A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to continue the work and operations of the north carolina historically minority colleges and universities consortium to develop, implement, and manage community programs to close the achievement gap and to develop and implement strategies to disseminate and replicate these programs and activities 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 three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year and the sum of three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to continue to support the operations and work of the North Carolina Historically Minority Colleges and Universities Consortium to close the education achievement gap in accordance with Section 8.28 of S.L. 2000‑67.  It is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate funds for this purpose for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year.
The Historically Minority Colleges and Universities Consortium 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 of each year, and shall make a final report by March 15, 2010, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
SECTION 2.  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 2005‑2006 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used by the Historically Minority Colleges and Universities Consortium to fund the implementation of a study to examine and profile the history of organized education for American Indians and African Americans in North Carolina, as recommended in The North Carolina Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gap's Final Report to the State Board of Education.  In the course of the study, the Consortium shall:
(1)	Analyze 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 during the decades that followed.
(2)	Identify best practices and models that impact achievement of minority students including school, home, and community.
(3)	Develop strategies for using the findings from the study to influence school policy changes at the local and State levels to improve the school environment and academic achievement of African American and American Indian youth.
(4)	Design a training model for community parents, teachers, and administrators based on best practices found in research.
(5)	Work with the State to infuse best practices and key research findings into school curricula and policy guidelines for all local school administrative units throughout the State.
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 their  recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 1, 2006, and shall make a final report by July 1, 2006, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.