NC H931

Department of Public Instruction must issue a Request for Proposals and contract with a consultant to study the feasibility of extending teacher contracts from 10 months to 11 months for professional development purposes.

Extended-year contracts would be available to teachers with initial professional licenses, master teachers, teachers in low-performing schools, and certain teachers with continuing professional licenses.

Study team must include the Superintendent of Public Instruction (or designee), one principal, and one teacher each from elementary, middle, and high schools, plus a third-party evaluator.

Final report must include recommendations on implementation feasibility, master teacher definitions, integration with teacher compensation models, professional development approaches, legal barriers, and evaluation metrics for student performance and teacher skill impacts.

Department shall issue RFP by September 15, 2019, select contractor by December 15, 2019, and submit results to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 15, 2020, with $100,000 appropriated for study expenses.