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SB1101 - 572R - I Ver
PREFILED��� JAN 07 2026
REFERENCE TITLE:
pilot programs; STEM teachers; districts
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SB 1101
Introduced by
Senator
Fernandez
AN
ACT
establishing
the stem and vocational teacher capacity growth pilot program; appropriating
monies.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1.
STEM and
vocational teacher capacity growth pilot program; application; process; reports
and summary; delayed repeal; definition
A. The STEM and vocational
teacher capacity growth pilot program is established in the department of
education to provide paid summer internships and professional development
training to eligible teachers.
B. The department of
education shall:
1. Establish application
procedures for school districts that wish to apply to participate in the pilot
program. A school district is eligible to participate in the pilot
program if the school district is a high school district that meets all of the
following:
(
a
)
Provides instruction to students in only grades nine through
twelve.
(
b
)
Has a total student count of at least twenty-five
thousand, of which:
(
i
)
At least seventy-five percent are eligible for free or
reduced-price lunches.
(
ii
)
At least eighty percent are Hispanic
.
(
c
)
Operates at least twenty-four school sites in a county
with a population of more than four million persons
.
(
d
)
Offers specialized programs in bioscience and coding and
programs for gifted and talented students
.
2. Select one or more
school districts to participate in the pilot program beginning in the 2026-2027
school year. The department may approve applications that would
result in up to fifty eligible teachers participating in the pilot program.
3. Establish policies and
procedures to implement the pilot program that require each participating
school to:
(
a
) Contract
with a nonprofit organization for the pilot program.
(
b
) Submit
the reports required by subsection D of this section.
C. Each nonprofit
organization with which a participating school district contracts pursuant to
subsection B, paragraph 3, subdivision (
a
) of
this section shall:
1. Provide professional
development training, coaching sessions and opportunities for eligible teachers
to engage in peer-to-peer learning.
2. Secure a paid internship
for each eligible teacher at a company that operates in the eligible teacher's
area of expertise. The term for internships secured pursuant to this
paragraph is the summer in each of the 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and
2028-2029 school years.
3. Provide, in
collaboration with local businesses, industry site visits, guest speakers,
training sessions and workshops.
4. Develop and maintain an
online database that includes real-time information about the pilot
program's implementation, including information on teacher retention, student
performance, industry engagement, budget utilization and survey results from
teachers, students and local businesses.
5. Pay each eligible
teacher who completes the summer training and actively participates in the
pilot program at least $6,000 for each summer.
D. Each participating
school district shall submit the following reports to the department of
education:
1. Not later than thirty
days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the following information for the
fiscal year:
(
a
) The
number of eligible teachers that each school district recruited and onboarded
into the pilot program.
(
b
) The
change, if any, in the school district's retention rate for eligible teachers.
(
c
) Survey
results from eligible teachers regarding the pilot program onboarding and
implementation.
(
d
) A
progress report regarding program implementation, including the number of
professional development sessions, industry site visits, guest speakers,
training sessions and workshops provided through the program.
(
e
) The
number of local businesses that provided summer internships through the
program.
(
f
) A
summary of the participation and engagement of eligible teachers in the
activities described in subdivision (
d
) of this
paragraph.
(
g
) A
report on the amount of monies used during the fiscal quarter and the available
balance for the remainder of the fiscal year, including a description of any
differences between the proposed budget and the actual expenditures.
(
h
) A
description of barriers to program implementation and the actions taken, if
any, to address the barriers.
(
i
) A
survey of eligible teachers, students and local businesses relating to the
pilot program.
2. On or before June 30 and
December 31 of each year, the following information covering the period since
the last report submitted pursuant to this paragraph:
(
a
) Teacher
retention rates compared to the school district's teacher retention rate in the
2025-2026 fiscal year.
(
b
) A
survey of teachers regarding job satisfaction and professional development.
(
c
) An
analysis of student performance data in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics and career and technical education courses.
(
d
) A
survey of students regarding student interest in science, technology,
engineering, mathematics and career and technical education courses and career
pathways.
(
e
) The
number of local businesses that provided summer internships through the
program.
(
f
) The
number of industry site visits, guest speakers, training sessions and workshops
that were provided in collaboration with local businesses.
(
g
) The
amount that eligible teachers earned through summer internships.
(
h
) An
estimate of the economic impact of the pilot program on the school, including
cost savings that result from increased teacher retention.
3. Not later than August 31
of each year, the following information for the previous fiscal year:
(
a
) An
overview of the pilot program, including the school district's progress towards
the program goals and objectives, eligible teacher recruitment, eligible
teacher retention and professional development provided through the program.
(
b
) A
survey of eligible teachers who are participating in the pilot program
regarding the efficacy of the program.
(
c
) A
comparison of the retention of eligible teachers, student performance and,
beginning in 2028, the program scalability in the current year relative to the
previous year.
(
d
) Recommendations
to improve the pilot program outcomes in subsequent years.
4. On or before October 31,
2029, a report on the following information for the pilot program:
(
a
) Teacher
retention and recruitment rates, including the retention rates of participating
teachers and a comparative analysis of the retention rates for nonparticipating
teachers.
(
b
) Student
outcomes, including long-term student performance data in science,
technology, engineering, mathematics and career and technical education
courses, and the impact on student enrollment, if any, in advanced courses and
related programs.
(
c
) The
number of local businesses that provided summer internships through the pilot
program and survey results from the local businesses.
(
d
) A
cost-benefit analysis of the pilot program, including an analysis of cost
savings that result from increased teacher retention, an estimate of the
economic impact of the additional compensation that teachers received through
the program and the value of the professional development training provided
through the program.
(
e
) Recommendations
for continuing or expanding the pilot program to other schools in this state,
including any changes that may be necessary to expand the program.
E. The department of
education shall compile all reports that the department receives pursuant to
subsection D of this section and prepare a summary of the reports.� The
department shall submit the summary and reports to the speaker of the house of
representatives, the president of the senate and the governor and shall provide
a copy of the summary and reports to the secretary of state.� The department
shall post the summary of the reports on the department's website.
F. The state board of
education shall allow certificated teachers to count professional development
training that is provided pursuant to this pilot program as continuing
education credits.
G. This section is repealed
from and after December 31, 2030.
H. For the purposes of this
section, "eligible teacher" means a high school teacher who provides
instruction in any combination of science, technology, engineering, mathematics
and career and technical education.
Sec. 2.
Appropriations; department of education; disbursement;
exemption
A. The sum of $250,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2026-2027,
2027-2028 and 2028-2029 to the department of education to disburse to the
school districts selected to participate in the STEM and vocational teacher
capacity growth pilot program established by this act.
B. The appropriations made
in subsection A of this section are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190,
Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations, except that
all monies remaining unexpended and unencumbered on June 30, 2030 revert to the
state general fund.