Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill requires the department of education to establish a grant program to award annual bonuses to teachers employed in public schools to reward teachers who meet certain measures of performance.<br /> <br /> Under this bill, the grant program must award a teacher:<br /> <br /> (1) A $1,000 bonus if the teacher earned an overall performance designation of “above expectations” on the teacher’s most recent evaluation;<br /> <br /> (2) A $2,000 bonus if the teacher earned an overall performance designation of “significantly above expectations” on the teacher’s most recent evaluation;<br /> <br /> (3) A $3,000 bonus in addition to the bonus described in (1) if:<br /> <br /> (A) The teacher earned an overall performance designation of “above expectations” on the teacher’s most recent evaluation; and<br /> <br /> (B) At least 40 percent of the students taught by the teacher during the year of the teacher’s most recent evaluation received a passing, proficient, or “on track” overall score on a state assessment administered in a subject taught by the teacher and for which the teacher’s students were tested as part of the Tennessee comprehensive program; and<br /> <br /> (4) A $4,000 bonus in addition to the bonus described in (2) if:<br /> <br /> (A) The teacher earned an overall performance designation of “significantly above expectations” on the teacher’s most recent evaluation; and<br /> <br /> (B) At least 55 percent of the students taught by the teacher during the school year the teacher was most recently evaluated, received a passing, proficient, or “on track” overall score on a state assessment administered in a subject taught by the teacher and for which the teacher’s students were tested as part of the Tennessee comprehensive assessment program.<br /> <br /> This bill provides that a teacher:<br /> <br /> (1) May only receive one of these bonus payments per year, unless the teacher meets the requirements of (3) or (4), in which case the teacher may receive up to two bonus payments per year; and<br /> <br /> (2) Will not receive more than one of these bonus payments for the teacher’s performance on any one annual evaluation.<br /> <br /> This bill specifies that it does not prohibit:<br /> <br /> (1) An LEA or school from providing performance bonuses or rewards to teachers in addition to the bonus payments referenced in this bill; or<br /> <br /> (2) A teacher from receiving a bonus payment authorized by this bill if the teacher’s overall performance on an annual evaluation is based, in part, on the teacher’s performance on a prior year’s evaluation in order to evaluate a teacher’s performance over time.<br /> <br /> This bill is subject to funding being provided for the grants via a specific appropriation. This bill states the legislative intent that the amount of and qualifications for the grants remain unchanged for a period of three years from the effective date of this bill.<br />