House committee substitute makes the following changes to 1st edition.
Changes bill title to add “to help eliminate achievement and access gaps” and delete the word “courses” when referencing advanced placement.
Section 1: Revises amendment to GS 115C-12(9)c1 to add reference to Advanced Placement examination participation and performance to the measures that must be reported on state and local school administrative unit annual report cards.
Section 2: Revises amendment to new GC115C-83.1 to (1) clarify that the expenditure of available funds provided in subsection (a) are for the purposes of attaining the goal of the section; (2) adds to subsection (a)(1) the requirement that exemptions from student fees for AP examinations will be provided only for AP courses in which the student is enrolled (enrollment requirement not included in previous edition); (3) revises subsection (a)(2) to authorize bonuses for teachers of AP courses when students earn scores of three or higher on AP exams (was when students earned a passing score); (4) clarifies subsection (c) to include the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to eligible diagnostic tests; (5) revises subsection (g) to establish the North Carolina Advanced Placement Partnership to assist in student readiness for and access to AP courses, and requires the Partnership to provide and assist in implementation of AP and Pre-AP professional development for teachers and school administrators with prioritized assistance to low-performing schools.
Section 3: Adds new amendment to GS 115C-174.18 to add National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Section 4(b): Revises the total appropriation to $12,206,339 (was $11,660,921) and revises the appropriation for student AP test fees to $7,725,252 (was $7,179,834); deletes language providing for contingent funding for student AP test fees, and adds new requirement that the State Board of Education contract with an independent evaluator to assess the implementation and success of the AP program.
Section 5: Adds new reporting requirement for the State Board of Education to report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on data relating to student enrollment in AP courses, participation in AP tests, student performance, distribution of funds for student test fees, AP teacher bonuses, and professional development, and other related information.
Makes other technical and conforming changes and renumbers Sections 3, 4, 5, and 6.