North Carolina § 116-209 - 72. (Repealed effective July 1, 2021) Grant applications; priority.

§ 116-209. 72. (Repealed effective July 1, 2021) Grant applications; priority.

Application Requirements. - Subject to the availability of funds for this purpose, the nonprofit corporation entering into a contract with the Authority under G.S. 116-209.71 shall issue a request for proposal with guidelines and criteria for applying for a grant. An eligible entity that seeks a grant under the Program shall submit to the nonprofit corporation an application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the nonprofit may require. An applicant shall include at least the following information in its application for consideration by the nonprofit corporation: The extent to which the entity has a demonstrated record of preparing school leaders who implement school leadership practices linked to increased student achievement. The extent to which the entity has a rigorous school leader preparation program design that includes the following research-based programmatic elements: A proactive, aggressive, and intentional recruitment strategy. Rigorous selection criteria based on competencies that are predictive of success as a school leader, including, but not limited to, evidence of significant positive effect on student learning growth in the classroom, at the school-level, and the local school administrative unit-level, professional recommendations, evidence of problem solving and critical thinking skills, achievement drive, and leadership of adults. Alignment to high-quality national standards for school leadership development. Rigorous coursework that effectively links theory with practice through the use of field experiences and problem-based learning. Full-time paid clinical practice of at least five months and 750 hours in duration in an authentic setting, including substantial leadership responsibilities where candidates are evaluated on leadership skills and effect on student outcomes as part of program completion. Multiple opportunities for school leader candidates to be observed and coached by program faculty and staff. Clear expectations for and firm commitment from school leaders who will oversee the clinical practice of candidates. Evaluation of school leader candidates during and at the end of the clinical practice based on the North Carolina School Executive Evaluation Rubric. A process for continuous review and program improvement based on feedback from partnering local school administrative units and data from program completers, including student achievement data. Established relationship and feedback loop with affiliated local school administrative units that is used to inform and improve programmatic elements from year to year based on units' needs. Application Priority. - The nonprofit corporation shall evaluate the applicants for grants by giving priority to an eligible entity with a record of preparing principals demonstrating the following: Improvement in student achievement. Placement as school leaders in eligible schools. A proposed focus on and, if applicable, a record of serving high-need schools, high-need local school administrative units, or both. A detailed plan and commitment to share lessons learned and to improve the capacity of other entities in reaching similar outcomes. A service area that is underserved by existing principal preparation programs or demonstrates unmet need despite current available programs. History (2018-5, s. 10A.4(b); 2018-145, s. 2(a); 2019-60, s. 1(a), (i).) Section Repealed Effective July 1, 2021. - Session Laws 2019-60, s. 1(i), provides: "Effective July 1, 2021, Part 4 of Article 23 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes, as amended, is repealed." Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2018-5, s. 39.8, made this section effective July 1, 2018. Session Laws 2018-5, s. 10A.4(f) made it applicable to the administration of the program and the award of grants on or after July 1, 2018. Session laws 2018-145, s. 2(h), made the amendment of this Part by Session Laws 2018-145, s. 2(a), effective July 1, 2019, and applicable to the administration of the Transforming Principal Preparation Grant Program and the award of grants under the Program on or after that date. Session Laws 2019-60, s. 1(a), repealed Session Laws 2018-145, s. 2(a), effective June 30, 2019. Before its repeal, the amendment by Session Laws 2018-145, s. 2(a), had substituted "Commission" for "nonprofit corporation" four times; in subsection (a), deleted "entering into a contract with the Authority under G.S. 116-209.71 " preceding "shall issue a request"; and substituted "Commission" for "nonprofit" preceding "may require." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.1, as amended by Session Laws 2020-49, s. 3(a), provides: "For the purposes of this Part, the following definitions apply: "(1) Authority. - State Education Assistance Authority. "(2) Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. - The period beginning March 10, 2020, and continuing until the Governor signs an executive order rescinding Executive Order No. 116 (Declaration of a State of Emergency to Coordinate Response and Protective Actions to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19). "(3) Federal testing waiver. - The testing waiver granted to the State Board of Education by the United States Department of Education for the 2019-2020 school year, pursuant to section 8401(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, which, pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11 , eliminated the collection of certain student assessment data for the 2019-2020 school year. "(4) Modified calendar school. - A school that a local board designated as having a modified calendar for the 2003-2004 school year or any school that was part of a planned program in the 2003-2004 school year for a system of modified calendar schools, so long as the school operates under a modified calendar. "(5) State Board. - The State Board of Education. "(6) Year-round school. - A school with a single or multi-track instructional calendar that was adopted prior to March 1, 2020, and provides instructional days in compliance with Section 2.11(b)(1) of this Part throughout the entire school calendar year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, by utilizing at least one of the following plans: "a. A plan dividing students into four groups and requiring each group to be in school for assigned and staggered quarters each school calendar year. "b. A plan providing students be scheduled to attend an average of between 44 and 46 instructional days followed by an average of between 15 and 20 days of vacation, repeated throughout the school calendar year. "c. A plan dividing the school calendar year into five nine-week sessions of classes and requiring each student to attend four assigned and staggered sessions out of the five nine-week sessions to complete the student's instructional year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.2, provides: "The purpose of this Part is to clarify or modify certain requirements in consideration of actions and circumstances related to the COVID-19 emergency, including, but not limited to, the federal testing waiver and the closure of schools for in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 school year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.24(a), (b), provides: "(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 116-209.72(a)(2) e., a school leader candidate who is enrolled in a school leader preparation program receiving a grant pursuant to Part 4 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes shall have the clinical practice requirement under G.S. 116-209.72(a)(2) e. deemed completed for the 2019-2020 academic year under the following conditions: "(1) The candidate has completed as much time in the clinical practice as practicable prior to March 10, 2020. "(2) The candidate has been engaged in school leader duties as practicable while the school is closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. "(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 116-209.73(c) (1a)a., the Authority shall not retrieve grant funds for the 2019-2020 fiscal year from a grant recipient based solely on a recipient's failure to require school leader candidates to complete a full-time paid clinical practice of at least five months and 750 hours in duration as required by G.S. 116-209.72(a)(2) e. as part of the program during the 2019-2020 academic year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 5, is a severability clause.