WHEREAS, the quality of our schools is one of the issues fundamental to South Carolina's future and its quality of life; and

WHEREAS, our business leaders and educators recognize that our state's future depends on students being able to perform to their highest potential; and

WHEREAS, the State of South Carolina, having taken bold steps in school reform, now realizes the need for concentrated action to insure that more significant gains in student learning are realized.

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the powers conferred upon me by the Constitution and Statutes of this State, I hereby create the Performance and Accountability Standards for Schools (PASS) Commission, which shall serve as a body for reviewing issues concerning academic standards and public school accountability.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Commission's membership shall be appointed by the undersigned and will be subject to change at the pleasure of the undersigned.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Commission shall be charged with the following:

1. Identifying internationally competitive academic standards, types of assessments to measure academic achievement, and an accountability system tailored to South Carolina's governing structure;
   
2. Investigating the currently-held standards and accountability systems in South Carolina and compare those to such systems in leading developed countries and other states;
   
3. Examining local school districts that have implemented academic standards and public school accountability to find key elements that can be emulated statewide;
   
4. Identifying steps to be taken to align the existing statewide efforts with a model system of academic standards and public school accountability; and
   
5. Developing recommendations that insure constant movement toward the highest level of academic accomplishment from South Carolina schools and provide the citizens of South Carolina with information about these accomplishments.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the PASS Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the undersigned for his consideration and review no later than August 31, 1997. To assist in the implementation of its charge pursuant to this Order, the Commission may create such advisory committees or subcommittees as it deems necessary.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIS 20TH DAY OF JANUARY, 1997

________________________________________
DAVID M. BEASLEY
Governor

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:18 A.M.