AN ACT directing the state board of education to adopt new standards for school administrator preparation programs.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑284 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(c2)	The State Board of Education shall adopt new standards by July 1, 2008, for school administrator preparation programs. The new standards shall:
(1)	Be aligned with the revised standards for the evaluation of school executives and specifically address the use of the results of the Teacher Working Conditions Survey;
(2)	Require evidence of a high level of institutional commitment, including dedicated resources, for administrator preparation program improvements and redesign;
(3)	Require the use of cross‑functional work teams to determine a common curriculum framework that (i) is designed to align with defined standards, (ii) includes rigorous core courses, and (iii) will produce administrators who meet the defined standards. The cross‑functional work teams shall include school‑based personnel, faculty from schools of education and other disciplines from institutions of higher education, and representatives of State agencies;
(4)	Require the use of cross‑functional work teams to design and periodically update specific standards regarding placement, required activities, and evaluations of clinical experiences. These standards shall include appropriate training for the school leaders who agree to accept and supervise interns;
(5)	Require written agreements between the institution of higher education and a local school administrative unit to govern their shared responsibility for (i) recruitment and preparation of school administrators, especially with regard to clinical experiences including the internship, and (ii) a new administrator's success once employed;
(6)	Require authentic partnerships between adjunct faculty and full‑time faculty to fully address the need for both practical, field‑based experience and academic, theory‑based experience. These partnerships may require a change in the institution of higher education's definition of scholarly activity and its reward system;
(7)	Require all candidates to complete a year‑long internship; and
(8)	Require the development of portfolios for emerging leaders that provide evidence they are applying their training to actual school needs and challenges.
Institutions of higher education shall redesign their school administrator preparation programs to meet the new standards and report to the State Board of Education on the redesign by July 1, 2009."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of July, 2007.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 1:23 p.m. this 30th day of August, 2007