Sec. 1.5. (a) This subsection governs salary increases for a teacher employed by a school corporation. Compensation attributable to additional degrees or graduate credits earned before the effective date of a local compensation plan created under this chapter before July 1, 2015, shall continue for school years beginning after June 30, 2015. Compensation attributable to additional degrees for which a teacher has started course work before July 1, 2011, and completed course work before September 2, 2014, shall also continue for school years beginning after June 30, 2015. For school years beginning after June 30, 2022, a school corporation may provide a supplemental payment to a teacher in excess of the salary specified in the school corporation’s compensation plan. A supplement provided under this subsection is not subject to collective bargaining. Such a supplement is in addition to any increase permitted under subsection (b).

     (b) Subject to subsection (e), increases or increments in a local salary range must be based upon a combination of the following factors:

(1) A combination of the following factors taken together may account for not more than fifty percent (50%) of the calculation used to determine a teacher’s increase or increment:

(A) The number of years of a teacher’s experience.

(B) The possession of either:

(i) additional content area degrees beyond the requirements for employment; or

(ii) additional content area degrees and credit hours beyond the requirements for employment, if required under an agreement bargained under IC 20-29.

(2) The results of an evaluation conducted under IC 20-28-11.5.

(3) The assignment of instructional leadership roles, including the responsibility for conducting evaluations under IC 20-28-11.5.

(4) The academic needs of students in the school corporation.

     (c) To provide greater flexibility and options, a school corporation may differentiate the amount of salary increases or increments determined for teachers. A school corporation shall base a differentiated amount under this subsection on reasons the school corporation determines are appropriate, which may include the:

(1) subject or subjects taught by a given teacher;

(2) importance of retaining a given teacher at the school corporation;

(3) need to attract an individual with specific qualifications to fill a teaching vacancy; and

(4) offering of a new program or class.

     (d) A school corporation may provide differentiated increases or increments under subsection (b), and in excess of the percentage specified in subsection (b)(1), in order to:

(1) reduce the gap between the school corporation’s minimum teacher salary and the average of the school corporation’s minimum and maximum teacher salaries; or

(2) allow teachers currently employed by the school corporation to receive a salary adjusted in comparison to starting base salaries of new teachers.

     (e) A school corporation shall differentiate the amount of salary increases or increments for teachers who possess a required literacy endorsement under IC 20-28-5-19.7.

     (f) Except as provided in subsection (g), a teacher rated ineffective or improvement necessary under IC 20-28-11.5 may not receive any raise or increment for the following year if the teacher’s employment contract is continued. The amount that would otherwise have been allocated for the salary increase of teachers rated ineffective or improvement necessary shall be allocated for compensation of all teachers rated effective and highly effective based on the criteria in subsection (b).

     (g) Subsection (f) does not apply to a teacher in the first two (2) full school years that the teacher provides instruction to students in elementary school or high school. If a teacher provides instruction to students in elementary school or high school in another state, any full school year, or its equivalent in the other state, that the teacher provides instruction counts toward the two (2) full school years under this subsection.

     (h) A teacher who does not receive a raise or increment under subsection (f) may file a request with the superintendent or superintendent’s designee not later than five (5) days after receiving notice that the teacher received a rating of ineffective. The teacher is entitled to a private conference with the superintendent or superintendent’s designee.

     (i) The Indiana education employment relations board established in IC 20-29-3-1 shall publish a model compensation plan with a model salary range that a school corporation may adopt.

     (j) Each school corporation shall submit its local compensation plan to the Indiana education employment relations board. For a school year beginning after June 30, 2015, a local compensation plan must specify the range for teacher salaries. The Indiana education employment relations board shall publish the local compensation plans on the Indiana education employment relations board’s website.

     (k) The Indiana education employment relations board shall review a compensation plan for compliance with this section as part of its review under IC 20-29-6-6.1. The Indiana education employment relations board has jurisdiction to determine compliance of a compensation plan submitted under this section.

     (l) This chapter may not be construed to require or allow a school corporation to decrease the salary of any teacher below the salary the teacher was earning on or before July 1, 2015, if that decrease would be made solely to conform to the new compensation plan.

     (m) After June 30, 2011, all rights, duties, or obligations established under IC 20-28-9-1 before its repeal are considered rights, duties, or obligations under this section.

     (n) An employment agreement described in IC 20-28-6-7.3 between an adjunct teacher and a school corporation is not subject to this section.

As added by P.L.286-2013, SEC.90. Amended by P.L.213-2015, SEC.179; P.L.106-2016, SEC.10; P.L.216-2017, SEC.2; P.L.228-2017, SEC.3; P.L.170-2018, SEC.4; P.L.191-2018, SEC.11; P.L.215-2018(ss), SEC.9; P.L.118-2019, SEC.1; P.L.143-2019, SEC.21; P.L.211-2019, SEC.23; P.L.216-2021, SEC.22; P.L.134-2022, SEC.2; P.L.168-2022, SEC.15; P.L.178-2022(ts), SEC.13; P.L.170-2023, SEC.17; P.L.200-2023, SEC.15; P.L.243-2023, SEC.14.