SB 221: "An Act establishing an advisory task force on higher education in the legislative branch of government; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 221 01 "An Act establishing an advisory task force on higher education in the legislative branch 02 of government; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION; 07 COMPOSITION. (a) An advisory task force on higher education is established in the 08 legislative branch of state government for the purpose of compiling data and advising the 09 legislature on matters pertaining to college readiness of students who graduate from public 10 secondary schools in the state. 11 (b) The task force established under this section consists of 13 members, as follows: 12 (1) the governor or the governor's designee; 13 (2) the executive director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary 14 Education or the executive director's designee;
01 (3) the commissioner of education and early development or the 02 commissioner's designee; 03 (4) the president of the University of Alaska or the president's designee; 04 (5) the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards or the 05 executive director's designee; 06 (6) the president of the National Education Association of Alaska or the 07 president's designee; 08 (7) the chair of the senate committee having jurisdiction over education; 09 (8) the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education; 10 (9) one member appointed by the governor who represents private colleges or 11 universities; 12 (10) one member appointed by the governor who represents public 13 postsecondary institutions and who is not affiliated with the University of Alaska; 14 (11) three members appointed by the governor who have specialized 15 knowledge, skill, or experience in education remediation and who are employed as faculty at 16 postsecondary institutions located in separate major administrative units in the state, one of 17 which is located outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. 18 (c) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum. A vacancy on 19 the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or appointment. 20 (d) Members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem 21 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180, except that 22 per diem and travel expenses shall be paid from the budget of the agency or institution the 23 member represents on the task force. The agency or institution may opt out of participating to 24 avoid payment of per diem and travel expenses. The staff of the legislative members of the 25 task force shall serve as staff for the task force. 26 (e) The task force shall meet at the call of the chair not less than once every three 27 months. The chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education shall call the 28 first meeting of the task force not later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act and 29 shall serve as chair of the first meeting. The members of the task force shall elect a chair from 30 among the members of the task force and other officers as needed to conduct the business of 31 the task force.
01 (f) The task force shall 02 (1) compile research conducted in the state and nationally on reducing 03 remediation, improving retention, and increasing college graduation rates; 04 (2) summarize data on 05 (A) types of testing used to determine college readiness; 06 (B) remediation rates; 07 (C) effectiveness of remediation of students entering college with skill 08 deficits; 09 (D) characteristics of programs that are most effective in addressing 10 skill deficits; 11 (3) create a definition of remediation to ensure consistency in reporting of 12 remediation rates by postsecondary institutions in the state; 13 (4) identify the contributing causes of a lack of college readiness of students 14 who graduate from public secondary schools in the state and the course topics taken in college 15 for which students require remediation; 16 (5) identify best practices examples of school systems and colleges that are 17 experiencing success in reducing the need for remedial education; 18 (6) explore new approaches that may be effective in producing increased 19 levels of college readiness; 20 (7) determine the role various types of postsecondary institutions may play in 21 addressing the need for remediation; 22 (8) review graduation rates of colleges and universities located in the state for 23 the six years preceding the effective date of this Act; 24 (9) prepare for the legislature a set of written recommendations to improve 25 remediation, retention, and graduation rates at colleges and universities in the state. 26 (g) The task force shall submit the assessment and recommendations developed under 27 (f) of this section in a report to the legislature not later than March 1, 2011. 28 * Sec. 2. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2011. 29 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).