115C-268.5. Powers and duties of the Commission.

(a) Duties. - The Commission shall:

(1) Develop and recommend to the State Board of Education rules related to all aspects of educator preparation programs in accordance with Article 17D of this Chapter. These rules shall include the following:

a. Requirements for appropriate pedagogy to be included in residency license programs.

b. Appropriate courses to be used for calculation of individual and cohort grade point averages for admission to educator preparation programs, which may account for prior degrees attained, type of license, and areas of licensure. The Commission shall consider which grade point average, either the grade point average in the content courses relevant to the licensure area or the cumulative grade point average, would be most appropriate for clinical residency students.

(2) Develop and recommend to the State Board of Education rules related to all aspects of professional standards for North Carolina educators in accordance with Article 17E of this Chapter. These rules shall include specific hour requirements for the following:

a. Preservice training and field experiences prior to entering the classroom for individuals issued residency licenses.

b. Preservice training prior to entering the classroom for individuals issued emergency licenses.

(3) Provide recommendations as requested to the State Board of Education related to the educator preparation programs and professional standards of North Carolina educators.

(b) The Commission shall recommend ways to ensure that the clinical practice requirements described in G.S. 115C-269.25(d) effectively prepare high-quality professional educators who meet the demands of North Carolina schools.

(c) State Board Approval. - The Commission shall submit its recommendations under subsection (a) of this section to the State Board. The State Board shall adopt or reject the rules recommendations. The State Board shall not make any substantive changes to any rules recommendation that it adopts. If the State Board rejects the rules recommendation, it shall state with specificity its reasons for rejection; the Commission may then amend that rules recommendation and resubmit it to the State Board. The Board shall adopt or reject the amended rules recommendation. If the State Board fails to adopt the Commission's original and amended rule recommendations, the State Board may develop and adopt its own rules.

(d) Annual Report. - The Commission shall submit a report by December 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the State Board of Education of its activities during the preceding year, together with any recommendations and findings regarding improvement of the teaching profession.