AN ACT to allow nonpublic schools to request residency licenses for teachers.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑270.20(a) reads as rewritten:

(a)      Teacher Licenses. – The State Board shall adopt rules for the issuance of the following classes of teacher licenses, including required levels of preparation for each classification:

…

(5)        Residency License or RL. – A one‑year license, renewable twice, that meets both of the following requirements:

a.         Is requested by the governing body of a public school unit and accompanied by a certification of supervision from the recognized educator preparation program in which the individual is enrolled.either of the following entities and is accompanied by a certification of supervision from the recognized educator preparation program in which the individual is enrolled:

1.         The governing body of a public school unit.

2.         A nonpublic school that meets the requirements of Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 39 of this Chapter.

3.         A nonpublic school approved and monitored by the Department of Public Instruction that provides services for students with extraordinary costs. For the purposes of this subsection, extraordinary costs shall include costs directly attributable to providing the special education services on the student's IEP.

b.         The individual for whom the license is requested meets all of the following requirements:

1.         Holds at least one of the following:

I.          A bachelor's degree.

II.        An advanced degree.

2.         Has either completed coursework relevant to the requested licensure area or passed the content area examination relevant to the requested licensure area that has been approved by the State Board.

3.         Is enrolled in a recognized educator preparation program.

4.         Meets all other requirements established by the State Board, including completing preservice requirements prior to teaching.

….

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to applications for residency licenses occurring on or after that date.