GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 758

 

 

Short Title:        Establish Arts Education Commission.

(Public)

Sponsors:

Representatives Carney, Glazier, Adams, and Johnson (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of Sponsors, see Bill Information on the NCGA Web Site.

Referred to:

Education.

April 7, 2011

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ARTS EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Whereas, arts education teaches 21st Century skills necessary for a prepared and competitive workforce; and

Whereas, the General Assembly has established  the Joint Select Study Commission on Arts Education for Grades K-12 in the Public Schools of North Carolina that recommended legislation for a high school graduation requirement in the arts; and

Whereas, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 66, "An Act to Create a Comprehensive Arts Education Plan"; and

Whereas, the Comprehensive Arts Education Task Force recommendations include a high school graduation requirement in the arts, implementation of the arts components of the Basic Education Plan, and expansion of the A+ Schools program in North Carolina; and

Whereas, these previous committee reports submitted over time increasingly indicate a developing consensus as to the need for statewide policies in arts education; and

Whereas, despite the developing consensus reflected in the previous  committees, no change to the State's education policies related to arts education has yet occurred; Now,  therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Establishment. - The Arts Education Commission is established in the General Assembly.

SECTION 2.  Membership. - The Commission shall be composed of 14 members, as follows:

(1)        Four members appointed by the Governor.

(2)        Six members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to include three Representatives and three citizens at-large.

(3)        Four members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to include two Senators and two citizens at-large.

The Commission shall have two cochairs, one designated by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and one designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from among their appointees. The Commission shall meet upon the call of the cochairs. Vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority. Public members shall be residents of the State. A quorum of the Commission shall be a majority of the 14 members

SECTION 3.  Duties. - The Commission shall do the following:

(1)        Review, prioritize, and recommend implementation strategies for the recommendations of the Comprehensive Arts Education Plan for K-12.

(2)        Recommend the content and process to establish an arts education "report card" which shall be presented yearly by the Department of Public Instruction to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.

(3)        Recommend ways to assess and promote opportunities for students to learn the skills of creativity and innovation in public schools.

(4)        Work with the Department of Public Instruction in the creation of arts education assessment models based on the existing NAEP Arts Assessments and Field Tests that are complete in both music and visual art and currently under development in theatre arts and dance to measure student achievement in arts education. With the approval of the State Board of Education, this analysis and assessment of student performance will be included in the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System for Arts Education Teachers as well as serve as a model for evaluating the effective practice of arts integration by classroom teachers in other content areas.

(5)        Recommend the establishment of arts education accountability incentives for schools under the accountability component of the Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE) for the following:

a.         Providing arts education taught by certified arts educators and implementing arts integration strategies taught by classroom teachers from other content areas.

b.         Completing concentrations, with appropriate scope and sequence of curriculum, in an arts education discipline.

(6)        Study and recommend a permanent financing strategy to provide for comprehensive arts education in grades K-12.

SECTION 4.  Compensation; Administration. - Members of the Commission shall  receive subsistence and travel allowances at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as appropriate. With the prior approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist in the work of the Commission.  With the prior approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Commission may hold its meetings in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. The Commission may also meet at various locations around the State in order to promote greater public participation in its deliberations. The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under the provisions of G.S. 120-19 and G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4, including the power to request that all officers, agents, agencies, and departments of the State provide any information, data, or documents within their possession, ascertainable from their records, or otherwise available to them. The Commission may meet during a regular or extra session of the General Assembly.

SECTION 5.  Report. - The Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the 2012 Regular Session of the 2011 General Assembly no later than May 1, 2012. The Commission shall terminate upon the filing of its final report.

SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.