Section 16-6A-16

Plan for in-service education centers; governing boards; requirements of centers; school systems to affiliate with centers.

(a) A comprehensive plan shall be established by the Governor's Educational Reform Commission and implemented for the development and location of in-service education centers for the purpose of providing rigorous in-service training in critical needs areas for the state's public school personnel. These in-service centers shall not replace the plan for in-service education which the State Department of Education adopted by resolution on June 14, 1978. The in-service centers established pursuant to this chapter shall be located in existing institutions of higher education located in strategic areas of the state as recommended by the commission and approved by the Governor. Institutions of higher education where such in-service centers may be located shall have resident faculty members in education and the academic areas taught in the public schools.

(b) In addition, the commission may contract with individuals or institutions to provide approved in-service training as defined in this section.

(c) A governing board shall be organized for each in-service center. The governing board of each center shall include representatives from the State Department of Education, teachers and administrators from the local school systems and the institution of higher education where the center is located. Such governing board shall, in cooperation with the staff of the State Department of Education, determine policy, programs and hours of operation of the particular in-service center.

(d) The in-service centers provided for in this section shall:

(1) Provide a number of days' training each year, usually in the summer, for instructional personnel in critical needs areas;

(2) Be open at a specified time during the year for use;

(3) Provide specialized help to instructional personnel;

(4) Have a director named from the local institution's faculty; and

(5) Serve as a data-gathering center for research in areas of public education. Local university, college or community college personnel shall be utilized to conduct the research.

(e) Each local school system shall affiliate with the in-service center in its region and shall participate in the planning of written programs for public school personnel in the area.

(f) All in-service centers shall be fully operative by July 1, 1985.

(g) To carry out the provisions of this section, there is hereby appropriated from the Alabama Special Educational Trust Fund the sum of $500,000.00 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1985.

(Acts 1984, No. 84-622, p. 1260, §18.)