SB 54: "An Act establishing a preschool to postsecondary education council in the Department of Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 54 01 "An Act establishing a preschool to postsecondary education council in the Department 02 of 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 35 members, 10 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 (J) a representative of Alaska Native interests, appointed by the 17 governor; 18 (2) nonvoting advisory members, as follows: 19 (A) four state legislators, as follows: 20 (i) one member from the senate, appointed by the 21 president of the senate; 22 (ii) one member from the house of representatives, 23 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 24 (iii) the chair of the senate committee having 25 jurisdiction over education; 26 (iv) the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction 27 over education; 28 (B) one member of the armed services of the United States, 29 appointed by the governor; 30 (C) two members who represent private colleges or 31 universities, one of whom is affiliated with Alaska Pacific University,
01 appointed by the governor; 02 (D) one member who represents public postsecondary 03 institutions and who is not affiliated with the University of Alaska, appointed 04 by the governor; 05 (E) three members, in addition to the president, who represent 06 the University of Alaska, appointed by the governor; 07 (F) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 08 public school district superintendents; 09 (G) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 10 governing bodies of public school districts and regional educational attendance 11 areas; 12 (H) five members, appointed by the governor, who represent 13 private employers in each of the following industries: 14 (i) banking and finance; 15 (ii) retail and wholesale sales; 16 (iii) manufacturing and oil and gas production; 17 (iv) technology; and 18 (v) health care; 19 (I) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 20 public school teachers; 21 (J) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 22 public school principals; 23 (K) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 24 parents of public school students and who 25 (i) has at least one child enrolled in a public school in 26 the state; and 27 (ii) is not employed by a public school; 28 (L) one member, appointed by the governor, who represents 29 students and who is currently enrolled in a public secondary school in the state; 30 (M) one member, appointed by the governor, who is an expert 31 in early childhood education;
01 (N) one member, appointed by the governor, who is an expert 02 in career and technology education; and 03 (O) the chief executive officer of the Alaska State Chamber of 04 Commerce. 05 (c) An executive committee of the council shall be responsible for scheduling 06 and presiding over meetings, approving final recommendations, and appointing 07 subcommittees of the council. The executive committee is made up of the governor or 08 the governor's designee, the commissioner of education and early development or the 09 commissioner's designee, the commissioner of labor and workforce development or 10 the commissioner's designee, and the commissioner of commerce, community, and 11 economic development or the commissioner's designee. The executive committee shall 12 elect a chair of the council from among the members of the executive committee. 13 (d) The council may employ an administrator to serve as staff to the council. 14 Sec. 14.07.191. Terms of office; compensation. (a) The term of office of a 15 nonvoting member of the council appointed under AS 14.07.190(b)(2) is three years. 16 Terms shall be staggered. A nonvoting member may be selected more than one time or 17 reappointed but may not serve more than two consecutive terms. 18 (b) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or 19 appointment. A person selected or appointed to fill a vacancy serves for the unexpired 20 portion of the term. 21 (c) Members of the council serve without compensation, but voting members 22 of the council are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and 23 commissions under AS 39.20.180. 24 Sec. 14.07.192. Meetings and quorum. (a) A majority of the members of the 25 council constitutes a quorum for conducting business and exercising the powers of the 26 council. The council may not take action unless a majority of the voting members are 27 present. 28 (b) The council shall meet at least four times each year at regularly scheduled 29 times, beginning in September of each year. All meetings of the council and special 30 committees appointed by the council shall be open to the public and include public 31 comment as an agenda item. Members may participate in meetings telephonically.
01 Sec. 14.07.193. Powers and duties of the council. (a) The council shall 02 develop strategies and recommendations to improve coordination of and standards for 03 curriculum and staff development at all grade levels, preschool through secondary 04 school, to ensure the long-term success of students. The strategies and 05 recommendations must address 06 (1) standards for current and future college and career readiness, 07 including the ability of high school graduates to use critical thinking and technical 08 skills required by postsecondary educational institutions, employers, and the armed 09 services; 10 (2) transitions between preschool, elementary, middle, secondary and 11 postsecondary schools, and careers; 12 (3) drop-out and graduation rates in secondary schools; 13 (4) current and future workforce needs, including shortages in areas 14 critical to the education, health, and safety of residents of the state; 15 (5) alignment of public elementary and secondary curriculum 16 standards with the needs and expectations of colleges and employers; 17 (6) educational leadership programs; 18 (7) improved pathways to college degrees; 19 (8) access to affordable postsecondary education and career training; 20 (9) advances made nationally in public education, including measures 21 to improve teacher quality and retention, that may be implemented in the state; and 22 (10) other issues considered appropriate by the council. 23 (b) In carrying out the duties under (a) of this section, the council shall 24 (1) hold public hearings throughout the state; 25 (2) identify reasons for high and low student achievement, including 26 reasons for schools exceeding or failing to meet standards established by secondary 27 and postsecondary schools in the state; 28 (3) obtain advice and information from experts and other interested 29 parties; 30 (4) review actions taken by other states to improve public education, 31 improve teacher quality, and reduce drop-out rates;
01 (5) consider past efforts by the state to improve public education and 02 reduce drop-out rates and evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts, including the 03 efforts of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Coalition; 04 (6) initiate long-term studies of postsecondary performance of students 05 graduating from secondary schools in the state; 06 (7) establish routine communications and enter into collaborative 07 agreements with business, academic, and political leaders in the state; and 08 (8) improve availability of information and resources for students and 09 parents at all grade levels. 10 (c) The council may 11 (1) appoint special committees; 12 (2) request that the commissioner of education and early development, 13 the president of the University of Alaska, or the commissioner of commerce, 14 community, and economic development employ specialized personnel; a person 15 employed or contracted with at the request of the council shall provide services at the 16 direction of the council; 17 (3) apply for and receive grants and other public and private funds; 18 (4) enter into contracts as necessary to carry out the duties of the 19 council. 20 (d) Before January 15 of each year, the council shall prepare and distribute to 21 the legislature and to the public on request a report that includes the council's findings 22 and recommendations, including the council's recommendations for legislative action. 23 Sec. 14.07.194. Public outreach. (a) The council shall conduct public outreach 24 across the state to assess educational needs and solicit suggestions for improving 25 public education in the state. 26 (b) The council may conduct public meetings and electronic surveys and use 27 other appropriate methods for acquiring information under (a) of this section. 28 (c) The council shall consider the results of public outreach before developing 29 strategies and recommendations under AS 14.07.193. 30 Sec. 14.07.199. Definition. In AS 14.07.190 - 14.07.199, "council" means the 31 P-16 Education Council.
01 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 02 read: 03 INITIAL APPOINTMENT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. Notwithstanding 04 AS 39.05.055(8) and AS 14.07.190, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, the members of the P-16 05 Education Council selected under AS 14.07.190(b)(2) shall be appointed to initial terms, as 06 follows: 07 (1) 15 members shall serve three-year terms; 08 (2) seven members shall serve two-year terms; and 09 (3) three members shall serve one-year terms. 10 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2011.