Common use of Educational Assistance Benefits Clause in Contracts

Educational Assistance Benefits. This program is designed to provide training and advanced education for permanent employees who wish to improve their performance in their present positions, in preparation for advancement, or as part of an approved career development plan. a. Tuition reimbursement (fees and materials are not included) will be provided for appropriate courses leading toward (1) initial certification, (2) renewal of Standard Professional Certificate, (3) Advanced Professional Certificate, (4) Master's Degree, (5) continuation of other professional license or certificate required for employment, or (6) any other approved course work. b. Employees may be reimbursed for tuition under the following conditions. SMCPS is not responsible for courses selected by the employee that do not meet the criteria for certification or reimbursement. While not required, SMCPS encourages employees to verify courses with the Department of Human Resources via the SMCPS tuition reimbursement form. 1) The course/credits taken are appropriate for the position and certification of the individual employee. 2) The employee has not been previously reimbursed for the same course. 3) The course/credits are from a regionally accredited college or university (if pursuing college credits). 4) The following documentation is required to be submitted the Department of Human Resources within 45 days of the completion of the course (as indicated on the transcript or grade slip): (1) A reimbursement request form (pre-approval is not required for tuition reimbursement), (2) official transcript of grade received with a minimum of grade “C”, and (3) original receipt or electronic confirmation of payment (if no hard copy receipt is provided) from the college or university. If an extension is needed, the employee must request it in writing within 45 days of the completion of the course. 5) The employee’s tuition reimbursement is allocated each July 1 for the coming year and runs through the following June 30. Tuition reimbursement up to the annual allowable amount will be deducted from the employee's annual allocation based on the date that the credits were earned as indicated on the official transcript or grade slip that must be submitted within 45 days of the credits being earned. 6) SMCPS will provide reimbursement within 45 days of receipt of the required documentation. c. Employees enrolled in courses through Direct Pay agreements for non-SMCPS courses must submit for pre-approval to the Department of Human Resources prior to registration per the memorandum of understanding with each participating Direct Pay school. Pre-approval is not required for SMCPS Direct Pay courses, although the employee will be responsible for completing any paperwork required by the university and for any amount that exceeds their annual tuition allocation. d. If the employee wants to confirm the appropriateness of a course prior to registration, advance written approval may be sought via an SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request form submitted to Human Resources. The Superintendent will sign the SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request Form, indicating approval or denial, and return the signed form to the employee within ten workdays of its receipt in the Department of Human Resources. e. The reimbursement will not exceed the actual amount the employee paid for tuition. f. Appropriate credit will be determined by the current requirements for certificates for administrators, supervisors, and teachers, and by the current professional licensure and/or certification requirements for bargaining unit members. In order to receive tuition reimbursement for credits leading toward an Advanced Professional Certificate or a Master's Degree, the employee shall hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or professional license/certificate for their present assignment. g. Reimbursement for tuition shall not exceed the following amounts. In determining whether the annual maximum reimbursement amount has been reached, the year to which the reimbursement applies will be based on the date of issuance of the grade slip for a completed course. Purpose Total Annual Maximum (Not Cumulative) General $3,250 $3,400 $3,500 $3,500 Pursuing Initial Professional Teaching Credential $4,250 $4,400 $4,500 $4,500 Pursuing Ph.D. or Ed.D. $5,150 $5,300 $5,400 $5,400 h. An employee who has received a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. may receive an additional $3,000 professional stipend up to a maximum of three years for completing a study or problem of practice approved by the Superintendent. i. Based upon successful application process, tuition reimbursement may also be applied as a fee waiver up to the maximum yearly amount for the following certifications and designations. ● Certificated Employees: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification ● Speech and Language Therapists: National Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) ● Nurses: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) ● Occupational Therapists: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) ● Physical Therapists: Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) ● Audiologists: Fellow of American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) ● School Psychologists: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) ● Behavior Analysts: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) j. In accordance with the provisions of COMAR Section 13A.12.01.14, the Board will not require coursework for certification renewal for professionally certificated employees who are 55 years of age or older or who have been employed for at least 25 years in public school service or approved nonpublic school service. k. Employees who pay a fee for transcripts necessary to verify course completion may be reimbursed upon submission of a receipt up to 45 days following payment; such reimbursement will be deducted from the year’s annual course reimbursement allocation based on the date on the receipt for transcript payment, limited to one transcript reimbursement per semester per university or college. l. Any employee who leaves the Board’s employ within one year after completion of a course for which they have received reimbursement from the Board shall re-pay the full amount of such reimbursement to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. This repayment provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer necessitating a move of over 50 miles, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, non-renewal of nontenured employees, or other cause approved by the Board. If the employee who was granted a waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same position less than 50 miles away within one year of their leaving the Board’s employment, they shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless they sought employment with the Board and were not offered a contract. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the Board and successfully completing two more years of employment. m. All non-certificated, current full-time employees who decide to become teachers and are enrolled in an accredited college program leading towards an initial Maryland professional teaching credential, shall have access to the benefits below with the following terms. 1) Tuition reimbursement will be allowed for all coursework in an initial Maryland professional teaching credential program up to the limit specified in Article 10, Paragraph G above. 2) All Praxis and other assessments required for the initial Maryland professional teaching credential will be reimbursed when passing scores are received. If grant funding is unavailable to SMCPS to fund this reimbursement in any given fiscal year, then reimbursement will be limited to employees with at least one full year of prior SMCPS service. 3) Eligible employees may apply for Sabbatical Leave in accordance with section 8.9 for consideration, to include student internships. 4) See Appendix G for description of placement on the certificated employee salary scale. 5) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificate, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a period of three years unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a full-time position. An employee who has been employed by the Board in a full-time position outside of their area of certification and does not complete the three-year guarantee period will be required to repay tuition reimbursement to the Board. If the employee accepts a teaching contract in another school system within their area of certification and chooses to submit verification of such employment to the Superintendent, then the repayment provisions will be adjusted as follows.

Educational Assistance Benefits. This program is designed to provide training and advanced education for permanent employees who wish to improve their performance in their present positions, in preparation for advancement, or as part of an approved career development plan. a. Tuition reimbursement (fees and materials are not included) will be provided for appropriate courses leading toward (1) to initial certificationcertification or license, (2) renewal of Standard Professional Certificatecertification or license, (3) Advanced Professional Certificate, (4) Master's Degree, (5) continuation of other professional license advance certification or certificate required for employmentlicense, or (6) degree. These courses will be limited to college credits, adult education courses sponsored by the Board, trade schools, or any other approved course workcombination thereof. b. Employees may be reimbursed for tuition under The reimbursement will not exceed the following conditions. SMCPS is not responsible for courses selected by actual amount the employee that do not meet the criteria paid for certification or reimbursement. While not required, SMCPS encourages employees to verify courses with the Department of Human Resources via the SMCPS tuition reimbursement form. 1) The course/credits taken are appropriate for the position and certification of the individual employee. 2) The employee has not been previously reimbursed for the same course. 3) The course/credits are from a regionally accredited college or university (if pursuing college credits). 4) The following documentation is required to be submitted the Department of Human Resources within 45 days of the completion of the course (as indicated on the transcript or grade slip): (1) A reimbursement request form (pre-approval is not required for tuition reimbursement), (2) official transcript of grade received with a minimum of grade “C”, and (3) original receipt or electronic confirmation of payment (if no hard copy receipt is provided) from the college or university. If an extension is needed, the employee must request it in writing within 45 days of the completion of the course. 5) The employee’s tuition reimbursement is allocated each July 1 for the coming year and runs through the following June 30. Tuition reimbursement up to the annual allowable amount will be deducted from the employee's annual allocation based on the date that the credits were earned as indicated on the official transcript or grade slip that must be submitted within 45 days of the credits being earned. 6) SMCPS will provide reimbursement within 45 days of receipt of the required documentationtuition. c. Employees enrolled For purposes of this article, in courses through Direct Pay agreements for non-SMCPS courses must submit for pre-approval order to the Department of Human Resources prior to registration per the memorandum of understanding with each participating Direct Pay school. Pre-approval is not required for SMCPS Direct Pay courses, although the employee will be responsible for completing any paperwork required by the university and for any amount that exceeds their annual receive tuition allocation. d. If the employee wants to confirm the appropriateness of a course prior to registrationreimbursement, advance written approval may must be sought obtained via an SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request form Form completed, signed, and submitted to Human Resourcesvia hard copy or fax. The Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services and Human Resources or designee will sign the SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request Form, indicating approval or denial, and return the signed form to the employee within ten workdays of its receipt submission. These forms shall be made available on the SMCPS web site for employee convenience. d. To facilitate staff utilization of tuition benefits for professional development, SMCPS may negotiate agreements with universities for direct billing of course tuition for employees who are in an SMCPS approved program. Employees who are accepted in an approved program may apply for tuition to be billed to SMCPS. All other processes and limitations specified in this article still apply. SMCPS will pay for the Department portion of Human Resourcestuition that is approved (fees and materials are not included) and employees will be billed by the universities for the remaining balance. e. The reimbursement will not exceed the actual amount the employee paid for tuition. f. Appropriate credit will be determined by the current requirements for certificates for administrators, supervisors, and teachers, and by the current professional licensure and/or certification requirements for bargaining unit members. In order to receive tuition reimbursement for credits leading toward an Advanced Professional Certificate or a Master's Degree, the employee shall hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or professional license/certificate for their present assignment. g. Reimbursement for tuition shall not exceed the following amounts. In determining whether the annual maximum reimbursement amount has been reached, the year to which the reimbursement applies will be based on the date of issuance of the grade slip for a completed course. Purpose Total Annual Maximum (Not Cumulative) General $3,250 $3,400 $3,500 $3,500 Pursuing Initial Professional Teaching Credential $4,250 $4,400 $4,500 $4,500 Pursuing Ph.D. or Ed.D. $5,150 $5,300 $5,400 $5,400 h. An employee who has received a Ph.D. or f. For employees enrolled in an Ed.D. may receive accredited college program leading towards Maryland teaching certification, an additional $3,000 professional stipend up 1,000 reimbursement for tuition shall be available annually with the following terms. 1) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificate, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a maximum period of three years for completing following unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a study or problem of practice approved by the Superintendentfull-time position. i. Based upon successful application process, tuition reimbursement may also be applied as a fee waiver up to 2) If the maximum yearly amount for the following certifications and designations. ● Certificated Employees: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification ● Speech and Language Therapists: National Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) ● Nurses: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) ● Occupational Therapists: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) ● Physical Therapists: Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) ● Audiologists: Fellow of American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) ● School Psychologists: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) ● Behavior Analysts: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) j. In accordance with the provisions of COMAR Section 13A.12.01.14, the Board will not require coursework for certification renewal for professionally certificated employees who are 55 years of age or older or who have been employed for at least 25 years in public school service or approved nonpublic school service. k. Employees who pay a fee for transcripts necessary to verify course completion may be reimbursed upon submission of a receipt up to 45 days following payment; such reimbursement will be deducted from the year’s annual course reimbursement allocation based on the date on the receipt for transcript payment, limited to one transcript reimbursement per semester per university or college. l. Any employee who leaves the Board’s employ within one year three years after completion of a course for which they have received the extra reimbursement from the Board Board, the employee shall re-pay the full amount of such reimbursement to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. . 3) The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. This repayment . 4) A waiver will be granted and this provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer necessitating a move of over more than 50 milesmiles from the St. Mary’s County line, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, non-renewal of nontenured employeesnonrenewal, or other cause approved by the Board. . 5) If the employee who was granted a waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same a position less than within 50 miles away of the St. Mary’s County line, Maryland, within one year of their leaving the Board’s employment, they shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless they sought employment with the Board and were not offered a contractposition. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the Board and successfully completing two more years employment of employmentthe Board. m. All non-certificatedg. The school system will pay for the cost of the Paraeducator Assessment Test one time only when an employee presents appropriate documentation that he/she has passed the test and a receipt for the cost of the test. h. Upon completion of the course(s), current full-time employees who decide in order to become teachers and are enrolled in an accredited college program leading towards an initial Maryland professional teaching credentialbe reimbursed, shall have access the employee must submit the following information to the benefits below with the following termsDepartment of Human Resources. 1) Tuition reimbursement will be allowed for all coursework in an initial Maryland professional teaching credential program up to the limit specified in Article 10, Paragraph G above.Official grade slip or transcript with a minimum grade of "C" or, 2) All Praxis Written verification of satisfactory completion of the Adult Education course(s) and other assessments required for an official receipt verifying the initial Maryland professional teaching credential will actual tuition or registration fee paid must be reimbursed when passing scores are receivedsubmitted to the Department of Human Resources within 60 days of completing the course. If grant funding an extension is unavailable to SMCPS to fund this reimbursement in any given fiscal year, then reimbursement will be limited to employees with at least one full year of prior SMCPS service. 3) Eligible employees may apply for Sabbatical Leave in accordance with section 8.9 for consideration, to include student internships. 4) See Appendix G for description of placement on the certificated employee salary scale. 5) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificateneeded, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a period of three years unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a full-time position. An employee who has been employed by the Board request it in a full-time position outside of their area of certification and does not complete the three-year guarantee period writing. i. Professional skill development will be required provided to repay tuition reimbursement affected employees by SMCPS prior to the Boarddeployment of new systems and technology. If Certified training will be provided to technicians and other employees who are directly responsible for the employee accepts a teaching contract in another school system within their area of certification and chooses to submit verification installation, maintenance, and/or support of such employment to the Superintendent, then the repayment provisions will be adjusted as followsnew systems and technology.

Educational Assistance Benefits. This program is designed to provide training and advanced education for permanent employees who wish to improve their performance in their present positions, in preparation for advancement, or as part of an approved career development plan. a. Tuition reimbursement (fees and materials are not included) will be provided for appropriate courses leading toward (1) to initial certificationcertification or license, (2) renewal of Standard Professional Certificatecertification or license, (3) Advanced Professional Certificate, (4) Master's Degree, (5) continuation of other professional license advance certification or certificate required for employmentlicense, or (6) degree. These courses will be limited to college credits, adult education courses sponsored by the Board, trade schools, or any other approved course workcombination thereof. b. Employees may be reimbursed for tuition under The reimbursement will not exceed the following conditions. SMCPS is not responsible for courses selected by actual amount the employee that do not meet the criteria paid for certification or reimbursement. While not required, SMCPS encourages employees to verify courses with the Department of Human Resources via the SMCPS tuition reimbursement form. 1) The course/credits taken are appropriate for the position and certification of the individual employee. 2) The employee has not been previously reimbursed for the same course. 3) The course/credits are from a regionally accredited college or university (if pursuing college credits). 4) The following documentation is required to be submitted the Department of Human Resources within 45 days of the completion of the course (as indicated on the transcript or grade slip): (1) A reimbursement request form (pre-approval is not required for tuition reimbursement), (2) official transcript of grade received with a minimum of grade “C”, and (3) original receipt or electronic confirmation of payment (if no hard copy receipt is provided) from the college or university. If an extension is needed, the employee must request it in writing within 45 days of the completion of the course. 5) The employee’s tuition reimbursement is allocated each July 1 for the coming year and runs through the following June 30. Tuition reimbursement up to the annual allowable amount will be deducted from the employee's annual allocation based on the date that the credits were earned as indicated on the official transcript or grade slip that must be submitted within 45 days of the credits being earned. 6) SMCPS will provide reimbursement within 45 days of receipt of the required documentationtuition. c. Employees enrolled For purposes of this article, in courses through Direct Pay agreements for non-SMCPS courses must submit for pre-approval order to the Department of Human Resources prior to registration per the memorandum of understanding with each participating Direct Pay school. Pre-approval is not required for SMCPS Direct Pay courses, although the employee will be responsible for completing any paperwork required by the university and for any amount that exceeds their annual receive tuition allocation. d. If the employee wants to confirm the appropriateness of a course prior to registrationreimbursement, advance written approval may must be sought obtained via an SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request form Form completed, signed, and submitted to Human Resourcesvia hard copy or fax. The Superintendent Chief of Fiscal Services and Human Resources or designee will sign the SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request Form, indicating approval or denial, and return the signed form to the employee within ten 10 workdays of its receipt submission. These forms shall be made available on the SMCPS web site for employee convenience. d. To facilitate staff utilization of tuition benefits for professional development, SMCPS may negotiate agreements with universities for direct billing of course tuition for employees who are in an SMCPS approved program. Employees who are accepted in an approved program may apply for tuition to be billed to SMCPS. All other processes and limitations specified in this article still apply. SMCPS will pay for the Department portion of Human Resourcestuition that is approved (fees and materials are not included) and employees will be billed by the universities for the remaining balance. e. The reimbursement will not exceed the actual amount the employee paid for tuition. f. Appropriate credit will be determined by the current requirements for certificates for administrators, supervisors, and teachers, and by the current professional licensure and/or certification requirements for bargaining unit members. In order to receive tuition reimbursement for credits leading toward an Advanced Professional Certificate or a Master's Degree, the employee shall hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or professional license/certificate for their present assignment. g. Reimbursement for tuition shall not exceed the following amounts. In determining whether the annual maximum reimbursement amount has been reached, the year to which the reimbursement applies will be based on the date of issuance of the grade slip for a completed course. Purpose Total Annual Maximum (Not Cumulative) General $3,250 $3,400 $3,500 $3,500 Pursuing Initial Professional Teaching Credential $4,250 $4,400 $4,500 $4,500 Pursuing Ph.D. or Ed.D. $5,150 $5,300 $5,400 $5,400 h. An employee who has received a Ph.D. or f. For employees enrolled in an Ed.D. may receive accredited college program leading towards Maryland teaching certification, an additional $3,000 professional stipend up 1,000 reimbursement for tuition shall be available annually with the following terms. 1) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificate, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a maximum period of three (3) years for completing following unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a study or problem of practice approved by the Superintendentfull-time position. i. Based upon successful application process, tuition reimbursement may also be applied as a fee waiver up to 2) If the maximum yearly amount for the following certifications and designations. ● Certificated Employees: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification ● Speech and Language Therapists: National Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) ● Nurses: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) ● Occupational Therapists: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) ● Physical Therapists: Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) ● Audiologists: Fellow of American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) ● School Psychologists: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) ● Behavior Analysts: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) j. In accordance with the provisions of COMAR Section 13A.12.01.14, the Board will not require coursework for certification renewal for professionally certificated employees who are 55 years of age or older or who have been employed for at least 25 years in public school service or approved nonpublic school service. k. Employees who pay a fee for transcripts necessary to verify course completion may be reimbursed upon submission of a receipt up to 45 days following payment; such reimbursement will be deducted from the year’s annual course reimbursement allocation based on the date on the receipt for transcript payment, limited to one transcript reimbursement per semester per university or college. l. Any employee who leaves the Board’s employ within one year three (3) years after completion of a course for which they have received the extra reimbursement from the Board Board, the employee shall re-pay the full amount of such reimbursement to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. . 3) The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. This repayment . 4) A waiver will be granted and this provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer necessitating a move of over more than 50 milesmiles from the St. Mary’s County line, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, non-renewal of nontenured employeesnonrenewal, or other cause approved by the Board. . 5) If the employee who was granted a waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same a position less than within 50 miles away of the St. Mary’s County line, Maryland, within one year of their leaving the Board’s employment, they shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless they sought employment with the Board and were not offered a contractposition. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the Board and successfully completing two more years employment of employmentthe Board. m. All non-certificatedg. The school system will pay for the cost of the Paraeducator Assessment Test one time only when an employee presents appropriate documentation that he/she has passed the test and a receipt for the cost of the test. h. Upon completion of the course(s), current full-time employees who decide in order to become teachers and are enrolled in an accredited college program leading towards an initial Maryland professional teaching credentialbe reimbursed, shall have access the employee must submit the following information to the benefits below with the following termsDepartment of Human Resources. 1) Tuition reimbursement will be allowed for all coursework in an initial Maryland professional teaching credential program up to the limit specified in Article 10, Paragraph G above.Official grade slip or transcript with a minimum grade of "C" or, 2) All Praxis Written verification of satisfactory completion of the Adult Education course(s) and other assessments required for an official receipt verifying the initial Maryland professional teaching credential will actual tuition or registration fee paid must be reimbursed when passing scores are receivedsubmitted to the Department of Human Resources within sixty (60) days of completing the course. If grant funding an extension is unavailable to SMCPS to fund this reimbursement in any given fiscal year, then reimbursement will be limited to employees with at least one full year of prior SMCPS service. 3) Eligible employees may apply for Sabbatical Leave in accordance with section 8.9 for consideration, to include student internships. 4) See Appendix G for description of placement on the certificated employee salary scale. 5) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificateneeded, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a period of three years unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a full-time position. An employee who has been employed by the Board request it in a full-time position outside of their area of certification and does not complete the three-year guarantee period writing. i. Professional skill development will be required provided to repay tuition reimbursement affected employees by SMCPS prior to the Boarddeployment of new systems and technology. If Certified training will be provided to technicians and other employees who are directly responsible for the employee accepts a teaching contract in another school system within their area of certification and chooses to submit verification installation, maintenance, and/or support of such employment to the Superintendent, then the repayment provisions will be adjusted as followsnew systems and technology.

Educational Assistance Benefits. This program is designed to provide training and advanced education for permanent employees who wish to improve their performance in their present positions, in preparation for advancement, or as part of an approved career development plan. a. Tuition reimbursement (fees and materials are not included) will be provided for appropriate courses leading toward (1) initial certification, (2) renewal of Standard Professional Certificate, (3) Advanced Professional Certificate, (4) Master's Degree, (5) continuation of other professional license or certificate required for employment, or (6) any other approved course work. b. Employees may be reimbursed for tuition under the following conditions. SMCPS is not responsible for courses selected by the employee that do not meet the criteria for certification or reimbursement. While not required, SMCPS encourages employees to verify courses with the Department of Human Resources via the SMCPS tuition reimbursement form. 1) The course/credits taken are appropriate for the position and certification of the individual employee. 2) The employee has not been previously reimbursed for the same course. 3) The course/credits are from a regionally accredited college or university (if pursuing college credits). 4) The following documentation is required to be submitted the Department of Human Resources within 45 days of the completion of the course (as indicated on the transcript or grade slip): (1) A reimbursement request form (pre-approval is not required for tuition reimbursement), (2) official transcript of grade received with a minimum of grade “C”, and (3) original receipt or electronic confirmation of payment (if no hard copy receipt is provided) from the college or university. If an extension is needed, the employee must request it in writing within 45 days of the completion of the course. 5) The employee’s tuition reimbursement is allocated each July 1 for the coming year and runs through the following June 30. Tuition reimbursement up to the annual allowable amount will be deducted from the employee's annual allocation based on the date that the credits were earned as indicated on the official transcript or grade slip that must be submitted within 45 days of the credits being earned. 6) SMCPS will provide reimbursement within 45 days of receipt of the required documentation. c. Employees enrolled in courses through Direct Pay agreements for non-SMCPS courses must submit for pre-approval to the Department of Human Resources prior to registration per the memorandum of understanding with each participating Direct Pay school. Pre-Pre- approval is not required for SMCPS Direct Pay courses, although the employee will be responsible for completing any paperwork required by the university and for any amount that exceeds their his/her annual tuition allocation. d. If the employee wants to confirm the appropriateness of a course prior to registration, advance written approval may be sought via an SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request form submitted to Human Resources. The Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services and Human Resources or designee will sign the SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request Form, indicating approval or denial, and return the signed form to the employee within ten workdays of its receipt in the Department of Human Resources. e. The reimbursement will not exceed the actual amount the employee paid for tuition. f. Appropriate credit will be determined by the current requirements for certificates for administrators, supervisors, and teachers, and by the current professional licensure and/or certification requirements for bargaining unit members. In order to receive tuition reimbursement for credits leading toward an Advanced Professional Certificate or a Master's Degree, the employee shall hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or professional license/certificate for their his/her present assignment. g. Reimbursement for tuition shall not exceed the following amounts. In determining whether the annual maximum reimbursement amount has been reached, the year to which the reimbursement applies will be based on the date of issuance of the grade slip for a completed course. Purpose Total Annual Maximum (Not Cumulative) General $3,250 $3,400 $3,500 $3,500 Pursuing Initial Professional Teaching Credential $4,250 $4,400 $4,500 $4,500 Pursuing An employee pursuing a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. will be allocated tuition reimbursement up to a maximum of $5,150 5,000 per year. School Year Annual Maximum 2016-2017 $5,300 3000 2017-2018 $5,400 3100 2018-2019 $5,4003100 2019-2020 $3100 h. An employee who has received a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. may receive an additional $3,000 professional stipend up to a maximum of three years for completing a study or problem of practice approved by the SuperintendentSuperintendent or designee. i. Based upon successful application process, tuition reimbursement may also be applied as a fee waiver up to the maximum yearly amount for the following certifications and designations. ●  Certificated Employees: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification ●  Speech and Language Therapists: National Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) ●  Nurses: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) ●  Occupational Therapists: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) ●  Physical Therapists: Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) ●  Audiologists: Fellow of American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) ● School Psychologists: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) ● Behavior Analysts: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) j. In accordance with the provisions of COMAR Section 13A.12.01.14, the Board will not require coursework for certification renewal for professionally certificated employees who are 55 years of age or older or who have been employed for at least 25 years in public school service or approved nonpublic school service. k. Employees who pay a fee for transcripts necessary to verify course completion may be reimbursed upon submission of a receipt up to 45 days following payment; such reimbursement will be deducted from the year’s annual course reimbursement allocation based on the date on the receipt for transcript payment, limited to one transcript reimbursement per semester per university or college. l. Any employee who leaves the Board’s employ within one year after completion of a course for which they have received reimbursement from the Board shall re-pay the full amount of such reimbursement to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. This repayment provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer necessitating a move of over 50 miles, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, non-renewal of nontenured employees, or other cause approved by the Board. If the employee who was granted a waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same position less than 50 miles away within one year of their his/her leaving the Board’s employment, they he/she shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless they he/she sought employment with the Board and were was not offered a contract. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the Board and successfully completing two more years of employment. m. All non-certificated, current full-time For employees who decide to become teachers and are enrolled in an accredited college program leading towards Maryland teaching certification, an initial Maryland professional teaching credential, additional $1,000 reimbursement for tuition shall have access to the benefits below be available annually with the following terms. 1) Tuition reimbursement will be allowed for all coursework in an initial Maryland professional teaching credential program up to the limit specified in Article 10, Paragraph G above. 2) All Praxis and other assessments required for the initial Maryland professional teaching credential will be reimbursed when passing scores are received. If grant funding is unavailable to SMCPS to fund this reimbursement in any given fiscal year, then reimbursement will be limited to employees with at least one full year of prior SMCPS service. 3) Eligible employees may apply for Sabbatical Leave in accordance with section 8.9 for consideration, to include student internships. 4) See Appendix G for description of placement on the certificated employee salary scale. 5) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificate, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a period of three years following unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a full-time position. An . 2) If the employee who has been employed by leaves the Board in Board’s employ within one year after completion of a fullcourse for which they have received the extra reimbursement from the Board, the employee shall re-time position outside pay the full amount of their area of certification and does not complete the three-year guarantee period will be required to repay tuition such reimbursement to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. 3) The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. 4) This provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board. ’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer more than 50 miles from the St. Mary’s County line, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, nonrenewal, or other cause approved by the Board. 5) If the employee accepts who was granted a teaching contract in another waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same position within 50 miles of the St. Mary’s County line, Maryland, within one year of his/her leaving the Board’s employment, he/she shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless he/she sought employment with the Board and was not offered a contract. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the employment of the Board and successfully completing two more years of employment. 6) The school system within their area will pay for the cost of certification the Paraeducator Assessment Test one time only when an employee presents appropriate documentation that he/she has passed the test and chooses to submit verification a receipt for the cost of such employment to the Superintendent, then the repayment provisions will be adjusted as followstest.

Educational Assistance Benefits. This program is designed to provide training and advanced education for permanent employees who wish to improve their performance in their present positions, in preparation for advancement, or as part of an approved career development plan. a. Tuition reimbursement (to include associated fees and materials are not included) will be provided for appropriate courses leading toward (1) initial certification, (2) renewal of Standard Professional Certificate, (3) Advanced Professional Certificate, (4) Master's Degree, (5) continuation of other professional license or certificate required for employment, or (6) any other approved course work. b. Employees may be reimbursed for tuition under the following conditions. SMCPS is not responsible for courses selected by the employee that do not meet the criteria for certification or reimbursement. While not required, SMCPS encourages employees to verify courses with the Department of Human Resources via the SMCPS tuition reimbursement form. 1) The course/credits taken are appropriate for the position and certification of the individual employee. 2) The employee has not been previously reimbursed for the same course. 3) The course/credits are from a regionally accredited college or university (if pursuing college credits). 4) The following documentation is required to be submitted the Department of Human Resources within 45 days of the completion of the course (as indicated on the transcript or grade slip): (1) A reimbursement request form (pre-approval is not required for tuition reimbursement), (2) official transcript of grade received with a minimum of grade “C”, and (3) original receipt or electronic confirmation of payment (if no hard copy receipt is provided) from the college or university. If an extension is needed, the employee must request it in writing within 45 days of the completion of the course. 5) The employee’s tuition reimbursement is allocated each July 1 for the coming year and runs through the following June 30. Tuition reimbursement up to the annual allowable amount will be deducted from the employee's annual allocation based on the date that the credits were earned as indicated on the official transcript or grade slip that must be submitted within 45 days of the credits being earned. 6) SMCPS will provide reimbursement within 45 days of receipt of the required documentation. c. Employees enrolled in courses through Direct Pay agreements for non-SMCPS courses must submit for pre-approval to the Department of Human Resources prior to registration per the memorandum of understanding with each participating Direct Pay school. Pre-approval is not required for SMCPS Direct Pay courses, although the employee will be responsible for completing any paperwork required by the university and for any amount that exceeds their annual tuition allocation. d. If the employee wants to confirm the appropriateness of a course prior to registration, advance written approval may be sought via an SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request form submitted to Human Resources. The Superintendent will sign the SMCPS Tuition Reimbursement Request Form, indicating approval or denial, and return the signed form to the employee within ten workdays of its receipt in the Department of Human Resources. e. The reimbursement will not exceed the actual amount the employee paid for tuitiontuition and associated fees. f. Appropriate credit will be determined by the current requirements for certificates for administrators, supervisors, and teachers, and by the current professional licensure and/or certification requirements for bargaining unit members. In order to receive tuition reimbursement for credits leading toward an Advanced Professional Certificate or a Master's Degree, the employee shall hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or professional license/certificate for their present assignment. g. Reimbursement for tuition and associated fees shall not exceed the following amounts. In determining whether the annual maximum reimbursement amount has been reached, the year to which the reimbursement applies will be based on the date of issuance of the grade slip for a completed course. Purpose Total Annual Maximum (Not Cumulative) General $3,250 $3,400 $3,500 $3,500 Pursuing Initial Professional Teaching Credential $4,250 $4,400 $4,500 $4,500 Pursuing Ph.D. or Ed.D. $5,150 $5,300 $5,400 $5,4004,500 h. An employee who has received a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. may receive an additional $3,000 professional stipend up to a maximum of three years for completing a study or problem of practice approved by the Superintendent. i. Based upon successful application process, tuition reimbursement may also be applied as a fee waiver up to the maximum yearly amount for obtaining and renewing the following certifications and designations. ● Certificated Employees: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification ● Speech and Language Therapists: National Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) ● Nurses: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) ● Occupational Therapists: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) ● Physical Therapists: Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) ● Audiologists: Fellow of American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) ● School Psychologists: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) ● Behavior Analysts: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) j. In accordance with the provisions of COMAR Section 13A.12.01.14, the Board will not require coursework for certification renewal for professionally certificated employees who are 55 years of age or older or who have been employed for at least 25 years in public school service or approved nonpublic school service. k. Employees who pay a fee for transcripts necessary to verify course completion may be reimbursed upon submission of a receipt up to 45 days following payment; such reimbursement will be deducted from the year’s annual course reimbursement allocation based on the date on the receipt for transcript payment, limited to one transcript reimbursement per semester per university or college. l. Any employee who leaves the Board’s employ within one calendar year (less than 365 days) after completion of the date that a course for which they have received reimbursement payment was issued from the Board for tuition or transcript fee(s) shall re-pay the full amount of such reimbursement payment to the Board with advance written notice to the employee. The Board may deduct such re-payment from any remaining pay owed to the unit member. The employee will have the option when possible (based on remaining number of paychecks) to have the deduction divided into two or more paychecks. The Board will attempt to deduct the money evenly from remaining checks owed. This repayment provision shall not apply in the case of a unit member who must leave the Board’s employ due to military transfer, spousal job transfer necessitating a move of over 50 miles, personal or family illness, divorce or child custody issues, involuntary termination by Board, non-renewal of nontenured employees, or other cause approved by the Board. If the employee who was granted a waiver pursuant to this subsection returns to the same position less than 50 miles away within one year of their leaving the Board’s employment, they shall reimburse the Board according to the above provision unless they sought employment with the Board and were was not offered a contract. Any employee forced to repay such reimbursement shall have that same reimbursement reversed (tuition repaid) upon returning to the Board and successfully completing two more years of employment. m. All non-certificated, current full-time employees who decide to become teachers and are enrolled in an accredited college program leading towards an initial Maryland professional teaching credential, shall have access to the benefits below with the following terms. 1) Tuition reimbursement will be allowed for all coursework in an initial Maryland professional teaching credential program up to the limit specified in Article 10, Paragraph G above. 2) All Praxis and other assessments required for the initial Maryland professional teaching credential will be reimbursed when passing scores are received. If grant funding is unavailable to SMCPS to fund this reimbursement in any given fiscal year, then reimbursement will be limited to employees with at least one full year of prior SMCPS service. 3) Eligible employees may apply for Sabbatical Leave in accordance with section 8.9 for consideration, to include student internships. 4) See Appendix G for description of placement on the certificated employee salary scale. 5) Upon graduation and award of a Maryland teaching certificate, the employee granted the extra educational assistance must guarantee to teach for SMCPS for a period of three years unless SMCPS does not offer the employee a full-time position. An employee who has been employed by the Board in a full-time position outside of their area of certification and does not complete the three-year guarantee period will be required to repay tuition reimbursement to the Board. If the employee accepts a teaching contract in another school system within their area of certification and chooses to submit verification of such employment to the Superintendent, then the repayment provisions will be adjusted as follows.