74-50,233. Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program; definitions. For purposes of this section and K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 74-50,234, and amendments thereto:

(a) "Applicant school" means a school district organized and operating under the laws of this state, acting independently or as part of a consortia with other school districts that seeks to engage in a registered education apprenticeship program.

(b) "Candidate" means a paraeducator or other person employed by a school district who seeks to become a licensed teacher and who currently does not possess such a license.

(c) "Education apprentice" means a person who is a Kansas resident at least 16 years of age, except where an older minimum age standard is otherwise fixed by law, is a candidate, has been selected to participate in a registered education apprenticeship program by an applicant school and is employed to learn the apprenticeable occupation, as defined in 29 C.F.R. § 29.4, of teaching. 

(d) "Eligible related training instruction provider" means an institution of higher education that provides a teacher preparation program and is:

(1) A state educational institution under the control and supervision of the board of regents;

(2) a municipal university;

(3) any not-for-profit institution of postsecondary education with its main campus or principal place of operation in Kansas, is operated independently and not controlled or administered by any state agency or subdivision of the state, maintains open enrollment and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency for higher education in the United States; or

(4) a not-for-profit independent institution of higher education which is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education, is operated independently and not controlled or administered by the state or any agency or subdivision thereof, maintains open enrollment, offers online education, offers exclusively competency-based education programs and has been granted accreditation for its teacher licensure programs by the council for the accreditation of educator preparation and the association for advancing quality in educator preparation.

(e) "Registered education apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program, as defined in K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 74-50,229, and amendments thereto, that is a registered apprenticeship program, as defined in K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 74-50,229, and amendments thereto, of an applicant school for the profession of teaching that provides candidates combined classroom and on the job training under the direct supervision of a licensed professional teacher and has been approved by the secretary.

(f) "Secretary" means the secretary of commerce or the secretary's designee, including the director of the office of registered apprenticeship or any successor, designated by the secretary to administer the provisions of this act.

History: L. 2023, ch. 81, § 5; July 1.