By: Allen H.B. No. 626
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to educational agreements setting forth the respective
responsibilities of students, parents, and school personnel in
public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding
Sections 26.014 and 26.015 to read as follows:
Sec. 26.014. EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT AGREEMENTS. (a) The
agency shall adopt educational involvement agreement forms for
optional use by school districts. The agreement forms must state
the respective responsibilities of the student, parent, teacher,
and principal.
(b) A school district that elects to use the educational
involvement agreements may encourage students, students' parents,
teachers, and principals to sign an educational involvement
agreement.
(c) An educational involvement agreement must include:
(1) for an agreement signed by a parent, the parent's
responsibilities regarding the student's education, which may
include:
(A) reading to the student, if appropriate for
the student's grade or reading level;
(B) reviewing and checking the student's
homework; and
(C) contributing at least five hours of the
parent's time to the school each school year by:
(i) attending school-related activities;
(ii) attending parent-teacher association
meetings;
(iii) attending parent-teacher
conferences;
(iv) volunteering at the school; or
(v) chaperoning school-sponsored events;
(2) for an agreement signed by a student, the
responsibility of the student to:
(A) read each day before or after school, if
appropriate for the student's grade or reading level;
(B) use school equipment and property in a safe,
appropriate manner;
(C) follow the instructions of school staff;
(D) complete and submit homework in a timely
manner; and
(E) act in a respectful manner; and
(3) for an agreement signed by a teacher or principal,
the responsibility of the teacher or principal to:
(A) provide each student with proper
instruction, supervision, and interaction;
(B) maximize the educational and social
experience of each student;
(C) perform professional responsibilities in a
manner that is in the best interest of each student;
(D) provide the parents of each student with
timely progress reports; and
(E) be available to parents to discuss concerns.
(d) A school district may revise educational involvement
agreement forms adopted by the agency to include information in
addition to the information required under this section.
(e) The educational involvement agreement provided to a
student's parent may be accompanied by:
(1) information regarding:
(A) the manner in which a parent may contact the
student's teachers or principal, including a system to allow
parents and teachers to communicate in a regular, two-way, and
meaningful manner with each of the child's teachers and the school
principal;
(B) homework and grading policies;
(C) directions for locating resource material;
(D) methods for assisting the student with
schoolwork at home;
(E) details on how reports of the student's
progress will be sent to the parent and how a parent may request a
progress report;
(F) school rules and policies;
(G) dress codes;
(H) the availability of assistance to a parent of
limited English proficiency;
(I) information on free and reduced-price meals;
(J) opportunities for parents to become involved
in the student's education or volunteer at the school, including
one-time opportunities and opportunities to volunteer from home;
(K) how to be involved in the decisions affecting
course selection, career planning, and preparation for
postsecondary opportunities;
(L) instructional programs available at the
school campus;
(M) extracurricular programs available at the
school campus; and
(N) activities planned through the school year to
encourage parental involvement, including regularly scheduled open
houses; and
(2) surveys to determine parent concerns about the
school campus and to solicit parents' ideas for improving the
school campus, including ways to foster a relationship between the
parents, school, and local community.
(f) A school district may not punish a student, parent,
teacher, or principal who does not sign an educational involvement
agreement used by a district as provided by this section.
(g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section.
Sec. 26.015. AGREEMENT REGARDING RESPONSIBILITIES OF
PARENT, STUDENT, AND CLASSROOM TEACHER. (a) This section applies
only to a school district that:
(1) has a student enrollment of not more than 35,000;
(2) is located in a county that has a population of at
least 3.4 million; and
(3) borders one or more school districts, each of
which has a student enrollment of at least 40,000.
(b) A school district to which this section applies shall
adopt a written agreement form for each grade level that specifies
the responsibilities of a student's parent or guardian as well as
the respective responsibilities of the student and each of the
student's classroom teachers. The parent or guardian, the student,
and a school district designee shall sign the appropriate agreement
at the beginning of each school year.
(c) A student in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grade one,
grade two, or grade three is not required to sign the agreement
described by this section. A school district may exempt other
students from the requirement to sign the agreement described by
this section.
(d) A school district to which this section applies shall
determine the manner in which the agreement will be enforced.
(e) Not later than September 1, 2011, a school district to
which this section applies shall prepare and deliver to the
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
and the presiding officer of each legislative standing committee
with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a
report regarding the successes and opportunities created by the use
of the written agreement.
(f) To the extent this section conflicts with Section
26.014, this section prevails.
(g) This section expires June 1, 2013.
SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
date of this Act, the Texas Education Agency shall adopt
educational involvement agreement forms for optional use by school
districts as required by Section 26.014, Education Code, as added
by this Act.
(b) Each school district may use educational involvement
agreement forms in the manner required by Section 26.014, Education
Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2010-2011 school
year.
SECTION 3. Section 26.015, Education Code, as added by this
Act, applies beginning with the 2010-2011 school year.
SECTION 4. 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.