TITLE 17. EDUCATION

CHAPTER 41. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS COMMISSION

17:3951  College and Career Readiness Commission;  creation;  purpose;  duties and responsibilities;  membership;  vacancies;  compensation;  reporting

A. There is hereby created the College and Career Readiness Commission, referred to in this Chapter as the "commission" for the purpose of making recommendations for the development of statewide policies, guiding principles, and programs that address the current and future economic needs of the state and promoting student success in high school and in life beyond secondary education.

B. The membership of the commission shall be as follows:

(1) The governor or his designee.

(2) The state superintendent of education or his designee.

(3) Four members of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, to be appointed by the president of the board.

(4) The commissioner of higher education or his designee.

(5) The chairman of the Board of Regents or his designee.

(6) The chairman of the House Committee on Education or his designee.

(7) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Education or his designee.

(8) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System or his designee.

(9) The president of the University of Louisiana System or his designee.

(10) The deputy secretary of the office of juvenile justice or his designee.

(11) The executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his designee.

(12) The chairman of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council or his designee.

(13) Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 438, § 1.

(14) An adult with a disability or a parent of a child with a disability, to be appointed by the state superintendent of education.

(15) The current Louisiana High School Teacher of the Year.

(16) The current Louisiana High School Principal of the Year.

(17) Representatives of each of the following groups, organizations, or agencies, as provided in this Paragraph, selected by the respective group, organization, or agency:

(a) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Educators.

(b) A representative of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

(c) A representative of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana.

(d) A representative of the Louisiana School Boards Association.

(e) A representative of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents.

(f) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Principals.

(g) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Special Education Administrators.

(h) A representative of the Louisiana Parent-Teacher Association.

(i) A representative of the Louisiana Association of School Executives.

(18) Two representatives from business, civic, labor, or community organizations, to be appointed by the governor.

(19) A current high school senior, to be appointed by the governor.

(20) A dean of a college of education of a Louisiana public college or university, to be appointed by the commissioner of higher education.

(21) A representative of the Louisiana Nonpublic School Commission selected by the Louisiana Nonpublic School Commission.

C. (1) Members of the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.  Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

(2) A member shall be removed from the commission and his seat declared vacant if any of the following apply:

(a) The member is no longer a legal resident of the state.

(b) The member fails to remain active in the organization he was appointed to represent or is no longer employed by the agency he was appointed to represent.

(c) The member is absent from two consecutive meetings of the commission, unless such absences are excused by the chairman.

D. All legislative members of the commission shall receive the same per diem and travel allowance for attending meetings of the commission as is normally provided for meetings of legislative committees, payable out of funds appropriated for expenses of the legislature.  Other members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed for actual expenses in accordance with state travel regulations should funds become available for this purpose.

E. The chairman of the commission shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Board of Regents.

F. The governor shall convene the commission for its first meeting after the effective date of this Chapter and shall designate staff to assist the commission in performing its duties and responsibilities.

G. In making its recommendations pursuant to Subsection A of this Section, the commission shall consider the following:

(1) Strategies for increasing dual enrollment opportunities for high school students, including but not limited to an emphasis on the following:

(a) Early entry into postsecondary education institutions.

(b) The identification of funding sources for such dual enrollment opportunities.

(c) Improved articulation agreements between secondary schools and postsecondary education institutions.

(2) Strategies for increasing awareness among postsecondary education institutions of the reform efforts made at the high school level, including but not limited to an emphasis on the following:

(a) Strengthening the value of the state's high school diploma endorsements.

(b) Defining the levels of knowledge and skills necessary for students who are enrolling in courses for credit at postsecondary education institutions and encouraging secondary schools and postsecondary education systems to align their standards and assessments with such knowledge and skill levels.

(3) Strategies for better integration of the WorkKeys job skill assessment system into high school preparation programs and initiatives.

(4) Strategies for increasing the rigor of the high school curriculum, including but not limited to emphasis on establishing a default core curriculum and exploring the concept of testing students at the end of each course that the student completes.

(5) Strategies for reducing the number of high school dropouts in the state, including but not limited to strategies and opportunities for students who have fallen behind academically to make the progress necessary in order to be eligible to graduate from high school.

(6) Strategies for improving high school students' senior year in order for such year to be a meaningful and academically enriched time in preparing such students for graduation and life beyond high school.

(7) Diploma options for high school students.

(8) Strategies for including the American Diploma Project Network in any recommendations relative to efforts to raise high school standards to help high school students to better achieve in postsecondary education and work after graduation.

(9) Any other strategies or initiatives that the commission deems important and necessary in carrying out its duties and responsibilities pursuant to this Chapter.

H. The commission annually shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Board of Regents by not later than January thirty-first.

Added by Acts 2005, No. 233, § 1, eff. June 29, 2005.  Amended by Acts 2008, No. 156, § 1;  Acts 2011, No. 163, § 1;  Acts 2012, No. 183, § 1.