GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

S	1 

SENATE BILL 704

Short Title:  Geography-Based Curriculum Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Warren; Plexico, Tally, and Sherron.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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April 18, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR A GEOGRAPHY-BASED CURRICULUM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Whereas, North Carolina is in an excellent position to implement rapidly a statewide geographic alliance network because the State Department of Public Instruction has eight regional offices staffed by professional educators to serve all parts of the State; and
Whereas, in June 1985, the General Assembly enacted legislation directing the State Board of Education to adopt a Basic Education Program for every local education agency in North Carolina, which included a mandate for the development of a Standard Course of Study for North Carolina Schools; and
Whereas, in the Social Studies component of the Standard Course of Study the curriculum is spelled out for each grade level and geography is an integral part of the K-8 curriculum, and while grades 4-8 are said to be geography based, grades K-3 and 8 have a strong geography component; and 
Whereas, the basic high school social studies program must include the following courses:  United States history, world history, cultures, economics, government, and geography; and
Whereas, the North Carolina public schools have a problem, in that a large percentage of the State's social studies teachers have not had formal courses in geography, the task of the State Department of Public Instruction and the university-based geographers is to provide for staff development sufficient to prepare teachers to teach the content outlined in the Teacher Handbook; and 
Whereas, the professional geographer members of the North Carolina Geographical Society have effected a significant new outreach effort to provide professional advice and guidance to each of the eight regional social studies coordinators through the North Carolina Geographical Alliance Network; and
Whereas, the National Geographic Society has awarded a ten thousand dollar ($10,000) seed money grant to the North Carolina Geographical Alliance headquartered at East Carolina University for the purpose of supporting the North Carolina Alliance Project for each of the first of three years of the Project; and
Whereas, the National Geographic Society intends to award a ten thousand dollar ($10,000) seed money grant each year for an additional three years of the North Carolina Alliance Project; and
Whereas, the National Geographic Society in strong support of this initiative has agreed to match with an additional fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) the amount of this appropriation; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $50,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year to establish and fund the North Carolina Geographic Alliance Network Program, which is headquartered at East Carolina University, and which will:
(1)	Increase communication and cooperation between the professional geographic community and the network of Regional Education Centers,
(2)	Increase the number of in-service workshops conducted by professional geographers for the Regional Education Centers and local education agencies,
(3)	Increase the membership of professional geographers in the North Carolina Council for Social Studies,
(4)	Increase the number of professional geographers doing sessions at the annual meetings of the North Carolina Council for Social Studies,
(5)	Increase advisory interaction of professional geographers with the North Carolina Board of Education with regard to geography in the curriculum,
(6)	Increase involvement of public school teachers with the North Carolina Geographic Society.
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1991.