A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish a joining our businesses and schools (jobs) commission.
Whereas, the Innovative Education Initiatives Act became law in 2003; and
Whereas, as a result of this act, 52 Early and Middle College programs have been developed as a collaboration between the public schools, the community colleges, and private business; and
Whereas, these schools have generally evidenced a decrease in their dropout rates and, as a result, have won national awards; and
Whereas, North Carolina has seven identified economic development regions, each with its own challenges in today's changing and demanding job market; and
Whereas, North Carolina has numerous innovative public and private programs based in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and
Whereas, to be efficient with the taxpayers' dollars, to continue to increase the graduation rate, and to prepare our students for twenty‑first century jobs, it would be beneficial to map these innovative education programs, including the development of additional Early and Middle College programs and STEM programs, and other public and private education programs that have instructional programs that prepare students to meet the particular employment and workforce preparation needs of the respective economic development regions.  In addition, it would be beneficial to develop curriculum frameworks that reflect innovative design principles in some of these schools that would address both regional and statewide employment needs; and
Whereas, the United States Department of Education has identified 16 career clusters as a tool to connect career technical education (CTE) to education, workforce preparation, and economic development; and
Whereas, the North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative/MCNC is supporting the creation of a replicable community visioning process, engaging business, policy, education, and community stakeholders in mapping their local needs and producing a plan for sustainable, local education innovation based in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and
Whereas, it would be beneficial to position each region and the State to compete in the regional, national, and global economy by creating a commission to review the vision plans and overall needs of each economic development region as well as the overall needs of the State; and
Whereas, the Commission should advise the North Carolina Education Cabinet and specifically the Department of Public Instruction as they develop standard instructional programs for twenty‑first century career paths in accordance with the Early and Middle College and STEM models and monitor the implementation of pilot programs in these respective regions that will best suit the potential of the region and better prepare students for the increased academic demands of a global economy; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is established the JOBS (Joining Our Businesses and Schools) Commission (Commission).
SECTION 2.  The Commission shall consist of the following members:
(1)	The Lieutenant Governor serving as the Chair.
(2)	Four members appointed by the Governor.
(3)	Seven members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	Two members of the House of Representatives.
b.	A representative of the Community College System.
c.	A representative of the Independent Colleges and Universities.
d.	A representative of the Department of Commerce.
e.	A representative of North Carolina's business and industry.
f.	A representative of North Carolina's school superintendents.
(4)	Seven members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	Two members of the Senate.
b.	A representative of The University of North Carolina.
c.	A representative of the Department of Public Instruction.
d.	A representative of North Carolina's business and industry.
e.	A teacher. 
f.	An individual with expertise in STEM education.
(5)	The Executive Director of the Education Cabinet or the Executive Director's designee, serving ex officio.
SECTION 3.  The Commission shall study issues related to economic development through innovative schools where instructional program frameworks reflect the high academic standards required of students to be successful as they transition to postsecondary education and future careers, including:
(1)	Technical and vocational needs of each economic development region;
(2)	Employment and workforce preparation needs of the State as a whole;
(3)	The economic vision plans for each economic development region;
(4)	The shortage of highly skilled employees such as technicians, teachers, allied health practitioners, including, but not limited to, nurses and doctors, scientists, and engineers;
(5)	The 16 career clusters identified by the United States Department of Education as well as additional career paths;
(6)	The development of a framework for assessment of readiness of a community or region to support twenty-first century economic demands of business and industry development and the scaling of innovative local programs to impact broader numbers of individuals in communities around the State; and
(7)	Any other matter pertinent to connecting career technical education to education, workforce preparation, and economic development through innovative schools.
The Chair shall appoint from the Commission's membership a North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative Advisory Committee (Community Collaborative) to ensure that the efforts of the Commission and the Community Collaborative are aligned and that the Commission is informed of the Community Collaborative's activities and that the Community Collaborative is informed of the Commission's activities.
SECTION 4.  The Commission shall (i) advise the North Carolina  Education Cabinet and specifically the Department of Public Instruction as they develop, incrementally, standard instructional programs for career clusters and their corresponding career paths in accordance with the Early and Middle College model, and (ii) monitor the implementation of pilot programs in the seven economic development regions of the State that will best suit the needs of the regions and prepare students for the increased academic demands of a global economy.
SECTION 5.  The Commission shall also study issues related to economic growth by the creation of measures and metrics which define the readiness of a community to deliver, to all stakeholders, the services that equip the workforce to be competitive in a STEM‑intensive economy, including ensuring that students throughout the education pipeline gain the skills learned from science, technology, engineering, math, and other rigorous subjects.  As a part of its study, the Commission may examine issues related to:
(1)	A replicable and perpetual model for aligning efforts of local business, industry, policy, and education stakeholders in community engagement for visioning student‑centered learning;
(2)	The documentation and study of the innovative education programs critical for communities to be competitive in the STEM environment in the twenty-first century;
(3)	A framework to network these economic development regions, aligning State, regional, and external investment in replicable innovation;
(4)	Opportunities to leverage existing research, programs such as the College Foundation of North Carolina Bridges program, and other resources to maximize the impact of these existing resources and assets to avoid duplication, to achieve greater economies of scale, and to broaden the impact of these efforts by the most cost‑effective means possible; and
(5)	Any other topics deemed relevant by the Commission.
SECTION 6.  The Commission shall, within the first eight months of its creation, meet at least once in each economic development region.  The Chair may appoint an advisory committee in each economic development region to assist the Commission in its work.
The Commission shall work closely with the business community across the State and shall encourage businesses and business leaders to partner with the Commission on the work of the Commission and to establish public‑private partnerships with the pilot schools.
The Commission shall be informed by the extensive work of The University of North Carolina on the elementary and middle school fundamental building blocks for secondary STEM success.  This work should be a consideration for all communities which engage in visioning student‑centered learning. The Commission shall also be informed by the North Carolina STEM program inventory conducted by The University of North Carolina and make this inventory available to communities which engage in visioning student‑centered learning.
The Commission may accept grants and donations to help defray the cost of travel on a learning tour of innovative schools both inside and out of the State subject to the requirements of G.S. 138A, G.S. 120C, and Article 14 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes.
SECTION 7. The Commission shall report the results of its study to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2010. In its report, the Commission shall recommend at least four of the 16 career clusters identified by the United States Department of Education that will best and most broadly serve the immediate employment and workforce preparation needs of the State and the respective regions. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall develop the instructional programs for the recommended career clusters and shall implement beginning with the 2010‑2011 school year at least one JOBS Early or Middle College in each of the economic development regions as recommended by the Commission.
After submitting its March 1, 2010, report, the Commission shall continue to prioritize and customize the remaining career clusters and identify additional career paths, and shall report their additional recommendations to the State Board of Education by April 1, 2010.
SECTION 8.  Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances in accordance with G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, or 138‑6, as appropriate. The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120‑19 and G.S. 120‑19.1 through G.S. 120‑19.4. The Commission may meet at any time upon the call of the Chair. The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
With approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional staff to assist the Commission in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Commission, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission. The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. If the Commission hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services.
All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
SECTION 9.  The Commission shall report the results of its study and its recommendations to the 2010 Regular Session of the 2009 General Assembly and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than May 15, 2010.
SECTION 10.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.