| 1 | 1 | | 81R1442 EAH-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 453 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the provision of competitive grants to fund programs |
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| 8 | 8 | | for certain public school students assigned to disciplinary |
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| 9 | 9 | | alternative education programs or in-school suspension. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 37.0083 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 37.0083. GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE DISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS |
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| 14 | 14 | | FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS. (a) In this section, "student at risk of |
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| 15 | 15 | | dropping out of school" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 16 | 16 | | 29.081(d). |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Using funds appropriated for that purpose, the |
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| 18 | 18 | | commissioner shall award grants to school districts to conduct |
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| 19 | 19 | | youth violence prevention, drug abuse prevention, or delinquency |
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| 20 | 20 | | prevention programs for students at risk of dropping out of school |
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| 21 | 21 | | assigned to a disciplinary alternative education program or an |
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| 22 | 22 | | in-school suspension setting. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) A school district shall use a grant awarded under this |
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| 24 | 24 | | section to develop a case management system for students at risk of |
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| 25 | 25 | | dropping out of school assigned to a disciplinary alternative |
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| 26 | 26 | | education program or an in-school suspension setting in grades 6 |
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| 27 | 27 | | through 12. A district may not reduce funding for an existing |
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| 28 | 28 | | program supporting students in disciplinary alternative education |
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| 29 | 29 | | programs or in-school suspension settings by use of funds awarded |
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| 30 | 30 | | under this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (d) A school district may contract with a private provider, |
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| 32 | 32 | | another public school, or a regional education service center for |
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| 33 | 33 | | services to implement a grant awarded under this section. As |
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| 34 | 34 | | required by the commissioner, a school district awarded a grant |
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| 35 | 35 | | under this section must agree to obtain technical assistance and |
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| 36 | 36 | | participate in training and evaluations. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (e) A school district awarded a grant under this section |
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| 38 | 38 | | shall implement programs that: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) target students who demonstrate abusive conduct |
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| 40 | 40 | | and behaviors, including assault, abuse, aggression, |
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| 41 | 41 | | insubordination, bullying, sexual harassment, intimidation of |
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| 42 | 42 | | others, destruction of school property, sale or possession of |
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| 43 | 43 | | dangerous drugs, and possession of weapons; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) provide services to students selected by campus |
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| 45 | 45 | | principals for behavioral intervention; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (3) utilize documented violence prevention, drug |
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| 47 | 47 | | abuse prevention, or delinquency prevention programs, including |
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| 48 | 48 | | group skills training, individual behavioral counseling, and |
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| 49 | 49 | | community service learning projects; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) use a case management system for a 12-month period |
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| 51 | 51 | | with each student to ensure a successful transition to the regular |
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| 52 | 52 | | education program; and |
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| 53 | 53 | | (5) work closely with a student's parent, guardian, or |
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| 54 | 54 | | other person standing in parental relation to the student or having |
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| 55 | 55 | | control of the student under a court order. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (f) The commissioner shall provide for a grant application, |
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| 57 | 57 | | review, and award process on a competitive basis and may use one or |
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| 58 | 58 | | more regional education service centers for that purpose and for |
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| 59 | 59 | | training and technical assistance. A regional education service |
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| 60 | 60 | | center participating in a grant proposal with a school district may |
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| 61 | 61 | | not participate in activities under this subsection. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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