Missouri Revised Statutes § 161.385 - Competency-based education task force, members, duties — report

161.385. Competency-based education task force, members, duties — report. — 1. There is hereby established the "Competency-Based Education Task Force" to study and develop competency-based education programs in public schools. Task force members shall be chosen to represent the geographic diversity of the state. Task force members shall be appointed for a term of two years and may be reappointed. All task force members shall be appointed before December 31, 2022, and every other year thereafter by December thirty-first of that year. The task force members shall be appointed as follows: (1) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (2) Two members of the senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate; (3) The commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education or the commissioner's designee; and (4) Four members appointed by the governor. Two members shall each represent a separate school district that offers competency-based education courses. 2. The members of the task force established under subsection 1 of this section shall elect a chair from among the membership of the task force. The task force shall meet as needed to complete its consideration of its objectives as established in subsections 4 and 5 of this section. Any vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties. 3. The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide such legal, research, clerical, and technical services as the task force may require in the performance of official duties. 4. The task force shall: (1) Work toward implementing competency-based education courses statewide and devising a plan for Missouri to lead the way in competency-based education courses; (2) Solicit input from individuals and organizations with information or expertise relevant to the task force's objective, including experts and educators with experience related to competency-based education programs; (3) Hold at least three public hearings to provide an opportunity to receive public testimony including, but not limited to, testimony from educators, local school boards, parents, representatives from business and industry, labor and community leaders, members of the general assembly, and the general public; (4) Identify promising competency-based education programs, including programs that: (a) Afford students flexibility to progress and earn course credit upon demonstration of mastery, including through early high school graduation; (b) Provide individual learning and assessment options, including through experiential and project-based learning, online or blended learning, additional remedial education time, and accelerated-pace curricula; or (c) Assess student proficiency through tasks developed both locally and at the state level, performance of which demonstrates mastery; (5) Identify obstacles to implementing competency-based education programs in Missouri public schools; (6) Develop comprehensive graduate profiles that describe meaningful and critical knowledge skills that students should have upon graduation that can be implemented into a diploma designation; (7) Develop findings and recommendations for implementing competency-based education models and practices in Missouri public schools, including recommending changes to existing legislation, rules, and regulations; and (8) Develop findings and recommendations for implementing a competency-based performance assessment that: (a) Is consistent with the most effective competency-based education programs identified by the task force under subdivision (4) of this subsection; (b) Assesses students based on both locally developed and common statewide performance tasks tied to grade and course competencies aligned with state content standards; and (c) Complies with all applicable federal law, including 20 U.S.C. Section 6311(b)(1)(B), as amended. To the extent that implementing a competency-based performance assessment would require the department of elementary and secondary education to obtain innovative assessment and accountability demonstration authority under 20 U.S.C. Section 6364, as amended, the task force shall develop findings and recommendations for obtaining such authority. 5. Beginning in 2023, the task force shall present its findings and recommendations to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president pro tempore of the senate, the joint committee on education, and the state board of education by December first annually. (L. 2022 S.B. 681 & 662)