00 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. 11 (b) The task force established under this section consists of 18 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) one member appointed by the governor who represents vocational, 04 technical training, or apprenticeship programs in the state; 05 (5) a student representative appointed by the Board of Education and Early 06 Development; 07 (6) the student member of the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska or 08 the student's designee; 09 (7) the president of the University of Alaska or the president's designee; 10 (8) the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards or the 11 executive director's designee; 12 (9) the executive director of the Alaska Association of School Administrators 13 or the executive director's designee; 14 (10) the president of the National Education Association of Alaska or the 15 president's designee; 16 (11) the president of the Alaska Federation of Natives or the president's 17 designee; 18 (12) the chair of the senate committee having jurisdiction over education; 19 (13) the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education; 20 (14) one member appointed by the governor who represents private colleges 21 or universities; 22 (15) one member appointed by the governor who represents public 23 postsecondary institutions and who is not affiliated with the University of Alaska; 24 (16) three members appointed by the governor who have specialized 25 knowledge, skill, or experience in education remediation and who are employed as faculty at 26 postsecondary institutions located in separate major administrative units in the state, at least 27 one of whom resides outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. 28 (c) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum. A vacancy on 29 the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or appointment. 30 (d) Members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem 31 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180, except that 01 per diem and travel expenses shall be paid from the budget of the agency or institution the 02 member represents on the task force. The agency or institution may opt out of participating to 03 avoid payment of per diem and travel expenses. The staff of the legislative members of the 04 task force shall serve as staff for the task force. 05 (e) The task force shall meet at the call of the chair not less than once every three 06 months. The chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over education shall call the 07 first meeting of the task force not later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act and 08 shall serve as chair of the first meeting. The members of the task force shall elect a chair from 09 among the members of the task force and other officers as needed to conduct the business of 10 the task force. 11 (f) The task force shall 12 (1) compile research conducted in the state and nationally on reducing 13 remediation, improving retention, and increasing college and postsecondary vocational or 14 technical program graduation rates; 15 (2) summarize data on 16 (A) types of testing used to determine college and career readiness; 17 (B) remediation rates; 18 (C) effectiveness of remediation for students entering college or 19 postsecondary vocational or technical training programs with skill deficits; 20 (D) characteristics of programs that are most effective in addressing 21 skill deficits; 22 (3) create a definition of remediation to ensure consistency in reporting of 23 remediation rates by postsecondary institutions in the state; 24 (4) identify the contributing causes of a lack of college and career readiness of 25 students who graduate from public secondary schools in the state and the course topics taken 26 in college or postsecondary vocational or technical training programs for which students 27 require remediation; 28 (5) identify best practices examples of school systems, colleges, and 29 postsecondary vocational or technical training programs that are succeeding in reducing the 30 need for remedial education; 31 (6) explore new approaches that may be effective in producing increased 01 levels of college and career readiness; 02 (7) determine the role various types of postsecondary institutions may play in 03 addressing the need for remediation; 04 (8) review graduation rates of colleges, universities, and postsecondary 05 vocational or technical training programs located in the state for the six years preceding the 06 effective date of this Act; 07 (9) prepare for the legislature a set of written recommendations to improve 08 remediation, retention, and graduation rates at colleges, universities, and postsecondary 09 vocational or technical training programs in the state. 10 (g) The task force shall submit the assessment and recommendations developed under 11 (f) of this section in a report to the legislature not later than March 1, 2011. 12  * Sec. 2. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2011. 13  * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).