HCS CSSB 221(EDC): "An Act establishing an advisory task force on higher education and career readiness in the legislative branch of government; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 221(EDC) 01 "An Act establishing an advisory task force on higher education and career readiness in 02 the legislative branch 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 AND CAREER READINESS; COMPOSITION. (a) An advisory task force on higher 08 education and career readiness is established in the legislative branch of state government for 09 the purpose of compiling data and advising the legislature on matters pertaining to college and 10 career readiness of students who graduate from public secondary schools in the state and 11 students who are nontraditional students. 12 (b) The task force established under this section consists of 20 members, as follows: 13 (1) the governor or the governor's designee; 14 (2) the executive director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary
01 Education or the executive director's designee; 02 (3) the commissioner of education and early development or the 03 commissioner's designee; 04 (4) one member appointed by the governor who represents vocational, 05 technical training, or apprenticeship programs in the state; 06 (5) a student representative appointed by the Board of Education and Early 07 Development; 08 (6) the student member of the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska or 09 the student's designee; 10 (7) the president of the University of Alaska or the president's designee; 11 (8) the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards or the 12 executive director's designee; 13 (9) the executive director of the Alaska Association of School Administrators 14 or the executive director's designee; 15 (10) the president of the National Education Association of Alaska or the 16 president's designee; 17 (11) the president of the Alaska Federation of Natives or the president's 18 designee; 19 (12) the chair of the senate committee having jurisdiction over education; if 20 the chair is unavailable, a member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate; 21 (13) the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education; if the 22 chair is unavailable, a member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the 23 house of representatives; 24 (14) one member of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of 25 the house; 26 (15) one member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate; 27 (16) one member appointed by the governor who represents private colleges 28 or universities; 29 (17) one member appointed by the governor who represents public 30 postsecondary institutions and who is not affiliated with the University of Alaska; 31 (18) three members appointed by the governor who have specialized
01 knowledge, skill, or experience in education remediation and who are employed as faculty at 02 postsecondary institutions located in separate major administrative units in the state, at least 03 one of whom resides outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. 04 (c) If the chair of the house or senate committee having jurisdiction over education 05 ceases to hold that position before the expiration of the task force, the former chair may 06 continue to serve as a co-chair of the task force. 07 (d) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum. A vacancy on 08 the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or appointment. 09 (e) Members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem 10 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180, except that 11 per diem and travel expenses shall be paid from the budget of the agency or institution the 12 member represents on the task force. The agency or institution may opt out of participating to 13 avoid payment of per diem and travel expenses. The staff of the legislative members of the 14 task force shall serve as staff for the task force. 15 (f) The task force shall meet at the call of the chair not less than once every three 16 months. Members appointed under (b)(12) and (13) of this section shall serve as co-chairs of 17 the task force. The co-chairs shall call the first meeting of the task force not later than 30 days 18 after the effective date of this Act. The members of the task force shall elect other officers as 19 needed to conduct the business of the task force. 20 (g) The task force shall 21 (1) compile research conducted in the state and nationally on reducing 22 remediation, improving retention, and increasing college and postsecondary vocational or 23 technical program graduation rates; 24 (2) summarize data on 25 (A) types of testing used to determine college and career readiness; 26 (B) remediation rates; 27 (C) effectiveness of remediation for students entering college or 28 postsecondary vocational or technical training programs with skill deficits; 29 (D) characteristics of programs that are most effective in addressing 30 skill deficits; 31 (3) create a definition of remediation to ensure consistency in reporting of
01 remediation rates by postsecondary institutions in the state; 02 (4) identify the contributing causes of a lack of college and career readiness of 03 students who graduate from public secondary schools in the state and the course topics taken 04 in college or postsecondary vocational or technical training programs for which students 05 require remediation; 06 (5) identify best practices examples of school systems, colleges, and 07 postsecondary vocational or technical training programs that are succeeding in reducing the 08 need for remedial education; 09 (6) explore new approaches that may be effective in producing increased 10 levels of college and career readiness; 11 (7) determine the availability of broadband and Internet capabilities and the 12 effect of the use of electronic, Internet, and virtual instruction on student learning and success 13 in schools; 14 (8) determine the role various types of postsecondary institutions may play in 15 addressing the need for remediation; 16 (9) review graduation rates of colleges, universities, and postsecondary 17 vocational or technical training programs located in the state for the six years preceding the 18 effective date of this Act; 19 (10) prepare for the legislature a set of written recommendations to improve 20 remediation, retention, and graduation rates at colleges, universities, and postsecondary 21 vocational or technical training programs in the state; 22 (11) review completion rates for career skill certificate programs, 23 disaggregated by program and postsecondary campus. 24 (h) The task force shall submit the assessment and recommendations developed under 25 (g) of this section in a report to the legislature not later than April 1, 2011. 26 * Sec. 2. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2011. 27 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).