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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 359
PRINTER'S NO. 784
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
SENATOR SMUCKER, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, APRIL 21, 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 AND ADVANCED
PLACEMENT Task Force.--(a) The Dual Enrollment Expansion AND
ADVANCED PLACEMENT Task Force is established.
(b) The task force shall review and make recommendations for
THE CREATION OF A STANDARDIZED DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AND 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
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provided in this section.
(c) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) The chairman and the minority chairman of the Education
Committee of the Senate OR THEIR DESIGNEES and the chairman and
the minority chairman of the Education Committee of the House of
Representatives OR THEIR DESIGNEES .
(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 PENNSYLVANIA
Federation of Teachers or a designee.
(14) The president of the Pennsylvania State Education
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Association or a designee.
(15) The president of the Association of Pennsylvania State
College and University Faculties or a designee.
(16) Two representatives of this Commonwealth's broadband
cable THE CYBER EDUCATION OR ONLINE CURRICULUM 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) THIRTEEN (13) MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL CONSTITUTE
A QUORUM AT ANY MEETING.
(g) (H) 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.
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(j) The task force shall have all of the following powers
and duties:
(1) Review and make findings and recommendations for the
STANDARDIZATION, addition or expansion of dual enrollment
programs in this Commonwealth.
(2) Review and make findings and recommendations for the
STANDARDIZATION, 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, CHARTER AND CYBER CHARTER
SCHOOLS, EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS, INTERMEDIATE
UNITS, career and technical schools, POSTSECONDARY institutions
of higher education , the College Board, THE TRANSFER AND
ARTICULATION OVERSIGHT C OMMITTEE , Department of Labor, media and
Internet companies SERVICE PROVIDERS 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. R ECEIVE INPUT FROM
POSTSECONDARY SCHOOLS OFFERING ONLINE PROGRAMS AND
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BUSINESS AND LABOR COMMUNITIES OF THIS
COMMONWEALTH.
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(7) (6) Hold public hearings in different regions of this
Commonwealth , consistent with the following:
(i) All meetings and public hearings of the task force
shall . 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) (7) Review and consider factors of FOR college credit
STANDARDIZATION AND expansion . to high school students,
including, but not limited to, access to the advanced placement
program and testing that is utilized throughout the United
States.
(9) (8) Identify the following types of classes taught in
this Commonwealth:
(i) High school courses taught by college instructors for
neighboring higher education institutions. AVAILABILITY OF
COURSES AND THE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS OF:
(I) OPEN CAMPUS INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED
BETWEEN SCHOOL ENTITIES AND EXPANSION OF DUAL ENROLLMENT AND
ADVANCED PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE TYPES OF INITIATIVES.
(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) (9) Consider courses to be offered when STANDARDIZING,
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adding or expanding options already in place, including how
courses will be selected and assessed.
(11) (10) 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.
(11) CONSIDER THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING STANDARDIZED,
ADDITIONAL OR EXPANDED DUAL ENROLLMENT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES.
(13) (12) 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.
(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.
(13) CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
REGIONALIZING DUAL ENROLLMENT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES.
(14) CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES THAT A
STANDARDIZED DUAL ENROLLMENT AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE FOR SCHOOL
ENTITIES.
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(16) (15) 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.
(16) IDENTIFY POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTION AND
FACULTY ISSUES THAT ARISE WITH THE STANDARDIZATION, ADDITION TO
OR EXPANSION OF DUAL ENROLLMENT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES.
(18) (17) Assure maximum accessibility to expanded dual
enrollment and advanced placement opportunities for all high
school students in all geographic locations.
(19) (18) Develop a proposed plan incorporating the
essential factors for STANDARDIZING AND expanding dual
enrollment and advanced placement opportunities identified in
this subsection.
(20) Draft proposed regulations and legislation (19)
RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES NECESSARY IN STATE STATUTES based on the
task force's findings.
(21) (20) 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
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Education Committee of the House of Representatives, the
Secretary of Education and the State Board of Education.
(22) (21) 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" SHALL MEAN THE Department of
Education of the Commonwealth.
"Dual enr ollment." The term shall ENROLLMENT" SHALL include,
but not be limited to, an arrangement between a school district
ENT ITY 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.
"EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE PROVIDER" SHALL MEAN A FOR-
PROFIT EDUCATION MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION, NONPROFIT CHARTER
MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL DESIGN PROVIDER, BUSINESS
MANAGER OR ANY OTHER PARTNER ENTITY WITH WHICH A BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF A CHARTER SCHOOL ENTITY CONTRACTS TO PROVIDE
EDUCATIONAL DESIGN, BUSINESS SERVICES, COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT
OR PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS OR TO IMPLEMENT THE CHARTER. THE TERM
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DOES NOT INCLUDE A CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDATION.
"OPEN CAMPUS INITIATIVES" SHALL MEAN T HE OPEN CAMPUS
INITIATIVE ESTABLISHED UNDER ARTICLE XV-G.
"SCHOOL ENTITY" SHALL MEAN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, A CHARTER
SCHOOL, A REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL, A CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL, AN
INTERMEDIATE UNIT OR AN AREA VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOL.
"Task force" shall mean the Dual Enrollment Expansion AND
ADVANCED PLACEMENT Task Force established under this section.
"TRANSFER AND ARTICULATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE" SHALL MEAN
THE TRANSFER AND ARTICULATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED
UNDER SECTION 2004-C.
(l) This section shall expire June DECEMBER 30, 2016.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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