NC H634

Directs the State Board of Education to approve between one and four alternative, private, for-profit, or nonprofit lateral entry educator preparation programs by November 15, 2017, if programs meet specified standards.

Requires approved programs to provide at least 80 instructional hours of classroom readiness training, including preservice training in special education identification, student behavior management, de-escalation techniques, and safe use of seclusion and restraint.

Mandates approved programs include a minimum of three educator coaching visits in the first year of teaching and require all required pedagogy and subject-area content to be completed by the end of the first year.

Requires applicants to hold at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and allows programs to operate beginning in the 2018 spring academic term.

Directs the State Board of Education to report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee beginning December 15, 2019, on teacher retention rates and student performance outcomes for teachers licensed through these alternative programs.