Senate committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Section 1.6

Replaces the content of proposed GS 115C-238.90, concerning the learning accelerator programs, with the following.

Defines seven terms used in the statute, including defining eligible partner as an entity that provides a menu of learning units and works with a public school unit to implement a learning accelerator program. Defines a learning accelerator as a student-selected combination of modular learning units offered as part of a learning accelerator program, that, when aggregated: (1) is recognized by an eligible partner as the competency-based equivalent of a traditional elective course credit, and (2) includes opportunities for work-based learning. Defines a learning lab as a physical site where collaborative learning and networking takes place for a learning accelerator program.

Allows public school units to work with eligible partners to implement learning accelerator programs that include high-tech learning accelerators, health science learning accelerators, or both. Participating students must be allowed to continue to aggregate learning units throughout the time they are enrolled in the school and the learning accelerator must not be required to be completed in a single semester or school year. Sets out requirements for the memorandum of understanding between the public school unit and eligible partner.

Specifies that learning lab facilitators are not required to hold a teaching license but have to meet the qualifications in the memorandum of understanding. Also provides that public school units are not required to pay the facilitators based on the teacher salary schedule and that the facilitators are subject to criminal history check requirements.

Allows public school unit and eligible partners to contract with additional nonlicensed personnel to provide content, expertise, and student learning experiences; these personnel are also subject to criminal history check requirements.

Sets out parameters for determining how much elective credit to award and how to denote the transcript for a student who completes a high-tech learning accelerator or health science learning accelerator.

Requires the State Board of Education (State Board), to the extent funds are available for the purpose, to establish a funding allotment for learning lab facilitator positions. Limits the use of State funds for learning lab facilitator positions to paying salaries and benefits of learning lab facilitators or for hiring contract personnel.

Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to report annually to the specified NCGA committee on the ten specified issues.

Maintains the appropriations provisions. Adds that successful completion of a high-tech learning accelerator offered by SparkNC, who is an eligible partner, satisfies the computer science graduation requirement.

Section 1.7

Amends new Part 7A, Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports Grant Program, in Article 16 of GS Chapter 115C, as follows. Specifies that nonprofits and nonprofits collaborating with local school administrative units may apply for grants from the Grant Program for the operation of student programs that focus on the eight listed topics. Makes additional clarifying and technical changes throughout.

Section 1.12

Amends GS 115C-650 by correcting the name of the program to the AI Academic (was, Instructional) Support Program. Changes the timing of the evaluation by public school units so that they are due to DPI by July 15 following each year that funds are used (was, of each year that funds are used). Changes the due date of the DPI’s report to the specified NCGA committee to no later than October 15 following (was, February 15 of each) each year that fund are made available. Makes additional technical changes.

Adds the following new content.

Section 1.14

Enacts new GS 115C-407.45 requiring the governing body of a public school unit to adopt a policy that would excuse a student’s absence to attend released time religious instruction (meaning religious instruction offered by a private entity during the school day). Requires that the policy include specified parameters about parental consent forms, documentation of instruction, make up work, a prohibition on using State and local funds to facilitate the instruction, prohibiting on using school property, and setting minimum and maximum amount of time that can be missed in a week. Amends the following to require the impacted schools to adopt a policy for these absences in accordance with GS 115C-407.45: GS 115C-47 (local boards of education), GS 115C-218.75 (charter schools), GS 115C-238.66 (regional school), and GS 116-239.8 (UNC laboratory schools).

Amends GS 115C-379, concerning attendance enforcement as follows. No longer specifies that the State Board must prescribe: (1) what constitutes unlawful absence, (2) what causes may constitute legitimate excuses for temporary nonattendance due to a student's physical or mental inability to attend or a student's participation in a valid educational opportunity such as service as a legislative page or a Governor's page, and (3) under what circumstances teachers, principals, or superintendents may excuse pupils for nonattendance due to immediate demands of the farm or the home in certain seasons of the year in the several sections of the State. Instead require the State board to require school officials to excuse absences for those reasons as well as for religious observance and military leave already included in the statute, and adds in released time religious instruction. Makes additional conforming and clarifying changes.

Applies beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

Section 1.15

Requires the North Carolina Collaborator to study how local school administrative units can allow students to attend any school within the local school administrative unit in which the student is domiciled, other than the base school. Sets out issues that must be included in the study. Requires a report to the specified NCGA committee by April 15, 2027.

Section 1.16

Amends GS 115C-310.5 by amending the provision governing the implementation of an Advanced Teaching Role (ATR) plan, as follows. Now allows for each year an ATR unit operates under an ATR plan, for the ATR unit to designate additional schools as ATR as follows: (1) for the first year of implementation, the ATR unit may include in its ATR plan at last one school up to the lesser of five of the ATR unit’s schools or 40% of the ATR unit’s schools. For years that follow, allows the ATR unit to designate as ATR schools up to the greater of three schools, or 25% of the total number of schools in the ATR Unit, not to exceed 10 schools per year.

Amends GS 115C-310.9 as follows. Requires that the State Board’s compliance review of ATRs once every five years be passed on a timetable that is available to the public. Requires the State Board to adopt a rule describing the review process and criteria. Establishes a process under which a ATR unit or ATR school may be put on a one-year probation for failing to meet the criteria. Instead of just allowing the State Board to terminate the plan of a ATR unit or school within the ATR unit that fails to meet criteria, now sets out the process for termination depending on whether or not the school or unit was on probation.

Amends GS 115C-310.11 by amending the provision governing funds awarded to an ATR unit as follows. Specifies that grants include: (1) one-time planning funds and (2) implementation funds for at term of up to three years, renewable once. Requires the State Board to authorize a second term of grant funds, in accordance with the statute. Requires that the funds to each ATR unit receiving funds under the statute be allocated as follows: (1) $150,000 in one-time planning funds before or during the first year of the ATR unit’s initial grant term; (2) $15,000 per ATR school in implementation funds for each year the ATR unit receives grant funds, for no more than three years per ATR school. Makes conforming changes. Applies to grant terms, including renewals, beginning with or following the 2026-27 school year.

Amends GS 115C-310.13 as follows. Allows ATR units to designate up to 15% of the teachers in each school as collaborative impact leaders instead of adult leadership teachers and 5% of the teachers as teachers of distinction instead of classroom excellence teachers. Define a collaborative impact leader as an ATR team lead who: (1) leads a team of between four and eight teachers, (2) does not serve as the teacher of record (as defined) for any students, (3) provides instruction, including co-teaching, for at least 30% of the instructional day to students taught by teachers on the ATR team lead’s team; and (4) is not a school administrator. Defines a partial-release collaborative impact leader as an ATR team lead who: (1) serves as the teacher of record for at least one class of students, (2) leads a team of two or three teachers, and (3) is not a school administrator. Defines a teacher of distinction as a classroom teacher serving in an advanced teaching role who is the teacher of record for at least 20% more students than the average number of students taught by other teachers on their ATR team. Sets out parameters for calculating the number of teachers who are eligible for designation as either collaborative impact leaders or teachers of distinction. Sets salary supplements at $10,000 for collaborative impact leaders; $5,000 for partial-release collaborative impact leaders, and $3,000 for teachers of distinction. Encourages ATR units to use funding from other sources to provide salary supplements in addition to the State-funded salary supplements awarded in this statute. Makes additional conforming changes.

Amends GS 115C-310.15 by adding that of the funds appropriated to DPI for the Advanced Teaching Roles Program, up to $300,000 may be used in each fiscal year for the required evaluation. Makes organizational changes.

Requires the State Board to adopt the rule describing the process and criteria for the review by January 1, 2027.

Requires DPI to issue the guidance to ATR units under GS 115C-310.13 by February 1, 2027.

Applies beginning with the 2026-27 school year.