HB 819 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in certification of teachers, further providing for continuing professional development; providing for access to rigorous courses of study for all students; establishing the Access to Rigorous Courses of Study for All Students Grant Program; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

926 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

987819 THE2025 GENERALINTRODUCED ASSEMBLYBY OFMALAGARI, PENNSYLVANIABELLMON, HOUSEHILL-EVANS, BILLGIRAL, SessionMADDEN, ofFREEMAN, No.SANCHEZ, GUENST AND CERRATO, MARCH 13, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 13, 2025 AN ACT Ameact relating to the public school system, including certainAn provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools;

819 2025 INTRODUCED BY MALAGARI, BELLMON, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, MADDEN, FREEMAN, SANCHEZ, GUENST AND CERRATO, MARCH 13, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 17, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools;

establishing the Access to Rigorous Courses of Study for All ofStudents Education.tGrant Program;

and imposing duties on the Department The General Assembly of theEducation. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

(ix) other continuing professional education courses, programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the 20250HB0819PN0987 - 2 - department;

[or] 20250HB0819PN0926 - 2 - (x) visits by educators to a manufacturing workplace for orientation and demonstrations to give the professional educator a greater understanding of job opportunities in manufacturing for students[.];

"Educator training entity." An institution of higher education, intermediate unit or other organization approved by 20250HB0819PN0987 - 3 - the department to train educators to teach rigorous courses of 20250HB0819PN0926 - 3 - study.

"Rigorous course of study." An academically rigorous college-level course, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International, dual credit or a concentrated career and technical education program, delivered to secondary students by an eligible educator that may include an end-of-course exam that qualifies students to earn 20250HB0819PN0987 - 4 - college credit for prior learning.

20250HB0819PN0926 - 4 - "School entity." A school district, area career and technical school, cyber charter school, charter school, regional charter school or intermediate unit operating in this Commonwealth.

20250HB0819PN0987 - 5 - (ii) Students participating in rigorous courses of 20250HB0819PN0926 - 5 - study, disaggregated by type, by student group.

20250HB0819PN0987 - 6 - (a) Purpose.--Subject to funding being appropriated for this 20250HB0819PN0926 - 6 - purpose, the Access to Rigorous Courses of Study for All Students Grant Program is established in the department to help ensure that all school entities have properly trained educators to meet the rigorous courses of study benchmarks established under section 1703-E(c)(2)(i) and to provide rigorous courses of study exam fee assistance to students.

A SCHOOL ENTITY THAT OFFERS LESS THAN EIGHT <-- RIGOROUS COURSES OF STUDY SHALL BE DEEMED AN ELIGIBLE SCHOOL ENTITY THAT MAY APPLY FOR AN EDUCATOR TRAINING GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM.

IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS, A SCHOOL ENTITY THAT RECEIVES AN EDUCATOR TRAINING GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM SHALL OFFER RIGOROUS COURSES OF STUDY IN CORE ACADEMIC AREAS.

(3) Multiple eligible school entities may apply jointly for an educator training grant under the program if the educators to be trained will provide instruction in more than one eligible school entity through classroom instruction or 20250HB0819PN0987 - 7 - virtual learning instruction.

20250HB0819PN0926 - 7 - (ii) The subject areas in which the eligible school entity does not have rigorous courses of study offerings.

(v) The names of the educator training entities that will train the eligible educators to teach rigorous 20250HB0819PN0987 - 8 - courses of study.

(5) By June 30 of each year, each school entity that receives an educator training grant under this section shall report to the department the following for the immediately 20250HB0819PN0926 - 8 - preceding school year in a form and manner determined by the department:

(c) Student exam fee subsidy.--Subject to funding being 20250HB0819PN0987 - 9 - appropriated for this purpose, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the department shall provide rigorous course of study exam fee assistance in accordance with the following:

(1) To the extent funding is available, the department <-- shall provide funding to school entities to subsidize the cost for students to take end-of-course exams that lead to the awarding of post-secondary credit, certification or 20250HB0819PN0926 - 9 - licensure.

(1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REIMBURSE SCHOOL ENTITIES <-- 100% OF THE EXAM FEE FOR EACH STUDENT AT OR BELOW 185% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY THRESHOLD WHO COMPLETES AN EXAM FOR A RIGOROUS COURSE OF STUDY FOR WHICH THE STUDENT MAY TAKE AN EXAM FOR COLLEGE CREDIT.

(2) ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, EACH SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL CERTIFY TO THE DEPARTMENT THE AMOUNT OF REIMBURSEMENT DUE UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) IN ACCORDANCE WITH GUIDELINES DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND POSTED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE.

(1) The number of educators in school entities who 20250HB0819PN0987 - 10 - received training in rigorous course instruction by type and subject.

20250HB0819PN0926 - 10 - (7) The number and percentage of secondary students who completed rigorous courses of study at the institution of higher education for dual credit.

(a) Funding.--Funding for the program, except for dual credit, shall be made from annual appropriations made by the General Assembly to the department for that purpose, as well as 20250HB0819PN0987 - 11 - available Federal funds or funds from private sources.

20250HB0819PN0926 - 11 - Section 3.

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