Current through 2024 Session Acts Chapter 111 and 2024 Special Session Acts Chapter 4
Section 72-3258 - Same; grant program for professional learning; prioritization of grants; reports to state board of education(a) Subject to appropriations therefor, the state board of education may award grants to high-quality professional learning providers to develop and implement teacher professional development programs for the computer science courses required to be taught pursuant to K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-3257, and amendments thereto.(b) Grants awarded pursuant to this section may be used for the following purposes: (1) Providing high-quality professional learning;(2) credentialing for computer science teachers, including, but not limited to, reimbursement to teachers or providers for professional learning, exam fees or college coursework;(3) supporting computer science professional learning, including mentoring and coaching;(4) creating resources to support implementation of this act;(5) student recruitment; and(6) the development of teacher preparation programs.(c) As a condition of receiving a grant pursuant to this section, a high-quality professional learning provider shall submit an application to the state department of education on a form and in a manner determined by the state department of education. The application shall, at a minimum, address how the provider will: (1) Recruit new and existing teachers with little to no computer science background;(2) use research-based or evidence-based practices for high-quality professional development;(3) focus the professional learning on the conceptual foundations of computer science;(4) reach and support marginalized racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in computer science;(5) provide teachers with concrete experience with hands-on, inquiry-based practices;(6) accommodate both teacher and student needs; and(7) ensure that participating districts shall begin offering a computer science course within the same or next school year after the teacher receives the professional learning.(d) The state board of education shall prioritize the following applications: (1) School districts that work in partnership with providers of high-quality professional learning;(2) proposals that describe strategies to enroll female students, students from marginalized racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in computer science, students eligible for free and reduced-price meals, students with disabilities and English language learners; and(3) proposals from rural or urban areas that experience difficulties providing computer science offerings.(e) Each high-quality professional learning provider that receives a grant pursuant to this section shall annually report to the state board of education: (1) The number of teachers prepared;(2) the number of students reached;(3) the number and percent of students reached disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status; and(4) the number of teachers and school districts that implemented computer science courses versus the number of prepared teachers that attended professional learning.Added by L. 2022, ch. 86,§ 4, eff. 7/1/2022.