SB 547 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in certification of teachers, further providing for continuing professional development; providing for access to advanced courses for all students; establishing the Access to Advanced Courses for All Students Grant Program; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

PRINTER'S NO.   562

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 547
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, APRIL 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, APRIL 4, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further
 6      providing for continuing professional development; providing
 7      for access to advanced courses for all students; establishing
 8      the Access to Advanced Courses for All Students Grant
 9      Program; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.
10      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11   hereby enacts as follows:
12      Section 1.    Section 1205.1(c.1)(3) of the act of March 10,
13   1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
14   is amended to read:
15      Section 1205.1.    Continuing Professional Development.--* * *
16      (c.1)   The continuing professional education plan shall
17   specify the professional education needs that will be met by
18   completion of each continuing professional education option and
19   how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or
20   potential administrative certification. The options may include,
21   but shall not be limited to:
22      * * *
 1      (3)    Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken
 2   for credit or hourly, to include:
 3      (i)    curriculum development and other program design and
 4   delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as
 5   determined by the school entity and approved by the board of
 6   directors;
 7      (ii)    participation in professional conferences and
 8   workshops;
 9      (iii)     education in the workplace, where the work relates to
10   the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved
11   by the board of directors;
12      (iv)    review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,
13   organizations and functions as determined by the school entity
14   and approved by the board of directors;
15      (v)    in-service programs that comply with guidelines
16   established by the department;
17      (vi)    early childhood and child development activities for
18   professional educators whose area of assignment includes
19   kindergarten through third grade;
20      (vii)     special education activities for professional
21   educators whose area of assignment includes students with
22   special needs;
23      (viii)    successful completion of department training for
24   service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
25   participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
26   Distinguished Educators Program;
27      (ix)    other continuing professional education courses,
28   programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
29   department; [or]
30      (x)    visits by educators to a manufacturing workplace for

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 1   orientation and demonstrations to give the professional educator
 2   a greater understanding of job opportunities in manufacturing
 3   for students[.]; or
 4      (xi)     providing opportunities for educators to serve as
 5   advanced coursework coaches to support teachers in delivering
 6   high-quality advanced coursework instruction.
 7      * * *
 8      Section 2.     The act is amended by adding an article to read:
 9                               ARTICLE XVII-E
10                ACCESS TO ADVANCED COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS
11   Section 1701-E.    Scope of article.
12      This article relates to access to advanced courses for all
13   students.
14   Section 1702-E.    Definitions.
15      The following words and phrases when used in this article
16   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
17   context clearly indicates otherwise:
18      "Advanced course."     An academically rigorous college-level
19   course delivered to secondary students by an eligible educator
20   that includes an end-of-course exam that qualifies students to
21   earn college credit for prior learning.
22      "Core academic areas."     Mathematics, English language arts,
23   science, social studies and computer science.
24      "Department."     The Department of Education of the
25   Commonwealth.
26      "Educator."     A "professional employe," "temporary
27   professional employe" or "substitute" as those terms are defined
28   in section 1101.
29      "Educator training entity."       An institution of higher
30   education, intermediate unit or other organization approved by

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 1   the department to train educators to teach advanced courses. For
 2   courses, the educator training entity shall also be endorsed by
 3   the provider of advanced course work.
 4      "Eligible educator."    An educator who is certified in the
 5   subject area of the advanced course that the educator will be
 6   teaching.
 7      "Eligible school entity."    A school entity that does not meet
 8   the minimum benchmarks for advanced course offerings established
 9   by the department under section 1703-E(b)(2)(i) or is unable to
10   offer an advanced course due to the retirement, departure or
11   other loss of an educator who teaches an advanced course.
12      "Exam fee."   The amount required to take an exam associated
13   with an advanced course.
14      "Institution of higher education."    The term includes any of
15   the following:
16          (1)   A community college operating under Article XIX-A.
17          (2)   A university within the State System of Higher
18      Education under Article XX-A.
19          (3)   A State-related institution as defined in section
20      1502-A.
21          (4)   Any accredited nonprofit public, private or
22      independent college or university.
23      "Program."    The Access to Advanced Courses for All Students
24   Grant Program established under section 1704-E.
25      "School entity."   A school district, area career and
26   technical school, charter school or regional charter school
27   operating in this Commonwealth.
28      "Secondary student."    A student in grades seven through
29   twelve who is enrolled in a school entity.
30      "Virtual learning instruction."     The provision of academic

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 1   courses and instruction to students through the Internet or the
 2   use of video or audio technology.
 3   Section 1703-E.        Equitable access to advanced courses.
 4      (a)   Access.--Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each
 5   school entity receiving a grant under section 1704-E(b) shall
 6   provide secondary students with expanded opportunities to enroll
 7   in advanced courses as well as exam fee assistance, as
 8   appropriate.
 9      (b)   Duties.--
10            (1)   No later than September 1, 2026, and every five
11      years thereafter, each school entity shall report to the
12      department, in a manner determined by the department, all
13      advanced course offerings that are available to the school
14      entity's secondary students for the current school year as
15      well as the number of students participating in advanced
16      courses, completing advanced courses and taking an end-of-
17      course exam.
18            (2)   No later than December 1, 2026, and every five years
19      thereafter, the department shall:
20                  (i)    Establish benchmarks to improve secondary
21            student access to and enrollment in advanced courses.
22                  (ii)    Identify school entities that require intensive
23            assistance to improve secondary student access to and
24            enrollment in advanced courses.
25                  (iii)    Prepare a report containing the information
26            provided under paragraph (1), as well as the benchmarks
27            established and school districts identified under
28            subparagraphs (i) and (ii), and post the report on the
29            department's publicly accessible Internet website.
30            Beginning with the report required to be posted on

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 1            December 1, 2031, the report shall include an explanation
 2            of whether school entities in this Commonwealth are
 3            progressing or regressing in improving secondary student
 4            access to and enrollment in advanced courses.
 5   Section 1704-E.     Access to Advanced Courses for All Students
 6                  Grant Program.
 7      (a)   Purpose.--The Access to Advanced Courses for All
 8   Students Grant Program is established in the department to help
 9   ensure that all school entities have properly trained educators
10   to meet the advanced course benchmarks established under section
11   1703-E(b)(2)(i), to provide advanced course exam fee assistance
12   to students and to make money available for nationally normed
13   assessments.
14      (b)   Educator training grants to school entities.--
15            (1)   A school entity that does not meet a minimum
16      advanced course benchmark established by the department under
17      section 1703-E(b)(2)(i) shall be eligible for annual grants
18      for a maximum of five consecutive years to train educators to
19      teach advanced courses to enable the school entity to meet
20      the benchmark and further expand access to advanced courses
21      beyond the benchmark over the five-year grant period.
22            (2)   The department may limit the number of educators per
23      school building within an eligible school entity for whom the
24      eligible school entity may receive an educator training
25      grant.
26            (3)   Multiple eligible school entities may apply jointly
27      for an educator training grant under the program if the
28      educators to be trained will provide instruction in more than
29      one eligible school entity through classroom instruction or
30      virtual learning instruction.

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 1        (4)   The department shall develop an application process
 2    and application form for an eligible school entity seeking an
 3    educator training grant under the program. The application
 4    form shall include the following:
 5              (i)    The subject areas in which the eligible school
 6        entity currently has advanced course offerings.
 7              (ii)    The subject areas in which the eligible school
 8        entity does not have advanced course offerings.
 9              (iii)    The eligible school entity's plan to expand
10        and increase advanced course participation within the
11        eligible school entity, including for student populations
12        that have been traditionally underserved, and how an
13        educator training grant will help expedite the eligible
14        school entity's progress toward its advanced course
15        participation goals.
16              (iv)    The following information:
17                     (A)   The names of the eligible educators to be
18              trained using educator training grant proceeds.
19                     (B)   The school buildings within the eligible
20              school entity where the eligible educators will
21              teach.
22                     (C)   The advanced course subject areas in which
23              the eligible educators will provide instruction.
24                     (D)   Whether the instruction will be provided
25              through traditional classroom instruction or virtual
26              learning instruction.
27              (v)    The names of the educator training entities that
28        will train the eligible educators to teach advanced
29        courses.
30              (vi)    An agreement that the eligible school entity

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 1            will commit to offering the advanced courses to secondary
 2            students for at least five years.
 3            (5)   By June 30 of each year, each school entity that
 4      receives an educator training grant under this section shall
 5      report to the department the following for the immediately
 6      preceding school year in a form and manner determined by the
 7      department:
 8                  (i)    The number of students who enrolled in an
 9            advanced course taught by an educator who received
10            training funded by the grant and the number of students
11            who completed the course.
12                  (ii)    The number of students who took an end-of-
13            course exam in an advanced course taught by an educator
14            who received training funded by the grant.
15                  (iii)    The grade levels in which advanced courses
16            were taught.
17                  (iv)    The number of educators who received training
18            funded by the grant who taught advanced courses within
19            the school entity.
20      (c)   Exam fee grant to students.--Beginning with the 2024-
21   2025 school year, the department shall provide advanced course
22   exam fee assistance in accordance with the following:
23            (1)   The department shall reimburse school entities 100%
24      of the exam fee for each student at or above 185% of the
25      Federal poverty level who completes an advanced course for
26      which the student is required or chooses to take an exam.
27            (2)   On an annual basis, each school entity shall certify
28      to the department the amount of reimbursement due under
29      paragraph (1) in accordance with guidelines developed by the
30      department and posted on the department's publicly accessible

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 1      Internet website.
 2      (d)   Nationally normed assessments.--Beginning with the 2025-
 3   2026 school year, the department shall make money available to
 4   school entities to administer nationally normed assessments to
 5   students in grade 10 that can be used to identify students ready
 6   for advanced coursework, provide access to college scholarships
 7   and provide information about college and career opportunities.
 8   Section 1705-E.    Powers and duties of department.
 9      (a)   Rules.--The department shall promulgate rules and
10   procedures necessary for the implementation of this article.
11      (b)   Report.--By September 1, 2027, and every five years
12   thereafter, the department shall issue a report on the program
13   to the General Assembly that includes:
14            (1)   The number of educators in school entities who
15      received training in advanced course instruction delineated
16      by type of advanced course instruction.
17            (2)   The number and percentage of schools enrolling
18      secondary students that offer advanced courses and the change
19      in advanced course offerings over the five-year grant period.
20            (3)   The number and percentage of secondary students who
21      completed advanced courses at school entities.
22            (4)   The number and percentage of secondary students who
23      achieved a qualifying score, reported separately from an
24      advanced course exam at school entities.
25            (5)   The number and percentage of institutions of higher
26      education located within this Commonwealth that provide
27      academic course credit for advanced course exam scores.
28            (6)   The names of the school entities and high schools
29      that do not offer advanced courses or are below the minimum
30      benchmark established by the department under section 1703-

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 1      E(b)(2)(i).
 2            (7)   The number of educators who where trained to teach
 3      advanced courses outside the core academic areas who are
 4      teaching other advanced courses.
 5   Section 1706-E.    Program funding.
 6      (a)   Funding.--Funding for the program shall be made from
 7   annual appropriations made by the General Assembly to the
 8   department for that purpose, as well as available Federal funds
 9   or funds from private sources.
10      (b)   Priorities.--In the event of insufficient funds in any
11   fiscal year, the department shall prioritize funding of eligible
12   school entities based on the eligible school entity's poverty
13   level and deficiency in providing advanced course opportunities
14   as compared to the benchmark established by the department under
15   section 1703-E(b)(2)(i).
16   Section 1707-E.    Rights of school employees.
17      Nothing in this article shall be construed to supersede or
18   preempt the rights, remedies and procedures afforded to school
19   employees or labor organizations under Federal or State law,
20   including the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563, No.195), known as
21   the Public Employe Relations Act, or any provision of a
22   collective bargaining agreement negotiated between a school
23   employer and an exclusive representative of the employees in
24   accordance with that act.
25      Section 3.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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