Bill Text: MS HB1020 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi House Bill 1020 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: "21st Century Mississippi Training Instiative," establish to increase access to college and career readiness.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-23 - Died In Committee [HB1020 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2016-HB1020-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2016 Regular Session

To: Education; Revenue and Expenditure General Bills

By: Representative Scott

House Bill 1020

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MISSISSIPPI TRAINING INITIATIVE" FOR SECONDARY, POSTSECONDARY AND WORKFORCE TRAINING STUDENTS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE INITIATIVE SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, WHICH SHALL HAVE RULEMAKING AND REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM; TO PRESCRIBE THE PURPOSE OF THE INITIATIVE; TO ESTABLISH THE CRITERIA BY WHICH ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WILL QUALIFY FOR PARTICIPATION AND THE METHOD OF SELECTION USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES; TO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL STIPEND TO STUDENTS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM FOR EACH YEAR OF COMPLETION OF THE INITIATIVE; TO ESTABLISH THE "MISSISSIPPI TRAINING INITIATIVE FUND"; TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO EACH HIGH SCHOOL IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MISSISSIPPI TRAINING INITIATIVE PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE QUALIFIED SCHOOL PERSONNEL FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE POOL HIGHLY-QUALIFIED AND WELL-TRAINED TEACHERS IN THE STATE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2016-2017 academic school year, the State Department of Education and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, shall establish and implement a program known as the "Twenty-first Century Mississippi Training Initiative" for secondary, postsecondary and workforce training students. The purpose of the program shall be developed to:

(a) Stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, language arts, critical thinking, education and the health care professions, especially among underserved and underrepresented populations in Mississippi's "D" and "F" rated school districts as determined by the accountability ratings assigned to schools and school districts by the State Department of Education;

(b) Increase awareness of the urgent need for health care professionals in our state;

(c) Provide well-trained and highly-qualified teachers to critical shortage areas and districts in need as determined by levels of accreditation;

(d) Equip students for transitions directly into the workforce through career-technical training and curriculum path; and

(2) (a) The introduction of students to any potential careers in the STEM professions, education and health care professions through the training initiative established under subsection (1) of this section shall be conducted as a continuing nonresidential apprenticeship program conducted at a satellite location in each of the four (4) congressional districts as constituted on January 1, 2016, to be determined by the State Department of Education and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Students shall first be eligible for selection for participation in the program at the conclusion of Grade 9, at which time the following criteria shall be considered:

(a) The student making application for participation resides in a household with a household income not greater than two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level;

(b) The student making application for participation is the child of a parent receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits;

(c) The student making application for participation resides in a county with an unemployment rate in excess of ten percent (10%) in any demographic; and

(d) Demonstrate substantial academic aptitude as determined by satisfying the grade point average and minimum ACT score established by the department and the board of trustees.

However, before any student is accepted for participation under the criteria of this subsection, that student's parent, legal guardian or custodian must submit written authorization, agreeing to the student's participation in the academy.

(3) During the apprenticeship program each student selected for participation shall be provided onsite hands-on instruction to increase the students' preparation for a curriculum developed to strengthen academic competitiveness in their chosen area of concentration for STEM, education or medical and allied health careers. The lecture-based portions of instruction in the academy shall be conducted by instructors with adequate certification in the applicable discipline who are licensed by the State Department of Education or who teach those subject areas at the collegiate level. Upon graduating from high school, each participant upon enrolling in a publicly supported institution of higher learning in the State of Mississippi, the student shall be paired with an academic advisor in the area of program concentration to advance his or her studies in the discipline undertaken during the secondary school phase of program participation.

(4) The State Department of Education and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall jointly develop the criteria and process to be used in a random selection of candidates to participate in the academy. The criteria and process shall be nondiscriminatory in nature, and shall not refuse admission into the academy on the basis of race, color, age, disability, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or prior academic achievement.

(5) The Twenty-first Century Mississippi Training Initiative shall be funded by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, which shall allocate Ten Millions Dollars ($10,000,000.00) of the Workforce Training funds to State Department of Education for the purpose of funding the program and providing two-year scholarships to individuals qualifying for the qualified school personnel forgivable loan program established in Section 6 of this act.

(6) The Twenty-first Century Mississippi Training Initiative shall consist of a full day of academic, research or laboratory instruction beginning at 8:00 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 p.m. daily on Monday through Friday of for eight (8) weeks during the summer interim and a minimum of six (6) hours per week during the scholastic year. During each week of the eight-week summer program, two (2) afternoons shall be dedicated to ACT preparation, and the remaining three (3) days shall be dedicated to career preparation and volunteerism.

SECTION 2. Participants in the initiative shall be limited to Mississippi residents who are entering Grades 10 through completion of baccalaureate studies in a public school or university, and who have submitted to the State Department of Education a completed application on the form designed and supplied by the department and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The department shall make applications available to each school district on October 1 of each year and shall establish the deadline for accepting applications. Upon the closing date for acceptance of applications, the department shall then forward the completed applications to the Commissioner of Higher Education for review by the Board of Trustees of State Institution of Higher Learning, who shall determine the number of openings available for participation in the initiative at each satellite location.

SECTION 3. Students selected to participate in the initiative shall be provided, as an incentive to participate, a stipend in a amount not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for each year of completion of the initiative.

SECTION 4. There is established in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the "Mississippi Training Initiative Fund." The purpose of the fund is to provide financial support to local school districts and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning for start-up costs and costs associated with implementing and operating the Twenty-first Century Mississippi Training Initiative. The fund shall consist of monies obtained from grants from the federal government, funds allocated from the Workforce Training Fund, funds made available by the Legislature, and grants, gifts, devises and donations from any public or private source. The State Board of Education and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall administer the fund and may apply for any grants from the federal government or private sources.

SECTION 5. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall be required to make a presentation to each high school in each school district on the Twenty-first Century Mississippi Training Initiative program established in conjunction with the State Board of Education and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. At a minimum the presentation shall consist of an overview of the career options provided through the initiative and alternatives to immediate enrollment in college, if direct into the workforce through a career-technical training and curriculum path is afforded through the school district. The presentation offered shall not be less than thirty (30) minutes.

SECTION 6. (1) There is established the qualified school personnel forgivable loan program for the purpose of assisting eligible school personnel who have successfully completed two (2) years of college to become certificated teachers through the awarding of forgivable loans and to encourage the completion of four-year undergraduate studies in a education related field and to increase the available teacher pool in the state. The forgivable loan program shall be implemented and administered by the Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board and is subject to the availability of funds appropriated specifically therefor by the Legislature.

(2) Under the qualified school personnel forgivable loan program, qualified school personnel may be awarded financial assistance in an amount that is equal to the actual cost of six (6) three-hour academic courses per year. A qualified school personnel forgivable loan shall not be based upon an applicant's financial need, and the receipt of any other forgivable loan or financial assistance shall not affect the qualified school personnel's eligibility under the program.

(3) In order to qualify for a qualified school personnel forgivable loan, an applicant must satisfy the following requirements:

(a) The applicant must be employed full-time as an essential employee with a local school district;

(b) The applicant must be accepted for enrollment at a baccalaureate degree-granting institution of higher learning in the State of Mississippi that is regionally accredited and approved by the board and having completed a minimum of two-year of coursework therein or at a community college in the State of Mississippi;

(c) The qualified school personnel must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale for all courses funded through the qualified school personnel forgivable loan program; and

(d) The qualified school personnel must have expressed in writing a present intention to teach in a critical teacher shortage geographic or academic subject area, or both, in a failing school district as determined by a "D" or "F" accountability rating assigned by the State Department of Education.

(4) At the beginning of the school year next succeeding the date on which a person who has received an qualified school personnel forgivable loan obtains a baccalaureate degree, that person shall begin to render service as a certificated teacher in a school district or academic subject area, or both, in a failing school district as determined by a "D" or "F" accountability rating assigned by the State Department of Education, and designated by the State Board of Education. The board shall establish by rule and regulation the duration of teaching service due for recipients of forgivable loans based upon the number of academic hours funded through the qualified school personnel forgivable loan program. Repayment and conversion terms shall be the same as those outlined in Section 37-106-53.

SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.