PRINTER'S NO. 16
No. 8 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, S. H. SMITH, ROEBUCK, ARGALL, BAKER, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COY, CREIGHTON, CURRY, DALEY, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARPER, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEH, LYNCH, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANDERINO, McILHATTAN, MELIO, S. MILLER, PRESTON, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STERN, R. STEVENSON, T. STEVENSON, SURRA, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WILT, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG AND WANSACZ, JANUARY 29, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JANUARY 29, 2003
A RESOLUTION 1 Establishing the Commission on Rural Education (CORE) to examine 2 and study the status of rural education in this Commonwealth 3 and make recommendations for enhancing the quality of 4 education in rural communities. 5 WHEREAS, According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, more 6 than 2.8 million Pennsylvanians reside in rural communities 7 within this Commonwealth; and 8 WHEREAS, Data from the United States Census Bureau reveals 9 that during the 1990s the number of rural residents between the 10 ages of 36 and 54 increased by nearly 7% while the number of 11 rural residents between the ages of 25 and 35 declined by 8%; 12 and 13 WHEREAS, The economic climate in rural Pennsylvania depends 14 greatly on the ability of schools to graduate and retain
1 individuals possessing the knowledge and skills necessary for 2 success in the job market of the region; and 3 WHEREAS, The ability to improve the readiness of rural 4 children to enter school is significantly dependent on improving 5 the availability of and access to programs and services with the 6 capacity to meet the basic needs of rural children; and 7 WHEREAS, There continues to be a debate within the 8 educational research community regarding the affect a school's 9 geographic size and student population size have on the quality 10 of education and the offering of other services such as 11 transportation; and 12 WHEREAS, Since children need a safe physical environment in 13 which to learn, the quality of school facilities is an important 14 consideration in reviewing whether rural schools are meeting the 15 needs of the student population; and 16 WHEREAS, The ability of rural schools to attract and retain 17 quality teachers and administrators is critical to ensuring 18 student access to a learning environment which prepares them for 19 a successful future; and 20 WHEREAS, Rapid technological advancements significantly 21 challenge rural schools; and 22 WHEREAS, The capability of schools to provide state-of-the- 23 art equipment for students and updated training for teachers is 24 crucial to ensuring that graduates of rural schools are able to 25 compete with their peers in postsecondary education and the work 26 force; and 27 WHEREAS, In a struggling economy where resources are scarce 28 and the existing system of taxing real estate remains the 29 predominant means of raising local revenue, it is essential to 30 ascertain that taxpayers in rural areas are getting the best 20030H0008R0016 - 2 -
1 academic return for their investment; and 2 WHEREAS, With the underlying principle of education being 3 that all children can learn and all children must be afforded 4 the opportunity to learn, it is critical to evaluate 5 alternatives to the traditional public education system and the 6 impact those programs have on access to quality education; and 7 WHEREAS, Because research has demonstrated that many 8 graduates of rural schools leave the area permanently to gain 9 access to affordable postsecondary educational opportunities or 10 pursue a desired career choice, access to quality guidance and 11 career counseling is critical to ensuring that students in rural 12 schools make informed decisions about their academic and 13 professional future; and 14 WHEREAS, The challenges faced by rural schools are 15 significant, so the General Assembly and the Congress of the 16 United States must enact measures enabling rural schools and 17 their students to prosper; therefore be it 18 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives establish the 19 Commission on Rural Education (CORE) of the Commonwealth to: 20 (1) Compile data on rural Pennsylvania, including 21 demographics and labor market information. 22 (2) Review the availability, affordability and quality 23 of school readiness programs and services, including, but not 24 limited to, child care and early childhood education. 25 (3) Evaluate the impact of transportation services on 26 student access to rural schools and the cost of operating 27 rural schools. 28 (4) Compile and analyze data on the academic performance 29 of students attending rural schools, including, but not 30 limited to, an evaluation of scores from the Pennsylvania 20030H0008R0016 - 3 -
1 System of School Assessment (PSSA), the number of advanced 2 placement courses offered and the number of students enrolled 3 in advanced placement courses, graduation rates and rates of 4 enrollment in postsecondary education institutions. 5 (5) Compile and analyze data on the revenues and 6 expenditures of rural school districts, including a review of 7 results from the Standard and Poor's School Evaluation 8 Services. 9 (6) Examine the delivery of special education programs 10 and services, including the costs, access and quality. 11 (7) Examine the availability and utilization of 12 alternative programs of elementary and secondary education, 13 including, but not limited to, private and parochial schools, 14 charter schools, cyber charter schools, community education 15 councils, distance learning, dual enrollment and home 16 education, and evaluate the impact of these programs on the 17 ability of students to attain Pennsylvania's academic 18 standards. 19 (8) Review staffing patterns in rural schools to 20 determine the adequacy of the available pool of quality 21 teachers and administrators and the impact of those patterns 22 on educational programs and make recommendations for 23 recruitment and retention of quality teachers and 24 administrators. 25 (9) Examine the quality of existing facilities in rural 26 schools, including the availability and quality of technology 27 and instructional equipment and materials, and evaluate the 28 impact of the facilities on the educational programs within 29 rural schools. 30 (10) Examine the availability, utilization and adequacy 20030H0008R0016 - 4 -
1 of vocational-technical, career education and guidance 2 counseling programs in rural regions of this Commonwealth to 3 determine the extent to which these programs are encouraging 4 students to remain in Pennsylvania, providing students with 5 the marketable skills necessary to obtain employment in the 6 region and helping students to adequately assess their career 7 options and make informed decisions. 8 (11) Examine the availability and affordability of 9 postsecondary education programs within rural areas of this 10 Commonwealth and make recommendations for ways to increase 11 student access to postsecondary education programs, including 12 advanced placement programs. 13 (12) Review programs, strategies and laws in place in 14 other states regarding elementary, secondary and 15 postsecondary education in rural communities. 16 (13) Identify exemplary local initiatives and best 17 practices currently in place and make recommendations for 18 replicating the initiatives and practices in other similar 19 regions of this Commonwealth. 20 (14) Meet with the leaders of Pennsylvania's business 21 community to determine their involvement with rural school 22 districts and to consider ways of improving the quality of 23 education through the implementation of effective business- 24 education partnerships. 25 (15) Review safety concerns in rural schools, 26 particularly special needs relating to geographic locations 27 and the availability and quality of alternative education 28 programs for disruptive students. 29 (16) Meet with members of national organizations working 30 to improve the quality of education and community life in 20030H0008R0016 - 5 -
1 rural areas, including the National Center for the Study of 2 Small and Rural Schools, the Rural School and Community Trust 3 and the Rural Education Technology Alliance. 4 (17) Examine the potential impact of the No Child Left 5 Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425) on 6 rural education in this Commonwealth; 7 and be it further 8 RESOLVED, That the commission consist of 25 members appointed 9 as follows: 10 (1) The chairman of the Committee on Education who shall 11 serve as chairman. 12 (2) The minority chairman of the Committee on Education 13 who shall serve as vice chairman. 14 (3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives in 15 consultation with the Majority Leader shall appoint six 16 members, no more than three of whom shall be members of the 17 House of Representatives, and the remaining members shall be 18 two representatives of this State's business community, at 19 least one of whom represents a business located in a rural 20 region of this Commonwealth, and one representative of a 21 local work force investment board located in a rural region 22 of this Commonwealth. Legislative members shall be members 23 who represent rural legislative districts. 24 (4) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives 25 shall appoint four members, no more than two of whom shall be 26 members of the House of Representatives and the remaining 27 members shall be one representative of a business located in 28 a rural region of this Commonwealth and one representative of 29 a local work force investment board located in a rural region 30 of this Commonwealth. Legislative members shall be members 20030H0008R0016 - 6 -
1 who represent rural legislative districts. 2 (5) The Secretary of Education or a designee. 3 (6) The chairperson of the State Board of Education or a 4 designee. 5 (7) The chairperson of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania 6 or a designee. 7 (8) Five representatives of the higher education 8 community: the Chancellor of the State System of Higher 9 Education or a designee, one representative appointed by the 10 Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, one 11 representative of State-related universities, one 12 representative of Pennsylvania's private colleges and 13 universities appointed by the Pennsylvania Association of 14 Colleges and Universities and one representative from a 15 Pennsylvania proprietary institution appointed by the 16 Pennsylvania Association of Private School Administrators. 17 (9) Five representatives from the basic education 18 community: one school administrator from a rural area 19 vocational-technical school appointed by the Pennsylvania 20 Association of Vocational Administrators, one current chief 21 school administrator from a rural school district appointed 22 by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, one 23 current classroom teacher and one former administrator or 24 classroom teacher from a rural school district each of whom 25 is appointed by the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and 26 Small Schools and one school board member from a rural school 27 district appointed by the Pennsylvania School Boards 28 Association. 29 All appointments to the commission are to be made within 30 days 30 of the adoption of this resolution; and be it further 20030H0008R0016 - 7 -
1 RESOLVED, That the commission have the authority to adopt, by 2 majority vote of its membership, rules of operation and conduct 3 of its study; and be it further 4 RESOLVED, That the commission be authorized to hire or 5 contract for such services as it deems necessary and that all 6 expenses incurred or authorized by the commission be paid from 7 accounts under control of the Chief Clerk; and be it further 8 RESOLVED, That the commission report its findings together 9 with its recommendations no later than June 30, 2004. A2L82JLW/20030H0008R0016 - 8 -