(a) There is established a commission to be known as the “Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap in Arkansas”.
(b) The commission shall consist of eleven (11) members representing the racial and ethnic diversity of Arkansas as follows:
(1)
(A) Five (5) persons appointed by the Governor.
(B)
(i) One (1) of the Governor's appointees shall be a representative of business and industry in Arkansas, a representative of health and human services, or a public school teacher.
(ii)
(a) Four (4) of the Governor's appointees shall be minority or low-income parents concerned about the achievement gap with one (1) representative from each of the four (4) congressional districts.
(b) A minimum of two (2) of the individuals appointed under subdivision (b)(1)(B)(ii)(a) of this section shall be African-American.
(c) A minimum of one (1) of the individuals appointed under subdivision (b)(1)(B)(ii)(a) of this section shall be Hispanic;
(2)
(A) Three (3) persons appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(B)
(i) One (1) of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate's appointees shall be a member of the school of education faculty of an historically black college in the state with an accredited school of education.
(ii) One (1) of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate's appointees shall be a minority who has demonstrated a commitment to education.
(iii) One (1) of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate's appointees shall be a public school teacher with a special expertise in closing the achievement gap; and
(3)
(A) Three (3) persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(B)
(i) One (1) of the appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be a person who has experience working with children from low income families.
(ii) One (1) of the appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be a minority who has demonstrated a commitment to education.
(iii) One (1) of the appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be a public school administrator with a special expertise in closing the achievement gap.
(c)
(1) Upon taking office, the initial members shall draw lots to determine the length of their terms.
(2) The term of office shall be for no more than four (4) years.
(3) Appointments shall be for a term of four (4) years.
(d)
(1) If a vacancy occurs in an appointed position for any reason, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(2) The new appointee shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(e)
(1) The Governor shall designate one (1) of his or her appointees to serve as chair for the first year.
(2) Thereafter, the commission members shall annually elect a chair from among themselves.
(f)
(1) The commission shall meet at times and places the chair deems necessary but no fewer than four (4) times per calendar year.
(2)
(A) Commission members shall attend all meetings with no more than two (2) unexcused absences in a period of eighteen (18) months.
(B) Commission members with more than two (2) unexcused absences in a period of eighteen (18) months shall be automatically removed from the commission, and the original nominating entity for the position shall be notified to fill the vacancy.
(3) No meetings shall be held outside the State of Arkansas.
(4) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business.
(5) All actions of the commission shall be by a majority vote of the full membership of the commission.
(6) A minimum of one (1) meeting shall be held in each of the four (4) congressional districts every thirty-six (36) months.
(g) The commission shall:
(1) Develop a plan for the state designed to enable all public school students to meet the state's student academic achievement standards while working toward the goal of narrowing the achievement gaps in public schools for the following subgroups:
(A) Economically disadvantaged students; and
(B) Students from major racial and ethnic groups;
(2) Monitor the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education's efforts to comply with federal guidelines on improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged, specifically including without limitation the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89-10, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95;
(3)
(A) Monitor the division's identification of population groups to be motivated in closing the achievement gap efforts.
(B) The commission may expand the role and scope of the commission to cover specific population groups as identified by the division as target groups for closing the achievement gaps;
(4) Receive national school lunch data and reports biennially from the division;
(5) Interface with local school district achievement gap task forces created under § 6-15-1603 to provide data on the achievement gap and achievement gap intervention strategies;
(6) Present a report to the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education, the Governor, and the State Board of Education no later than November 1 of each year, which shall include without limitation:
(A) Profiles of underachieving students;
(B) Profiles of schools identified as in need of comprehensive support and improvement, additional targeted support, or targeted support and improvement under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Pub. L. No. 89-10, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95;
(C) A review of policies and programs approved by the division for national school lunch expenditures on closing the achievement gap;
(D) Child poverty statistics in the state and the impact poverty has on education;
(E) Successful strategies with students of poverty;
(F) Best practices for teacher preparation for student and language diversity;
(G) A review of leadership challenges in closing the achievement gap; and
(H) Suggested policy changes to improve the achievement gap at the legislative, division, school district, and other levels; and
(7) Create a website that contains without limitation:
(A) Notices of upcoming meetings;
(B) The state plan for closing the achievement gap;
(C) A school district plan for closing the achievement gap from each school district;
(D) The membership and contact information for members of the commission and each local school district achievement gap task force;
(E) The minutes from commission meetings;
(F) A clearinghouse for research and other information the commission identifies as important or useful for understanding the achievement gap in the state; and
(G) Other information that the commission deems appropriate.
(h) At the discretion of the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, the state shall provide resources necessary for the following:
(1) Relevant training for commission members in research-based strategies to close the achievement gap;
(2) Relevant technical experts to assist in drafting and monitoring the division's efforts to comply with federal guidelines on improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged, specifically including without limitation the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89-10, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95;
(3) Travel reimbursements for meetings;
(4) Space and resources to conduct public forums; and
(5) Printing and copying costs.
(i) The commission may study and address topics, including, but not limited to:
(1) Understanding children of poverty;
(2) Successful strategies with students of poverty;
(3) Teacher preparation for student diversity;
(4) Response to language diversity;
(5) Methods of closing the achievement gap;
(6) Success stories;
(7) Obstacles to overcome in closing the achievement gap;
(8) Alternative intervention strategies for closing the achievement gap;
(9) Leadership challenges in closing the achievement gap;
(10) The role of parents, families, and caregivers in closing the achievement gap;
(11) Parental and community diversity;
(12) The relationship of school to environment and student;
(13) The role of school and class size in achievement;
(14) Conditional barriers to student access to additional learning opportunities; and
(15) The profile of underachieving students.
(j) The commission may fund a study on research-based and proven strategies that close achievement gaps among racial, ethnic, and high-poverty groups.
(k)
(1) The division shall provide meeting space and clerical support as needed by the commission.
(2)
(A) Members of the commission shall serve without pay.
(B) Members of the commission may receive expense reimbursement in accordance with § 25-16-902, to be paid with funds allocated by the state for that purpose.
(l) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations for use in carrying out the purpose and duties of the commission.