PRINTER'S NO. 1390
No. 1174 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, BROWNE, CREIGHTON, FLEAGLE, HERMAN,
McILHATTAN, R. MILLER, GRUCELA, MUNDY, SHANER, SURRA, ARGALL,
BAKER, BELFANTI, BUNT, CAWLEY, CIVERA, DALEY, DeWEESE,
FAIRCHILD, GEIST, GEORGE, HARHAI, JAMES, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY,
MELIO, S. MILLER, PISTELLA, RAYMOND, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SATHER,
SEMMEL, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, R. STEVENSON, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE,
WALKO, WASHINGTON AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 15, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 15, 2003
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Office of Community, Business and Education
2 Partnerships and its powers and duties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Keystone
7 Community, Business and Education Partnership Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Office." The Office of Community, Business and Education
13 Partnerships established by this act.
14 "Partnership." A cooperative arrangement between the private
15 sector and one or more school entities to provide: dropout
1 prevention programs, programs to enrich and supplement existing
2 academic programs and career education initiatives through
3 various means, including, but not limited to, career
4 instruction, exploration, awareness, preparation, guidance and
5 counseling that is incorporated into the school curriculum, job
6 shadowing experiences, on-the-job work training, apprenticeship
7 programs, internships and programs relating to vocational
8 education as defined in section 1801 of the act of March 10,
9 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.
10 "Private sector." Any private business, corporation,
11 individual, trade association, foundation, federally or locally
12 supported grant program and other non-Commonwealth source
13 operating for profit or not-for-profit.
14 "School entity." A school district, intermediate unit, joint
15 school or area vocational-technical school.
16 Section 3. Declaration of policy.
17 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
18 (1) This Commonwealth's system of public education would
19 be strengthened by greater collaboration between the private
20 sector and school entities.
21 (2) Where partnerships presently exist, schools,
22 teachers, students and the community at large benefit from
23 the support, recognition and expertise provided by the
24 business community.
25 (3) Businesses benefit from partnerships because
26 partnerships help to promote lifelong learning and the
27 acquisition of skills necessary for success in postsecondary
28 education and the work force.
29 (4) Communities benefit from partnerships because
30 partnerships allow schools to explore innovative means of
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1 teaching, provide learning opportunities designed to prevent
2 students from leaving school before graduation and provide
3 schools with the opportunity to teach students the skills
4 they will need for success after graduation.
5 (5) There is presently no entity at the State level
6 responsible for the collection and dissemination of
7 information regarding partnerships between the private sector
8 and school entities.
9 Section 4. Office of Community, Business and Education
10 Partnerships.
11 (a) Establishment.--The Office of Community, Business and
12 Education Partnerships is hereby established within the
13 Department of Education.
14 (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the office are to encourage
15 and enhance partnerships between school entities and the private
16 sector, to function as a clearinghouse for material
17 dissemination and to provide training and consultation on
18 partnerships to school districts as appropriate.
19 (c) Powers and duties.--The office shall have the following
20 powers and duties:
21 (1) To develop recommendations for the establishment of
22 private sector partnerships with school entities.
23 (2) To establish a network for the exchange of expertise
24 and information about private sector and school entity
25 partnerships throughout this Commonwealth.
26 (3) To provide technical assistance and workshops to
27 facilitate the exchange of information and expertise about
28 partnership programs.
29 (4) To establish a method of assessing the impact of
30 private sector and school entity partnerships on improving
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1 the quality of education.
2 (5) To identify exemplary partnership programs,
3 materials and models to be disseminated to school entities.
4 (6) To establish appropriate award programs to recognize
5 businesses for their contributions to improving education and
6 to recognize exemplary partnership programs.
7 (7) To prepare and submit an annual report to the
8 General Assembly and the Governor which includes the
9 following:
10 (i) A summary of the status of private sector and
11 school entity partnership programs.
12 (ii) Recommendations to improve the efficiency and
13 promote the growth of private sector and school entity
14 partnerships.
15 (8) To encourage the donation of functional computers,
16 equipment, supplies, volunteers and funds where available
17 from the private sector to school entities and to educate the
18 private sector of any tax advantage resulting from these
19 donations.
20 (9) To perform other duties to carry into effect the
21 purposes under subsection (b).
22 Section 5. Effective date.
23 This act shall take effect immediately.
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