| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Bill 249 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Burns of the 23rd, Harbin of the 16th, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Hickman of the 4th and others |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | To amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Act," so as to provide that, beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, a computer science3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | course shall be a high school graduation requirement; to provide for certain computer science4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | courses to be substituted for units of credit graduation requirements in certain other subject5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | areas; to provide for such exception; to revise legislative findings; to provide for related6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended by revising Code Section 20-2-149.3, relating to requirements for computer science12 |
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| 20 | 20 | | education, as follows:13 |
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| 21 | 21 | | "20-2-149.3.14 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a) The General Assembly finds that:15 |
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| 23 | 23 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 24 | 24 | | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) Education in computer science is a critical need for the students of Georgia for the16 |
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| 26 | 26 | | twenty-first century; and17 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) Less than 0.5 percent of high school graduates have taken a computer science course;18 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) There are thousands of unfulfilled computer science jobs in the state; and19 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (4) The logical critical thinking skills taught by computer science are now very valuable20 |
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| 30 | 30 | | in many noncomputer science jobs, as technology has become embedded in most21 |
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| 31 | 31 | | professions.22 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) As used in this Code section, the term:23 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) 'Computer science' means the study of computers, algorithmic processes, coding,24 |
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| 34 | 34 | | artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and logical critical thinking, including25 |
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| 35 | 35 | | computer principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their26 |
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| 36 | 36 | | impact on society.27 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) 'Computer science courses and content' means high school courses that teach28 |
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| 38 | 38 | | computer science as stand-alone implementations and middle school courses that provide29 |
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| 39 | 39 | | instruction in computer science in stand-alone implementations or by being embedded30 |
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| 40 | 40 | | in other subjects and focus on how to create and understand technology, rather than by31 |
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| 41 | 41 | | simply using technology.32 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (3) 'High-quality professional learning' means professional development activities that:33 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (A) Clarify the conceptual foundations of computer science;34 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (B) Teach research based practices, including hands-on and inquiry based learning; and35 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (C) Are intended for teachers with or without prior exposure to computer science.36 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (4) 'High-quality professional learning providers' means institutions of higher education37 |
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| 47 | 47 | | in this state, local school systems, nonprofit organizations, or private entities that have38 |
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| 48 | 48 | | successfully designed, implemented, and scaled high-quality professional learning for39 |
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| 49 | 49 | | teachers and are approved or recommended by the State Board of Education in40 |
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| 50 | 50 | | coordination with the Department of Education.41 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (5) 'Offer' means providing a course taught by a computer science teacher:42 |
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| 52 | 52 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 53 | 53 | | - 2 - 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (A) Who is onsite at the physical location of the school; or |
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| 55 | 55 | | 43 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (B) Who is not onsite at the physical location of the school but conducts the course44 |
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| 57 | 57 | | through virtual means with a proctor onsite at the physical location of the school.45 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (c)(1) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year:46 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (A) Each local school system shall provide that at least one high school in its school47 |
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| 60 | 60 | | system offer a course in computer science;48 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (B) Each local school system shall provide that all middle schools in its school system49 |
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| 62 | 62 | | offer instruction in exploratory computer science;50 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (C) Each state charter school that serves high school students shall offer a course in51 |
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| 64 | 64 | | computer science;52 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (D) Each state charter school that serves middle school students shall offer instruction53 |
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| 66 | 66 | | in exploratory computer science;54 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (E) Each local school system may provide that all elementary schools in its school55 |
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| 68 | 68 | | system offer instruction in exploratory computer science; and56 |
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| 69 | 69 | | (F) Each state charter school that serves elementary school students may offer57 |
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| 70 | 70 | | instruction in exploratory computer science.58 |
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| 71 | 71 | | (2) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, each local school system shall provide that59 |
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| 72 | 72 | | at least 50 percent of the high schools in its school system offer a course in computer60 |
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| 73 | 73 | | science.61 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (3) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each local school system shall provide that62 |
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| 75 | 75 | | all high schools in its school system offer a course in computer science.63 |
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| 76 | 76 | | (4)(A) Beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, each local board of education shall |
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| 77 | 77 | | 64 |
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| 78 | 78 | | require all students, as a condition of graduation from high school, to complete a course65 |
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| 79 | 79 | | in computer science or a career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) course66 |
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| 80 | 80 | | embedded with computer science which meets the requirements provided in67 |
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| 81 | 81 | | subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.68 |
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| 82 | 82 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 83 | 83 | | - 3 - 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 84 | 84 | | (B) The course required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph may be earned by69 |
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| 85 | 85 | | students in any of grades eight through 12 and shall:70 |
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| 86 | 86 | | (i) Meet or exceed the content standards and any other requirements prescribed by71 |
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| 87 | 87 | | the State Board of Education for such courses;72 |
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| 88 | 88 | | (ii) Be made available in a traditional classroom setting, a blended learning73 |
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| 89 | 89 | | environment, or an online or other technology based format that is tailored to meet the74 |
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| 90 | 90 | | needs of each participating student; and75 |
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| 91 | 91 | | (iii) Not increase the number of credits required for graduation.76 |
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| 92 | 92 | | (C)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit computer77 |
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| 93 | 93 | | science course that meets the requirements provided in subparagraph (B) of this78 |
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| 94 | 94 | | paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the course required in subparagraph (A) of this79 |
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| 95 | 95 | | paragraph and one unit of credit graduation requirement for one of the following:80 |
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| 96 | 96 | | (I) One unit of math credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not be81 |
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| 97 | 97 | | a substitute for Algebra: Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, Geometry:82 |
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| 98 | 98 | | Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, or Advanced Algebra: Concepts and83 |
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| 99 | 99 | | Connections or its equivalent;84 |
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| 100 | 100 | | (II) One unit of science credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not85 |
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| 101 | 101 | | be a substitute for any biology or physical science requirements;86 |
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| 102 | 102 | | (III) One unit of CTAE credit;87 |
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| 103 | 103 | | (IV) One unit of Modern Language or Latin credit;88 |
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| 104 | 104 | | (V) One unit of Fine Arts credit; or89 |
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| 105 | 105 | | (VI) One unit of elective credit.90 |
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| 106 | 106 | | (ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation91 |
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| 107 | 107 | | requirement by completing more than one computer science course that implements92 |
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| 108 | 108 | | a minimum course of instruction based on content standards prescribed by the State93 |
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| 109 | 109 | | Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from such other computer94 |
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| 110 | 110 | | science course completed by such student, and such student may be permitted to use95 |
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| 111 | 111 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 112 | 112 | | - 4 - 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 113 | 113 | | multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as provided in this96 |
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| 114 | 114 | | subparagraph; provided, however, that a student shall not be permitted to offset more97 |
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| 115 | 115 | | than one unit of math credit and one unit of science credit; and, provided further, that98 |
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| 116 | 116 | | there shall be no limit to the number of offsets permitted for units of CTAE or elective99 |
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| 117 | 117 | | credits.100 |
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| 118 | 118 | | (D)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit CTAE101 |
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| 119 | 119 | | course embedded with computer science that meets the requirements provided in102 |
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| 120 | 120 | | subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the full-credit course103 |
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| 121 | 121 | | required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and one unit of credit graduation104 |
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| 122 | 122 | | requirement for one of the following:105 |
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| 123 | 123 | | (I) One unit of CTAE credit; or106 |
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| 124 | 124 | | (II) One unit of elective credit.107 |
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| 125 | 125 | | (ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation108 |
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| 126 | 126 | | requirement by completing more than one CTAE course embedded with computer109 |
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| 127 | 127 | | science that implements a minimum course of instruction based on content standards110 |
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| 128 | 128 | | prescribed by the State Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from111 |
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| 129 | 129 | | such other computer science course completed by such student, and such student may112 |
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| 130 | 130 | | be permitted to use multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as113 |
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| 131 | 131 | | provided in this subparagraph.114 |
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| 132 | 132 | | (E) The Department of Education shall establish, and the State Board of Education115 |
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| 133 | 133 | | shall approve, the minimum criteria by with a CTAE course embedded with computer116 |
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| 134 | 134 | | science may be approved.117 |
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| 135 | 135 | | (d) The Department of Education shall ensure that the Georgia Virtual School operated118 |
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| 136 | 136 | | pursuant to Code Section 20-2-319.1 has sufficient capacity to enable schools to utilize119 |
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| 137 | 137 | | computer science courses to meet the needs of such schools as a result of this Code section.120 |
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| 138 | 138 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 139 | 139 | | - 5 - 25 LC 49 2283 |
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| 140 | 140 | | (e)(1) Subject to appropriations, grants shall be provided to eligible entities to deliver |
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| 141 | 141 | | 121 |
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| 142 | 142 | | professional development programs for teachers providing instruction in computer122 |
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| 143 | 143 | | science courses and content.123 |
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| 144 | 144 | | (2) Eligible entities shall include local school systems, consortia of local school systems,124 |
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| 145 | 145 | | local charter schools, state charter schools, and high-quality professional learning125 |
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| 146 | 146 | | providers working in partnership with local school systems.126 |
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| 147 | 147 | | (3) Criteria for grant awards to eligible entities pursuant to this subsection shall include:127 |
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| 148 | 148 | | (A) The number of teachers in a local school system that require training and the128 |
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| 149 | 149 | | number of teachers in a local school system that have already received training; and129 |
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| 150 | 150 | | (B) The willingness of local school systems to make available their teachers who have130 |
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| 151 | 151 | | received training in computer science courses and content to provide computer science131 |
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| 152 | 152 | | instruction in another local school system or systems.132 |
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| 153 | 153 | | (4) The Department of Education shall submit a report on December 1 of each year to133 |
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| 154 | 154 | | the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the134 |
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| 155 | 155 | | chairperson of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, and the chairperson of the135 |
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| 156 | 156 | | House Committee on Education. Such report shall include the number of teachers136 |
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| 157 | 157 | | trained, the number of schools offering training, the number of students served and the137 |
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| 158 | 158 | | demographics of such students, and a list of the eligible entities that provided the138 |
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| 159 | 159 | | training."139 |
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| 160 | 160 | | SECTION 2.140 |
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| 161 | 161 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.141 |
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| 162 | 162 | | S. B. 249 |
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| 163 | 163 | | - 6 - |
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