GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 415

Short Title:  Incentives/College Work in H.S.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Foxx; Albertson, Allran, Ballantine, Carpenter, Carrington, Cochrane, Dalton, Dannelly, Forrester, Garwood, Hartsell, Horton, Hoyle, Jenkins, Jordan, Kerr, Kinnaird, Ledbetter, Lee, Lucas, Martin of Pitt, Martin of Guilford, McDaniel, Odom, Page, Phillips, Rand, Rucho, Shaw of Cumberland, Shaw of Guilford, Soles, Warren, Webster, Weinstein, and Wellons.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Education/Higher Education.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

March 18, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES THAT WILL ENCOURAGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE ADVANCE PLACEMENT COURSES AND COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, ENCOURAGE THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO MAKE THOSE COURSES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS, TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO TAKE THEIR FIRST TWO YEARS OF GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO FINANCE THOSE INCENTIVES.
Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes that in the near future the number of high school graduates seeking higher education will greatly increase and that transitional efforts should begin immediately to accommodate those anticipated demands; and
Whereas, it is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that high school students who want to continue their education have the opportunity to do so; and
Whereas, to help accomplish this goal, it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide incentives that encourage high school students to enroll in Advanced Placement courses as appropriate and to take Advanced Placement tests for college credit; and
Whereas, greater use of Advanced Placement courses and Advanced Placement tests will help with the management of growing enrollments in institutions of higher education and will also benefit the State and its citizens by using existing physical space and currently employed staff to ease the transition required by the increasing demands in higher education; and
Whereas, it is less expensive to offer college courses through the community college system than the University system; and
Whereas, it is more economical and a better use of State funds to provide general education courses to interested and eligible students through the community college system rather the University system; and
Whereas, it is the intent of the General Assembly that the State Board of Education, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to in turn  encourage high school students to complete their first two years of general education work through the community college system where feasible and to cooperate in creating curricula that facilitate interested students in achieving that goal; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Board of Education the sum of four million six hundred eighty-seven thousand two hundred twelve dollars ($4,687,212) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of four million nine hundred seventy-four thousand six hundred forty dollars ($4,974,640) for the 1998-99 fiscal year to assist with the costs of taking the Advanced Placement tests, including the costs of the exams, materials and supplies for the exam, and the education of teachers who instruct and prepare students for the exam.
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Board of Education the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year to be allocated as financial incentives to local education agencies that:  (i) have a higher number of students taking the Advanced Placement test than the State average, and (ii) whose students attain an Advanced Placement test score equal to or greater than the score designated by the State Board of Education.
Section 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the purpose of rewarding colleges for increasing access for appropriate high school students to college level courses.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall allocate these funds on a pro rata basis to colleges whose percentage of high school students served in cooperative programs exceeds the State average.
Section 4.  Advanced Placement tests are taken by many high school students who are seeking college credit for coursework completed in high school. The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina is encouraged to develop a standardized system of credit for the Advanced Placement test scores to ensure that college credit granted for advanced courses is equitable.
Section 5.  The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall encourage the University system to assist the public school systems of the State to provide education for teachers who are instructors of Advanced Placement courses.
Section 6.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Board of Community Colleges shall allow a college to earn regular budget FTEs for a college level course taught to high school students even though the course instructor is a local high school teacher under contract, provided the following criteria are met:
(1)	The course does not duplicate or supplant the Advanced Placement courses or the other college level course offerings of the high school.
(2)	The contractual responsibilities of the high school teacher employed as an instructor for the course do not supplant the regular classroom and teaching responsibilities of the teacher.
(3)	The State Board of Community Colleges is satisfied that the substance, quality, and level at which the course is taught merits its being considered a college level course. 
Section 7.  The State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 1, 1997, and annually thereafter regarding the cooperative effort being made to encourage high school students to complete general education courses through the community college system.  The report shall include information about the curricula designed to encourage this effort, the number of students enrolled in college courses, and the fiscal impact of these efforts. 
Section 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.