Article 2. Educational Innovation And Planning Commission of California Education Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 20. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 2.

There is in the state government the Educational Innovation and Planning Commission consisting of a Member of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, a Member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one public member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, one public member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one public member appointed by the Governor, and 15 public members appointed by the State Board of Education upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the members of the State Board of Education. The 15 public members appointed by the State Board of Education shall be broadly representative of the cultural and educational resources of the state and the public, including at least one individual from each of the following categories:
  (a) Classroom teachers at the elementary level.
  (b) Classroom teachers at the secondary level.
  (c) Principals, superintendents, and other professional employees of local educational agencies and private schools.
  (d) Teachers from institutions of higher education.
  (e) School librarians, personnel involved in operating media programs in local schools, and guidance counselors.
  (f) Individuals from fields of professional competence in dealing with children needing special education because of physical or mental handicaps, specific learning disabilities, severe educational disadvantages, and limited English proficiency or because they are gifted or talented, and individuals from fields of professional competence in guidance and counseling.
  (g) Parents, senior class high school students, and other interested members of the public.
  (h) Leaders from private industry. The State Board of Education upon recommendation from the Superintendent of Public Instruction may add to the 15 public members of the commission as required to fully conform to federal legislation and regulations.

The Members of the Legislature appointed to the commission pursuant to Section 33502 shall have the powers and duties of a joint legislative committee on the subject of educational innovation and planning and shall meet with, and participate in, the work of the commission to the extent that such participation is not incompatible with their positions as Members of the Legislature. The Members of the Legislature appointed to the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing power.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction or his representative shall serve as executive secretary to the commission.

The commission, in carrying out its powers and duties, shall utilize the staff of the Department of Education.

The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, except that they shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and responsibilities, including traveling expenses.

The commission shall select one of its members to be chairman of the commission.

Commission members shall serve for four-year terms and shall be eligible to serve more than one full term, except in the case of student representatives who shall serve a one-year term.

As used in this article:
  (a) "Commission" means the Educational Innovation and Planning Commission.
  (b) "Title IV" means Title IV, Parts A, B, C, and D of the Educational Amendments of 1978 (Public Law 95-561) as amended.
  (c) "State plan" means the plan for the use of Title IV funds as approved by the State Board of Education.
  (d) "Secondary schools," notwithstanding Section 52, shall not include community colleges.
  (e) "Local educational agency" means the governing body of any school district, county office of education, or state special school.

For purposes of this article, the commission shall have the powers, duties, and responsibilities of a state advisory council prescribed in Title IV.

The commission may do all of the following:
  (a) Advise the state educational agency on the preparation of, and policy matters arising in the administration of, the state plan, including the development of criteria for the distribution of funds and the approval of applications for assistance under Title IV.
  (b) Assist the State Board of Education and the Department of Education in the planning, development, and improvement of educational programs.
  (c) Evaluate all programs and projects assisted under Title IV.

All projects recommended by the commission shall be submitted to the State Board of Education for its approval.

The State Board of Education shall allocate funds under Title IV, Part C, to provide to the extent feasible a geographical spread of experimental projects in the state. All such grants for a particular project shall be limited to a five-year period.

The State Board of Education shall annually allocate, insofar as practicable, 15 percent of the total amount of federal funds received by the State of California pursuant to Title IV, Part C for special education projects.

In order to be deemed an approved project and be eligible to receive an allocation from the State Board of Education, an experimental, demonstration, or operational project shall meet the following criteria:
  (a) The proposed activities are not activities presently being performed by other state and federal programs.
  (b) The proposed activities supplement, but do not supplant, other state or federal programs.

The State Board of Education may reserve a sum of money, to be recommended by the commission and approved by the State Board of Education, to support demonstration and experimental projects designed to develop new methods of allocating personnel, equipment, and facilities to solve educational problems associated with educational management. Such projects may include, but need not be limited to, the development of new and potentially more economical staffing, arrangements for administration and for classroom instruction, a modification of class size in schools, the utilization of classroom aides, flexible class scheduling, and the use of instructional television and audiovisual equipment so as to more effectively utilize local resources. Also included may be projects for educational problems associated with general curriculum development, community relations, urbanization, and work-study programs. The standards for such demonstrational and experimental projects shall be recommended by the commission and approved by the State Board of Education, based upon the best interests of the students involved, except that a project shall be approved only if it can be shown that, if successful, the cost effectiveness of the project will be such so as to be adaptable within the budgets of other similar school districts throughout the state.

The State Board of Education shall reserve not more than 15 percent of the state's federal allocation under Title IV, Part C, for grants to the local educational agencies which have operated exemplary projects during the preceding year. Such funds shall be used by such local educational agencies to expand the projects locally and for diffusion of such successful projects statewide. A local education agency whose project is selected for diffusion is hereby designated as agent for all local education agencies in California for purposes of ESEA Title IV, Part C, diffusion.