A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the establishment of an
interim study committee on various education issues.
Whereas, The General Assembly has a constitutional duty
to provide for a public school system for the education of
Indiana's children;
Whereas, In 1999, the Indiana General Assembly
overwhelmingly enacted Academic Standards and
Accountability laws applicable to Indiana's public schools
(P.L.221-1999 and P.L.146-1999);
Whereas, Under these laws, the primary means of assessing
a school's improvement rests in the performance of a school's
students on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational
Progress (ISTEP) assessment and other assessments
recommended by the education roundtable;
Whereas, It is imperative for the state to ensure that all
students are provided the opportunity to reach the academic
standards; and
Whereas, The state must both engage in the identification
and provision of resources necessary for all children to meet
the state's standards: Therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives
of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana,
the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1. That the legislative council is urged to establish a
committee to study various education issues.
SECTION 2. That the committee, if established, shall study at least
the following issues:
(1) The effect of P.L.221-1999 and P.L.146-1999 on Indiana's
public schools, particularly as those public laws relate to issues of
poverty, minority status, limited English proficiency, and special
education.
(2) The various differences in average achievement levels at all
grade levels and among and between various subgroups of
students, identified through the disaggregation of ISTEP score
results.
(3) The resources that would best enable students who do not
demonstrate the requisite proficiency of standards to, in a
reasonable period of time, reach the standards;
(4) Issues relating to the administration of the Graduation
Qualifying Exam and Indiana's special education population; and
(5) National board certified teachers.
SECTION 3. That the committee, if established, shall have the
following members:
(1) The following members appointed by the speaker of the house
of representatives:
(A) Three (3) public school educators.
(B) Three (3) citizens knowledgeable in K-12 education
issues, none of whom are employed in a public or private
school.
(C) Three (3) members of the house of representatives, not
more than two (2) of whom may be members of the same
political party.
(2) The following members appointed by the president pro
tempore of the senate:
(A) Three (3) public school educators.
(B) Three (3) citizens knowledgeable in K-12 education
issues, none of whom are employed in a public or private
school.
(C) Three (3) members of the senate, not more than two (2) of
whom may be members of the same political party.
SECTION 4. That the committee, if established, shall operate under
the direction of the legislative council and that the committee shall
issue a final report when directed to do so by the council.