California Assembly Bill ACR88 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 88AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 7, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Torlakson and Furutani (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, and Yamada) (Coauthors: Senators Maldonado and Wyland) AUGUST 17, 2009 Relative to Education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 88, as amended, Torlakson. Education. This measure would establish, until January 1, 2014, the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education for the purpose of  advising the California Legislature on critical research, best practices, and models for building a future California workforce educated in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The task force would generate discussion on policy that would improve the teaching of these subject areas for the state's pupils.   promoting the improvement of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education across the state.  The task force would consist of Members of the Legislature and experts appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules. The task force would conduct its business on a volunteer basis, be able to accept private funds, and would submit an annual report on its work to the Legislature. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, The State of California's competitiveness in the global economy increasingly depends on our ability to better educate our young people in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subject areas and to attract more of our best and brightest students into science, mathematics, engineering, and technology careers; and WHEREAS, The most recent 10-year employment projections by the United States Department of Labor show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 of them require significant mathematics or science preparation to successfully compete for a job; and WHEREAS, One-third of fourth graders and one-fifth of eighth graders nationwide cannot perform basic mathematical computations, and United States high school seniors recently tested below the international average for 21 countries in mathematics and science; and WHEREAS, California pupils ranked 46th out of 50 states in mathematics proficiency and 42nd in science proficiency on recent 8th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress tests; and WHEREAS, More than 50 percent of California 4th and 8th grade pupils scored below the basic level in science and 40 percent ranked below the basic level in mathematics as determined by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card; and WHEREAS, California schools must engage pupils in science, technology, and mathematics at a young age and keep them engaged throughout their education and career pipeline; and WHEREAS, A legislative task force is necessary to provide a framework for statewide policy and support to California's schools in order to promote the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education across the state and thereby enhance California's competitive standing in the global economy; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education is hereby established to promote the improvement of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education across the state; and be it further Resolved, That the task force shall increase legislative awareness about mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education issues, inform legislators regarding trends in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education, and raise awareness among the public regarding the distressing shortage of Californians prepared to contribute to the state's future technology workforce; and be it further Resolved, That the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education shall be established for the purpose of raising awareness of educational issues and shall be nonpartisan in nature; and be it further Resolved, That the task force shall be comprised of Members of the Legislature and experts as follows: (1) The task force shall have 11 voting members, with additional advisory members and alternates as requested or required. (2) The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint all of the following: (A) The chair and an additional member from the Assembly, with one member from the majority party and the other member from the minority party. (B) One  K-12   elementary or   secondary  teacher with current public classroom experience in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts education and with a membership in a state or national professional association on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts education. (C) One  post-secondary   postsecondary  educator from the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts education subject areas with current classroom or administrative experience for the purpose of advising the task force on articulation of  K-12   elementary, secondary,  and postsecondary curriculum to prepare pupils for higher education. (D) Two representatives of a business or association committed to supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in California. (3) The  Chair of the Senate Rules Committee   Senate Committee on Rules  shall appoint all of the following: (A) Two members of the Senate, with one member from the majority party and the other member from the minority party. (B) Two  K-12   elementary or secondary  teachers with current public classroom experience in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts education and with a membership in a state or national professional association on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts education. (C) One representative of a business or association committed to supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in California; and be it further Resolved, That the Members of the Legislature who serve on the task force shall serve for a term of two years and only to the extent that their service is consistent with their duties as Members of the Legislature; and be it further Resolved, That nonlegislative members of the task force shall be at-will appointees serving at the pleasure of the Speaker of the Assembly and the  Chair of the Senate Rules Committee for a term of up to two years   Senate Committee on Rules  and shall conduct the business of the task force on a volunteer basis and shall not receive a salary for services nor be reimbursed for travel or any other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as task force members; and be it further Resolved, That the task force shall have all of the following duties: (1) Hold at least one annual meeting, open to the public. (2) Develop and support an Internet Web site for the purpose of publicizing the task force mission statement and providing resources to California citizens, educators, and industry employers. (3) Submit a report on the work of the task force annually for the review of the Legislature; and be it further Resolved, That the task force shall accept no state funding and is authorized to accept private funds and in-kind  donation   donations  to pay expenses incurred in conducting task force business; and be it further Resolved, That the task force cease to exist on January 1, 2014, unless a resolution that is enacted before that date deletes or extends that date; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.