1. A. Subject to the availability of funds, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation and the State Board of Education are authorized to establish the Education Leadership Oklahoma program.

2. B. The purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program are:

   1. 1. Provide teachers throughout the state information about National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma program scholarships and services;
   2. 2. Provide technical assistance and National Board certified mentors to all teachers seeking National Board certification upon request;
   3. 3. Provide scholarships, pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act and Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation rules, for teachers seeking National Board certification;
   4. 4. Provide a bonus to teachers who achieve National Board certification pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act and State Board of Education rules;
   5. 5. Reward teachers who achieve National Board certification without the financial support of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program by awarding them the application fee and the amount of the scholarship given to Education Leadership Oklahoma participants pursuant to this section and commission rules; and
   6. 6. Provide recognition to National Board certified teachers.

3. C. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, to fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall:

   1. 1. Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program and the scholarships and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board certification, emphasizing recruiting efforts toward teachers at high-poverty schools, low-achieving schools and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have achieved National Board certification;
   2. 2. Collect and review applications to the scholarship program from interested teachers;
   3. 3. Establish an applicant review committee for the purpose of identifying scholarship recipients pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program; and
   4. 4. Ensure that all scholarship recipients, alternates, and teachers seeking National Board certification independently receive adequate information regarding the level of commitment required to acquire National Board certification.

4. D. The applicant review committee shall:

   1. 1. Consist of:

      1. a. five classroom teachers appointed by the State Board of Education, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available,
      2. b. five classroom teachers appointed by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available,
      3. c. three classroom teachers appointed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, at least one of whom shall be a National Board certified teacher, if available, and
      4. d. a chair to be designated by the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation from among the appointed members; and

   2. 2. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, select up to four hundred teachers each year, of whom a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) teach at schools on the school improvement list as determined by the State Board of Education pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act or schools with more than fifty percent (50%) of students who qualify for the free and reduced price lunch program, and the appropriate number of alternates, who:

      1. a. have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching,
      2. b. meet all eligibility requirements for potential certification as established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,
      3. c. are employed in an Oklahoma public school, and
      4. d. meet other requirements of the Commission.
5. E. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of this subsection and except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, the application fee for National Board certification shall be paid for scholarship recipients by the Commission, and scholarship recipients shall be provided a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obtaining National Board certification.
6. F. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation contract with Southeastern Oklahoma State University to establish Education Leadership Oklahoma program training in higher education teacher preparation programs in the state to assist teachers in meeting the requirements to obtain National Board certification.
7. G. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, all teachers seeking National Board certification shall be eligible to participate in Education Leadership Oklahoma program training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National Board certification process, free of charge.
8. H. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall promulgate rules for the selection of scholarship recipients, the selection and utilization of alternates, the payment and reimbursement of application fees, and the issuance of scholarships.
9. I. Subject to district board of education policy or collective bargaining agreement, additional professional leave days may be granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for National Board certification portfolio development. During the two (2) days of the additional professional days granted to teachers for National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the teacher.
10. J. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection P of this section, the State Board of Education shall provide all teachers who attain National Board certification a bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually no later than January 31 for as long as they maintain their National Board certification and are teaching in the classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school. No school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this section.
11. K. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the teacher's salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory minimum salary schedule or for purposes of compensating Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System contributions or benefits.

12. L. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for the provision of the bonus pursuant to this section to include, but not be limited to, a process by which a National Board certified teacher will verify that:

    1. 1. The National Board certification has not lapsed; and
    2. 2. The teacher is still a full-time teacher.
13. M. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board certification portfolio development into all programs in education leading to a master's level degree.
14. N. Upon implementation of this subsection as provided for in subsection O of this section, the State Board of Education shall provide all teachers who attain National Board certification a bonus in the amount of Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) annually no later than January 31 for as long as they maintain their National Board certification and are full-time teachers in an Oklahoma public school. No school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this section. Upon implementation, the bonus provided for in this subsection shall replace the bonus provided for in subsection J of this section.
15. O. Implementation of subsection N of this section shall be contingent upon the appropriation by the Legislature of state funds for the specific purpose of implementing subsection N of this section. Nothing in this section shall prevent the State Board of Education or a school district board of education from utilizing private, local, or federal funds to implement subsection N of this section.

16. P.

    1. 1. Except as otherwise provided, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall not accept any applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program, award scholarships pursuant to the Education Leadership Oklahoma Act or pay the National Board certification application fee for scholarship recipients after June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2012. The Commission may pay any scholarship amounts or pay the National Board certification application fees incurred after June 30, 2010, for any teacher selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2010.
    2. 2. Except as otherwise provided, the State Board of Education shall not provide a bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) as authorized in subsection J of this section beginning June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2012, to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June 30, 2010, through June 30, 2012. The Board shall provide a bonus to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June 30, 2010, if the teacher was selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2010, or the teacher has submitted an application for National Board certification to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2010.

Laws 1997, SB 202, c. 181, § 3, emerg. eff. July 1, 1997; Amended by Laws 1998, SB 770, c. 350, § 1, emerg. eff. June 5, 1998 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, HB 1364, c. 303, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, HB 1759, c. 320, § 46, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (repealed by Laws 2001, HB 1499, c. 201, § 3) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2001, HB 1499, c. 201, § 3 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2002, SB 1595, c. 236, § 4, emerg. eff. July 1, 2002 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2003, HB 1767, c. 434, § 23, emerg. eff. July 1, 2003 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2007, SB 586, c. 197, § 1 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2010, HB 3029, c. 457, § 4 (superseded document available).