New Course Incentive Payments
Overview
New Course Incentive Payments are a new initiative introduced in Ohio’s Biennium Budget, HB33. These funds, distributed by the Department of Education and Workforce, will be issued to districts offering new qualifying College Credit Plus courses for the school years 2024 and 2025.
Under the program, the Department of Education and Workforce will distribute at minimum $1,000 incentive payments to participating districts for each qualifying course offered for the first time in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. A school district shall use not less than 25% of that amount to make a payment to the teacher(s) of the new qualifying course(s). The Department will prioritize incentive payments to school districts with a lack of advanced standing courses and school districts with low College Credit Plus participation rates. The payment will be made through an adjustment on the school or district’s state foundation payment.
The priority district tiers were determined using a combination of CCP participation data and Advanced Standing Coursework participation data. Based on these tiers, funding was allocated with the highest payments going to the highest priority tiers.
Process
After October 14, 2024, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce considers new course reporting for the purpose of this incentive payment final for the 2023-2024 school year. The agency will make determinations of which schools and districts are eligible for payment and will send communication to those schools and districts to indicate the eligibility for payment. This communication will include necessary documentation and information on assurances.
Within 15 days of receiving this communication, schools and districts should return assurances to the Department. Upon final receipt of assurances, the Department will remit payments for new courses and the program will be considered closed for the 2023-2024 school year.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Priority Tiers
General
What are the requirements for a school district to receive funding?
Districts must have offered a new College Credit Plus course at their high school, taught by a high school instructor, in the relevant school year with at least one student in the course approved for funding. The district must also sign and return the grant assurances, ensuring that they will offer at least 25% of the funds to the instructor.
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If a school district meets the funding qualifications, what are the required steps to submit their information to the Department?
Districts should continue to report their courses through EMIS as they currently do. When course reporting is made final for this purpose, districts reporting a “new” course will be notified and will need to submit a signed form outlining the assurances for this incentive payment.
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What is the timeline to submit information to the Department?
Assurance forms will be due within 15 days of the notification email being sent. Notification emails will include an exact date when the assurances are due back to the Department.
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If awarded funding, what are the requirements of the school district to use these funds?
Ohio Revised Code requires that a qualifying school district shall use not less than 25% of the incentive payment to make a payment to the teacher(s) of the new qualifying course(s).
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Is the 25% required to go to the teacher or is it able to assist with classroom materials, personal development or the teacher’s salary?
The 25% should be made as a payment to the teacher of the course.
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If the teacher of the new qualifying course is no longer employed at the district, are we allowed to accept the incentive payment?
A district accepting this payment must ensure that 25% of the payment is awarded to the teacher of the "new" course. If the district is not able to ensure that this payment will be awarded to this teacher, the district cannot meet the requirements of the incentive program.
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Priority Tiers
How are the priority tiers for school districts determined?
Priority Tiers were based on CCP and Advanced Coursework data reported in the 2022-2023 school year. Districts were tiered based on their students’ participation in both College Credit Plus Coursework and Advanced Standing Coursework. The below table indicates how tiers were established:
| Tier |
Included |
CCP Enrollment
Percentage
|
Other Advanced
Standing Percentage
|
| 1 |
LOW Advanced Standing |
< 15.99% |
< 15.99% |
| 2 |
Low CCP, AVG Other |
< 15.99% |
16% - 40.99% |
| 3 |
Avg CCP, Low Other |
16% - 40.99% |
<15% |
| 4 |
Avg Advanced Standing |
16% - 40.99% |
16% - 40.99% |
| 5 |
Low CCP, High Other |
< 15.99% |
>41% |
| 6 |
Avg CCP, High Other |
16% - 40.99% |
>41% |
| 7 |
HIGH CCP, Low-AVG Other |
>41% |
< 40.99% |
| 8 |
HIGH Advanced Standing |
>41% |
>41% |
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Last Modified: 11/8/2024 1:31:48 PM