AN ACT to APPROPRIATE funds to increase support for teachers participating in the NORTH CAROLINA new teacher support program.

Whereas, teacher effectiveness is the most important factor in delivering positive student outcomes to address North Carolina's teacher crisis; and

Whereas, North Carolina remains in crisis, as the 2022‑2023 State of the Teaching Profession report indicated that eleven and one‑half percent (11.5%) of teachers left their teaching role in the previous school year; and

Whereas, the 2022‑2023 State of the Teaching Profession report indicated that the attrition rate for beginning teachers was higher than the overall rate, at roughly fifteen percent (15%); and

Whereas, fewer students are enrolled in the 15 educator preparation programs (EPPs) at constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina; and

Whereas, nearly half of new teachers are entering the profession through alternative teacher preparation programs, such as the residency license; and

Whereas, the 2022‑2023 State of the Teaching Profession report showed that North Carolina teacher vacancies are in excess of 6,150 statewide instructional vacancies on the first day of school, up 610 positions from the previous year; and

Whereas, certain local school administrative units are more vulnerable to teacher attrition; and

Whereas, on‑the‑job learning and comprehensive induction into the teaching profession between the first and second years of teaching is where the most gains in teacher effectiveness are realized; and

Whereas, half of North Carolina's teachers leave the profession after five years, and the personnel costs associated with teacher attrition are twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($12,500) per teacher; and

Whereas, according to the 2022‑2023 State of the Teaching Profession report, of the 2,547 teachers issued a permit to teach in 2018‑2019, only fifty‑five percent (55%) completed a residency license by 2020‑2021; and

Whereas, more than half of resident teachers in North Carolina are no longer teaching in the public schools, representing a loss of seventeen million five hundred thousand dollars ($17,500,000); and

Whereas, the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program is a program of The University of North Carolina and administratively coordinated by East Carolina University and is a comprehensive induction program providing research‑based curriculum and multiple services to increase teacher effectiveness, enhance skills, and reduce attrition among beginning teachers; and

Whereas, teachers participating in the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program were significantly more likely than other beginning teachers working in similar schools to return (i) to North Carolina public schools overall, (ii) to the same local school administrative unit, and (iii) to the same school in the following year; and

Whereas, for many teachers, cost is a barrier to participation in the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be allocated for the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program (Program) to increase participation in the Program by qualifying new teacher graduates without additional cost to local school administrative units. First priority for receipt of these funds shall be for qualifying new teacher graduates working in local school administrative units located in a county that is designated as a development tier one area in the annual ranking performed by the Department of Commerce pursuant to G.S. 143B‑437.08. For purposes of this section, the term qualifying new teacher graduate shall refer to persons teaching in North Carolina public schools who meet one of the following criteria:

(1)        Hold one of the following types of alternative teaching licenses:

a.         An emergency license.

b.         A residency license.

c.         A permit to teach issued by the Department of Public Instruction in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

(2)        Are graduates of a recognized educator preparation program at a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina.

SECTION 2.  The funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act shall be used in programs designed to address the specific needs of teachers with alternative teaching licensure who will begin their teaching careers in North Carolina public schools through a blended model of support to include:

(1)        Participation in a beginning teacher summit hosted by the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program, a professional conference event for early career educators.

(2)        An assigned instructional coach familiar with the region and local school context to guide improvements in the proficiency of teachers in planning, instruction, and assessment.

(3)        Access to and participation in ongoing, career‑embedded professional development to meet their emerging needs with consideration of their professional context.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.