This page contains the text of a regulation adopted by the Missouri State Board of Education. An official copy of the full text of this regulation is contained in the Code of State Regulations, published by the Office of Secretary of State. |
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Title 5 - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION |
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5 CSR 80-850.015 Administrative Procedures for the Minority Teaching Scholarship Program PURPOSE: The Minority Teaching Scholarship (sections 161.415, 161.418, 161.421, and 161.424, RSMo) establishes a program, to be administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, also referred to as the department, that makes renewable scholarships in the amount of three thousand dollars per recipient (two thousand dollars of this amount to be provided by the state and one thousand dollars to be provided by participating colleges or universities) available for minority students who make a commitment to a math or science teaching career and who enroll in a college program leading to certification to teach in the public schools of Missouri. Within the limits of amounts appropriated therefore, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall make available up to one hundred, one-year, renewable scholarships to minority students for the purpose of encouraging minority students to enter teaching of math or science. This rule sets forth the qualifications required of applicants for the scholarships, the criteria to be used in selecting scholarship recipients, the conditions that participating colleges or universities must meet, procedures for matching recipients with participating colleges or universities, terms to which a scholarship recipient must agree, and repayment procedures to be followed by recipients who fail to fulfill their commitment to become certificated to teach science or math in the public schools of Missouri. (1) Eligible applicants are defined as residents of Missouri who-- (A) Are a minority which includes Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and African Americans; (B) Are high school graduates or college students who are residents of Missouri or who after the completion of their baccalaureate degree enter teacher education; (C) Make a commitment to pursue an approved teacher education program, enroll as full-time students in a four (4)-year college or university located in Missouri, and make a commitment to teach science or math; (D) Have achieved scores on an accepted nationally-normed test of academic ability, such as but not limited to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), or the School-College Ability Test (SCAT), which place them at or above the seventy-fifth (75th) percentile; and have achieved a high school grade point average which ranks them in the upper twenty-five percent (25%) of their high school graduating class or as calculated at the end of the sixth (6th) semester. (E) Have completed thirty (30) college credit hours or more, with a 3.0 grade point average in an accredited institution, will be considered to have met the class rank and test requirements; as the purpose of this requirement is to predict college success. (2) Each student wishing to apply for a scholarship under sections 161.415, 161.418, 161.421, and 161.424, RSMo, shall submit an application to the department in such form as may be required by the department before January 1 in order to be considered for the award of a scholarship for the fall term. (3) Each application shall contain such information as may be required to enable the department to select recipients under the provisions of this rule. (4) Each applicant will be notified whether s/he has or has not been selected as a recipient of a scholarship by April 1. (5) Recipients will be selected from the group of eligible applicants on the basis of each applicant's level of performance in the following areas: (A) Participation in school and community activities; (B) Demonstrated leadership abilities; and (C) Career interest in teaching. (6) Annually, the department shall appoint a selection committee whose assignment shall be to rank the eligible applicants on the basis of the criteria listed in section (5) in accordance with rating scales developed by the department. The list of ranked applicants shall be used in assigning each recipient to the college or university of his/her choice. (7) In the event that there are more eligible applicants than can be granted scholarships because insufficient funds have been appropriated, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) may consider the financial need of the applicant. (8) In the event that a designated recipient declines to accept a scholarship, the scholarship shall be offered to the next highest ranked eligible applicant, if any. (9) After recipients have been selected in accordance with the criteria listed in this rule, each recipient will be matched, in rank order, with his/her first choice of college or university until all openings at a college or university have been filled; thereafter, recipients who have designated that college or university as first choice will be matched in rank order with openings at colleges or universities that they indicated as second or third choice, respectively. (10) The department shall notify each participating college or university of the names and addresses of scholarship recipients who have been matched with that institution. (11) Following notification that s/he has been selected to receive a scholarship, an applicant shall respond to the department to accept or decline the scholarship no later than April 15. (12) After a recipient has completed admission and registration procedures at the matched college or university and is ready to attend class at the beginning of the first semester, the financial aid officer or scholarship awards office shall give the recipient a check from the state in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and a check from the college or university in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500), both checks made payable to the recipient (or the recipient and parent or guardian, if the recipient is under eighteen (18) years of age). At the beginning of each semester a similar procedure shall occur. A recipient shall be eligible for a renewed scholarship, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, for a maximum of three (3) additional years, provided the recipient remains in "good standing" with their college or university. (13) At the beginning of each semester after the recipient has completed all enrollment requirements and is ready to attend class, and when the checks from the state and the college or university are delivered to the student, the recipient (and parents or guardians, if the recipient is under eighteen (18) years of age) shall sign a promissory note obligating the student to fulfill the commitments as defined in this rule, to include the provision that funds received shall be repaid according to the terms of this rule if the student defaults on said commitments. (14) Participating colleges or universities must-- (A) Be located in Missouri; (B) Offer a teacher education program approved by the department; (C) Provide matching funds of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per scholarship recipient to match one dollar ($1) for every two dollars ($2), funds made available by the state; (D) Not use state funds for the matching funds; (E) Indicate prior to each year of participation, upon the request of the department, the number of scholarships that will be matched; (F) Report annually on October 1 in the format requested by the department, the status of all scholarship recipients who attended the college or university during preceding years until such time as they graduate or leave the college or university; (G) Confirm annually on October 1 in the format requested by the department, the status of recipients who are currently enrolled as first-time students; (H) Report immediately to the department the name of any enrolled recipient who ceases study leading to teacher certification, or falls below "good standing" with the university or Teacher Education Program; (I) Agree to pay matching funds to recipients on terms no more restrictive than those established by the department with regard to the state funds provided to recipients, and if they elect to seek repayment, the terms of the repayment schedule shall be no more restrictive than the repayment terms established by the state for students who default; and (J) Agree to serve as agent for the state in obtaining notarized signatures of recipients (or of recipients and parents or guardians, if the recipient is under eighteen (18) years of age) on promissory notes which will be sent by the department to the designated college official along with the payment checks sent for recipients. The college or university agrees to return the signed and notarized promissory notes to the department. (15) Before receiving any funds from the state or from a college or university under terms of the Minority Teaching Scholarship Program, each designated recipient must agree to the following terms and conditions: (A) To enroll in and complete a college program designed to qualify the recipient for a Missouri teaching certificate within five (5) years from the date of receiving funds under the scholarship program (three (3) years in the case of students transferring from a junior or community college); (B) To teach science or math on a full-time basis for a period of five (5) years in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school after receiving a teaching certificate; (C) To notify the department annually on October 1 in the format and on the schedule prescribed by the department, of his/her current status as a student during years of college attendance and as a teacher following receipt of teacher certification; (D) To repay the scholarship funds received from the state in accordance with terms set forth in this rule if any one (1) of the following events occurs: 1. The recipient ceases study leading to teacher certification for any reason, including but not limited to-- A. Change of career goal as evidenced by the nature of courses selected in college; B. Discontinuance of college attendance; C. Dismissal, suspension, or expulsion from college for any reason; or D. Enrollment and attendance during any semester in less than twelve (12) semester hours (less than full-time) in a program leading to certification to teach in Missouri public schools, except that nonattendance or enrollment in less than twelve (12) semester hours during the summer term shall not affect the status of the recipient; 2. The recipient fails to be hired for or to accept a full-time math or science teaching position in a Missouri public school within ten (10) months of receiving certification to teach in Missouri public schools; or 3. The recipient fails to teach math or science on a full-time basis for a period of five (5) years in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school. (16) If a recipient does not complete requirements for certification to teach in public elementary or secondary schools in Missouri in accordance with the terms of this rule, the scholarship amount shall be considered as a loan to the recipient and interest at the rate of nine and one-half percent (9 1/2%) per year shall be charged on the unpaid balance of the amount received from the state from the date the recipient ceased study leading to teacher certification until the amount received has been paid back to the state. (17) If a recipient fails to be hired for or to accept a full-time math or science teaching position in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school within ten (10) months after receiving certification to teach in Missouri public elementary or secondary schools, the scholarship amount shall be considered as a loan to the recipient, and interest at the rate of nine and one-half percent (9 1/2%) per year shall be charged on the unpaid balance of the amount received from the date the recipient ceases to teach until the amount received has been paid back to the state. For each year, up to five (5) years, that the recipient teaches in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school, one-fifth (1/5) of the amount received under the scholarship program shall be applied against the total amount received and shall not be subject to repayment. (18) If a recipient does not continue to teach math or science on a full-time basis in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school for a period of five (5) years after receiving a degree, the scholarship amount shall be considered as a loan to the recipient and interest at the rate of nine and one-half percent (9 1/2%) per year shall be charged on the unpaid balance of the amount received from the date the recipient ceases to teach until the amount received has been paid back to the state. For each year, up to five (5) years, that the recipient teaches in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school, one-fifth (1/5) of the amount received under the scholarship program shall be applied against the total amount received and shall not be subject to repayment. (19) The amount received (plus interest) shall be repaid to the state within two (2) years of the date of default; except that, repayment shall not be triggered-- (A) For a period of not more than two (2) years when a recipient returns to full-time graduate study; (B) For a period of not more than one (1) semester by a recipient's requesting and receiving maternity leave from a Missouri public school district if the recipient returns to a teaching position in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school following such interruption of employment; (C) For service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States; or (D) For teaching in areas other than math or science defined as "critical need" by the state board. (20) The obligation to teach on a full-time basis in a Missouri public elementary or secondary school for a period of five (5) years following certification shall not be altered by any such suspension on the requirement to repay the scholarship funds. (21) Exceptions--A recipient who wishes to request an exception to any of the terms of this rule must submit his/her request in writing to the department. The department shall respond to each such request within thirty (30) days following receipt of the request and may schedule a hearing not more than forty-five (45) days following receipt of the request to receive testimony. A ruling on each request shall be rendered not more than fifteen (15) days following such hearing. AUTHORITY: sections 161.415, 161.418, 161.421 and 161.424, RSMo (1994). Emergency rule filed July 19, 1995, expired Nov. 25, 1995. * Original rule filed May 24, 1995, effective Jan. 30, 1996. *Original authority 161.415, 161.418, 161.421 and 161.424, RSMo (1990). |
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