Current Status Bill Number:3359 Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution CR Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19950125 Primary Sponsor:Phillips All Sponsors:Phillips, Townsend, McCraw, Gamble, Hodges and McTeer Drafted Document Number:gjk\21270sd.95 Residing Body:House Current Committee:Education and Public Works Committee 21 HEPW Subject:Teaching Study Committee
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19950125 Introduced, referred to Committee 21 HEPWView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE TEACHING PROFESSION AND TO IDENTIFY THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ATTRACT, PREPARE, AND IMPROVE TEACHERS AND ENHANCE THEIR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, EVALUATION, AND DEVELOPMENT, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE AND THE SOURCE OF ITS FUNDING.
Whereas, our democracy and the economic well-being of South Carolina are dependent on the education of our citizens, and the continuing improvement of public education is vital to our state's future; and
Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes that excellent teachers are the most critical factor in high quality schools; and
Whereas, specific questions relating to certification, pay, and tenure frequently have been addressed in law, but insufficient policy attention has been given to the full system of teacher preparation, development, and evaluation; and
Whereas, teachers must acquire the knowledge and intellectual skills needed to prepare our students to reach high standards in the twenty-first century; and
Whereas, education reform will succeed when significant attention is given to reforming the undergraduate education of future teachers, and when strong links are enhanced between colleges and the public schools; and
Whereas, colleges and universities are deeply involved in reexamining ways to strengthen and enhance teacher education programs and increase services to public schools; and
Whereas, the significance of teacher preparation and professional development must not be overstated as to their impact on the individual student's learning and the improvement of our education system. It is the intent of the General Assembly in adopting this resolution for the Commission on Higher Education and the State Board of Education, as well as the institutions of higher education and the public schools, to collaborate in the reform of preparatory programs for new teachers and the professional development of certified teachers so that all teachers shall be prepared to support and enhance school restructuring. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That a committee is created to study the teaching profession by identifying the necessary steps to attract, prepare, and improve teaching talent in classrooms and enhance professional development and evaluation of teachers in the pre-service and in-service areas. The committee shall identify best practices and current research which promote simultaneous renewal of teacher education, professional development, and school restructuring. Furthermore, the committee shall investigate what currently is provided to South Carolina students who are training to enter the teaching profession and compare this to the best practices being provided to students in other states where teacher reform efforts are also underway.
Be it further resolved that in all deliberations of the issues listed below, the committee, at a minimum, shall consider ways to:
(1) provide incentives and remove barriers to teacher education reform;
(2) develop funding mechanisms which foster quality teacher education and serve as a vehicle for stimulating institutional change and participation;
(3) monitor the teacher preparation system as a whole and the individual programs; and
(4) conduct an ongoing examination of the teacher evaluation and professional development system.
Be it further resolved that the committee also is to study issues relating to the preparation, recruitment, induction, and professional development of those individuals entering the teaching profession and those who are a part of the profession. At a minimum, the committee may study areas that impact on student learning such as:
(A) Teacher preparation to include:
(1) reviewing pre-service training which provides both the pedagogical and academic content necessary for effective teaching, and which increases the types and number of clinical experiences;
(2) reviewing teacher skills, teaching performance and the teacher knowledge base expected of all candidates receiving a state teaching license;
(3) integrating teacher education reform with kindergarten through grade twelve reform by fostering close relationships between higher education and the public schools, such as Professional Development Schools models; and
(4) furthering the involvement of the full range of academic content disciplines.
(B) Recruitment and induction into the profession to include:
(1) examining ways to recruit quality candidates into the teaching profession both at precertification and postcertification levels through aggressive outreach programs;
(2) enhancing the quality and diversity of candidates into the teaching profession;
(3) examining strategies for linking supply-demand planning and teacher education programs;
(4) developing an induction process that reenforces quality teaching and assists new teachers as they enter the profession;
(5) considering differentiation between licensure and certification which involves considering the development of advanced certification; and
(6) examining alternative routes to traditional training for teaching for those wishing to choose the teaching profession as a second career.
(C) Professional development to include:
(1) examining the process for reenforcing teacher strengths and addressing weaknesses and tying the process to continuing professional development;
(2) strengthening the procedures, process, and delivery system of professional development so that it is relevant to the individual and reinforces the reforms underway in the schools; and
(3) developing options for faculty reward systems, both higher education and public education, which encourage integration of the teacher preparation and professional development training;
(4) ensuring the faculty who train teachers continue renewing their skills and knowledge base and model the behaviors expected in quality teaching.
Be it further resolved that the committee shall consist of thirty-six members appointed as provided herein. The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and the chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee shall each appoint three members of the committee. At least one of the members appointed by the Speaker of the House, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee must be a member of the General Assembly. The chairman shall be a member of the General Assembly elected by the committee. The State Superintendent of Education and the Commissioner of Higher Education shall each appoint two members to the committee.
The Chairman of the Business-Education Subcommittee, the chairman of the South Carolina Council on Education Collaboration, the policy board of the South Carolina Center for Teacher Recruitment, and the steering committee of the South Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching and School Leadership shall each appoint one board member to the committee. The Commissioner of Higher Education shall appoint the following members to the committee:
(1) a dean of a state-supported school or college of education;
(2) one member appointed upon recommendation of the Council of College Presidents;
(3) one member appointed upon recommendation of the deans of the schools of education involved in the Goodlad Project;
(4) one member appointed upon the recommendation of the South Carolina Association of Teacher Educators and the South Carolina Association of Colleges of Teacher Education; and
(5) a South Carolina Professor of the Year.
The remaining members of the committee shall be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education from the following professional groups:
(1) one member appointed upon recommendation of the State Teacher Forum;
(2) one principal of a public high school of this State appointed upon recommendation of the Secondary School Principals Association;
(3) one principal of a public elementary school of this State appointed upon recommendation of the Elementary School Principals Association;
(4) one middle school principal appointed upon recommendation of the Middle Schools Principals Association;
(5) one superintendent of a school district of this State appointed upon recommendation of the South Carolina Superintendents Association;
(6) one member appointed upon recommendation of the South Carolina Association of Early Childhood Educators;
(7) one member appointed upon recommendation of the South Carolina Education Association; and
(8) one member appointed upon recommendation of the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
A staff analysis team shall provide support for the committee. This team shall include the research directors of the Senate Education Committee and the House Education and Public Works Committee, and a staff designee of the Commissioner of Higher Education and of the State Superintendent of Education. Other college and state officials or employees and representative teacher groups also shall provide help to the committee and the staff analysis team as is requested.
Upon adoption of this resolution, the staff analysis team shall meet and develop a strategy to secure the appointments for this committee. Forty-five days after this resolution is adopted, the staff analysis team shall poll the appointees made by that date to determine a suitable meeting date. Upon completion of the poll, a date to have the first meeting to organize the committee must be set. Individuals or organizations which have not made or recommended appointments by that date shall be reminded of the need to make their appointments or recommendations and apprised of the first meeting date.
Of the funds allocated to the Education Improvement Act Select Committee for the evaluation of education programs and policies, up to eighty-five thousand dollars may be expended for the studies and work of the committee.
The committee shall seek the assistance of the Southern Regional Education Board, Education Commission of the States and other nationally recognized groups involved in teacher education and preparation in their study and deliberations of the most promising and effective options for South Carolina. The committee shall also review the most effective practices currently underway in South Carolina's teacher training institutions and public schools. In its discretion, the committee may contract with independent entities for any evaluations or studies deemed appropriate by the committee to carry out its role as prescribed herein.
Be it further resolved that by December 15, 1995, the committee shall issue its first interim report of any findings and any policy or funding changes that need to be initiated as a first phase to redesign the education and related systems or to help further carry out this study. By June 15, 1996, the committee shall issue its second interim report proposing the next phase of needed changes, and by December 15, 1996, it shall issue its final report. The Select Committee and the South Carolina Council for Education Collaboration are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the committee's recommendations. To assist in the implementation of this resolution, the committee may create such advisory committees and subcommittees of its membership as it considers necessary. All reports of this committee shall be submitted to the House Education and Public Works Committee, the Senate Education Committee, the EIA Select Committee, the South Carolina Council for Education Collaboration, and the Business-Education Subcommittee.