SB316 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Del Marsh

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Schools, Preparing and Rewarding Educational Professionals (PREP) Act of 2016, procedure for evaluating and observing teachers and principals on student performance, Legislative-School Performance Recognition Program implemented, Alabama Teacher Recruitment Fund established, appropriation from Education Trust Fund to the Legislative School Performance Recognition Program, Alabama Teacher Recruitment Fund, and the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program, increase years of service to attain tenured status, Secs. 16-6C-3, 16-24C-4 am'd.

Summary

The PREP Act of 2016 overhauls teacher and school leader evaluations, raises tenure requirements, and creates new funding programs to recruit, mentor, and reward teachers and schools.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a formal evaluation system for teachers, principals, and assistant principals with annual ratings starting in 2017-2018 and a minimum 25% weight on student growth using a statewide growth model. It raises tenure eligibility from three to five consecutive years and ties tenure to three strong ratings, with rules for evaluating tenured staff and potential personnel actions if performance is consistently low. It creates a Alabama Teacher Recruitment Fund, a Alabama Teacher Mentor Program, and funding for a Legislative School Performance Recognition Program to reward high-performing or improving schools, along with a Legislative Teacher Advisement Committee to guide policy and implementation. It also requires implementing the new model and related rules, assigns mentorship and professional development requirements, and sets certain nonprobationary status rules for staff.

Who It Affects

• Teachers and school leaders (principals and assistant principals) who will be evaluated annually, may impact tenure timelines, evaluations, and professional development requirements.
• Public schools and school districts that must implement the new evaluation model, run mentorship and recruitment programs, and participate in the school rewards program.

Key Provisions

• Creates PREP Act of 2016 with an annual evaluation system for K-12 staff, mandating a model that includes student achievement growth (minimum 25% of the score), two observations per year, student surveys, and additional performance measures; districts must use the department's model or obtain approval for a local system.
• Raises tenure eligibility from three to five consecutive years and requires three consecutive ratings of Satisfies/Exceeds/Significantly Exceeds; tenured teachers may be evaluated every other year, but two consecutive ratings below expectations or significantly below expectations trigger annual evaluations for the next two years and possible personnel action.
• Establishes the Alabama Teacher Recruitment Fund with $5 million to provide bonuses to teachers under specified conditions, such as working in for-need or high-poverty schools, shortages, or meeting certain performance criteria; bonuses include an initial amount and possible follow-up amounts under defined rules.
• Establishes the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program with $3 million to assign mentor teachers to new staff, require mentors to have at least five years of experience and high performance, and pay mentors up to $1,000 for the year plus require regular meetings and reporting.
• Creates the Legislative School Performance Recognition Program with $10 million to reward schools in top ranks or with significant progress; awards are competitive, with a portion set aside for top performers and the rest for improving schools, and funds may be exempt from some spending rules under guidelines.
• Forms the Legislative Teacher Advisement Committee (nine teachers and two principals) to advise on policy, the evaluation system, and classroom instruction issues; members serve with specified terms and meet regularly without compensation.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education