Code Section

44395.  

(a) (1) The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive Program is hereby established to award grants to school districts for the purpose of providing awards to teachers who are employed by school districts or charter schools, are assigned to teach in California public schools, and have attained or will attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Awards shall be granted to the extent that funds have been appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.

(2) (A) Commencing July 1, 2021, any teacher who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to receive an award of up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) if the teacher agrees to teach at a high-priority school for at least five years. Teaching service before July 1, 2021, may not be counted towards satisfaction of this five-year commitment.

(B) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed in annual payments of five thousand dollars ($5,000) over a five-year period. The annual payment shall be made upon completion of the school year, and upon approval of a district-certified application pursuant to the guidelines of subdivision (c) of Section 44396.

(3) (A) Commencing July 1, 2021, any teacher who initiates the process of pursuing a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards when teaching at a high-priority school is eligible to receive an award of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).

(B) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed from the department to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Any unused funds shall be applied to future candidates.

(C) A teacher who receives an award pursuant to this paragraph may still apply to receive funds under paragraph (2) after completion of a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to the extent funds are available.

(4) (A) (i) Commencing July 1, 2023, any teacher who initiates the process of maintenance of certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards when teaching at a high-priority school is eligible to receive an award of four hundred ninety-five dollars ($495).

(ii) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed from the department to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Any unused funds shall be applied to future candidates.

(iii) A teacher who receives an award pursuant to this paragraph may still apply to receive funds under paragraph (2).

(B) This paragraph may be implemented using funds appropriated pursuant to Section 137 of Chapter 44 of the Statutes of 2021.

(b) The department shall administer the awards authorized by subdivision (a), and shall develop, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, certification and award information, criteria, procedures, and applications, all of which shall be submitted to the state board for approval. Amendments requested by the state board to that information, criteria, procedures, and applications shall be made before the dissemination of the material and the granting of any award under this article.

(c) The department shall distribute the materials described in subdivision (b) to school districts. Each school district is strongly encouraged to ensure that teachers employed by the district or by charter schools affiliated with the district are informed about the program and can acquire the necessary application and information materials.

(d) School districts are encouraged to provide for adequate release time and support for a teacher to complete the certification process. As a condition to providing that release time and support, a school district may require that a teacher serve in a mentor teacher capacity.

(e) For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(1) “School district” means school district, county board of education, county superintendent of schools, a state operated program, including a special school, a regional occupational center or program operated by a joint powers authority or a county office of education, or an education program providing instruction in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that is offered by a state agency, including the Department of Youth and Community Restoration and the State Department of Developmental Services.

(2) “High-priority school” means a school with 55 percent or more of its pupils being unduplicated pupils, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02. This designation shall be determined by the department.