GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1002

Short Title:  School Tech. Commission Created.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Winner of Mecklenburg, Conder, Perdue, and Ward.
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Referred to:  Rules Suspended, Passed 1st; referred to Select Committee on Bonds.
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April 28, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT CREATING THE COMMISSION ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. (a)	There is created the Commission on School Technology.  The Commission shall be located administratively in the Department of Public Education but shall exercise all its prescribed statutory powers independently of the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction.
(b)	The Commission shall consist of the following 21 members:
(1)	The Governor or a designee;
(2)	One teacher, one school administrator, one member of a local board of education, and one representative of business or industry, appointed by the Governor;
(3)	One teacher, one local board of education member, one representative of business or industry, and three members of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(4)	One teacher, one school administrator, one parent of a child attending a public school, and three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(5)	The State Superintendent of Public Instruction or a designee;
(6)	One representative of The University of North Carolina, appointed by the President of The University of North Carolina;
(7)	One representative of the North Carolina Community College System, appointed by the President of the North Carolina Community College System; and
(8)	The chairman of the Information Resources Management Commission, or a designee.
No producers or vendors of learning technologies shall serve on the Commission.
Vacancies in appointments shall be filled by the appointing officer.  Persons appointed to fill vacancies shall qualify in the same manner as persons appointed for full terms.
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one member of the Senate serving on the Commission to serve as cochair.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one member of the House serving on the Commission to serve as cochair.
(c)	The Commission shall prepare a requirements analysis and propose a plan to the General Assembly for improving student performance in the public schools through the use of learning technologies.  In developing this plan, the Commission shall:
(1)	Assess factors related to the current use of learning technologies in the schools including what is currently being used, how the current use of technology relates to the standard course of study, how the effectiveness of learning technologies is being evaluated, how schools are paying for learning technologies, and what training school employees have received in the use of learning technology.
(2)	Identify the instructional goals that can be met through the use of learning technologies.  The goals may include teaching the standard course of study, reaching students with a broad range of abilities, and ensuring that all students have access to a complete curriculum regardless of the geographical location or the financial resources of the school.
(3)	Examine the types of learning technologies available to meet the identified instructional goals including computers, audio-visual aids, science laboratory equipment, vocational education equipment, and distance learning networks.  The Commission shall consider the compatibility and accessibility of different types of learning technologies and whether they may be easily communicated from one site to another.
(4)	Consider the types of staff development necessary to maximize the benefits of learning technologies and determine the appropriate ways to provide the necessary staff development.
(5)	Consider staffing required to operate the learning technologies and options for maintaining the equipment.
(6)	Develop a funding plan that will pay for an initial investment in learning technologies and ensure that funds are available for newly developing technologies.
The Commission shall report the plan it develops to the General Assembly prior to May 1, 1994.
(d)	Members of the Commission who are not State officers or employees shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with G.S. 138-5.  Members who are State officers or employees shall be reimbursed for travel and subsistence in accordance with G.S. 138-6.
(e)	The Department of Public Instruction shall provide requested professional and clerical staff to the Commission.  The Commission may also employ professional and clerical staff and may hire outside consultants to assist it in its work.  The Commission may use an outside consultant to perform a requirements analysis for learning technologies on a statewide basis that is based on information gathered from each local school administrative unit and that considers the needs of teachers, students, and administrators.
(f)	The Commission shall expire when it makes a final report to the General Assembly.
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education, Commission on School Technology, the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year to implement the provisions of Section 1 of this act.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.