Alabama § 16-13-363 - Appropriation and Allocation of Funding; Raise Act Guide; Professional Learning Series.

§ 16-13-363. Appropriation and Allocation of Funding; Raise Act Guide; Professional Learning Series.

(a) The department shall implement this article commencing with the 2025-2026 school year contingent upon funding being appropriated by the Legislature for such purpose.

(b) The funding described in this article shall be allocated in accordance with this article and rules adopted by the state board.

(c) On or before July 1, 2025, and each June 1 thereafter until the unified application created pursuant to Section 16-13-368 is implemented, the department shall create and publish a RAISE Act guide outlining the department’s procedures for administering this article. At a minimum, the RAISE Act guide shall:

(1) Identify the data the department must receive from each LEA for purposes of administering this article; and

(2) Explain how and when the data identified in subdivision (1) shall be submitted to the department.

(d) The department shall create or procure, and make available no later than January 1, 2027, and at no cost to participants, a professional learning series on the RAISE Act. The series must include, at a minimum, an overview of the RAISE Act, its logistics and data, the investments that will increase student achievement of the student group generating weighted allocations through the RAISE Fund, and how to budget the additional funding provided by the RAISE Fund for the specific purposes outlined in the annual Education Trust Fund appropriations act. LEA employees that are involved in budgeting at the school and system level, such as superintendents, assistant superintendents, chief school finance officers, other school business officers, and principals of schools, including leaders from public charter schools, shall be required to participate in the RAISE Act professional learning series. The department shall also make the professional learning series on the RAISE Act available to education leaders, LEA employees, and other interested stakeholders.

(e) A professional learning series created or procured pursuant to this section may be provided to participants virtually or in person at the discretion of the department. The department shall make all instructional materials used as part of the series publicly available on the department’s website.

(f) Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, the professional learning series on the RAISE Act shall be incorporated into the professional learning series on the unified application created in Section 16-13-368.