H765 [Filed]

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

H D

HOUSE DRH70169-LE-131 (03/24)

Short Title: Study Length of School Year.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representative Lewis.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION TO STUDY the current length of the school year in NORTH CAROLINA AND to DETERMINE HOW LONG the school year SHOULD BE.

Whereas, the Constitution of North Carolina reads as follows: "The people have a right to the privilege of education, and it is the duty of the State to guard and maintain that right"; and

Whereas, the length of the school year in North Carolina, like the rest of the United States, is currently a minimum of 180 teaching days, or 1000 hours, and funds for public education in the State are based on the length of the school term; and

Whereas, North Carolina law does not prohibit school districts from providing more than 180 days of instruction time; and

Whereas, the seminal education report "A Nation at Risk" noted in 1984 that the 180-day school calendar had become outdated and could not sufficiently supply the kind of instructional time that American students needed in a world of increasing complexity; and

Whereas, 180 instructional days consistently puts the United States at or near the bottom of other industrialized nations, according to rankings of instructional time done by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); and

Whereas, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) studies show that the average time spent in the classroom by students in participating nations is 193, translating into a 156-day instructional day gap for American students over a 12-year academic career, or nearly one full school year.

Whereas, North Carolina's graduation rate ranks in the bottom third of all states; and

Whereas, some experts contend that the current school year does not afford ample time to equip young North Carolinians with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in an increasingly competitive and global workplace; and

Whereas, studies document that approximately two-thirds of the grade 9 achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years; and

Whereas, studies have documented that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer break; and

Whereas, low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains; and

Whereas, children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children, particularly children at high risk of obesity, gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break; and

Whereas, students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer; and

Whereas, North Carolina continues to spend precious resources on the remediation of its students; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina should explore the feasibility of extending its school year and potentially being a model for the nation; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. The General Assembly reaffirms its intent that every child in
North Carolina deserves an opportunity to a sound basic education.

SECTION 2.(a) Commission Established. - There is established in the
General Assembly a Blue Ribbon Commission to study the length of our current school
year.

SECTION 2.(b) Membership. - The Commission shall be composed of 19
members as follows:

(1) Five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Five members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(3) The chair of the North Carolina State Board of Education.

(4) The executive director of the North Carolina School Boards Association.

(5) The Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(6) The president of North Carolina Association of Educators, Inc.

(7) The executive director of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators.

(8) The executive director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

(9) The executive director of the Professional Educators of North Carolina, Inc.

(10) The executive director of the N.C. Principals/Assistant Principals Association, Inc.

(11) The executive director of the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers, Incorporated.

SECTION 2.(c) Duties of Commission. - The Commission shall study the
following matters related to North Carolina's educational needs:

(1) Strategies for making North Carolina's children ready to compete in the 21^st century.

(2) The cost of implementing a longer school year.

(3) A plan for implementing a longer school year.

(4) The impact of summer learning loss.

(5) The cost of remediation in the public schools, the community colleges, and the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina.

(6) The impact of the current calendar on low-income and at-risk students.

(7) The impact of the current calendar on math and science scores.

(8) The achievement gap.

SECTION 2.(d) Vacancies. - Any vacancy on the Commission shall be filled
by the appointing authority.

SECTION 2.(e) Cochairs. - Cochairs of the Commission shall be designated
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate from among their respective appointees. The Commission shall meet upon the
call of the chairs. A quorum of the Commission shall be 10 members.

SECTION 2.(f) Expenses of Members. - 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.

SECTION 2.(g) Staff. - Adequate staff shall be provided to the Commission
by the Legislative Services Office.

SECTION 2.(h) Consultants. - The Commission may hire consultants to
assist with the study. Before expending any funds for a consultant, the Commission shall
report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations on the
consultant selected, the work products to be provided by the consultant, and the cost of
the contract, including an itemization of the cost components.

SECTION 2.(i) Cooperation. - The Commission may call upon any
department, agency, institution, or officer of the State or any political subdivision thereof
for facilities, data, or other assistance.

SECTION 2.(j) Meetings During Legislative Session. - The Commission
may meet during a regular or extra session of the General Assembly, subject to approval
of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate.

SECTION 2.(k) Meeting Location. - The Commission shall meet at various
locations around the State in order to promote greater public participation in its
deliberations. The Legislative Services Commission shall grant adequate meeting space
to the Commission in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.

SECTION 2.(1) Report. - The Commission shall make an interim report of its
findings and recommendations to the 2012 Regular Session of the 2011 General
Assembly and shall make a final report of its findings and recommendations to the 2013
General Assembly. The Committee shall submit copies of the reports to the Governor
and the Secretary of Transportation. Upon the filing of its final report, the Commission
shall terminate.

SECTION 2.(m) Funding. - The Commission may apply for, receive, and
accept grants of non-State funds or other contributions as appropriate to assist in the
performance of its duties.

SECTION 2.(n) Appropriation. - Of the funds appropriated to the General
Assembly, the Legislative Services Commission shall allocate sufficient funds for the
expenses of the Commission.

SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2011.