AN ACT to make various changes to the education laws.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i. revise the governance structure and admissions standards for the north carolina center for the advancement of teaching

SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 115C‑296.5 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑296.5.  North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching; powers and duties of trustees; Superintendent; reporting requirement.

(a)        The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (hereinafter called NCCAT), through itself or agencies with which it may contract, shall:shall do the following:

(1)        Provide career teachers with opportunities to study advanced topics in the sciences, arts, and humanities and to engage in informed discourse, assisted by able mentors and outstanding leaders from all walks of life; andlife.

(2)        Offer opportunities for teachers to engage in scholarly pursuits through a center dedicated exclusively to the advancement of teaching as an art and as a profession.

(b)        Priority for admission to NCCAT opportunities shall be given to teachers with teaching experience of 15 years or less.Admission to NCCAT opportunities shall be available to all teachers regardless of years of teaching experience.

(c)        NCCAT may also provide training and support for beginning teachers to enhance their skills and in support of the State's effort to recruit and retain beginning teachers.

(d)       The Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall hold all the powers and duties necessary or appropriate for the effective discharge of the functions of NCCAT.NCCAT, including full authority regarding all aspects of employment and contracts in accordance with State personnel policies and contract procedures. The Board of Advisors of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching shall advise the Superintendent in the exercise of these powers and duties.

(e)        The Executive Director shall report directly to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Executive Director shall submit a copy of the NCCAT annual report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Chair of the State Board of Education at the time of issuance.

SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 115C‑296.6 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑296.6.  Composition of board of trustees; advisors; terms; officers.

(a)        The NCCAT Board of Trustees Advisors shall be composed of the following membership:

(1)        Two ex officio members: the Chairman Chair of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or their designees;designees.

(2)        Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;Senate.

(3)        Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives; andRepresentatives.

(4)        Eight members appointed by the Governor, one from each of the eight educational regions.

The appointing authorities shall give consideration to assuring, through Board membership, the statewide mission of NCCAT.

(b)        Members of the NCCAT Board of Trustees Advisors shall serve four‑year terms. Members may serve two consecutive four‑year terms. The Board shall elect a new chair every two years from its membership. The chair may serve two consecutive two‑year terms as chair.

(c)        The chief administrative officer of NCCAT shall be an executive director who shall be appointed by the NCCAT Board of Trustees.Superintendent of Public Instruction.

SECTION 1.(c)  Section 9.13(a) of S.L. 2009‑451 reads as rewritten:

SECTION 9.13.(a)  The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) is transferred from the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to the State Board of Education. The Center shall be located administratively under the State Board of Education but shall exercise its powers and duties through its own board of trustees. The board of trustees shall have full authority regarding all aspects of employment and contracts for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in accordance with State personnel policies and contract procedures.

….

part ii. CONTRACT WITH GOORU FOR PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Department of Public Instruction shall use funds provided pursuant to Section 3.5(a)(10) of S.L. 2021‑25, as amended by S.L. 2021‑180, to contract with Gooru, Inc., for a period of up to three years for the software program Gooru Navigator, in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic, to evaluate and improve student learning and performance and to provide students with an individualized roadmap for improving learning and performance.

PART III. NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE DATA

SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding any provision of S.L. 2022‑74 or the Committee Report described in Section 43.2 of that act to the contrary, the one hundred sixty thousand dollars ($160,000) in recurring funds for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction to enter into an agreement with the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State University shall instead be used to purchase attainment data from the National Student Clearinghouse and share the data annually with eligible and appropriate sectors, partners, and individuals as requested and approved by the Department.

PART IV. STUDY AND EVALUATION OF SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT SCORES AND METRICS

SECTION 4.(a)  The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall study (i) school achievement, growth, performance scores, and grades awarded pursuant to G.S. 115C‑83.15 and (ii) school performance indicators for compliance with federal law pursuant to G.S. 115C‑83.16. The Superintendent shall report the results of the study to the House Committee on Education – K‑12, the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education, and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before April 15, 2023. The report shall include the following:

(1)        Any efforts by the Department of Public Instruction to review the statewide model of evaluating school achievement, growth, performance scores, and grades.

(2)        The results of any research regarding external school accountability systems in states comparable to North Carolina and how those states were determined to be comparable.

SECTION 4.(b)  On or before February 15, 2024, the Department of Public Instruction shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on suggested changes to the school evaluation model used in Part 1B of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes. The report shall include at least the following:

(1)        Potential indicators to be considered when evaluating schools.

(2)        The differences between the potential indicators and the current school performance indicators.

(3)        An analysis of whether the potential indicators will comply with federal law.

(4)        Recommended legislative changes to school performance indicators, scores, and grades.

part v. effective date

SECTION 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.