S.B. 291
- *SB291*
SENATE BILL NO. 291–SENATORS CANNIZZARO, DONDERO LOOP,
LANGE, FLORES, NEAL; DALY, DONATE, D. HARRIS,
NGUYEN, OHRENSCHALL, PAZINA, SCHEIBLE AND
SPEARMAN
MARCH 15, 2023
____________
Referred to Committee on Education
SUMMARY—Makes various changes relating to education.
(BDR 34-503)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included
in Executive Budget.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to education; revising requirements for certain
student teachers to be employed as a substitute teacher for
a school district; making an appropriation to the
Department of Education for the Nevada Institute on
Teaching and Educator Preparation; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law authorizes a school district to enter into an agreement with the 1
Nevada System of Higher Education or certain accredited postsecondary 2
educational institutions to provide for the assignment of students for training 3
purposes as a student teacher. These student teachers are authorized, under the 4
direction and supervision of a licensed teacher, to instruct and supervise pupils in 5
the school, on school grounds and on authorized field trips. (NRS 391.095) 6
Existing law also provides that, before assigning a long-term substitute who is 7
not a licensed teacher to fill a teaching position, the board of trustees of a school 8
district that has entered into an agreement concerning student teachers is required to 9
select a student teacher who has: (1) completed at least 4 weeks of student teaching; 10
and (2) applied to the board of trustees for employment as a substitute teacher by 11
submitting an application that includes the written approval of the teacher who 12
supervises the student teacher through his or her educational institution and the 13
teacher who supervises the student teacher in the classroom. If a student teacher is 14
employed as a substitute teacher by the school district, the student teacher: (1) is 15
entitled to the rate of pay otherwise payable to a substitute teacher employed by the 16
school district for each day the student works as a substitute teacher; (2) must be 17
assigned to teach in the subject area and grade level, as applicable, in which the 18
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student teacher is completing his or her student teaching; and (3) must be 19
supervised by a licensed teacher who must be available to assist and observe the 20
student teacher on a periodic basis and oversee the management of the classroom 21
and instructional duties. 22
Section 1 of this bill removes the requirement that, to qualify for employment 23
as a substitute teacher, a student teacher must have completed at least 4 weeks of 24
student teaching in a school district. 25
Existing law authorizes a college or university within the Nevada System of 26
Higher Education to apply to the State Board of Education for a grant of money to 27
establish the Nevada Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation and 28
establishes certain requirements for the Institute. Existing law requires the Nevada 29
Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation, which has been established at the 30
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to: (1) establish a highly selective program for 31
the education and training of teachers; (2) conduct research concerning approaches 32
and methods used to educate and train teachers and to teach pupils; and (3) 33
evaluate, develop and disseminate approaches to teaching. (NRS 396.5185) Section 34
2 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Department of Education for the Nevada 35
Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation. 36
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 391.096 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
391.096 1. A board of trustees of a school district that has 2
entered into an agreement pursuant to NRS 391.095 shall, before 3
assigning a long-term substitute who is not a licensed teacher, assign 4
a student teacher who [satisfies the requirements of subsection 2] is 5
employed by the school district as a substitute teacher [.] pursuant 6
to this section. 7
2. A student teacher [who has completed not less than 4 weeks 8
of student teaching in a school district pursuant to NRS 391.095] 9
may apply to the board of trustees of [that] a school district for 10
employment as a substitute teacher. The application must include 11
the written approval of: 12
(a) The teacher who supervises the student teacher through the 13
Nevada System of Higher Education or accredited postsecondary 14
educational institution, as applicable; and 15
(b) The teacher who is responsible for supervising the student 16
teacher in the classroom. 17
3. If a school district employs a student teacher as a substitute 18
teacher pursuant to this section, the school district shall ensure that 19
the student teacher is: 20
(a) Assigned to teach in the subject area and grade level, as 21
applicable, in which the student teacher is completing his or her 22
student teaching. 23
(b) Supervised by a licensed teacher. A licensed teacher so 24
assigned must: 25
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(1) Be available to assist the student teacher and observe the 1
student teacher on a periodic basis; and 2
(2) Oversee the management of the classroom, instructional 3
duties and administrative duties of the student teacher. 4
4. A student teacher who is employed as a substitute teacher 5
pursuant to this section is entitled to the rate of pay otherwise 6
payable to substitute teachers employed by the school district for 7
each day the student teacher works as a substitute teacher. Nothing 8
in this section entitles a student teacher who is not employed as a 9
substitute teacher to be paid for time spent completing his or her 10
student teaching, including, without limitation, time spent 11
completing course work and assignments required for completion of 12
a program of study offered by the Nevada System of Higher 13
Education or an accredited postsecondary educational institution. 14
5. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the board of 15
trustees of a school district that employs a student teacher as a 16
substitute teacher pursuant to this section shall, in consultation with 17
the employee organization representing licensed teachers in the 18
school district, provide for compensation of the licensed teacher 19
who supervises the student teacher pursuant to subsection 3 that is in 20
addition to the regular salary of the licensed teacher. The board of 21
trustees is not required to provide additional compensation to: 22
(a) A licensed teacher who is employed by the school district for 23
the primary purpose of supervising student teachers and who is not 24
otherwise employed for the purpose of providing classroom 25
instruction to pupils; or 26
(b) A licensed teacher who receives compensation from the 27
Nevada System of Higher Education or an accredited postsecondary 28
educational institution for supervising student teachers. 29
6. As used in this section, “student teacher” means a student of 30
a branch of the Nevada System of Higher Education or an accredited 31
postsecondary educational institution who is assigned to teach for 32
training purposes pursuant to NRS 391.095. 33
Sec. 2. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 34
General Fund to the Department of Education for the Nevada 35
Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation established pursuant 36
to NRS 396.5185 the sum of $1,575,000. 37
2. In making an expenditure from the money appropriated by 38
subsection 1, the Nevada Institute on Teaching and Educator 39
Preparation may expend not more than $75,000 for administrative 40
expenses. 41
3. The Nevada Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation 42
shall: 43
(a) Prepare and transmit a report to the Interim Finance 44
Committee on or before December 20, 2024, that describes each 45
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expenditure made from the money appropriated by subsection 1 1
from the date on which the money was received by the Institute 2
through December 1, 2024; and 3
(b) Prepare and transmit a final report to the Interim Finance 4
Committee on or before October 1, 2025, that describes each 5
expenditure made from the money appropriated by subsection 1 6
from the date on which the money was received by the Institute 7
through June 30, 2025. 8
4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by 9
subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 10
2025, by the entity to which the appropriation is made or any entity 11
to which money from the appropriation is granted or otherwise 12
transferred in any manner, and any portion of the appropriated 13
money remaining must not be spent for any purpose after 14
September 19, 2025, by either the entity to which the money was 15
appropriated or the entity to which the money was subsequently 16
granted or transferred, and must be reverted to the State General 17
Fund on or before September 19, 2025. 18
Sec. 3. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval. 19
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