PRINTER'S NO. 2010
No. 1521 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY HESS AND REIBMAN, MARCH 15, 1990
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 15, 1990
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," establishing the Pennsylvania Writing
6 Project, designed to improve the writing skills of teachers
7 and students of this Commonwealth; imposing additional powers
8 and duties on the State System of Higher Education; and
9 making an appropriation.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Section 2005-A of the act of March 10, 1949
13 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
14 amended by adding a clause to read:
15 Section 2005-A. The Chancellor.--The chief executive officer
16 of the system shall be a chancellor, who shall be employed by
17 the board in accordance with clause (1) of section 2006-A. In
18 addition to those prescribed by the board, the chancellor shall
19 have the following duties:
20 * * *
21 (12) The chancellor shall administer the Pennsylvania
1 Writing Project as established in section 2018-A.
2 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
3 Section 2018-A. Pennsylvania Writing Project.--(a) The
4 State System of Higher Education shall establish the
5 Pennsylvania Writing Project to provide training for potential
6 teachers and the retraining of existing teachers in the
7 techniques and skills necessary to improve writing instruction
8 in the public and private schools of the Commonwealth. The
9 Pennsylvania Writing Project shall conform to the following
10 requirements:
11 (1) The system shall distribute writing project sites
12 throughout this Commonwealth so that school and college
13 personnel located in rural, urban and suburban areas may avail
14 themselves of writing skills training.
15 (2) For the 1990-1991 school year, the system shall utilize
16 existing sites established at West Chester University of
17 Pennsylvania, the Capitol Campus of The Pennsylvania State
18 University, California University of Pennsylvania, Gannon
19 University and the University of Pittsburgh and may establish
20 three additional sites. For the 1991-1992 school year, and
21 school years thereafter, the system shall select project sites,
22 within the amounts appropriated for this act, to comply with the
23 geographic distribution requirements of this section.
24 (3) The chancellor shall approve a director for the project.
25 (b) In selecting writing programs the system shall use, but
26 not be limited to, the following criteria:
27 (1) The program shall be designed to improve systematically
28 the writing skills of project participants, the teachers to be
29 trained by participants, and ultimately, students attending
30 elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools.
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1 (2) The program shall be accredited or authorized by the
2 National Writing Project and shall adhere to its established
3 model.
4 (3) Participating elementary and secondary schools and
5 colleges and universities shall provide financial and personnel
6 support to the writing project site.
7 (4) The program shall use participants as writing skill
8 trainers in elementary and secondary schools and colleges and
9 universities.
10 (5) The program shall utilize various levels and segments of
11 education in a cooperative approach.
12 (6) The program shall provide continuing writing skills
13 training to project participants.
14 (7) The program shall conduct an ongoing evaluation to
15 assess the writing skills of students of the program and shall
16 solicit participant comments regarding the effectiveness of the
17 program.
18 (c) The director of the project is authorized to, but not
19 limited to, perform the following functions:
20 (1) Employ site directors, staff and contract for services
21 to operate the program site.
22 (2) Establish tuition for the programs.
23 (3) Receive gifts and contributions. All funds shall be used
24 solely for programs and expenses incurred in operating the
25 program.
26 (4) Receive in-kind services from public and private higher
27 education institutions or school districts, private schools or
28 other education agencies providing assistance to elementary and
29 secondary education programs.
30 (5) Structure programs in order that professional teachers
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1 may receive Department of Education approved inservice or
2 postbaccalaureate credits.
3 Section 3. In addition to such amounts as may be determined
4 by the General Assembly in succeeding years, the sum of
5 $500,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby
6 appropriated to the State System of Higher Education for the
7 fiscal year July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991, to carry out the
8 provisions of this act.
9 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1990.
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