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 9  AN ACT establishing a task force on the impact of class size on education
10    quality; prescribing the membership and duties of the task force.
11
12  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
13    Section 1.  (a) There is hereby established a task force on the impact
14  of class size on education quality. The task force shall be composed of
15  eight members as follows:
16    (1)  Three persons who shall be from the general public and repre-
17  sentative of the governor, appointed by the governor;
18    (2)  four legislators, one each of whom shall be appointed by the
19  speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house
20  of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader
21  of the senate;
22    (3)  the commissioner of education, or a designee of the commissioner
23  appointed by the commissioner.
24    (b)  The governor shall make appointments to the task force in such
25  manner that one of the persons appointed is a classroom teacher em-
26  ployed by a school district to teach pupils in kindergarten or any of the
27  grades one through three, one of the persons is a member of the board
28  of education of a school district, and one of the persons is an active mem-
29  ber of a parent-teacher association.
30    (c)  Within 30 days after the effective date of this act, the commis-
31  sioner of education shall call an organizational meeting of the task force
32  in Topeka. At such meeting the task force shall organize and elect a
33  chairperson and vice-chairperson from the membership of the task force.
34    (d)  The task force may meet at any time on the call of the chairperson.
35    (e)  In accordance with K.S.A. 46-1204, and amendments thereto, the
36  legislative coordinating council may provide for such professional services
37  as may be requested by the task force for assistance in performing its
38  duties.
39    (f)  Members of the task force attending meetings of the task force or
40  subcommittee meetings authorized by the task force shall receive com-
41  pensation, subsistence allowances and mileage provided for in K.S.A. 75-
42  3223, and amendments thereto. Amounts paid under this subsection to
43  each member of the task force shall be paid by the authority that ap-
HB 2387
                                     

 1  pointed the member.
 2    (g)  The staff of the legislative research department, the office of the
 3  revisor of statutes and the division of legislative administrative services
 4  shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the task force and
 5  authorized by the legislative coordinating council.
 6    Sec. 2.  (a) The task force shall make a comprehensive study on the
 7  impact of class size upon the quality of education provided pupils enrolled
 8  in kindergarten and the grades one through three. The study shall include,
 9  but not be limited to:
10    (1)  An evaluation of the effect that class size has on pupil perform-
11  ance and academic achievement;
12    (2)  an evaluation of the effect that class size has on classroom order
13  and discipline;
14    (3)  a review of initiatives undertaken in other states to address and
15  improve pupil/teacher ratios.
16    (b)  Upon completion of the study required by subsection (a), the task
17  force shall make a determination of optimal pupil/teacher ratios, explore
18  the cost of efforts to achieve such optimal ratios, and prepare a report of
19  the findings of the task force, together with any recommendations for
20  legislation deemed necessary to ensure that classrooms maintained in
21  Kansas schools will be of an optimal size that will contribute to the aca-
22  demic success of Kansas pupils. The task force shall submit its report and
23  recommendations to the governor and the legislature at the commence-
24  ment of the 1998 legislative session.
25    Sec. 3.  The provisions of this act shall expire on January 31, 1998.
26    Sec. 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
27  publication in the statute book.