A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to continue to appropriate funds to the state board of education For the work of the consortium of the historically minority college and university initiative to determine the best methods for closing the achievement gap among children of various demographic groups who are performing below grade level and to disseminate and replicate these methods across the state of north carolina.
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 five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year and the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year to continue to support the Historically Minority College and University initiative established in Section 8.28 of S.L. 2000‑67 to close the achievement gap.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly shall appropriate from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) each fiscal year through the 2007‑2008 fiscal year to continue to support the Historically Minority College and University initiative established in Section 8.28 of S.L. 2000‑67 to close the achievement gap.
SECTION 3.  The consortium of the Historically Minority College and University initiative shall continue its work, as provided in Section 8.28(i) of S.L. 2000‑67, to determine the best practices and methodologies for closing the achievement gap among children of various demographic groups who are performing below grade level.  The consortium shall work with rural and low‑wealth communities to replicate at least six community‑based programs.  The State Board of Education and the Research Council of the Education Cabinet shall make an interim report regarding its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15 of each year and shall make a final report by March 15, 2009, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
SECTION 4.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2003-2004 fiscal year and one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2004-2005 fiscal year to be allocated to The Historically Minority Colleges and Universities Consortium to study, examine, and profile the history of organized education for American Indians and African Americans in North Carolina as recommended by The North Carolina Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Final Report to the State Board of Education. In its study the Consortium shall consider and analyze all of the following:
(1)	The strengths and weaknesses of the school environment on the education of African American and American Indian youth prior to school desegregation in North Carolina and the decades that followed since school integration began from 1974 to the present.
(2)	The best practices and models that impact achievement of minority students including school, home, and community.
(3)	The findings from a study to influence school policy changes at local and State levels to improve the school environment and academic achievement of African American and American Indian youth.
(4)	How to design a training model for community, parents, teachers, and administrators based on best practices found in research.
(5)	How to work most effectively with the State to infuse best practices and key research findings into school curriculum and policy guidelines for all LEAs throughout the State.
SECTION 4.(b)  The State Board of Education and the Research Council of the Education Cabinet shall make an interim report regarding the findings of the study and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 2004, and shall make a final report by July 1, 2005, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.