(4)

(C) (1) A COUNTY BOARD APPLYING FOR A GRANT UNDER THIS SECTION
SHALL SUBMIT A PLAN FOR FUNDING TO THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT.

(2) THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL GIVE PRIORITY TO PLANS
TARGETING FUNDS TO SCHOOLS IN WHICH 40% OF THE STUDENTS RECEIVE FREE OR
REDUCED PRICE MEALS.

(3) IN ADDITION TO THE CRITERIA IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS
SUBSECTION, THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL GIVE PRIORITY TO PLANS
TARGETING FUNDS TO SCHOOLS IN WHICH:

(I) 50% OR MORE OF THE TEACHERS HAVE 5 YEARS OR LESS OF
TEACHING EXPERIENCE: OR

(II) STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SCORES ON LOCAL, STATE, AND
NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS ARE AT OR BELOW A SATISFACTORY LEVEL.

(D) THE TOTAL GRANTS DISTRIBUTED UNDER THIS SECTION FOR ANY FISCAL
YEAR MAY NOT EXCEED $5,000,000.

6-202.

[(b) This section does not prohibit the State Board from adopting bylaws to
provide for a probationary period of employment of 2 years or less.]

(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE
PROBATIONARY PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT OF A TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, SUPERVISOR,
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANT CERTIFICATED
EMPLOYEE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL BE FOR COVER A PERIOD OF 3 2
YEARS FROM THE DATE OF EMPLOYMENT AND SHALL CONSIST OF A 1-YEAR
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT THAT MAY BE RENEWED BY THE COUNTY BOARD.

(2) (I) A PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR A CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEE IN
A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY BE EXTENDED FOR A THIRD YEAR FROM THE DATE
OF EMPLOYMENT IF THE CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEE DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR
TENURE AT THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR BASED ON ESTABLISHED
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND THE EMPLOYEE DEMONSTRATES A
STRONG POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVEMENT

(II) IF THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD OF A CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEE
IS EXTENDED AS PROVIDED IN THIS PARAGRAPH, A MENTOR SHALL BE ASSIGNED TO
THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYEE SHALL BE EVALUATED AT THE END OF THE
THIRD YEAR BASED ON ESTABLISHED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CRITERIA.

(2) (3) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT
IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH (1) PARAGRAPHS (1) AND (2) OF THIS
SUBSECTION AND DEFINE THE SCOPE OF A MENTORING PROGRAM THAT WILL BE
ALIGNED WITH THE 3-YEAR 2-YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIOD AND THE 1-YEAR
EXTENSION AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION.