not be eligible applicants; and

(d) Outstanding qualifying undergraduate or graduate educational loans, which may include the principal, interest and related expenses such as the required interest premium on the unpaid balances of government and commercial loans obtained by the recipient for undergraduate educational expense.

(3) Persons who have received funds from other forgivable loan programs established for teachers under Mississippi law, or who are presently in default or delinquent on any federal, state, local or commercial qualifying educational loan, shall not be eligible for this program.

(4) Provided that initial recipients remain eligible under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, they may retain eligibility for two (2) additional awards, subject to the availability of funds.

(5) Initial recipients shall be selected on a first-come, first-served basis of all eligible applicants, * * * subject to the availability of funds. In the second and * * * ~~subsequent~~ third years of an applicant's continued eligibility, priority consideration shall first be given to renewal applicants. * * * The State Financial Aid Board shall develop rules for ensuring that expenses of the program in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that fiscal year. For that purpose, and any other provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the State Financial Aid Board may limit the acceptance of applications and may limit the number of awards.

( * * *56) Among * * * ~~first‑time, first‑year~~ teacher recipients, priority consideration shall be given to persons who are teaching in a public school district designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education.

( * * *67) Awards for recipients who have signed a contract to teach in a public school district that is not designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows:

(a) One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for the * * * ~~first year of teaching~~ initial award;

(b) Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the second * * * ~~year of teaching~~ award; and

( * * *78) Awards for recipients who have signed a contract to teach in a public school district that is designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows:

(a) Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) for the * * * ~~first year of teaching~~ initial award;

(b) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for the second * * * ~~year of teaching~~ award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same public school district or another public school district designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of Education; and

(c) Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the third * * * ~~year of teaching~~ award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same public school district or another public school district designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of Education.

( * * *89) An * * * ~~first‑year~~ initial recipient who moves to another public school district shall be eligible to receive an award based on the amount allowed under the program in the new district where the teacher is employed.

( * * *910) Awards shall be granted on a year-to-year basis, and recipients shall have no obligation to seek a future award.

( * * *1011) Awards shall be paid annually, after the expiration of the one-year teaching contract for which the award was granted, to the recipient's lender or loan service provider, and shall be applied to the outstanding balance. Monies paid on the recipient's behalf toward qualifying undergraduate or graduate educational loans prior to receiving payment of the award shall not be eligible for repayment through the program.

( * * *1112) During the teaching year for which the award is granted, a recipient must at all times keep the State Financial Aid Board informed of any changes to the recipient's current contact information and employment status.

( * * *1213) Recipients who fail to maintain a standard or nontraditional license or fail to fulfill the one-year teaching contract on which the award was based shall forfeit any right to the award.

( * * *1314) The State Financial Aid Board, in collaboration with the State Board of Education, shall track recipients of an award under this program through * * * ~~their fifth teaching year~~ the fourth year after receiving their initial award, unless the recipient shall leave teaching in a public school district at an earlier date. Data collected shall include recipients' undergraduate or graduate institution, school district, subject area/grade level in teaching and any other pertinent information necessary to determine the efficacy of the program in retaining teachers * * *.

( * * *1415) The State Financial Aid Board shall promulgate regulations necessary for the proper administration of this section, including rules for ensuring that expenses of the program in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that fiscal year.

( * * *1516) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated the "William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Loan Repayment Program Fund," into which shall be deposited those funds appropriated by the Legislature, and any other funds that may be made available, for the purpose of implementing the loan repayment program established herein. Money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts deposited into the fund shall be credited to the special fund.

* * *

SECTION 2. This act shall be known, and may be cited as the "Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program."

SECTION 3. There is created the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program, which such program shall consist of:

(a) The Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program provided for under Section 4 of this act;

(b) The Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program provided for under Section 5 of this act; and

SECTION 4. (1) Dual-credit courses at a Mississippi public community or junior college shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the Mississippi Community College Board. The board shall develop rules and regulations to implement the program for participating public community and junior colleges that provide dual-credit and dual-enrollment opportunities to students in Grades 9 through 12 who meet certain qualifications. The Mississippi Community College Board shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of the public community or junior college providing the dual-credit instruction. Public community and junior colleges shall be the sole provider of dual-credit for students participating in the program. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund established at the Mississippi Community College Board.

(2) Subject to appropriation, for the 2023-2024 academic year, each academic dual-credit student scholarship shall be funded at One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) per semester hour of credit, and for each academic year thereafter, the public community and junior colleges shall adjust the per semester credit hour rate based on system-wide actual tuition costs.

(3) All eligible public high school students shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program, subject to the following criteria:

(a) All dual-credit standards including, but not limited to, academic and eligibility requirements, course requirements, faculty and institutional qualifications and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation criteria as provided in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual-enrollment and Accelerated Programs, jointly adopted by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board, or a subsequent document, must be adhered to.

(b) Students participating in the program must reside within the State of Mississippi.

(4) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis with minimum funding for each student being sufficient to take at least one (1) semester course per academic year.

(5) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.

SECTION 5. (1) Career technical education and workforce training courses at a Mississippi public community or junior college shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the Mississippi Community College Board. The board shall develop rules and regulations to implement the program for participating public community and junior colleges that provide dual-credit and dual-enrollment opportunities to students in Grades 9 through 12 who meet certain qualifications. The Mississippi Community College Board shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of the public community or junior college providing the dual-credit instruction. Public community and junior colleges shall be the sole provider of dual credit for students participating in the program. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund established at the Mississippi Community College Board.

(2) Subject to appropriation, each career and technical dual-credit student scholarship shall be funded at Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) per semester hour of credit beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year.

(3) All eligible public high school students shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program, subject to the following criteria:

(a) All dual-credit standards including, but not limited to, career and technical eligibility requirements, course requirements, faculty and institutional qualifications and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation criteria as provided in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual-enrollment and Accelerated Programs, jointly adopted by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board, or a subsequent document, must be adhered to.

(b) In addition, eligible courses must:

(i) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license or degree as approved by the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development;

(ii) Be courses that are not otherwise available at the student's high school; and

(iii) Allow high school-aged students to participate.

(c) Laboratories designed for providing instruction in career and technical courses must meet community and junior colleges' standards of quality.

(d) Students participating in the program must reside within the State of Mississippi.

(e) Students participating in the program are responsible for books, tools, supplies and transportation costs.

(4) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis with minimum funding for each student being sufficient to take at least one (1) semester course per academic year.

(5) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.

SECTION 6. Public school personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling students in such courses. Each participating student's high school transcript at the public school at which the student is enrolled shall include the credits earned and grades received by the student for any dual-credit courses taken pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as identified in administrative rule, the course must meet the approved content standards for the applicable subject and grade level.

SECTION 7. (1) Mississippi STRIDE Graduation courses for Mississippi public school students shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships and to enroll in courses. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of participating educational providers. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund at the State Board of Education.

(2) All eligible public school students in Grades 7 through 12 who reside in the State of Mississippi shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program. Students participating in the program are responsible for books, tools, supplies and transportation costs.

(3) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis and may be used for:

(a) Overload courses;

(b) Challenge courses;

(d) College entrance examinations;

(e) Preliminary college entrance examinations;

(f) Career technical certificate and licensing examinations that lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license or degree as approved by the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development;

(g) Postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, including advanced placement (AP); international baccalaureate (IB); Cambridge International; and college-level examination program (CLEP).

(4) Each local school board shall set forth criteria by which a student may take an overload course. A student must take and successfully be completing a full credit load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of an overload course. An overload course must be taken for high school credit to be eligible for funding. The scholarship distribution for an overload course may not exceed Two Hundred Twenty-five Dollars ($225.00) per overload course. To qualify as an eligible overload course for the program, the course must:

(a) Be offered by an accredited provider; and

(b) Be taught by an individual certified to teach the grade and subject area of the course in Mississippi.

(5) Each local school board shall set forth criteria by which a student may challenge a course. If a student successfully meets the criteria set forth by the board of the public school, then the student shall be counted as having completed all required coursework for that course. The public school shall be funded for such students based upon either actual hours of attendance or the course that the student has successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous to the public school, up to the maximum of one (1) full-time student.

(6) The State Department of Education shall maintain a list of eligible college entrance examinations and preliminary college entrance examinations and costs, provided that a student may not use funds provided under this section to take the same examination more than once. Eligible costs include the cost of the examination, proctor fees, and administrative fees. Eligible examinations include the SAT, PSAT, ACT and other similar examinations identified by the department.

(7) Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarships may not be used to pay an amount that exceeds the price to the student of such courses and examinations pursuant to the limitations stated in this section. These monies shall not supplant existing program funds. No later than December 1, 2023, the State Department of Education shall annually report to the Education Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives details regarding the number of students benefiting from assistance with the cost of overload courses, challenge courses, Learn to Earn courses and examinations. The report shall include the number of credits awarded and amounts paid pursuant to this section during the previous school year. The report also shall be provided to the other members of the Legislature upon request and posted on the department's website for the general public to view.

(8) Public schools, shall be reimbursed, as applicable, up to the stated limits, within one hundred twenty-five (125) days of receiving the necessary data upon which reimbursements may be paid for overload courses, challenge courses and Learn to Earn courses. The submission method and timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the State Board of Education. Payments will be made only for activity occurring and reported within each fiscal year.

(9) Average daily attendance shall be counted as normal for students participating in dual-credit courses pursuant to this section.

(10) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.

(11) If a student fails to take an examination paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and pass the test before being eligible for additional participation in the program.

(12) Public school personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling students in overload, challenge and Learn to Earn courses. Each participating student's high school transcript at the public school at which the student is enrolled shall include the credits earned and grades received by the student for these courses taken pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as identified in administrative rule, the course must meet the approved content standards for the applicable subject and grade level.

SECTION 8. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this chapter so as to maximize participation in the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program.

SECTION 9. Public schools shall establish timelines and requirements for participation in the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program, including implementing procedures for the appropriate transcription of credits, reporting of program participation and financial transaction requirements. Public schools shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who considers participating in the program also considers the challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program, and schools shall make reasonable efforts to include guidance on how the student's participation in the program contributes to prospective college and career pathways. Such efforts shall be performed prior to a student's participation in the program and throughout the student's involvement in the program.

SECTION 10. Section 37-71-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-71-7. * * *

( * * *21) Each local school board * * *~~may~~ shall adopt an Extended Learning Opportunities policy to include alternative educational opportunities for course credit that recognizes learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships, and grants elective credit for those alternative learning opportunities. * * *~~If adopted~~ The policy shall:

(a) Provide for an application process for entities to submit proposals for alternative educational opportunities that will qualify for elective course credit;

(b) Define which entities are eligible to submit applications for alternative educational opportunities, which such entities shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) Nonprofit organizations;

(ii) Businesses with established locations in the state;

(iii) Trade associations;

(iv) Parents of students involved in programs that may otherwise qualify for alternative educational opportunities; (v) Teachers involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom; and

(vi) School personnel involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom * * *.;

(d) Describe any communication and collaboration needed with local school districts to implement alternative educational opportunities * * * ~~approved by the State Board of Education~~;

(e) Place requirements on the entity such as background checks for key personnel and minimum accountability standards; and

(f) Provide a process for student credit transfer.

( * * *32) The local school board is authorized to approve or deny an application for an alternative educational opportunity. * * *

( * * *43) The State Department of Education shall have the authority to audit approved alternative educational programs at any time. If the audit results in findings that an approved program is not meeting the provisions of this chapter * * *, then the local school board shall disqualify the program immediately.

SECTION 11. Section 37-71-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-71-9. * * *

* * *~~(2)~~ The State Department of Education shall provide an annual report detailing the progress that has been made in each school district in providing alternative courses, programs and opportunities or apprenticeships. The report shall be provided to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Education Committees no later than December 1 of each year, beginning December 1, * * *~~2021~~ 2023. The report also shall be provided to the other members of the Legislature upon request and posted on the department's website for the general public to view.

SECTION 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.