State review panel - creation

(1) (a) The commissioner shall recruit an appropriate number of highly qualified persons to serve when needed as a state review panel. The commissioner, with the approval of the state board, shall appoint the members of the state review panel to assist the department and the state board as provided in this article. (b) In appointing the members of the state review panel, the commissioner shall select persons on the basis of demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following fields: (I) School district or school leadership or governance; (II) Standards-based elementary or secondary curriculum instruction and assessment; (III) Instructional data management and analysis; (IV) School district, school, or program evaluation; (V) Educational program management; (VI) Teacher leadership; (VII) Organizational management or school district and public school governance; (VIII) School district or school budgeting and finance; (IX) Any other field that the commissioner deems to be relevant to the review and evaluation of school district, institute, or public school performance or improvement planning. (c) In assigning members of the state review panel, the commissioner shall ensure that an individual does not participate in a site visit or review of a school district, the institute, or a public school if the individual, directly or through his or her employer, has been paid by the school district, the institute, the public school, or the department to provide services for the school district, institute, or public school while the school district, institute, or public school is accredited with priority improvement plan, accredited with turnaround plan, or required to adopt a priority improvement or turnaround plan. If an individual who, as part of the state review panel, participates in a site visit or review of a school district, the institute, or a public school is employed by an entity that later seeks to provide services to the school district, institute, or public school, the individual shall not use any information obtained as a result of the review to benefit the employing entity unless the information has been made public. (2) The commissioner shall convene all or a portion of the state review panel as necessary to carry out the duties specified in this article. (3) The department may accept and expend moneys received from gifts, grants, or donations to compensate members of the state review panel or reimburse them for expenses incurred in performing their duties pursuant to this article. The department shall not pay compensation or reimbursements if sufficient moneys are not available.