15-918.03 - Arizona Statutes

15-918.03. Career ladder programs; implementation phases The state board of education shall utilize the following implementation phases and requirements when approving districts to budget for a career ladder program: 1. The application phase is the first phase of the career ladder implementation process. During this phase, districts shall assess their readiness to implement a career ladder program and shall develop the general outline of their program based on model components adopted by the advisory committee but are not authorized to increase their budgets. To receive approval for advancement to the second phase, districts must submit, at a minimum, evidence that the plan was developed in consultation with teachers, administrators and school board members, the district's readiness to implement the plan and a time line indicating when various components, such as the refinement of the district's teacher evaluation instrument and procedures, an appropriate staff development program and the development of pupil assessments, will occur. 2. The development phase is the second implementation phase undertaken by districts following their completion of the application phase. During this phase, districts shall develop the specifics of their career ladder programs and are allowed to budget for a career ladder program as provided in section 15-918.04. To receive approval for advancement to the third phase, districts must submit, at a minimum, evidence that teacher and pupil academic progress evaluation instruments and procedures have been refined and pilot tested, appropriate levels of staff development have been provided and any specific areas of weaknesses associated with the district's readiness to implement a career ladder program have been adequately rectified. 3. The evaluation phase is the third implementation phase undertaken by districts following their completion of the development phase. During this phase, districts shall evaluate teachers, shall provide teacher career ladder placement contracts for the following year and are allowed to budget for a career ladder program as provided in section 15-918.04. To receive approval for advancement to the fourth phase, districts must submit, at a minimum, evidence that teachers have been fairly evaluated and placed and that the district is evaluating its program. 4. The placement phase is the fourth implementation phase undertaken by districts following their completion of the evaluation phase. During this phase, a district shall continue to evaluate teachers and is allowed to budget for a career ladder program as provided in section 15-918.04. To receive approval for advancement to the fifth phase, a district must submit, at a minimum, evidence that the program participation rate is at least fifty per cent, except that if a school district is devoting at least thirty per cent of its career ladder funding to additional incentive components pursuant to section 15-918.02, subsection B, the school district may report its program participation rate to be one hundred per cent, that district level pupil academic progress has occurred and, if not already included, that provisions to require all teachers new to the district to be evaluated for the career ladder program have been included. The state board of education shall prescribe a method of computing the program participation rate that treats all career ladder programs equitably by taking into account variations in program definitions. 5. The effective career ladder phase is the fifth and final implementation phase undertaken by districts following their completion of the placement phase. During this phase, districts shall fully implement their career ladder programs and are allowed to budget for a career ladder program as provided in section 15-918.04. During this phase, the state board may grant districts up to a five year waiver of any program requirements prescribed in section 15-918, subsection B, or section 15-918.02. Waivers may be granted to districts that meet all of the following conditions: (a) The district has submitted a request for the waiver that explains how the proposed waiver will improve its program and how this program improvement will enhance pupil achievement. (b) The district has integrated its career ladder program with other reforms or programs that are designed to improve pupil achievement. (c) The district is actively evaluating and reviewing its career ladder program and making adjustments as necessary, including analysis of the impact of the program on pupil achievement. (d) The career ladder program is strongly supported by teachers, administrators and the governing board.