SECOND REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES GRISAMORE (Sponsor), STREAM, SCHARNHORST, WALLACE, MOORE, McGHEE AND DOUGHERTY (Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time April 1, 2008 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 160.276, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to scholarships for special education teachers.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 160.276, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 160.276, to read as follows:
160.276. 1. Within the limits of amounts appropriated therefor, the department of elementary and secondary education shall make:
(1) One-year[,] nonrenewable scholarships in an amount of one thousand dollars available to high school graduates and junior and community college students who are residents of Missouri, who enter and make a commitment to pursue a teacher education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education and offered by a four-year college or university located in Missouri, and who have:
[(1)] (a) Achieved scores on an accepted standardized test of academic ability, including, but not limited to, the SAT, ACT, SCAT, which place them at or above the eighty-fifth percentile; or
[(2)] (b) A high school rank at or above the eighty-fifth percentile; and
(2) One-year renewable scholarships in an amount of one thousand five hundred dollars available to high school graduates and junior and community college students who are residents of Missouri, who enter and make a commitment to pursue a teacher education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education and offered by a four-year college or university located in Missouri leading to certification in any area of special education, and who have:
(a) Achieved scores on an accepted standardized test of academic ability, including, but not limited to, the SAT, ACT, SCAT, which place them at or above the seventy-fifth percentile; or
(b) A high school rank at or above the seventy-fifth percentile; and
(3) One-semester renewable scholarships in an amount of five hundred dollars available to high school graduates who are residents of Missouri, who enter and make a commitment to pursue an education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education for the acquisition of skills needed to work in a classroom setting with students with individualized education programs and offered by a community college or vocational school located in Missouri, and who have:
(a) Been employed by the same school district for at least three years in a nonteaching position that involves significant interaction with students who have individualized education programs; and
(b) A high school rank at or above the seventy-fifth percentile.
2. Any college or university located in Missouri which offers a teacher education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education, and wishes to have the scholarships provided [pursuant to] under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section made available to eligible applicants for admittance to such college or university, [must] shall provide matching funds to match, dollar for dollar, the funds made available by the state under this section for students attending the college or university. Such matching funds shall not be taken from money made available to the college or university from state funds. The total scholarship available to any one student from state and from college and university sources under such match program shall be two thousand dollars.
3. Any college or university located in Missouri which offers a teacher education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education, and wishes to have the scholarships provided under subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section made available to eligible applicants for admittance to such college or university, shall provide matching funds to match the funds made available by the state under subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section for students attending the college or university at a ratio of one institutional dollar for every two state dollars. Such matching funds shall not be taken from money made available to the college or university from state funds. The total scholarship available to any one student from state and from college and university sources under such match program shall be two thousand seven hundred fifty dollars per year.
4. Any community college or vocational school located in Missouri which offers an education program approved by the department of elementary and secondary education for qualifying a noncertificated employee to work in a position that requires significant interaction with students with individualized education programs, and wishes to have the scholarships provided under subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section made available to eligible applicants for admittance to such community college or vocational school, shall provide matching funds to match the funds made available by the state under subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section for students attending the community college or vocational school at a ratio of one institutional dollar for every four state dollars. Such matching funds shall not be taken from money made available to the community college or technical school from state funds. The total scholarship available to any one student from state and from community college or vocational school sources under such match program shall be six hundred twenty-five dollars per semester.
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