5. a. A school district, charter school, or renaissance school seeking to hire individuals who are issued limited certificates of eligibility with advanced standing or limited certificates of eligibility under the pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act shall be approved by the Commissioner of Education to do so. A school district, charter school, or renaissance school shall apply to the commissioner in a manner and form to be prescribed by the commissioner. To be considered for approval to hire individuals who hold limited certificates of eligibility with advanced standing or limited certificates of eligibility, an applicant shall demonstrate a sufficient capability to provide support to new teachers and:

(1) a demographic disparity between the district’s or school’s student population and teachers; or

(2) a shortage of bilingual education teachers; or

(3) a critical need to fill teacher vacancies or a hardship caused by teacher vacancies.

b. During the first year of implementation of the pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act, the commissioner shall approve no less than 10 school districts, charter schools, or renaissance schools to hire individuals who hold limited certificates of eligibility with advanced standing or limited certificates of eligibility.

c. A school district, charter school, or renaissance school approved to hire individuals who hold limited certificates of eligibility with advanced standing or limited certificates of eligibility shall only hire up to 10 percent of its total teachers pursuant to this act.

d. A school district, charter school, or renaissance school approved to hire individuals who hold limited certificates of eligibility with advanced standing or limited certificates of eligibility shall, during the period of the pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act, annually submit a report to the commissioner evaluating the impact of hiring such individuals. The report shall contain the following information:

(1) the number of teachers who were issued a limited certificate of eligibility with advanced standing or a limited certificate of eligibility;

(2) the subject areas in which the individuals teach and the courses they teach;

(3) how the hiring of individuals who were issued the limited certificates has impacted the district’s or school’s demographic disparity between its student population and teachers as well as the effect the hiring of those individuals has had on the district’s or school’s ability to fill teacher vacancies;

(4) student achievement data for students taught by the teachers who were issued the limited certificates, as determined by the commissioner; and

(5) any other information the commissioner deems necessary.

e. The commissioner shall, during the period of the pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act, annually submit to the State Board of Education a report summarizing the information submitted by school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools pursuant to subsection d. of this section.

L.2021, c.224, s.5.