                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

STRATEGIC COMPENSATION GRANT INITIATIVE (§ 22.1-318.2)

A. As used in this section:
			&#8220;Fund&#8221; means the Strategic Compensation Grant Fund established
pursuant to &#xA7; 22.1-318.1.
			&#8220;Grant&#8221; means a grant issued pursuant to the Strategic
Compensation Grant Initiative.

B. The Department shall develop guidelines, consistent with this section,
setting forth the general requirements of qualifying for a grant.

C. Local school divisions may submit proposals to the Department to apply for a
grant. Grants shall be awarded, on a competitive basis, for the purposes of
awarding incentive payments to teachers. All proposals shall designate groups or
types of teachers targeted for the incentives. Proposals may include plans to
(i) reward teachers who help students make significant academic progress; (ii)
incentivize team performance in schools achieving goals set by the school
division; (iii) reward teachers assuming additional responsibilities, such as
serving as a mentor to other teachers; (iv) pay incentives to effective teachers
who have essential expertise and who are willing to transfer to positions at
hard-to-staff or low-performing schools; (v) reward effective teachers who are
assigned to teach critical shortage areas; or (vi) pay incentives to attract
talented teachers with specified expertise in hard-to-staff positions. Any
proposal that is designed to offer incentives for improved performance to an
entire school team may include school leaders other than teachers.

D. Each proposal shall outline a strategic compensation model used to disburse
awarded funds. Stakeholder involvement is required in the development and
implementation of the model. No individual shall receive more than $5,000 per
year. The compensation model shall include measurable and appropriate
achievement goals for student academic progress and plans for the professional
development of the designated teachers. The compensation model may include tiers
or a range of incentives.

E. Any teacher awarded according to the terms of the proposal by the school
division in its proposal shall (i) be licensed by the Board; (ii) be employed by
the local school board under a contract; (iii) hold an endorsement in his
subject area and grade level; (iv) be &#8220;highly qualified,&#8221; as that
term is defined by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, P.L.
89-10, as amended; (v) be evaluated using an effective system, consistent with
the evaluations and criteria of the Board, including a weight of 40 percent on
student academic progress for the summative rating; and (vi) be rated as
&#8220;proficient&#8221; or better.

HISTORY: 2013, cc. 228, 691.