1. (a) Before August 31, 2015, the state board shall develop the pilot program and establish the duties that are associated with advanced roles necessary for qualified teachers consistent with this section.

2. (b) A board may apply to the state board to participate in the pilot program beginning in the 2016-2017 or the 2017-2018 school year by submitting a proposed plan to the state board in a time frame prescribed by the state board. A proposed plan may consist of a plan approved by the board under IC 20-25.7-4-3 as long as it meets the additional requirements provided in this section. The proposed plan must focus on the leadership capacity and commitment of the school corporation to develop career pathways that meet the requirements of this section and must be widely applicable across Indiana, as demonstrated by prior efforts to advance:

   1. (1) teaching excellence;
   2. (2) on the job development for teachers;
   3. (3) teacher leadership; or
   4. (4) leadership design.

3. (c) A career pathways plan developed under subsection (b) must meet, at a minimum, the following criteria:

   1. (1) Enable qualified teachers to progress within their career and become career pathway teachers by doing any of the following:

      1. (A) Assuming advanced roles that include accountability for student growth across a team of teachers.
      2. (B) Assuming advanced roles that include accountability as the teacher of record for more students.
   2. (2) Provide information in a form readily accessible to both teachers and the public concerning the criteria and the procedures for selection as a career pathway teacher.
   3. (3) Require a qualified teacher to be rated as highly effective under IC 20-28-11.5-4 to be eligible to participate in the pilot program.
   4. (4) Increase the amount of time during the school day for a career pathway teacher to plan, collaborate on, and participate in on the job development or leadership of other teachers.
   5. (5) Establish equally stringent eligibility requirements for a career pathway teacher to remain in an advanced role as those required to initially attain that role.
   6. (6) Establish a procedure for determining whether a career pathway teacher is successfully performing the additional duties associated with the career pathway.
   7. (7) Ensure that a career pathway teacher may opt out of the career pathways plan by voluntarily relinquishing additional duties associated with the career pathway.

   8. (8) Pay career pathway salary supplements in an amount equal to at least:

      1. (A) twenty-five percent (25%) of the career pathway teacher's salary based on the state average teacher salary at the time the plan is submitted if the career pathway teacher leads teams of two (2) or more teachers and is the teacher of record for all the students served by the teaching team; or
      2. (B) ten percent (10%) of the career pathway teacher's salary based on the state average teacher salary at the time the plan is submitted if the career pathway teacher performs additional duties or functions that are specified in the school corporation's plan and approved by the state board that enable the teacher to effectively serve additional students.

   9. (9) Require that a career pathway teacher who:

      1. (A) fails to maintain a rating of highly effective under IC 20-28-11.5-4 ; or

      2. (B) is not successfully performing the additional duties associated with the career pathway;

         shall be paid only the salary applicable to the career pathway teacher based on the local salary schedule adopted under IC 20-28-9-1.5 and any other local supplements that would otherwise apply to the career pathway teacher's compensation.

   10. (10) Require that a career pathway teacher who opts out of the career pathways plan shall be paid only the salary applicable to the career pathway teacher based on the local salary schedule adopted under IC 20-28-9-1.5 and any other local supplements that would otherwise apply to the career pathway teacher's compensation.
   11. (11) Achieve financial sustainability for career pathway salary supplements by reallocating other funds, including local, private, state, or federal funds.

   12. (12) Develop measures for determining how the career pathways plan must do the following:

       1. (A) Improve the quality of classroom instruction.
       2. (B) Increase the attractiveness of teaching.
       3. (C) Encourage the recognition, effectiveness, and retention of high quality teachers.
   13. (13) Increase the reach of highly effective teachers by requiring, by the third year of implementation of the plan, that at least seventy-five percent (75%) of students in each school included in the school corporation's plan have a teacher of record, in at least language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science, who is rated as highly effective.

As added by P.L.214-2015, SEC.2.