158.646 Kentucky Institute for Education Research Board. (1) The Kentucky Institute for Education Research Board is hereby created. (2) The board shall establish a corporation which can qualify and obtain status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The purpose and mission of the corporation shall be to solicit and raise funds through private foundations, grants, and government agencies to support the independent evaluation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act and related activities. The corporation shall serve as a stimulus and clearinghouse for Kentucky Education Reform Act related research projects. (3) (a) The board shall cause an in-depth evaluation of the impact of Kentucky Education Reform Act to be performed. This evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, the effect of the reforms on students, individual schools, school systems, and educators. The evaluation shall also include an analysis of the reliability and validity of the changes in scores between baseline scores and scores from subsequent administrations of tests. (b) The board shall make recommendations to the citizens and elected leaders of the Commonwealth concerning the enhancement of the benefits of the Kentucky Education Reform Act and the expansion and improvement of services to students. (c) The board shall establish an organizational capacity to: 1. Develop and manage implementation of a research design to include the issuing of requests for proposals; awarding of contracts; and general oversight and coordination of the quality and quantity of research; 2. Conduct research in accordance with a comprehensive research design and establish priorities; and 3. Design and implement a comprehensive educational data information system. (d) The board shall prepare an annual report of its activities and the activities of the corporation and forward copies to the Governor, the Legislative Research Commission, the Kentucky Board of Education, and the Council on Postsecondary Education and make copies available to the citizens of the Commonwealth. (e) The board shall hire an executive officer and other necessary personnel to carry out its responsibilities. (f) The board shall consist of ten (10) members who shall initially be appointed to two (2) year terms by the Governor. The board shall select from its membership a chairperson and establish bylaws, including bylaws governing board membership and length of terms. Upon expiration of the initial appointments and adoption of bylaws governing membership and length of terms by the board, the board shall be self-perpetuating, and the appointment and length of terms shall be made in accordance with the board's bylaws. Vacancies which occur before the expiration of the initial appointments shall be filled by the Governor for the remaining term of the vacancy. Effective: May 30, 1997 History: Amended 1997 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 1, sec. 62, effective May 30, 1997. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 362, sec. 6, effective July 15, 1996. -- Created 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 408, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1994. Formerly codified as KRS 158.683, renumbered effective September 16, 1996. Legislative Research Commission Note (9/16/96). This statute has been renumbered as KRS 158.646 from KRS 158.683 in order to remove the statute from the sunset provision contained in KRS 158.710(6). Initial placement of this statute within the range set out in the sunset provision was an inadvertent mistake in codification. 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 408, sec. 1 did not direct that the statute be placed within the range set out in the sunset provision.