SB300INTRODUCED
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ZSXTWK-1
By Senator Orr
RFD: Finance and Taxation Education
First Read: 09-May-23
2023 Regular Session
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SYNOPSIS:
Existing law requires principals and assistant
principals to complete five professional learning units
every five years specific to serving in those
administrative positions beyond the initial
instructional leadership certification provided by
state institutions of higher education.
This bill would create the School Principal
Leadership and Mentoring Act.
This bill would require the creation and
implementation of the Alabama Principal Leadership
Development System and would require all principals and
assistant principals to attend and satisfactorily
complete the program.
This bill would provide a mentoring program for
principals with less than two years of experience in
that position.
This bill would also provide annual stipends for
each principal and assistant principal who
satisfactorily completes the program.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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To create the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring
Act and the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System
for public K-12 education; to provide for the creation and
implementation of a mentoring program for new principals and a
continuing professional learning program for principals and
assistant principals; to provide annual stipends for each
principal and assistant principal who satisfactorily completes
the program; and to provide for the correlation between this
act and the Alabama Instructional Leadership Framework under
the Alabama Numeracy Act.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act.
Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) BOARD. The State Board of Education.
(2) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Education.
(3) DESIGN TEAM. The group of individuals appointed to
design the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System
including, but not limited to, standards and protocols for a
leadership academy, ongoing professional learning, mentoring,
model evaluation, and any other aspect the design team
determines necessary for the growth and development of
successful school administrators.
(4) LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL. The same as defined as a
failing school under Section 16-6D-4, Code of Alabama 1975.
(5) MENTORING. A long-term relationship between a new
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principal mentee and a trained principal mentor that fosters
the professional, academic, or personal development of the
principal mentee.
(6) NEW PRINCIPAL. A principal who is serving in his or
her first or second year as a principal.
(7) PRINCIPAL. An individual who is certified for the
position of principal, as prescribed by the board, and who is
employed full time by a local board of education as the chief
school administrator of a public school.
(8) PRINCIPAL MENTEE. A new principal who is
participating in a mentoring relationship with a more
experienced principal through which the principals may further
define and articulate core values, grow instructional
leadership competencies, and develop professional confidence.
(9) PRINCIPAL MENTOR. An experienced school
administrator who guides new principals in defining and
articulating core values, growing instructional leadership
competencies, and developing professional confidence.
(10) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. A comprehensive, sustained,
job-embedded, and collaborative approach to improving the
effectiveness of principals in elevating student achievement
through professional study.
(11) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING UNIT. A content-driven,
long-term unit of professional study for instructional leaders
that fully addresses all knowledge and ability indicators
under at least one of the Alabama Standards for Instructional
Leaders, or a professional study that constitutes a
professional learning unit that requires multiple professional
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learning experiences over time and is aligned with the Alabama
Standards for Professional Learning.
(12) PROGRAM. The Alabama Principal Leadership
Development System created by this act.
(13) SCHOOL. A public school, including a public
charter school, located in the state and providing instruction
in grades prek-12, or any configuration of those grades.
(14) SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR. Includes principals and
assistant principals.
(15) SUPERINTENDENT. The State Superintendent of
Education.
Section 3. (a)(1) A design team shall be appointed to
develop the program. In selecting design team members, the
superintendent may consult with professional associations that
primarily serve school administrators, higher education
partners, and others to facilitate a design team with
expertise in elementary, middle, and high school leadership,
as well as curriculum, school climate, data management,
assessment, instruction, mentoring, and other areas necessary
for leading a school with high expectations for academic
achievement and growth and a positive school climate. At a
minimum, the membership of the design team shall include all
of the following:
a. The State Superintendent of Education, or his or her
designee.
b. Three serving principals, including a high school,
middle school, and elementary school principal appointed by
the Board of Directors of the Council for Leaders in Alabama
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Schools.
c. Three serving assistant principals, including a high
school, middle school, and elementary school assistant
principal appointed by the Board of Directors of the Council
for Leaders in Alabama Schools.
d. One local superintendent of education appointed by
the Board of Directors of the School Superintendents of
Alabama.
e. Three serving public school teachers, including a
high school, middle school, and elementary school teacher
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Alabama Education
Association.
f. One member who is serving as a member of a local
board of education appointed by the Board of Directors of the
Alabama Association of School Boards.
g. One member who is serving as an instructor at an
institution of higher education in the state and is familiar
with the responsibilities and roles of principals appointed by
the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
h. Two members appointed from the state at-large by the
Board of Directors of the A+ Education Partnership.
i. Four members appointed from the state at-large by
the Governor.
(2) The appointing authorities shall coordinate their
appointments to assure the team membership is inclusive and
reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and
economic diversity of the state.
(b) To assist in developing and implementing the
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program, the department may contract with a professional
learning organization in the state that has demonstrated
successful experience in providing training to principals in
distributive and collaborative leadership.
(c) The goal of the program is to increase the
effectiveness of school administrators resulting in improved
academic outcomes for all students. At a minimum, the program
shall provide all of the following:
(1) Statewide infrastructure that provides consistent
access to sustained, high-quality professional learning and
mentoring for school administrators.
(2) Comprehensive instruction on school leadership and
other relevant topics consistent with new leadership standards
recommended by the design team and adopted by the board to
realize the mission of enhancing school leadership among
school administrators and resulting in improved academic
outcomes for all students.
(3) Additional resources for those schools that have
difficulty in recruiting and retaining effective school
administrators.
(4) Competitive grants or technical assistance, or
both, to encourage local school districts to develop principal
pipeline programs.
Section 4. Commencing with the 2023-2024 school year,
the design team shall develop the program in three phases,
with increasing complexity and accountability, and implemented
in the following stages:
(1) Commencing with the 2023-2024 school year, each
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school administrator shall develop a comprehensive
professional learning plan to be implemented beginning in the
2024-2025 school year, and in each subsequent school year
thereafter. In addition to required professional learning
units, the plan shall include an additional five days of
high-quality professional learning targeted to building skills
for school leadership as identified in the annual professional
learning plan. The department shall publish a list of
acceptable professional learning programs, or otherwise
approve professional learning experiences for this purpose
including, but not limited to, a menu of microcredentials,
additional in-person academies, field experiences, and other
advanced work. Each professional learning plan shall include
at least one goal related to student academic growth or
achievement, or both, and at least one goal for school
climate.
(2) Commencing with the 2024-2025 school year, each new
principal shall work with a principal mentor for two
consecutive years. A principal mentor shall be selected based
on his or her successful experience as a school leader and
commitment to developing principal mentees in school
leadership. A training program for principal mentors shall be
developed, or selected, by the design team.
(3) No later than the fall of 2025, a year-long
leadership academy developed by the design team shall be
established to do all of the following:
a. Cultivate effective school leaders who engage with
their schools and the community.
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b. Serve as a catalyst for meaningful and productive
change.
c. Recognize and develop excellent instruction.
d. Create and sustain a culture of continuous learning.
(4) No later than the fall of 2025, the design team, in
partnership with a national expert, shall develop an
evaluation system for all participating school administrators.
The evaluation system shall include measures of student growth
and achievement and all of the following domains for principal
effectiveness:
a. Visionary leadership.
b. Instructional leadership.
c. Innovative leadership.
d. Managerial leadership.
e. Relational leadership.
(5) No later than July 1, 2024, the design team shall
recommend to the superintendent a schedule for implementation
of the program so that all principals shall have the
opportunity to begin the program not later than the 2029-2030
school year.
Section 5. (a) Any appropriation by the Legislature
shall be used, in part, to fund salary supplements and related
benefit costs for school administrators and other costs
relating to the program.
(b)(1) The department shall provide an annual
supplement of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to any principal
and five thousand dollars ($5,000) to any assistant principal
who successfully completes the program, is employed full-time
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in a public preK-12 school, and is properly certified by the
state. The department shall provide additional supplements of
five thousand dollars ($5,000) to any principal and two
thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) to any assistant
principal serving in a low-performing school. Successful
completion of the program shall consist of the following:
a. Beginning with all then currently employed
principals and assistant principals, as of October 1, 2024,
annual completion of five additional days of approved,
high-quality professional learning as described in Section 4.
b. Beginning with all newly employed, first-time
principals, as of July 1, 2024, or later, annual completion of
five additional days of approved, high-quality professional
learning and participation in a new school administrator
mentor program.
c. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, all then
currently employed and new principals, in addition to the five
additional days of high-quality professional learning,
participation in the evaluation system created in Section 4.
d. Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, all then
currently employed principals, in addition to the five
additional days of high-quality professional learning,
participation in the evaluation system created in Section 4
and participation in and completion of the year-long
leadership academy in accordance with a schedule for
completion as developed and disseminated by the
superintendent.
e. Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, for newly
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employed principals, annual completion of five additional days
of high-quality professional learning, participation in the
evaluation system created in Section 4, participation and
ultimately completion of the mentorship program, and
participation in and ultimately graduation from the year-long
leadership academy.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1), any individual
employed as a principal on July 1, 2024, shall be exempt from
the mentoring requirement.
(c) Upon completion of the evaluation system, it is the
intent of the Legislature that additional supplements be
provided to principals who meet or exceed performance goals in
low-performing schools.
(d) On or before January 1, 2024, the superintendent
shall submit a report to the Legislature detailing the number
of school administrators expected to receive the annual
supplement provided in subsection (b) for the 2025 fiscal
year. The report shall be submitted to the Chair of the Senate
Finance and Taxation Education Committee, Chair of the House
Ways and Means Education Committee, and the Legislative Fiscal
Officer.
Section 6. (a) The Legislature shall annually
appropriate to the department an amount sufficient to cover
the actual costs of developing and implementing the program
including, but not limited to, the awarding of stipends and
grants and the hiring of additional staff as necessary. Any
appropriations shall be subject to the provisions, terms,
conditions, and limitations of the Budget and Financial
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Control Act, the Budget Management Act of 1976, and this act.
(b) The department shall provide technical assistance
to local boards of education as necessary to ensure compliance
with this act.
(c) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement
and enforce this act.
Section 7. (a) On or before the first legislative day
of the 2025 Regular Session, the superintendent shall submit a
report to the Legislature regarding the design and
implementation status of the program. The report shall be
submitted to the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Taxation
Education Committee, Senate Education Policy Committee, House
Ways and Means Education Committee, and House Education Policy
Committee.
(b) On or before the first legislative day of the 2026
Regular Session, the superintendent shall submit a report to
the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education
Committee, Senate Education Policy Committee, House Ways and
Means Education Committee, and House Education Policy
Committee that details all of the following:
(1) The method for identifying exemplary, high-quality
principal mentors to participate in providing instruction
through the program.
(2) The number of school administrators, by title, who
attended the program during the immediately preceding year and
the number of those school administrators who successfully
completed the program.
(3) The number of school administrators, by title,
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expected to participate in the program during the immediately
succeeding year.
(4) The number of principals who have met or exceeded
their student growth goals as identified through the
evaluation system.
(5) The manner in which the department expects to
measure the success of the program, including measuring
improved retention, improvements in school climate, and
improved student outcomes.
(6) A recommendation concerning whether to continue the
program, any recommended changes to the program, and the
estimated cost of continuing the program.
Section 8. School administrators in elementary schools
shall participate in early literacy and numeracy professional
learning recommended by the superintendent for their
individual schools as part of their high-quality professional
learning plan. Participation shall satisfy the requirements of
Section 16-6H-15, Code of Alabama 1975, which provides for the
creation of the Alabama Instructional Leadership Framework
under the Alabama Numeracy Act.
Section 9. This act shall become effective on the first
day of the third month following its passage and approval by
the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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