81R5797 CAS-D
By: Edwards H.B. No. 1085
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an after-school pilot program offered by school
districts to middle and junior high school students and their
parents to prepare students for postsecondary education and
training.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 29.0981 to read as follows:
Sec. 29.0981. AFTER-SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAMS TO PREPARE MIDDLE
AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND
TRAINING. (a) In this section, "parent" includes a person standing
in parental relation.
(b) A school district may offer an after-school program to
provide instruction to:
(1) middle and junior high school students in the
curriculum and skills necessary to prepare students to graduate
from high school and:
(A) enroll in and succeed at postsecondary
educational institutions; or
(B) obtain and succeed at training required for
an occupation; and
(2) parents of students participating in the program
to enable the parents to assist the students in graduating from high
school and achieving postsecondary educational or training goals.
(c) Before providing a program under this section, the board
of trustees of a school district must adopt a policy for:
(1) determining student eligibility for participating
in the program that provides for considering teacher
recommendations in determining eligibility;
(2) ensuring that parents of eligible students are
provided notice of the program and of the opportunity for
participation in the program by students and parents;
(3) ensuring that eligible students and their parents
are encouraged to attend the program;
(4) ensuring that the program is offered at one or more
locations in the district that are easily accessible to eligible
students and their parents; and
(5) measuring student progress on completion of the
program.
(d) The commissioner by rule shall:
(1) prescribe a procedure that a school district must
follow to apply for and receive funding for a program under this
section;
(2) adopt guidelines for determining which districts
receive funding if there is not sufficient funding for each
district that applies;
(3) require each district providing a program to
report student performance results to the commissioner within the
period and in the manner prescribed by the rule; and
(4) based on district reports under Subdivision (3)
and any required analysis and verification of those reports,
disseminate to each district in this state information concerning
instructional methods that have proved successful in preparing
students to:
(A) enroll in and succeed at postsecondary
educational institutions; or
(B) obtain and succeed at training required for
an occupation.
(e) A program provided under this section shall be paid for
with funds appropriated for that purpose.
(f) Not later than December 1, 2018, the commissioner shall
submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
house of representatives, and the presiding officer of the standing
committee of each house of the legislature with primary
jurisdiction over public education a written report recommending
whether the program under this section should or should not be
continued and a detailed explanation of the basis for that
recommendation.
(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
administer this section.
(h) This section expires September 1, 2019.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.