HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1634        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3547

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Nine

_______________

Resolve [Title].

Resolved, There is hereby established a Special Commission to develop an Index of Creative and Innovative Education in the Commonwealth.

The commission shall have 15 members which shall include:  7 members to be appointed by the governor and who shall reside in different geographic regions of the commonwealth, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable; 3 members to be appointed by the president of the senate and who shall reside in different geographic regions of the commonwealth; and 3 members to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who shall reside in different geographic regions of the Commonwealth; and the executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council; and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or his designee. Each member shall serve a term of 2 years. Each of the members of the commission shall be an expert or shall have experience in the fields of education, public policy, artistic development, workforce development or cultural development.  One of the members shall be appointed by the governor to serve as chairperson of the commission.  The members of the commission shall be appointed no later 90 days after the effective date of this resolve.

In the course of its deliberations, the commission shall examine strategies on how to produce an Index of Creative and Innovative Education in the Commonwealth’s Public Schools.  The index shall rate every public school in the commonwealth on teaching, encouraging and fostering creativity in students.  The index would be based in part on the creative opportunities in each school as measured by the availability of classes and before and after-school programs offered by and through school districts in the commonwealth that provide creative opportunities for students in the public schools of the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, arts education, debate clubs, science fairs, theatre performances, concerts, film-making, and independent research.

The commission may hold public hearings to assist in the collection and evaluation of data and testimony.

The commission shall develop recommendations on what would be included in an Index of Creative and Innovative Education in the Commonwealth’s Public Schools, how such an index would be produced and implemented, what funding or finance measures the commonwealth would need to implement such an index and any recommendation for inter-agency agreements, inter-municipal agreements, or other cooperative agreements that would be required to foster creative and innovative education programs in the commonwealth’s public schools.

The commission shall complete a written report detailing the factors to be considered in an Index of Creative and Innovative Education in the Commonwealth’s Public Schools and any financial measures that would be needed for implementation.  The commission shall submit its initial report to the governor, the secretary of housing and economic development, the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development, and the joint committee on education no later than December 31 of the year after the effective date of this resolve.

Any research, analysis or other staff support that the commission reasonably requires shall be provided by the department of elementary and secondary education in cooperation with the Massachusetts Cultural Council.