Sec. 4. (a) After June 30, 2017, a school corporation or charter school may receive a grant to implement the following:

(1) The System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP) teacher performance model program.

(2) The Opportunity Culture teacher performance model.

(3) A model teacher performance program approved by a national school employee organization.

(4) A teacher performance model program that includes the implementation of all the following elements:

(A) A comprehensive pay progression for teacher leaders based on demonstrated skill development, escalating levels of responsibility and duties, and demonstrated academic leadership.

(B) A quality teacher assessment system that measures the effectiveness of teachers' practice.

(C) A pay system that supports early career educators by incentivizing the following:

(i) Mentoring and coaching.

(ii) Reducing teaching loads or providing release time for teacher leaders to support professional learning.

(iii) Reviewing professional portfolios and student performance.

(D) Eligibility for all teachers rated effective and highly effective.

(E) Connection to high quality professional development, including release time for teacher leaders providing professional development and instructional coaching, that provides teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to advance student learning.

(F) A rigorous and transparent advancement criterion that is locally developed and implemented with teacher involvement.

(G) A pay system providing competitive base pay.

(H) Evidence of teacher support for the proposed teacher leadership and pay system, including support from the local school employee organization (if applicable).

(I) Plans for ongoing evaluation of the pay system.

(J) A sustainable pay system.

(K) A plan for how teacher leadership positions and ongoing training for teacher leaders will improve student achievement.

(5) The Indiana education residency pilot program established in IC 20-20-44.

(b) To receive a grant, a:

(1) school corporation, in consultation with the school corporation's school employee organization; or

(2) charter school, in consultation with the charter school's school employee organization (if applicable);

shall apply for the grant in a manner prescribed by the department. The department shall establish eligibility requirements. However, the department may not award grants to more than thirty (30) school corporations or charter schools during any school year. When awarding grants under this chapter, the department shall select a geographically diverse set of school corporations and charter schools, including school corporations and charter schools located in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

(c) A school corporation or charter school that is awarded a grant under this chapter shall receive a grant for three (3) consecutive school years. The amount of the grant may not exceed the costs incurred by the school corporation or charter school to implement the program. A school corporation or charter school may receive a matching grant from a corporation, foundation, or any other entity in addition to a grant awarded under this chapter.

As added by P.L.106-2016, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.155-2017, SEC.3; P.L.73-2019, SEC.4.