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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Tripp

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-13-2007

HB 345

SHORT TITLE Alternative Teacher Level 2 & 3 Licensure

SB

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

*NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY07

FY08

FY09 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$10.0

$10.0

$20.0 Recurring General

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 345 carries no appropriation. If enacted, House Bill 345 would allow the Public

Education department some latitude regarding the alternative placement of degreed individuals

into the three-tiered salary structure. House Bill 345 would allow an alternative method of

progression to levels 2, 3-A and 3-B.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

House Bill 345 carries no appropriation. Indeterminate costs may be incurred in association with

House Bill 345 – Page

2

monitoring interns’ progress and issuance of licenses. The Public Education department

estimates $10 thousand in recurring costs for program promoting and recruitment. The PED

estimate does not consider the costs of developing and monitoring an internship program for

other-wise degreed individuals entering into the teaching profession.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

House Bill 345 would create a process that would allow a person with a doctorate degree in

fields other than teaching to become a level 2 teacher, level 3 teacher or public school

administrator. The applicant would need a minimum of 5 years experience in teaching or

administrative experience of any type in a higher education setting for the level 2 and 6 years for

levels 3-A and 3-B. House Bill 345 permits teaching experience in higher education settings to

be equated with teaching students in a K-12 setting.

House Bill 345 could assist the recruitment of math and science teachers as well as

administrators from secondary institutions. There is a potential to utilize staff from secondary

and other institutions as curriculum consultants, and for online instruction and team teaching

situations. House Bill 345 could increase the availability of qualified instructors from higher-

compensated specialty fields and retiring professionals from multiple fields.

The three-tiered licensure system is based on evaluation of performance in the elementary and

secondary classroom. House Bill 345 permits an alternate route. Currently, alternative licensure

candidates must either acquire approximately 20 hours at a 4-year postsecondary school, or

participate in the Transition to Teaching program where they develop a teaching portfolio.

With enactment of House Bill 345, individuals would go straight into the classroom under an

internship license. After successful completion of an internship, individuals would potentially

receive either a level 2 or levels 3-A and 3-B alternative license.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

This bill has the potential to enable districts to place more highly qualified teachers in shortage

areas, both geographically and regarding underrepresented fields of study. Student performance

could be positively affected through knowledge and content that these licensees possess.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

There are no additional administrative implications related to this legislation. Current alternative

licensure program participants must submit to a fingerprint background check and are tested in

applicable content areas.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The Department of Finance and Administration analysis response addresses the potential that

degreed professionals, although knowledgeable in specific content areas, may be ineffective in

transferring that knowledge to students.

PD/nt