Effective June 30, 2020, repeals the following laws related to the pilot program established to develop advanced teaching roles and organizational models that link teacher performance and professional growth to salary increases in selected local school administrative units for classroom teachers: Section 8.7 of SL 2016-94; Section 7.11(a) of SL 2017-57; Section 7.15(b) of SL 2017-57; and Section 7.9 of SL 2018-5.

Instead enacts GS 115C-311 with substantively similar provisions to the laws repealed. Directs the State Board of Education (State Board) to develop advanced teaching roles and organizational models that link teacher performance and professional growth to salary increases for classroom teachers in selected local school administrative units. Defines classroom teacher as a teacher who works in the classroom providing instruction at least 70% of the instructional day and who is not instructional support personnel. Details four purposes of the program, borrowing the identical language of Section 8.7 of SL 2016-94, as repealed. Requires the State Board, by September 15, 2019, and annually thereafter, to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the program, and requires local boards to submit their proposals by October 15. Details information the RFP must require of proposals, borrowing much of the substantive requirements from Section 8.7 of SL 2016-94, as repealed, including descriptions of the program structure, descriptions of the advanced teaching roles and minimum qualifications, specified job responsibilities, notification requirements for local administrative units to inform employees and the public, the process for voluntary relinquishment of an advanced teaching role, salary supplement information, the implementation plan, plans for long-term financial sustainability, and a description of possible partnerships with local programs and institutions.

Requires the State Board to review the proposals and select local school units to participate in the program by December 15, 2019, and annually thereafter. Details criteria for the State Board's review and selection, to include the prioritization of available funds to a specified number of units with an average daily membership (ADM) from the previous year of 4,000 or fewer students; 4,001 and 20,000 students; and more than 20,001 students. Requires approval of a proposal of any unit which is participating in an approved advanced teaching roles program pursuant to Section 8.7 of SL 2016-84 in the 2019-20 school year and whose application is not inconsistent with the statute. Requires all selected units to meet minimum criteria established by the State Board consistent with the statute. Designates selected units as Advanced Teaching Roles units, and grants class size flexibility pursuant to subsection (i) of the statute to such units. Allows selected units to exceed the maximum class size requirements for grades K-3 subject to approval of the State Board.

Authorizes material revisions to a plan submitted by an Advanced Teaching Roles unit to the State Board only upon approval of the State Board.

Requires initially selected units to implement their approved plans beginning with the 2020-21 school year. Requires the State Board to review the unit for compliance every five years after the unit begins implementation. Grants the State Board authority to renew or terminate the plan and the unit's designation after its review and in its discretion. Requires the unit to provide any information or access requested by the State Board or a State Board-selected independent research organization throughout the program.

Provides funds awarded to units are subject to availability and awarded for a term of up to three years at the discretion of the State Board. Limits eligibility to receipt of funding to one term. Details the restricted use of the funds, including use for the development of advanced teaching role plans, the development of specified professional development courses for teachers, transition costs associated with designing and implementing advanced teaching role models, and the development of the design and implementation of specified compensation plans.

Provides for the State Board to evaluate the program against six specified goals, at a minimum, through a contracted independent research organization during the first two years of the program and report on October 15, 2020, and October 15, 2021. Thereafter, requires the State Board to complete the program evaluation and provide the report annually, beginning October 15, 2022. Specifies NCGA offices and committees to which the State Board must provide the reports. 

Allows the State Board to authorize local boards participating in the program to use any available State funds to provide salary supplements to classroom teachers in an advanced teaching role so long as the unit complies with specified policies.

Appropriates $1.5 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund for the 2019-20 fiscal year to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to be allocated to local units to (1) support teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles pursuant to Section 8.7 of SL 2016-94, as amended and repealed and (2) develop implementation plans for teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles pursuant to GS 115C-311, as enacted. Specifies that the funds do not revert at the end of the fiscal year and remain available until expended.

Appropriates $3 million in recurring funds from the General Fund for the 2020-21 fiscal year to DPI to be allocated to local units to support teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles, and to develop implementation plans for teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles, pursuant to GS 115C-311, as enacted. Provides that, beginning in the 2020-21 fiscal year, funds appropriated to DPI for the program and for the evaluation of the program do not revert at the end of the fiscal year and remain available until expended.

Beginning in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, of the funds appropriated to DPI by the act, authorizes DPI to use up to 4% each fiscal year to evaluate the program, contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the program, or continue any preexisting contract with an independent research organization formed pursuant to Section 8.7 of SL 2016-94, as repealed. Provides that any remaining funds may be awarded to selected local units in accordance with the act to support teacher compensation models and advanced teaching roles and to develop associated implementation plans.

Effective July 1, 2019.