House amendments make the following changes to the 4th edition.

Amendment #1 provides for the following if SB 257 (Appropriations Act of 2017) of the 2017 Regular Session becomes law.

Amends Section 8.29(a) of SL 2016-94, as amended, providing that a teacher assistant must continue to receive salary and benefits while student teaching in the local administrative unit in accordance with GS 115C-269.30(c) (currently, GS 115C-310(b)) while participating in the teacher assistant tuition reimbursement pilot program.

Amends GS 115C-269.30, as amended by the act. Modifies subsection (c) to require teacher assistants to continue to receive their salary and benefits while interning in the same local school administrative unit where they are employed as a teacher assistant (was, permits teacher assistants to continue receiving their salary and benefits at the discretion of the local school administrative unit). Makes technical and clarifying changes.

Amends GS 115C-300.1(c) as enacted by the act, by removing the requirement that mentor teachers rated at the proficient or accomplished levels as part of the NC Teacher Evaluation System have also met expectations for student growth as part of the specified criteria the State Board of Education (State Board) must develop for selecting teachers to be participants in the mentor teacher training program. 

Amends GS 115C-269.25(e), as enacted by the act, by removing the requirement that clinical educators who supervise student internships have met expectations as part of a student growth assessment system used by a school in the field of licensure sought by the student. 

Amends GS 115C-270.10, as enacted by the act, by adding new subsection (a1) requiring the State Board to reimburse the initial application fee for any new graduate from any recognized Educator Preparation Program (EPP) the first time an applicant submits an application for teacher licensure if the applicant has successfully earned an initial professional license in North Carolina. Directs the State Board to issue the reimbursement for the application fee within 30 days of the date the applicant successfully earns an initial professional license in North Carolina.

Amendment #2 provides for the following if SB 257 (Appropriations Act of 2017) of the 2017 Regular Session becomes law.

Amends Section 7.26B(b) of SB 257, requiring that the Reading Improvement Commission within the Department of Public Instruction also make recommendations on (1) the effectiveness of professional development in the area of literacy in developing the capacity of teachers in grades four through 12 for improving student performance in reading and (2) whether requiring professional development in the area of literacy for licensure renewal would be effective in improving student performance in reading, and if so, how much professional development should be structured and provided in order to maximize student outcomes. 

Amendment #3 amends proposed GS 115C-268.1, adding another member to those appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House to the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission, increasing the total number of members from 18 to 19. Specifies that this member is to be a member of the State Advisory Council on Indian Education.