GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 459*

Short Title:  School Administrator Programs.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Warren, Speed, Lee, Ward; and Tally.
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Referred to:  Education/Higher Education.

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March 4, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP TASK FORCE AND THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONCERNING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR PROGRAMS AT THE CONSTITUENT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA INSTITUTIONS.
Whereas, the Educational Leadership Task Force, established by the 1991 General Assembly, has completed its work and reported to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee of the General Assembly; and
Whereas, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee approved the recommendations of the Educational Leadership Task Force for submission to the General Assembly; and
Whereas, the Task Force found that North Carolina's school administrator training programs could be improved and thus improve the quality of public school education in the State; and
Whereas, the Task Force found that State resources support the training of school administrators far in excess of the number needed to fill school administrator positions; and
Whereas, the Task Force found that entrance standards to school administrator programs need to be improved; and
Whereas, the Task Force found that resources for training school administrators could be better used by supporting fewer programs, and that those fewer programs could gain in resources saved by closing other school administrator programs; and
Whereas, the Task Force found that minorities and women are underrepresented in school administrator programs and should be encouraged to apply to and complete school administrator training programs; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 116 is amended by adding a new Article to read: 
"ARTICLE 5B.
"School Administrator Training Programs.
"§ 116-74.21.  Establishment of a competitive proposal process for school administrator programs.
(a)	The Board of Governors shall develop and implement a competitive proposal process to establish school administrator training programs within the constituent universities of The University of North Carolina. To facilitate the development of the programs and the proposal process, the Board of Governors may convene a panel of national school administrator program experts and other professional training program experts to assist it in designing the program, the proposal process, and criteria for assessing the proposals. No more than six school administrator programs shall be established under the competitive proposal program. In selecting campus sites, the Board of Governors shall be sensitive to the racial, cultural, and geographic diversity of the State.
(b)	The Board of Governors shall study the issue of supply and demand of school administrators to determine the number of school administrators to be trained in the programs in each year of each biennium. The Board of Governors shall report the results of this study to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than March 1, 1994, and annually thereafter.
(c)	The Board of Governors shall develop a budget for the programs established under subsection (a) of this section that reflects the resources necessary to establish and operate school administrator programs that meet the vision of the report submitted to the 1993 General Assembly by the Educational Leadership Task Force."
Sec. 2. In developing the overall plan for the programs established in accordance with G.S. 116-74.21, the Board of Governors and its panel shall consider:
(1)	What university units, if any, other than schools of education, may submit a proposal;
(2)	How to phase out existing school administrator programs so that by July 1, 1998, only those school administrator programs receiving grants under this program may continue to train school administrators at the constituent universities;
(3)	Whether any laws or rules require amendment or should be repealed to facilitate implementation of the program, including G.S. 115C-12(9)(a), 115C-284, 115C-289, 115C-295, 115C-296, 115C-298, 115C-303, 115C-315, and 116-11.2;
(4)	How resources expended for school administrator programs compare to resources expended for other professional schools within the constituent universities;
(5)	How the programs can attract the best candidates inclusive of women and racial minorities; and
(6)	How the overall plan is sensitive to the needs of program participant's families.
Sec. 3.  The Board of Governors shall develop criteria for assessing the proposals submitted in accordance with G.S. 116-74.21.  Submitted proposals shall include the extent to which the proposed programs:
(1)	Meet standards proposed by professional associations in the area of educational leadership;
(2)	Demonstrate a significant commitment of campus resources;
(3)	Employ entrance standards and criteria that will attract high-quality applicants inclusive of women and racial minorities;
(4)	Reflect a vision for leadership for the public schools;
(5)	Are interdisciplinary in design, and interprofessional in nature;
(6)	Reflect collaboration with local school units, professional associations, and industry and business;
(7)	Employ varied methods of instruction;
(8)	Integrate clinical components throughout the program;
(9)	Contain plans for the continual professional development of program faculty;
(10)	Emphasize a common core of knowledge and skills grounded in problems of practice, such as societal and cultural influences on schooling, teaching and learning processes, current school improvement and reform, organizational theory, policy analysis, leadership, and management skills, including strategic planning; and 
(11)	Provide students with a significant internship experience that is an extension of earlier clinical experiences, connected and integrated with on-campus experiences, planned and supervised by a well-trained mentor, active, extends over a minimum of a school year, and is full-time.
Sec. 4.  G.S. 115C-296(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to maintain the highest quality teacher education programs and school administrator programs in order to enhance the competence of professional personnel certified in North Carolina. To the end that teacher preparation programs are upgraded to reflect a more rigorous course of study, the State Board of Education shall submit to the General Assembly not later than November 1, 1994, a plan to promote this policy. The State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination and cooperation with the University Board of Governors, the Board of Community Colleges and such other public and private agencies as are necessary, shall continue to refine the several certification requirements, standards for approval of institutions of teacher education, standards for institution-based innovative and experimental programs, standards for implementing consortium-based teacher education, and standards for improved efficiencies in the administration of the approved programs.  The standards for approval of institutions of teacher education shall require that teacher education programs for students who do not major in special education include courses in the identification and education of children with learning disabilities. The State Board of Education shall incorporate the criteria developed in accordance with Article 5B of Chapter 116 for assessing proposals under the School Administrator Program into its school administrator program approval standards."
Sec. 5.  (a) No later than October 1, 1993, the Board of Governors shall convene a Quality Candidate Committee to create admissions criteria for its School Administrator Programs and to assist local education agencies in developing procedures to hire the best qualified candidates. It is expected that the members of the Committee shall perform much of the research needed to complete its work. In its work, the Committee shall follow and expand upon the recommendations of the Educational Leadership Task Force report to the 1993 General Assembly. The Board of Governors and the Department of Public Instruction shall assign staff to assist the Committee in its work. The Committee shall:
(1)	Create admissions criteria for candidates entering school administrator programs. The criteria may include leadership ability, relevant work experience, including whether teaching experience is necessary and shall be required of candidates, evidence of academic achievement as well as potential as a practitioner, cooperation between program faculty and practitioners in choosing candidates, how to best attract qualified women and minorities into the programs, and when and how to best evaluate the success of the criteria after implementation.
(2)	Examine how to improve procedures for selecting highly qualified candidates for administrative positions in the public schools. The committee shall analyze current employment practices, examine procedures used at exemplary sites, study methods used by industry and business to select its managers and administrators, and determine how to successfully attract and employ women and minorities to school administrator positions. The Committee shall recommend a procedure to disseminate its findings to local school boards so that the improved hiring procedures may begin as soon as possible.
(3)	Recommend whether any laws or rules should be amended or repealed to facilitate implementation of the selection criteria for program or job candidates, including G.S. 115C-12(9)(a), 115C-284, 115C-289, 115C-295, 115C-296, 115C-298, 115C-303, and 115C-315.
(b) There shall be 15 members of the Quality Candidate Committee. Members shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances in accordance with G.S. 138-5 or G.S. 138-6, as appropriate. Except as otherwise provided, if a vacancy occurs in the membership, the appointing authority shall appoint another person to serve for the balance of the unexpired term. Appointments shall be made as follows:
(1)	One dean of a school of education who shall chair the Committee, appointed by the President of The University of North Carolina.
(2)	One member of the Board of Governors, appointed by the Chair of the Board of Governors.
(3)	One member of the State Board of Education,  appointed by the State Board Chair.
(4)	One dean of a professional school, appointed by the President of The University of North Carolina.  Professional schools may include schools of Business, Public Administration, Law, or Medicine.
(5)	Five school of education faculty members, appointed by the President of The University of North Carolina upon the recommendations of the deans of the schools of education.
(6)	Two practicing school administrators, appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(7)	One local school board member, appointed by the Chair of the State Board of Education.
(8)	One member of the North Carolina Bar Association Education Law Section, appointed by the President of the Bar Association;
(9)	The Director of the Principal Fellows Program, once that is established; and
(10)	The President of the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, or a designee.
(c) Upon the request of the Cochairs of the Quality Candidate Committee, all State departments and agencies, all local governments and their subdivisions, and all institutions approved to train public school administrators shall furnish the Committee with any nonconfidential information in their possession or available to them.
(d) The Committee shall report its recommendations concerning admissions criteria for program candidates to the Board of Governors for approval no later than October 1, 1994. The Board of Governors shall implement its findings based on the report of the Committee. The Board of Governors shall provide an informational report no later than November 15, 1994, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on its findings concerning admission for program candidates.
The Committee shall report its recommendations concerning selection criteria for job candidates and how to best assist local boards in selecting school administrators to the State Board of Education for approval no later than November 1, 1994. The State Board of Education shall provide an informational report no later than November 15, 1994, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on its findings concerning job selection criteria, and how to best assist local boards in selecting school administrators.
The Quality Candidate Committee shall terminate November 15, 1994.
Sec. 6.  The Board of Governors shall report on the design for the programs and the proposal process created in accordance with G.S. 116-74.21 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than December 1, 1993. Requests for Proposals shall be disseminated to the constituent universities no later than January 15, 1994. Proposals shall be submitted to the Board of Governors no later than June 1, 1994. The Board of Governors shall then reconvene the design panel to screen the submitted proposals. After its screening, the design panel shall make recommendations by September 1, 1994, to the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors shall make awards to the winning institutions no later than November 1, 1994.  
Sec. 7.  Institutions awarded programs in accordance with G.S. 116-74.21 shall plan for the implementation of the programs.  Programs shall begin operating no later than September 1, 1995.
Sec. 8.  Sections 5 and 7 of this act shall not become effective unless sufficient funds are appropriated for this purpose. Nothing in this act shall require the General Assembly to appropriate any funds to implement it.
Sec. 9.  This act is effective upon ratification.