New Jersey-2012-A3954-Introduced

An Act establishing the Task Force on Engineering Curriculum and Instruction.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. There is established in the Department of Education a Task Force on Engineering Curriculum and Instruction. The task force shall consist of nine members, including the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, and eight public members appointed by the Governor as follows: one representative each from the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Education Association, and the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association; a representative of an engineering program at a public institution of higher education; a representative of an engineering program at an independent institution of higher education; a representative of a nonprofit organization that provides science education programming in the public schools; and two representatives from New Jersey-based engineering, science, and technology businesses.

2. It shall be the duty of the task force to make recommendations to the State Board of Education on how to incorporate engineering curriculum into the K-12 science curriculum. The task force shall review the Next Generation Science Standards in its efforts to develop innovative ways to teach engineering to public school students.

3. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds made available to the task force for its purposes.

The task force shall hold its initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of the members.

The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

4. Staff and related support services shall be provided to the task force by the Department of Education. The task force shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

5. The task force shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor, the State Board of Education, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than one year after its organizational meeting.

6. This act shall take effect immediately and the task force shall expire 30 days after the submission of its final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes in the Department of Education a Task Force on Engineering Curriculum and Instruction. The task force will consist of nine members, including the Commissioner of Education, and eight public members appointed by the Governor as follows: one representative each from the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Education Association, and the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association; a representative of an engineering program at a public institution of higher education; a representative of an engineering program at an independent institution of higher education; a representative of a nonprofit organization that provides science education programming in the public schools; and two representatives from New Jersey-based engineering, science, and technology businesses.

Under the bill, the task force is charged with making recommendations to the State Board of Education on how to incorporate engineering curriculum into the K-12 science curriculum. The task force must review the Next Generation Science Standards in its efforts to develop innovative ways to teach engineering to public school students. These new K-12 science standards are being developed through a collaborative, state-led process. The standards, which will provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education, will be based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council.

The bill requires the task force to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature no later than one year after its organizational meeting. The task force will expire 30 days after the submission of its report.