PRINTER'S NO. 359
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
104
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, FARNESE, FONTANA, TARTAGLIONE, HUGHES,
BREWSTER, COSTA, GORDNER, BOSCOLA, WILLIAMS, RAFFERTY AND
BROWNE, FEBRUARY 12, 2015
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 12, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in preliminary provisions, providing
for the Dual Enrollment Expansion Task Force.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 124. Dual Enrollment Expansion Task Force.--(a) The
Dual Enrollment Expansion Task Force is established.
(b) The task force shall review and make recommendations for
expanding dual enrollment and advanced placement opportunities
that allow students to obtain college credits while in high
school to ultimately make college education more affordable, as
provided in this section.
(c) The task force shall consist of the following members:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
(1) The chairman and the minority chairman of the Education
Committee of the Senate and the chairman and the minority
chairman of the Education Committee of the House of
Representatives.
(2) The Secretary of Education or a designee.
(3) The Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary
Education or a designee.
(4) The Deputy Secretary of the Office of Postsecondary and
Higher Education or a designee.
(5) The Chancellor of the State System of Higher Education
or a designee.
(6) The presidents of each of the Commonwealth's four State-
related universities or their designees.
(7) The president of the Pennsylvania Commission for
Community Colleges or a designee.
(8) The president of the Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities of Pennsylvania or a designee.
(9) The president of the Pennsylvania Association of Private
School Administrators or a designee.
(10) The president of the Pennsylvania Association of School
Administrators or a designee.
(11) The president of the Pennsylvania Association of School
Business Officials or a designee.
(12) The president of the Pennsylvania School Boards
Association or a designee.
(13) The president of the Philadelphia Federation of
Teachers or a designee.
(14) The president of the Pennsylvania State Education
Association or a designee.
(15) The president of the Association of Pennsylvania State
20150SB0104PN0359 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
College and University Faculties or a designee.
(16) Two representatives of this Commonwealth's broadband
cable industry, one each to be selected by the President pro
tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(17) The president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business
and Industry or a designee.
(d) The members of the task force shall select a member to
serve as chair of the task force.
(e) The task force shall hold its first meeting within
forty-five (45) days of the effective date of this section.
(f) The task force shall hold meetings at the call of the
chair.
(g) The members may not receive compensation for their
services, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary travel and
other reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the
performance of their duties as members of the task force.
(h) The task force may employ technical and clerical staff
as it deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities under
this section.
(i) The General Assembly shall provide administrative
support, meeting space and any other assistance required by the
task force to carry out its duties under this section in
cooperation with the department. The department shall provide
the task force with data, research and other information upon
request by the task force.
(j) The task force shall have all of the following powers
and duties:
(1) Review and make findings and recommendations for the
addition or expansion of dual enrollment programs in this
20150SB0104PN0359 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Commonwealth.
(2) Review and make findings and recommendations for the
expansion of advanced placement options in this Commonwealth.
(3) Consult with and utilize experts to assist in carrying
out the duties under this subsection.
(4) Receive input from interested parties, including, but
not limited to, school districts, career and technical schools,
institutions of higher education, the College Board, Department
of Labor, media and Internet companies and trade associations.
(5) Meet with all segments of the basic and higher education
communities, representatives of the State's business and labor
communities and Internet Service Providers operating within this
Commonwealth to discuss their potential involvement in the
operation of a State virtual dual-enrollment, blended or hybrid
high school program.
(6) Meet with current operators of Internet-based
educational programs operating within this Commonwealth,
including those operated by school districts, intermediate units
and blended and hybrid high school programs.
(7) Hold public hearings in different regions of this
Commonwealth, consistent with the following:
(i) All meetings and public hearings of the task force shall
be deemed public meetings for the purpose of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7
(relating to open meetings).
(ii) Seven (7) members of the task force shall constitute a
quorum at any meeting.
(iii) Each member of the task force may designate another
person to represent that member at meetings of the task force.
(8) Review and consider factors of college credit expansion
to high school students, including, but not limited to, access
20150SB0104PN0359 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
to the advanced placement program and testing that is utilized
throughout the United States.
(9) Identify the following types of classes taught in this
Commonwealth:
(i) High school courses taught by college instructors for
neighboring higher education institutions.
(ii) Career and certification courses taught in high schools
by community college instructors.
(iii) Hybrid learning opportunities listed in subparagraphs
(i) and (ii) where students will earn college credit in a
combination of the classroom, online learning, college campuses
and the workplace.
(10) Consider courses to be offered when adding or expanding
options already in place, including how courses will be selected
and assessed.
(11) Consider policies for awarding college credit and the
means for program accountability.
(12) In identifying the factors needed to expand dual
enrollment and the advanced placement program and testing and in
completing the report required under paragraph (21), consider
the impact these factors may have on the distribution of basic
education funding among the school districts.
(13) Consider methods for funding the expansion of dual
enrollment and the advanced placement program, including cost
estimates.
(14) Review the administration of State and regional basic
education programs and services to determine if cost savings may
be achieved while expanding the ability of students to obtain
college credit in high school and make recommendations to
implement the savings.
20150SB0104PN0359 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(15) Consider the advantages and disadvantages of a uniform
articulation agreement for each school district in relation to
the level of State basic education funding the school district
received in the prior school year.
(16) Identify and facilitate opportunities for academically
talented students in economically distressed school districts to
complete their junior and senior years at an area community
college or university.
(17) Review faculty issues arising from the expansion of
dual enrollment arrangements and advanced placement courses and
programs, including salaries, employe status in arrangements for
reporting purposes, certification, training, professional
development and evaluation.
(18) Assure maximum accessibility to expanded dual
enrollment and advanced placement opportunities for all high
school students in all geographic locations.
(19) Develop a proposed plan incorporating the essential
factors for expanding dual enrollment and advanced placement
opportunities identified in this subsection.
(20) Draft proposed regulations and legislation based on the
task force's findings.
(21) Not later than one (1) year after the effective date of
this section, issue a report of the task force's findings and
recommendations to the Governor, the President pro tempore of
the Senate, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
Senate, the Education Committee of the Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader and the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Education
Committee of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of
Education and the State Board of Education.
20150SB0104PN0359 - 6 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(22) Consider other issues as it deems appropriate.
(k) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Dual enrollment." The term shall include, but not be
limited to, an arrangement between a school district and a
postsecondary institution that is made pursuant to:
(1) A concurrent written agreement established under Article
XVI-B.
(2) An agreement made under section 1525.
(3) An articulation agreement authorized by the department.
(4) Any other type of arrangement that would address the
need to close academic opportunity gaps for obtaining college
credit, whether through direct college course attendance,
successful advanced placement course work offered to the student
while in high school or other programs that provide a student
with the ability to obtain college credits while in high school
and ultimately make college education more affordable in this
Commonwealth.
"Task force." The Dual Enrollment Expansion Task Force
established under this section.
(l) This section shall expire June 30, 2016.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
20150SB0104PN0359 - 7 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25