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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY WASHINGTON, COSTA, ERICKSON, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, O'PAKE AND TARTAGLIONE, MAY 20, 2010 |
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| REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 20, 2010 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing the MESA Initiative; providing for duties of |
2 | Department of Education; and establishing State MESA |
3 | Commission. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | Section 1. Short title. |
7 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania |
8 | MESA Initiative Act. |
9 | Section 2. Definitions. |
10 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
11 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
12 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
13 | "Commission." The State MESA Commission established under |
14 | section 4. |
15 | "Department." The Department of Education of the |
16 | Commonwealth. |
17 | "MESA." Mathematics, engineering and science achievement. |
18 | "MESA Initiative." The program established under section 3 |
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1 | to promote science, engineering and mathematics education. |
2 | "STEM." Science, technology, engineering and mathematics. |
3 | Section 3. MESA Initiative. |
4 | The MESA Initiative is hereby established as a program within |
5 | the department that shall seek to increase exposure, educational |
6 | motivation and achievement of students in science, engineering |
7 | and mathematics and build individual and regional capacity to |
8 | compete for STEM-based jobs in the global market with a |
9 | particular emphasis on students, parents, educators and |
10 | employers from urban and rural groups who have historically had |
11 | the lowest levels of high school degree attainment and |
12 | participation in college and graduate education. |
13 | Section 4. Administration of MESA Initiative. |
14 | (a) Designation of administrative agency.--The department |
15 | shall administer the MESA Initiative, including Statewide MESA |
16 | funding, operations, regional groups, programs and evaluations. |
17 | (b) Coordination.--The department shall coordinate the |
18 | efforts of the Commonwealth agencies that relate to MESA |
19 | education from the kindergarten level through the graduate level |
20 | to avoid unnecessary duplication of initiatives and ensure |
21 | adherence to established guidelines. |
22 | (c) Structure of STEM regions.--The department shall work |
23 | with the TEAM PA Foundation and the five established STEM |
24 | regions in this Commonwealth to create in each STEM region an |
25 | infrastructure for the MESA Initiative to support not fewer than |
26 | four professional staff, 20 retired industry mentors, 20 |
27 | certified MESA teacher-coordinators and school administrators. |
28 | (d) Duties.--The department shall have the following duties: |
29 | (1) Developing annual goals and objectives for improving |
30 | MESA programs throughout this Commonwealth with particular |
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1 | emphasis on regional economic and educational needs. |
2 | (2) No later than 30 days after developing the goals and |
3 | objectives under paragraph (1): |
4 | (i) Disseminating the goals and objectives to the |
5 | State MESA Commission and the MESA regions. |
6 | (ii) Communicating the goals and objectives to all |
7 | relevant agencies of the Commonwealth and collaborative |
8 | regional entities. |
9 | (iii) Making the goals and objectives available to |
10 | the general public, particularly to stakeholders. |
11 | (3) Coordinating and facilitating communication and |
12 | cooperation among all MESA regions and assuring compliance |
13 | with established guidelines for the MESA Initiative. |
14 | (4) Conducting an ongoing inventory and assessment of |
15 | the effectiveness and coherence of efforts within the MESA |
16 | regions. |
17 | (5) Annually evaluating the progress and success of the |
18 | MESA regions at achieving the goals and objectives under |
19 | paragraph (1). |
20 | (6) Consulting with the Commonwealth agencies when |
21 | developing policies and initiatives related to MESA. |
22 | (7) Strengthening partnerships between the national MESA |
23 | community, Federal, State and local governments and relevant |
24 | international partners. |
25 | (8) Conducting an annual meeting on the status of the |
26 | MESA Initiative, in conjunction with: |
27 | (i) Relevant State agencies. |
28 | (ii) The State MESA Commission, as hosting entity. |
29 | (iii) Other state MESA Initiatives. |
30 | (iv) Regional businesses and industries. |
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1 | (v) The State System of Higher Education. |
2 | (vi) Education professionals from the kindergarten |
3 | through graduate levels. |
4 | (vii) Other relevant stakeholders. |
5 | Section 5. State MESA Commission. |
6 | (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a State MESA |
7 | Commission to oversee the advancement of mathematics, |
8 | engineering, science and technology education. |
9 | (b) Membership.--The commission shall consist of the |
10 | following members: |
11 | (1) Not fewer than two representatives from each MESA |
12 | region. |
13 | (2) Elected officials, representatives of the department |
14 | and stakeholders as appointed by the department. |
15 | (c) Study.--The commission shall evaluate and report to the |
16 | General Assembly annually on the following: |
17 | (1) Efficacy of Statewide MESA Initiatives. |
18 | (2) Effective utilization of MESA Initiative resources. |
19 | (3) Influence of the MESA Initiative on: |
20 | (i) Student STEM aptitudes, as measured by |
21 | standardized testing. |
22 | (ii) Teacher effectiveness. |
23 | (iii) STEM-based employment within MESA regions. |
24 | (d) Fiscal planning.--The commission shall propose a budget |
25 | for the MESA Initiative aligned with the goals developed under |
26 | section 4(d)(1). |
27 | (e) Meetings.--The commission shall meet no less often than |
28 | quarterly. |
29 | Section 6. Effective date. |
30 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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