(a)

(1) It is the intent and purpose of the General Assembly through this section to enable and encourage Delawareans to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists in Delaware public schools and in the Birth to Three Program under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 USC § 1431 et seq.].

(2) To be eligible for the Speech-Language Pathologist Scholarship, an applicant must be enrolled as full-time student in a master’s degree program in a Delaware postsecondary institution that is accredited, or is a candidate for accreditation, by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and that will lead to licensure as a speech-language pathologist in Delaware.

(3) The Office shall establish application requirements.

(4) Scholarships are awarded contingent upon funding from the General Assembly and based on the size of the applicant pool.

(5) Scholarships may be renewed for a total of 2 years of graduate study, if the recipient meets the renewal requirements established by the Office.

(b) [Repealed.]

83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1;  84 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 2;  85 Del. Laws, c. 56, § 1; 

(a) Purpose. —

It is the purpose of this program to increase the number of public school teachers with a standard certificate in their area of instruction. This will improve student achievement by enabling and encouraging those teachers to pursue education that will enable them to become fully certified and prepared to deliver high-quality instruction in state-approved critical need areas. This program will provide direct reimbursement to an institute of higher education or Secretary of Education-approved Alternative Routes for Teacher Licensure and Certification Program for coursework taken during the academic year, which includes fall, winter, spring and summer sessions.

(b) Eligibility. —

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Be full-time employees of a Delaware public school district or a charter school.

(2) Teach on an emergency certification or a certificate of eligibility.

(3) Teach in a critical need area as defined by the Department of Education.

(c) The Department shall identify a list of critical need areas and publish the list on the Department’s website annually.

(d) Eligible institutions of higher education include any out-of-state regionally-accredited college or university, or Alternative Routes for Teacher Licensure and Certification Programs approved by the Delaware Secretary of Education and authorized to operate in Delaware.

(e) Reimbursements. — (1) a. Reimbursement will be provided to eligible institutions and programs identified in subsections (c) and (d) of this section for approved coursework that meets Department of Education requirements.

b. For a full-time employee of a public school district or charter school teaching on an emergency certification or certificate of eligibility, up to 1 of the following per academic year:

1. Two noncredit-bearing seminars or workshops required for certification.

2. Up to 6 credits.

3. One noncredit-bearing seminar or workshop required for certification up to 1 3-credit course.

(2) Reimbursement funds shall be distributed to the institution of higher education upon course completion with a 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for credit bearing courses or an equivalent passing grade in a noncredit-bearing course. Eligible institutions must verify enrollment and course grades prior to disbursement of funds.

(3) Funding may not exceed the cost of tuition and fees or the equivalent at the highest cost public institution in Delaware. If funding exceeds the appropriation, eligible institutions of higher education will be awarded funds in a prorated share of the applicant pool.

(4) The Department may set aside funds as available for teachers meeting these criteria as demand requires.

73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 160, §§  1-7;  77 Del. Laws, c. 431, §  10;  81 Del. Laws, c. 202, § 16;  83 Del. Laws, c. 46, § 1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 3;  84 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 2; 

(a) It is the purpose of this program to encourage school-based employees to become licensed mental health providers and remain school employees.

(b) To be eligible for this program, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Be a full-time employee of a Delaware public school district or a charter school.

(2) Enrolled in a credit-bearing program intended to lead to certification or licensure appropriate for a full-time mental health services provider as required by the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals.

(3) Have signed a written commitment to work in a Delaware school for at least 3 years after receiving the certification or licensure for which they receive reimbursement under this section.

(c) An eligible institution of higher education is an in-state or out-of-state regionally accredited college or university.

(d) (1) Reimbursement will be provided to eligible institutions for up to 6 credits of approved coursework that meets Department of Education requirements.

(2) Reimbursement funds shall be distributed to the institution of higher education upon course completion with a 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for credit bearing courses or an equivalent passing grade in a noncredit-bearing course. Eligible institutions must verify enrollment and course grades prior to disbursement of funds.

(3) Funding may not exceed the cost of tuition and fees or the equivalent at the highest cost public institution in Delaware. If funding exceeds the appropriation, eligible institutions of higher education will be awarded funds in a prorated share of the applicant pool.

(4) The Department may set aside funds as available for school employees meeting these criteria as demand requires.

84 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 2; 

(a) Establishment; statement of purpose. — (1) There is established a Public School Employee Support Program for High Needs Areas. The Program allows qualified applicants to apply for a stipend from the State.

(2) The purpose of the Program is to improve educational outcomes for struggling student populations by working to retain all of the following:

a. Educators who are of critical importance to those populations, including educators working in certification areas in which Delaware has a shortage and educators working in Delaware’s hardest-to-staff schools.

b. Speech-language pathologists, school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers who provide professional support services that are of critical importance to students.

(3) The application required and policies adopted under this section must be available on the Office’s website.

(b) As used in this section:

(1) “Award” means a stipend payment made under the Program.

(2) “Educator” means as defined in § 1202 of this title. “Educator” includes teachers employed by the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired who teach students with visual impairment.

(3) “English learners” means students with limited English proficiency and who meet the definition of English learner as that term is defined by the Department rules and regulations.

(4) “High needs area” means any of the following:

a. A certification area the Office has identified as being difficult to staff or of critical need.

b. A school in the top quartile in 3 or more of the following:

1. Percentage of low-income students.

2. Percentage of English learners.

3. Percentage of students with disabilities.

4. Percentage of minority students.

c. A school with 90% of its students classified as low-income, English learners, or minority.

d. Any facility operated by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families in which education programs are provided.

(5) “Low-income students” means students within the statewide metric determined by the Department of Education utilizing direct certification for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

(6) “Minority students” means students who are members of a racial or ethnic group other than the racial or ethnic group that represents the majority of the State's population.

(7) “Office” means the Delaware Higher Education Office.

(8) “Program” means the Public School Employee Support Program for High Needs Areas established in this section.

(9) “Public school employee” means all of the following:

a. An educator.

b. A speech-language pathologist.

c. A school counselor.

d. A school psychologist.

e. A school social worker.

(10) “Qualified educational loan” means a government, commercial, or foundation loan for actual costs paid for tuition and reasonable educational expenses related to a public school employee’s undergraduate or graduate degree program.

(11) “School” means a Delaware public school, including a vocational-technical school and a charter school established under Chapter 5 of this title.

(12) “Students with disabilities” means students who, because of mental, physical, emotional, developmental, speech, or learning disability problems, as defined by the Department of Education rules and regulations, require special education and related services in order to develop their own capabilities.

(c) Funding. —

Appropriations for the Program are made to the Department through the Budget Appropriations Bill in a separate line item appropriation.

(d) Eligibility for Program. —

In order for an individual to be eligible for the Program, all of the following must apply:

(1) The individual is a full-time public school employee at a school in a high-needs area.

(2) [Repealed.]

(3) For an individual who is applying to the Program as an educator, meets all of the following requirements:

a. The individual has a valid, current license and certificate through the Delaware Department of Education.

b. The individual has not had an ineffective evaluation on the State’s current evaluation system, or the equivalent on a state-approved alternative educator evaluation system.

c. The individual instructs or provides educational support in an identified high needs area for at least 1 school year.

(4) For an individual who is applying to the Program as a speech-language pathologist, the individual must be employed full-time as a speech-language pathologist in a school for a minimum of 1 school year.

(5) For an individual who is applying to the Program as a school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker, meets all of the following requirements:

a. The individual has obtained a license and certificate through the Delaware Department of Education.

b. The individual must be employed full-time as a school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker in a school for at least 1 school year.

(e) Application. —

(1) The application to participate in the Program must require each applicant to certify that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements of subsection (d) of this section. The application is otherwise in the form prescribed by the Office.

(2) Annually, each applicant must submit a new, completed application and any additional information the Office may request in accordance with Program regulations.

(f) Decision and disbursement. —

(1) The ability to make awards each year is contingent upon the availability of funds.

(2) If possible, the Office shall make an award to every applicant who satisfies the requirements of this section.

(3) If there are insufficient funds to make an award to every applicant who satisfies the requirements of this section, the Office shall give priority to applicants who meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

a. Applicants employed in both a certification area and a school that the Office identifies as a “high needs area,” as defined in this section.

b. Applicants having the greatest financial need.

(4) The applicants having the greatest financial need is determined in the sole discretion of the Office. To determine financial need the Office shall request at least the applicant’s income and total amount of qualified educational loans. The Office shall determine, in its sole discretion, the weight given to the information.

a.-d. [Repealed.]

(5) The Office has sole discretion to prioritize applications and determine awards consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (f)(2) and (f)(3) of this section.

(6) The Office shall make an award through the State’s central payroll operation.

(7) An applicant may receive only 1 award per year and may receive no more than 5 awards in the applicant’s lifetime.

(g) Amount of award. —

An award must be at least $1,000.

(h) The Department of Education, through the Office, is authorized to adopt rules and regulations to implement this section, subject to the State Board of Education’s approval. The Office may adopt rules and regulations that refine or narrow eligibility requirements or high needs areas, but the Office may not expand the pool of public school employees who are eligible to receive an award beyond the limits set forth in this section.

(i) Penalties.—

If an applicant knowingly submits false information or commits fraud in connection with the application process, the Office may reevaluate the applicant’s eligibility for an award, and may withdraw an award. Any award made as the result of deliberate fraud may be recovered by the Department of Justice through an action at law.

(j) Annual reporting. —

(1) Each fiscal year, the Office shall report to the chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees of the General Assembly all of the following summary data, which must be de-identified to the greatest extent possible:

a. The aggregate number of public school employees who applied for an award.

b. The aggregate number of public school employees who received an award.

c. The races or ethnicities represented by public school employees who applied for an award.

d. The races or ethnicities represented by public school employees who received an award.

e. The certification areas of public school employees who applied for an award.

f. The certification areas of public school employees who received an award.

g. The average amount of an award to a public school employee.

h. The names of the schools that employed public school employees who applied for an award, and for each school, its percentage of low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities, and minority students.

i. The names of the schools that employed public school employees who received an award, and for each school, its percentage of low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities, and minority students.

j. Other summary data the Office identifies as outcome indicators.

(2) The summary data reported under paragraph (j)(1) of this section must be included with the annual report provided to the General Assembly under § 3402 of this title.

(k) If a provision of this section or the application of this section to a person or circumstance is held invalid, unenforceable, or unconstitutional, the remainder of the provisions, and the application of the provisions to any person or circumstance, are not affected.

81 Del. Laws, c. 426, § 1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 8;  85 Del. Laws, c. 56, § 2; 

(a) It is the intent and purpose of the General Assembly through this section to enable and encourage Delawareans to pursue careers in Delaware public schools as teachers or specialists in specific areas identified as areas of need within the State.

(b) The areas of need will be determined each year by the Office.

(c) To be eligible for the educator support scholarship, all of the following apply:

(1) The applicant must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program of study leading to a career as a teacher or specialist in an area of need as determined by the Office.

(2) The applicant must be a resident of this State.

(3) The applicant must be enrolled at a college or university that is located in Delaware and is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

(d) Contingent upon funding from the General Assembly and based on the size of the applicant pool, at least 1 applicant in each area of need will be awarded the scholarship annually. The amount of the award will be determined by the Office.

(e) Awards are renewable for up to 3 additional years if the recipient remains enrolled in a program of study leading to a career as a teacher or specialist in an area of need as determined by the Office and maintains satisfactory academic progress.

(f) If a particular area is determined to no longer be an area of need, recipients enrolled in a program of study leading to a career in that area are eligible to renew their award up to 3 additional years.

83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) (1) To be eligible for the Mental Health Services Scholarship, an applicant must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program in a Delaware postsecondary institution that will lead to certification as a school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker in a Delaware public school.

(2) The Office shall establish application requirements.

(3) Scholarships are awarded contingent upon funding from the General Assembly and based on the size of the applicant pool.

(4) Scholarships may be renewed for a total of 2 years of graduate study, if the recipient meets the renewal requirements established by the Office.

(b) [Repealed.]

83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1;  85 Del. Laws, c. 56, § 3;