FISCAL NOTE

Senate Bill 171 as substituted and reported by the Committee on Education Policy would increase the annual administrative and financial obligations of the State Department of Education (SDE), paid from the Education Trust Fund, by a department-estimated total of $114 million once fully implemented to implement the Alabama Numeracy Act to improve the mathematic proficiency of public K-5 students, as follows:

(1) Requires the State Superintendent of Education to: (a) convene the 19-member Elementary Mathematics Task Force to provide recommendations to the State Superintendent and the State Board of Education for comprehensive mathematics programs and curricula; a state continuum of educator development for approved professional learning; and an annual list of mathematics screening, formative, and diagnostic assessment systems, with implementation for grades K-5 beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, for selection and use by the local education agencies (LEAs); (b) provide training, beginning August 1, 2022, to full support and limited support schools on the Alabama Multi-Tiered System of Support framework; (c) convene a working group to create, with an external partner, the Alabama Instructional Leadership Framework applicable to all K-5 administrators beginning August 1, 2023; and (d) report to certain elected officials the status of teacher professional learning and student growth and proficiency.

(2) Creates the Office of Mathematics Improvement (OMI), within SDE with a director to focus on K-5 mathematics, and whose responsibilities include: (a) developing and procuring diagnostic interview tools for grades K-2; (b) recommending training and supports for educators; (c) convening and overseeing the 16-member Postsecondary Mathematics Task Force to develop guidelines for institutions of postsecondary education to train elementary teachers based on current research; and (d) provide reports to certain elected officials. In addition to the director, this bill requires OMI to employ at least one regional coordinator, or more based on the needs of the full support and limited support schools in the region, for each AMSTI region of the state (currently 11), whose responsibilities will include monitoring the Alabama Mathematics Summer Achievement Program (AMSAP) in full support schools; implementation of mathematics curricula and intervention programs; implementation of appropriate professional learning approved by the Elementary Mathematics Task Force; and monitoring and evaluating data collected from AMSTI and LEAs. In addition, this bill provides that employees of OMI shall not be subject to the state Merit System. Per SDE, the estimated annual costs for OMI, the regional coordinators, and to implement the AMSAP is $19.5 million.

(3) Requires the LEAs to: (a) employ mathematic coaches as 10-month employees to be assigned one coach for every public K-5 school with a student population of less than 900 K-5 students, and two mathematic coaches allocated to public K-5 schools with a student population of 900 or more, fully implemented before the 2027-2028 school year; (b) employ coaches simultaneously for schools that earn two or more coaches; (c) provide the AMSAP, beginning the summer after the 2022-2023 school year, at each full support school to all students in grades four and five with an identified mathematics deficiency, with any public school providing the Alabama Summer Achievement Program for grade K-3 students, as required by the Alabama Literacy Act, shall include a portion of mathematics instruction, based on student need, during the program. Per SDE, the estimated annual cost for the mathematics coaches is $80 million.

(4) Requires the Executive Committee of the Alabama STEM Council to secure an external consultant to: (a) evaluate the work of mathematics coaches, beginning January 15, 2023, and evaluate the implementation and outcomes, and (b) design and enact a comprehensive evaluation plan, including quarterly and annual reporting, for the mathematics coaching program.

This bill will further increase the administrative obligations of SDE by requiring SDE to: (1) comply with all data requests from the external consultant and to assist with recommended improvements; (2) execute a memorandum of understanding with each local superintendent that includes a certification that each mathematics coach employed satisfies the minimum qualifications provided by this bill; (3) develop, in partnership with the Elementary Mathematics Task Force and OMI, an evidence-based accountability system to measure the effectiveness of mathematics coaches; (4) meet the reporting requirements required by this bill; (5) annually identify "full support" and "limited support" schools based on student proficiency at certain levels on a state approved summative assessment; (6) develop a State Academic Intervention framework, through a working group, to define an evidence-based system of intensive school turnaround assistance and support to improve student achievement in schools persistently in full support status in mathematics, reading, or both, with certain full support schools, beginning August 1, 2026, entering state academic intervention; (7) coordinate with each LEA to identify school improvement teams for each full support school that qualifies for state academic intervention; (8) provide an annual report by December 31 for any school under state academic intervention; (9) develop and submit to the State Board of Education (SBE) for approval, recommendations for the creation of a K-5 mathematics coach endorsement for eligible teachers; (10) lead a working group, beginning January 1, 2023, to develop a School Turnaround Academy to train principals and teacher leaders to specialize in evidence-based school turnaround strategies and practices; (11) allow an external consultant to conduct a comprehensive review of mathematic teacher preparation programs every four years; and (12) subject to legislative appropriation, establish an incentive program to provide a minimum of $2,500 annual stipend for any mathematics coach that has a K-5 mathematics coach endorsement.

This bill will also increase the administrative obligations of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to annually report certain information and implement the guidelines developed by the Postsecondary Mathematics Task Force.

This bill will increase the obligations of LEAs by requiring the LEAs to: (1) provide specific math intervention services to K-5 students with identified mathematics deficiencies; (2) report to the State Superintendent of Education the information required by the provisions of this bill; (3) provide Alabama Mathematics Summer Achievement Program mathematic camps to all K-5 students with mathematics deficiencies, to be held in conjunction with existing LEA summer programs or with community based partners. In addition, this bill will increase the administrative obligations of LEAs with schools that have not satisfied specified levels of progress after implementing an intensive school turnaround plan for four full academic years, to: (i) complete reconstitution of the school with all new staff, with existing staff being placed on paid administrative leave status until the reconstituted school is staffed; (ii) contract with an external receiver, approved by the State Superintendent; or (iii) pursue application for public charter school status.

This bill will also increase the administrative obligations of the SBE by requiring the Board to adopt rules, as necessary to implement the provisions of this bill.

The Education Trust Fund Appropriation bill, as reported by the Committee on Ways and Means Education, includes an appropriation of $48,299,318 for the Operations and Maintenance for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) which includes an earmark of $15 million to be expended in accordance with the provisions of SB171 (the Numeracy Act) of the 2022 Regular Session.