NC S564

Establishes a 16-member Task Force on Educator Effectiveness, Compensation, and Career Development to recommend whether to create statewide incentive models and alternative compensation systems for teachers and administrators, with findings due by April 15, 2014.

Requires annual evaluations for all teachers with at least one formal observation performed by an outside evaluator designated by the principal; non-tenured teachers in low-performing schools must receive at least three observations annually by the principal plus at least one by an outside evaluator.

Mandates continuing licensure requirements include at least 10 continuing education credits with competencies in digital learning and innovative teaching methods; teacher education programs must include instruction in identifying children with disabilities, positive behavior management, and creative/digital teaching strategies.

Guarantees duty-free instructional planning time during student contact hours: kindergarten-5th grade teachers receive minimum 3 hours weekly, 6th-8th grade teachers 4 hours weekly, and 9th-12th grade teachers 5 hours weekly.

Changes career status eligibility so teachers automatically receive tenure after 4 years if they receive accomplished or higher ratings for 2 of 4 years and a highly effective rating by year four; allows revocation of tenure if a teacher receives below-proficient ratings or falls below effective for two consecutive years.

Requires student growth measured by the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) to be incorporated into school performance grades and overall school performance scores.