H.B. 756
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Apr 18, 2023
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10280-NG-2
Short Title: Standards Advisory Commission. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Torbett.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO CREATE THE STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY ADVISORY COMMISSION
3 TO RECOMMEND ACADEMIC STANDARDS TO THE STATE BOARD OF
4 EDUCATION FOR APPROVAL.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6 SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-12(9c) reads as rewritten:
7 "(9c) Power to Develop Content Standards. – The Board shall adopt the standard
8 course of study as provided in Part 1 of Article 8 of this Chapter.
9 a. The Board shall develop a comprehensive plan to revise content
10 standards and the standard course of study in the core academic areas
11 of reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography, and
12 civics. The Board shall involve and survey a representative sample of
13 parents, teachers, and the public to help determine academic content
14 standard priorities and usefulness of the content standards. A full
15 review of available and relevant academic content standards that are
16 rigorous, specific, sequenced, clear, focused, and measurable,
17 whenever possible, shall be a part of the process of the development
18 of content standards. The revised content standards developed in the
19 core academic areas shall (i) reflect high expectations for students and
20 an in-depth mastery of the content; (ii) be clearly grounded in the
21 content of each academic area; (iii) be defined grade-by-grade and
22 course-by-course; (iv) be understandable to parents and teachers; (v)
23 be developed in full recognition of the time available to teach the core
24 academic areas at each grade level; and (vi) be measurable, whenever
25 possible, in a reliable, valid, and efficient manner for accountability
26 purposes.
27 b. High school course content standards shall include the knowledge and
28 skills necessary to pursue further postsecondary education or to attain
29 employment in the 21st century economy. The high school course
30 content standards also shall be aligned with the minimum
31 undergraduate course requirements for admission to the constituent
32 institutions of The University of North Carolina.
33 c. The Board also shall develop and implement an ongoing process to
34 align State programs and support materials with the revised academic
35 content standards for each core academic area on a regular basis.
36 Alignment shall include revising textbook criteria, support materials,
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 State tests, teacher and school administrator preparation, and ongoing
2 professional development programs to be compatible with content
3 standards. The Board shall develop and make available to teachers and
4 parents support materials, including teacher and parent guides, for
5 academic content standards. The State Board of Education shall work
6 in collaboration with the Board of Governors of The University of
7 North Carolina to ensure that teacher and school administrator degree
8 programs, ongoing professional development, and other university
9 activity in the State's public schools align with the State Board's
10 priorities."
11 SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-81.5 reads as rewritten:
12 "§ 115C-81.5. Standard course of study.
13 (a) All children can learn. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the mission of the
14 public school community is to challenge with high expectations each child to learn, to achieve,
15 and to fulfill his or her potential. With that mission as its guide, the State Board of Education
16 shall adopt a plan of education and a standard course of study as provided in G.S. 115C-12(9c)
17 this Part for the public schools of the State. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the focus
18 of State educational funding shall be to ensure that each student receives a sound basic education.
19 It is further a goal of the General Assembly to provide supplemental funds to low-wealth counties
20 to allow those counties to enhance the instructional program and student achievement. Instruction
21 shall be offered in the areas of arts, communication skills, physical education and personal health
22 and safety, mathematics, media and computer skills, science, second languages, social studies,
23 and career and technical education. In addition, instruction shall be offered in all of the areas
24 provided in this Part.
25 (b) The standard course of study shall provide all of the following:
26 (1) A core curriculum for all students that takes into account the special needs of
27 children.
28 (2) A set of competencies, by grade level, for each curriculum area.
29 (3) A list of textbooks for use in providing the curriculum.
30 (4) Standards for student performance and promotion based on the mastery of
31 competencies, including standards for graduation, that take into account
32 children with disabilities and, in particular, include appropriate modifications.
33 (5) A program of remedial education.
34 (6) Required support programs.
35 (7) A definition of the instructional day.
36 (8) Class size recommendations and requirements.
37 (9) Prescribed staffing allotment ratios.
38 (10) Material and equipment allotment ratios.
39 (11) Facilities guidelines that reflect educational program appropriateness,
40 long-term cost efficiency, and safety considerations.
41 (12) Any other information the Board considers appropriate and necessary."
42 SECTION 1.(c) Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by
43 adding a new section to read:
44 "§ 115C-81.6. SCOS Commission.
45 (a) There is established the Standard Course of Study Advisory Commission, hereinafter
46 referred to as the SCOS Commission. The purpose of the Commission is to involve stakeholders
47 in establishing the standard course of study. The Commission shall make recommendations
48 regarding all aspects of the standards and competencies of the standard course of study.
49 (b) The Commission shall be located administratively in the Department of Public
50 Instruction but shall exercise all of its powers and duties independently of the Department of
51 Public Instruction.
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1 (c) The Commission shall consist of the following members:
2 (1) The General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the President Pro
3 Tempore of the Senate, shall appoint the following eight members:
4 a. One superintendent of a public school unit with a student population
5 greater than 20,000 at the time of appointment.
6 b. One principal of an elementary school.
7 c. One high school teacher.
8 d. One elementary school teacher.
9 e. One parent of a student in middle or high school enrolled in a public
10 school unit at the time of appointment.
11 f. One curriculum specialist from a public school unit with a student
12 population of 20,000 or less at the time of appointment.
13 g. One member of the business community.
14 h. One at-large member.
15 (2) The General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House
16 of Representatives, shall appoint the following eight members:
17 a. One superintendent of a public school unit with a student population
18 of 20,000 or less at the time of appointment.
19 b. One principal of a high school.
20 c. One principal of a middle school.
21 d. One middle school teacher.
22 e. One parent of a student in elementary school enrolled in a public
23 school unit at the time of appointment.
24 f. One curriculum specialist from a public school unit with a student
25 population of more than 20,000 at the time of appointment.
26 g. One member of the business community.
27 h. One at-large member.
28 (3) The Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee.
29 (4) The President of the North Carolina Community College System, or the
30 President's designee, as a nonvoting member.
31 (5) The President of The University of North Carolina, or the President's
32 designee, as a nonvoting member.
33 (6) The President of the North Carolina Chamber, or the President's designee, as
34 a nonvoting member.
35 (d) In making appointments to the Commission, the General Assembly is encouraged to
36 select qualified citizens who are committed to improving the standard course of study and student
37 achievement and who represent the racial, geographic, and gender diversity of the State.
38 Vacancies in the membership shall be filled by the General Assembly, as provided in
39 G.S. 120-122, using the same criteria as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
40 (e) Members of the Commission shall serve four-year terms of office beginning on July
41 1. No appointed member shall serve more than eight consecutive years. Vacancy appointments
42 shall be made for the remainder of the term of office by the General Assembly as provided in
43 G.S. 120-122, using the same criteria as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
44 (f) The Commission shall elect a chair, a vice-chair, and a secretary from among its
45 membership. In the absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall preside over the Commission's
46 meetings. All members are voting members and a majority of the Commission constitutes a
47 quorum. The Commission shall adopt rules to govern its proceedings.
48 (g) Meetings of the Commission shall be held upon the call of the chair or the vice-chair
49 in the absence of the chair. The Superintendent shall call the initial meeting of the Commission.
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1 (h) Members of the Commission shall receive compensation for their services and
2 reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties required by this Article
3 at the rate prescribed in G.S. 138-5 and G.S. 138-6.
4 (i) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall assign staff to assist the Commission's
5 work. The Commission may contract with content area experts to assist in its deliberations from
6 funds available.
7 (j) The Commission shall:
8 (1) Develop and recommend to the State Board of Education the standard course
9 of study in accordance with G.S. 115C-81.7.
10 (2) Develop support materials, including teacher and parent guides, for academic
11 content standards that can be made available to teachers and parents upon
12 approval by the State Board.
13 (3) Provide recommendations as requested to the State Board of Education related
14 to alignment of State programs and support materials with the revised
15 academic content standards for each core academic area, including revising
16 textbook criteria, support materials, State tests, teacher and school
17 administrator preparation, and ongoing professional development programs to
18 be compatible with content standards.
19 (k) The Commission shall submit its recommendations under subsection (j) of this section
20 to the State Board. The State Board shall adopt or reject the recommended standard course of
21 study. The State Board shall not make any substantive changes to any recommended standard
22 course of study that it adopts. If the State Board rejects the recommendation, it shall state with
23 specificity its reasons for rejection; the Commission may then amend the recommendation and
24 resubmit it to the State Board. The State Board shall adopt or reject the amended
25 recommendation.
26 (l) If the State Board fails to adopt the Commission's original and amended
27 recommendations as provided in subsection (k) of this section, the State Board may develop and
28 adopt its own recommended standard course of study, subject to the requirements of
29 G.S. 115C-81.8.
30 (m) The Commission shall submit a report by December 1, 2024, and annually thereafter,
31 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the State Board of Education of its
32 activities during the preceding year, together with any recommendations and findings regarding
33 the process for revisions to the standard course of study."
34 SECTION 1.(d) Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by
35 adding a new section to read:
36 "§ 115C-81.7. Development of standard course of study.
37 (a) The State Board shall develop a comprehensive plan to revise, on a regular basis,
38 content standards and the standard course of study in the core academic areas of reading, writing,
39 mathematics, science, history, geography, and civics that clearly designates by year the subjects
40 for review by the Commission. The State Board shall provide this plan to the Commission. The
41 Commission shall review the designated subjects and standard course of study in accordance
42 with the plan developed by the State Board.
43 (b) The Commission shall involve and survey a representative sample of parents,
44 teachers, and the public to help determine academic content standard priorities and usefulness of
45 the content standards. A full review of available and relevant academic content standards that are
46 rigorous, specific, sequenced, clear, focused, and measurable, whenever possible, shall be a part
47 of the process of the development of content standards. The revised content standards developed
48 in the core academic areas shall do all of the following:
49 (1) Reflect high expectations for students and an in-depth mastery of the content.
50 (2) Be clearly grounded in the content of each academic area.
51 (3) Be defined grade-by-grade and course-by-course.
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1 (4) Be understandable to parents and teachers.
2 (5) Be developed in full recognition of the time available to teach the core
3 academic areas at each grade level.
4 (6) Be measurable, whenever possible, in a reliable, valid, and efficient manner
5 for accountability purposes.
6 (c) High school course content standards shall include the knowledge and skills necessary
7 to pursue further postsecondary education or to attain employment in the twenty-first century
8 economy. The high school course content standards also shall be aligned with the minimum
9 undergraduate course requirements for admission to the constituent institutions of The University
10 of North Carolina.
11 (d) The State Board, in consultation with the Commission, shall also develop and
12 implement an ongoing process to align State programs and support materials with the revised
13 academic content standards for each core academic area on a regular basis. Alignment shall
14 include revising textbook criteria, support materials, State tests, teacher