Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the national board certification pilot project and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program within the college student aid commission, and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to education, including by modifying provisions related to the national board certification pilot project and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program within the college student aid commission (CSAC). Current law establishes a national board certification pilot project, which is administered by the department of education (DE). The project is a certification program that is available to teachers and that provides financial awards to those teachers if the teachers can achieve certification. The bill changes the name of this project to the national board certification program. The bill provides that the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program will provide tuition reimbursement to teachers to offset the costs associated with obtaining an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement issued by the board of educational examiners. A teacher is eligible for the program if the teacher is employed by a school district, accredited nonpublic school, charter school, innovation zone school, or an area education agency, and the teacher is working toward obtaining an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. The bill provides that an individual shall be eligible for tuition reimbursement under the program for not more than two years. The bill establishes the total amount of tuition reimbursement that CSAC may provide to a recipient. The bill establishes an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program fund. The bill also establishes reporting requirements for CSAC related to the program. CSAC is required to adopt rules to administer the program.13(1)(a) for fiscal year 2025 that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of that fiscal year shall be transferred to the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program fund. The bill takes effect upon enactment.