SB 207: "An Act establishing a preschool to age 16 education council in the Department of Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 207 01 "An Act establishing a preschool to age 16 education council in the Department of 02 Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.07 is amended by adding new sections to read: 05 Article 3. P-16 Education Council. 06 Sec. 14.07.190. Establishment of council; composition. (a) The department 07 shall establish a partnership with representatives of local and state governments, 08 educators, and businesses, to be known as the P-16 Education Council. The purpose of 09 the council is to improve student transitions from preschool through postsecondary 10 education or training by coordinating school policies and practices. 11 (b) The council established under this section consists of 34 members, 9 of 12 whom are voting members and 25 of whom are nonvoting members, as follows: 13 (1) voting members are 14 (A) the governor or the governor's designee;
01 (B) the executive director of the Alaska Commission on 02 Postsecondary Education; 03 (C) the commissioner of education and early development or 04 the commissioner's designee; 05 (D) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic 06 development or the commissioner's designee; 07 (E) the commissioner of labor and workforce development or 08 the commissioner's designee; 09 (F) the president of the University of Alaska; 10 (G) the executive director of the Association of Alaska School 11 Boards; 12 (H) a member of the state Board of Education and Early 13 Development, selected by the chair of the board; 14 (I) the president of the National Education Association of 15 Alaska; 16 (2) nonvoting advisory members, as follows: 17 (A) four state legislators, as follows: 18 (i) one member from the senate, appointed by the 19 president of the senate; 20 (ii) one member from the house of representatives, 21 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 22 (iii) the chair of the senate committee having 23 jurisdiction over education; 24 (iv) the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction 25 over education; 26 (B) one member of the armed services of the United States, 27 appointed by the governor; 28 (C) two members who represent private colleges or 29 universities, one of whom is affiliated with Alaska Pacific University, 30 appointed by the governor; 31 (D) one member who represents public postsecondary
01 institutions and who is not affiliated with the University of Alaska, appointed 02 by the governor; 03 (E) three members, in addition to the president, who represent 04 the University of Alaska, appointed by the governor; 05 (F) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 06 public school district superintendents; 07 (G) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 08 governing bodies of public school districts and regional educational attendance 09 areas; 10 (H) five members, appointed by the governor, who represent 11 private employers in each of the following industries: 12 (i) banking and finance; 13 (ii) retail and wholesale sales; 14 (iii) manufacturing and oil and gas production; 15 (iv) technology; and 16 (v) health care; 17 (I) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 18 public school teachers; 19 (J) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 20 public school principals; 21 (K) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 22 parents of public school students and who 23 (i) has at least one child enrolled in a public school in 24 the state; and 25 (ii) is not employed by a public school; 26 (L) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 27 students and who is currently enrolled in a public secondary school in the state; 28 (M) one member, appointed by the governor, who is an expert 29 in early childhood education; 30 (N) one member, appointed by the governor, who is an expert 31 in career and technology education; and
01 (O) the chief executive officer of the Alaska State Chamber of 02 Commerce. 03 (c) An executive committee of the council shall be responsible for scheduling 04 and presiding over meetings, approving final recommendations, and appointing 05 subcommittees of the council. The executive committee is made up of the governor or 06 the governor's designee, the commissioner of education and early development or the 07 commissioner's designee, the commissioner of labor and workforce development or 08 the commissioner's designee, and the commissioner of commerce, community, and 09 economic development or the commissioner's designee. The executive committee shall 10 elect a chair of the council from among the members of the executive committee. 11 (d) The council may employ an administrator to serve as staff to the council. 12 Sec. 14.07.191. Terms of office; compensation. (a) The term of office of a 13 nonvoting member of the council appointed under AS 14.07.190(b)(2) is three years. 14 Terms shall be staggered. A nonvoting member may be selected more than one time or 15 reappointed but may not serve more than two consecutive terms. 16 (b) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or 17 appointment. A person selected or appointed to fill a vacancy serves for the unexpired 18 portion of the term. 19 (c) Members of the council serve without compensation, but voting members 20 of the council are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and 21 commissions under AS 39.20.180. 22 Sec. 14.07.192. Meetings and quorum. (a) A majority of the members of the 23 council constitutes a quorum for conducting business and exercising the powers of the 24 council. The council may not take action unless a majority of the voting members are 25 present. 26 (b) The council shall meet at least four times each year at regularly scheduled 27 times, beginning in September of each year. All meetings of the council and special 28 committees appointed by the council shall be open to the public and include public 29 comment as an agenda item. Members may participate in meetings telephonically. 30 Sec. 14.07.193. Powers and duties of the council. (a) The council shall 31 develop strategies and recommendations to improve coordination of and standards for
01 curriculum and staff development at all grade levels, preschool through secondary 02 school, to ensure the long-term success of students. The strategies and 03 recommendations must address 04 (1) standards for current and future college and career readiness, 05 including the ability of high school graduates to use critical thinking and technical 06 skills required by postsecondary educational institutions, employers, and the armed 07 services; 08 (2) transitions between preschool, elementary, middle, secondary and 09 postsecondary schools, and careers; 10 (3) drop-out and graduation rates in secondary schools; 11 (4) current and future workforce needs, including shortages in areas 12 critical to the education, health, and safety of residents of the state; 13 (5) alignment of public elementary and secondary curriculum 14 standards with the needs and expectations of colleges and employers; 15 (6) educational leadership programs; 16 (7) improved pathways to college degrees; 17 (8) access to affordable postsecondary education and career training; 18 (9) advances made nationally in public education, including measures 19 to improve teacher quality and retention, that may be implemented in the state; and 20 (10) other issues considered appropriate by the council. 21 (b) In carrying out the duties under (a) of this section, the council shall 22 (1) hold public hearings throughout the state; 23 (2) identify reasons for high and low student achievement, including 24 reasons for schools exceeding or failing to meet standards established by secondary 25 and postsecondary schools in the state; 26 (3) obtain advice and information from experts and other interested 27 parties; 28 (4) review actions taken by other states to improve public education, 29 improve teacher quality, and reduce drop-out rates; 30 (5) consider past efforts by the state to improve public education and 31 reduce drop-out rates and evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts, including the
01 efforts of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Coalition; 02 (6) initiate long-term studies of postsecondary performance of students 03 graduating from secondary schools in the state; 04 (7) establish routine communications and enter into collaborative 05 agreements with business, academic, and political leaders in the state; and 06 (8) improve availability of information and resources for students and 07 parents at all grade levels. 08 (c) The council may 09 (1) appoint special committees; 10 (2) request that the commissioner of education and early development, 11 the president of the University of Alaska, or the commissioner of commerce, 12 community, and economic development employ specialized personnel; a person 13 employed or contracted with at the request of the council shall provide services at the 14 direction of the council; 15 (3) apply for and receive grants and other public and private funds; 16 (4) enter into contracts as necessary to carry out the duties of the 17 council. 18 (d) Before January 15 of each year, the council shall prepare and distribute to 19 the legislature and to the public on request a report that includes the council's findings 20 and recommendations, including the council's recommendations for legislative action. 21 Sec. 14.07.194. Public outreach. (a) The council shall conduct public outreach 22 across the state to assess educational needs and solicit suggestions for improving 23 public education in the state. 24 (b) The council may conduct public meetings and electronic surveys and use 25 other appropriate methods for acquiring information under (a) of this section. 26 (c) The council shall consider the results of public outreach before developing 27 strategies and recommendations under AS 14.07.193. 28 Sec. 14.07.199. Definition. In AS 14.07.190 - 14.07.199, "council" means the 29 P-16 Education Council. 30 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 31 read:
01 INITIAL APPOINTMENT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. Notwithstanding 02 AS 39.05.055(8) and AS 14.07.190, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, the members of the P-16 03 Education Council selected under AS 14.07.190(b)(2) shall be appointed to initial terms, as 04 follows: 05 (1) 15 members shall serve three-year terms; 06 (2) 7 members shall serve two-year terms; and 07 (3) three members shall serve one-year terms. 08 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2010.