HB 895 — Opportunity Gap Task Force.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2019 H 12 HOUSE BILL 895 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/30/19 Short Title:

Representatives Blackwell, Brockman, Horn, and Meyer (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 22, 2019 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE OPPORTUNITY GAP TASK FORCE.

The Task Force shall consist of 1314 members as follows:

(9) The Executive Director of the NC Child,Association for Public Charter Schools, or his or her designee.

(10) The Senior Education Advisor to the Governor.Governor, or his or her designee.

SECTION 4.4.(a) The Task Force shall (i) study the opportunity gap, (ii) consider effective approaches and best practices from across the country to close the opportunity gap in grades kindergarten through 12, and (iii) propose a plan to reduce the opportunity gap for all subgroups by July 1, 2030.

TheFor Taskthe Forcepurposes shallof (i)this studyact, the opportunity"opportunity gap,gap" (ii)refers consider effective approaches and best practices from across the country to close the opportunitysignificant gapdisparity in gradesthe kindergartenacademic throughperformance 12, and (iii)postsecondary proposereadiness aof planstudents tobetween reduceany of the opportunityfollowing gapsubgroups: for all subgroups byJuly1, 2030.

For purposes of this act, the "opportunity gap" refers to the significant disparity in the academic performance and postsecondary readiness of students between any of the following subgroups:

SECTION 4.(b) As part of its study, the Task Force shall consider the following:

*H895-v-1**H895-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 (1) Best practices in public education.

(12) AnyEffective otheraccess issueto theand Taskuse Forceof deemstechnology, relevantincluding to(i) itsconnectivity study.for students and their families, (ii) devices, and (iii) software.

At(13) aAny minimum,other issue the Task Force shalldeems extendrelevant invitations to receiveits inputstudy. from all of the following:

SECTION 4.(c) At a minimum, the Task Force shall extend invitations to receive input from all of the following:

(11) The TaskExecutive ForceDirector shallof includeNC theChild, followingor inhis itsor proposedher plandesignee. to reduce the opportunity gap for all subgroups:

(12) The President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, or his or her designee.

(13) The Public School Forum of North Carolina.

SECTION 4.(d) The Task Force shall include the following in its proposed plan to reduce the opportunity gap for all subgroups:

The Task Force, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers Page 2 House Bill 895-Second Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 provided for under G.S.

Page 2 House Bill 895-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 (1) Members who are officials or employees of a State agency or unit of local government, in accordance with G.S.

The Task Force shall submit a final report on the results of its study, including its proposed plan and any proposed legislation, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before SeptemberDecember 1, 2020, by filing a copy of the report with the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the Legislative Library.

The Task Force shall terminate on SeptemberDecember 1, 2020, or upon the filing of its final report, whichever comes first.

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