GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2009
SESSION LAW 2009-339
SENATE BILL 1069
AN ACT to establish the joint legislative joining our businesses and schools (jobs) Study commission.
Whereas, the Innovative Education Initiatives Act became law in 2003; and
Whereas, as a result of this act, 52 Early and Middle College programs have been developed as a collaboration between the public schools, the community colleges, and private business; and
Whereas, these schools have generally evidenced a decrease in their dropout rates and, as a result, have won national awards; and
Whereas, North Carolina has seven identified economic development regions, each with its own challenges in today's changing and demanding job market; and
Whereas, North Carolina has numerous innovative public and private programs based in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and
Whereas, to be efficient with the taxpayers' dollars, to continue to increase the graduation rate, and to prepare our students for twenty-first century jobs, it would be beneficial to map these innovative education programs, including the development of additional Early and Middle College programs and STEM programs, and other public and private education programs that have instructional programs that prepare students to meet the particular employment and workforce preparation needs of the respective economic development regions. In addition, it would be beneficial to develop curriculum frameworks that reflect innovative design principles in some of these schools that would address both regional and statewide employment needs; and
Whereas, the United States Department of Education has identified 16 career clusters as a tool to connect career technical education (CTE) to education, workforce preparation, and economic development; and
Whereas, the North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative/MCNC is supporting the creation of a replicable community visioning process, engaging business, policy, education, and community stakeholders in mapping their local needs and producing a plan for sustainable, local education innovation based in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and
Whereas, it would be beneficial to position each region and the State to compete in the regional, national, and global economy by creating a joint legislative study commission to review the vision plans and overall needs of each economic development region as well as the overall needs of the State; and
Whereas, the Commission should advise the North Carolina Education Cabinet and specifically the Department of Public Instruction as they develop standard instructional programs for twenty-first century career paths in accordance with the Early and Middle College and STEM models and study the implementation of pilot programs in these respective regions that will best suit the potential of the region and better prepare students for the increased academic demands of a global economy; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. There is established the Joint Legislative JOBS (Joining Our Businesses and Schools) Study Commission (Commission).
SECTION 2.(a) The Commission shall consist of the following members:
(1) The Lieutenant Governor serving as the Chair.
(2) Two members appointed by the Governor.
(3) Eight members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a. Three members of the Senate, with one designated to serve as a vice- chair.
b. A representative of The University of North Carolina.
c. A representative of the Department of Public Instruction.
d. A representative of North Carolina's business and industry.
e. A public school teacher.
f. An individual with expertise in STEM education.
(4) Eight members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a. Three members of the House of Representatives, with one designated to serve as a vice-chair.
b. A representative of the Community College System.
c. A representative of the Independent Colleges and Universities.
d. A representative of the Department of Commerce.
e. A representative of North Carolina's business and industry.
f. A representative of North Carolina's school superintendents.
(5) The Executive Director of the Education Cabinet or the Executive Director's designee, serving ex officio.
SECTION 2.(b) Members of the Commission shall serve a three-year term, beginning on July 1, 2009. The terms for members of the House of Representatives or the Senate shall end upon the expiration of the members' legislative term.
SECTION 2.(c) Members shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled by the same appointing authority who made the initial appointment.
SECTION 2.(d) A vice-chair shall serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
SECTION 3.(a) The Commission shall study issues related to economic development through innovative schools where instructional program frameworks reflect the high academic standards required of students to be successful as they transition to postsecondary education and future careers, including:
(1) Technical and vocational needs of each economic development region;
(2) Employment and workforce preparation needs of the State as a whole;
(3) The economic vision plans for each economic development region;
(4) The shortage of highly skilled employees such as technicians, teachers, allied health practitioners, including, but not limited to, nurses and doctors, scientists, and engineers;
(5) The 16 career clusters identified by the United States Department of Education as well as additional career paths;
(6) The development of a framework for assessment of readiness of a community or region to support twenty-first century economic demands of business and industry development and the scaling of innovative local programs to impact broader numbers of individuals in communities around the State; and
(7) Any other matter pertinent to connecting career technical education to education, workforce preparation, and economic development through innovative schools.
SECTION 3.(b) The Chair shall appoint from the Commission's membership a North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative Advisory Committee (Community Collaborative) to ensure that the efforts of the Commission and the Community Collaborative are aligned and that the Commission is informed of the Community Collaborative's activities and that the Community Collaborative is informed of the Commission's activities.
SECTION 4. The Commission shall prioritize and customize the career clusters and identify additional career paths and report its recommendations to the State Board of Education. The Commission shall (i) advise the North Carolina Education Cabinet and specifically the Department of Public Instruction as they develop, incrementally, standard instructional programs for career clusters and their corresponding career paths in accordance with the Early and Middle College model, and (ii) study the implementation of pilot programs in the seven economic development regions of the State that will best suit the needs of the regions and prepare students for the increased academic demands of a global economy.
SECTION 5. The Commission shall also study issues related to economic growth by the creation of measures and metrics which define the readiness of a community to deliver to all stakeholders the services that equip the workforce to be competitive in a STEM-intensive economy, including ensuring that students throughout the education pipeline gain the skills learned from science, technology, engineering, math, and other rigorous subjects. As a part of its study, the Commission may examine issues related to:
(1) A replicable and perpetual model for aligning efforts of local business, industry, policy, and education stakeholders in community engagement for visioning student-centered learning;
(2) The documentation and study of the innovative education programs critical for communities to be competitive in the STEM environment in the twenty-first century;
(3) A framework to network these economic development regions, aligning State, regional, and external investment in replicable innovation;
(4) Opportunities to leverage existing research, programs such as the College Foundation of North Carolina Bridges program, and other resources to maximize the impact of these existing resources and assets to avoid duplication, to achieve greater economies of scale, and to broaden the impact of these efforts by the most cost-effective means possible; and
(5) Any other topics deemed relevant by the Commission.
SECTION 6.(a) The Commission shall, within the first eight months of its creation, meet at least once in each economic development region. The Commission may use any and all appropriate technology to enhance participation in its meetings and to reduce the costs incurred by the Commission. The Chair may appoint a volunteer advisory committee in each economic development region to assist the Commission in its work.
SECTION 6.(b) The Commission shall work closely with the business community across the State and shall encourage businesses and business leaders to partner with the Commission on the work of the Commission and to establish public-private partnerships with the pilot schools.
SECTION 6.(c) The University of North Carolina shall inform the Commission on the work of its constituent institutions on the elementary and middle school fundamental building blocks for secondary STEM success. This work should be a consideration for all communities which engage in visioning student-centered learning. The Commission shall also be informed by The University of North Carolina on its North Carolina STEM program inventory and how to make this inventory available to communities which engage in visioning student-centered learning.
SECTION 7. The Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chair. A quorum of the Commission shall be a majority of its members. The Legislative Services Commission shall grant adequate meeting space to the Commission in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. G.S. 120-19 applies to requests made on behalf of the Commission.
SECTION 8.(a) The expenses of the Commission shall be paid by the Legislative Services Commission from available funds appropriated to the General Assembly. The Legislative Services Commission may accept grants on behalf of the State to be used to help defray the expenses of the Commission. Any application and receipt of grants under this section shall be subject to the requirements of Chapters 120C and 138A of the General Statutes, and Article 14 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes. Reasonable expenses of the Commission may include the cost of travel on a learning tour of innovative schools both inside and out of the State. Any grants funds received under this section shall be held by the General Assembly in a non-reverting special fund known as the JOBS Commission Fund to be administered by the Legislative Services Commission for expenses of the Commission. Any funds remaining in the JOBS Commission Fund shall transfer to the reserves of the General Assembly upon termination of the Commission.
SECTION 8.(b) Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances in accordance with G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as appropriate. Individual expenses of five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less, including per diem, travel, and subsistence expenses of members of the Commission, shall be paid upon authorization of the Chair of the Commission. Individual expenses in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000) shall be paid upon written approval of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
SECTION 8.(c) With approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist the Commission in its work during the interims between legislative sessions. The Directors of Legislative Assistants of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall assign clerical staff to the Commission. The Commission may contract for additional professional or consultant services in accordance with G.S. 120-32.02.
SECTION 9.(a) The Commission shall make an initial report of the results of its study to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2010. In its report, the Commission shall recommend at least four of the 16 career clusters identified by the United States Department of Education that will best and most broadly serve the immediate employment and workforce preparation needs of the State and the respective regions. Upon consideration of the recommendations of the Commission, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall develop the instructional programs for at least four career clusters and shall implement at least one JOBS Early or Middle College in each of the economic development regions beginning with the 2010-2011 school year where feasible, and in all other regions by the 2011-2012 school year.
SECTION 9.(b) The Commission may make recommendations resulting from its study to the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction from time to time in its discretion.
SECTION 9.(c) The Commission shall monitor the implementation of its recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction and shall report and recommend to the General Assembly any legislation necessary to implement its recommendations.
SECTION 9.(d) The Commission shall make an interim report of the results of its study and its recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the 2010 Regular Session of the 2009 General Assembly no later than May 15, 2010, and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the 2011 Regular Session of the 2011 General Assembly no later than February 1, 2011, and a final report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the 2012 Regular Session of the 2011 General Assembly no later than May 15, 2012. The Commission shall file a copy of each Commission report with the President Pro Tempore of the Senate's office, the Speaker of the House of Representatives' office, and the Legislative Library.
SECTION 10. The Commission shall terminate on June 30, 2012, or upon the filing of its final report in accordance with Section 9.(d) of this act.
SECTION 11. This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 2009.
s/ Walter H. Dalton
President of the Senate
s/ Joe Hackney
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Beverly E. Perdue
Governor
Approved 10:00 a.m. this 24th day of July, 2009