Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1484 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R9085 KJE-F
2	2	By: Garcia S.B. No. 1484
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a community school grant program.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding
10	10	Subchapter M to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER M. COMMUNITY SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM
12	12	Sec. 29.501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
13	13	(1) "Community-based organization" means a nonprofit
14	14	corporation or association located in close proximity to the
15	15	population the organization serves.
16	16	(2) "Community school" means a public elementary,
17	17	middle, junior high, or high school that partners with one or more
18	18	community-based organizations to coordinate academic, social, and
19	19	health services to reduce barriers to learning and improve the
20	20	quality of education for students in the community.
21	21	Sec. 29.502. COMMUNITY SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The
22	22	agency shall establish a competitive grant program to assist public
23	23	elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools in developing
24	24	community school plans and transitioning into community schools.
25	25	(b) From funds appropriated for the purpose, the agency
26	26	shall award two-year grants to eligible schools. Each grant may not
27	27	exceed:
28	28	(1) $60,000 each academic year to pay a stipend to a
29	29	community school coordinator; and
30	30	(2) $25,000 each academic year to develop and
31	31	implement a community school plan.
32	32	(c) On application from a school, a grant awarded under this
33	33	section may be extended by the agency for an additional year.
34	34	Sec. 29.503. ELIGIBILITY. A public elementary, middle,
35	35	junior high, or high school is eligible to apply for a grant under
36	36	this subchapter if the school demonstrates a commitment to
37	37	transitioning into a community school by establishing:
38	38	(1) a school community partnership team to function as
39	39	the campus-level planning and decision-making committee required
40	40	under Section 11.251, composed of the members required under
41	41	Section 11.251 and additional community representatives; and
42	42	(2) a partnership with a lead community-based
43	43	organization that has experience in developing and implementing a
44	44	community school plan.
45	45	Sec. 29.504. USE OF FUNDS. (a) Funds granted under this
46	46	subchapter may not be used for direct programs for students or
47	47	families or for other activities not related to developing or
48	48	implementing a community school plan.
49	49	(b) A community school coordinator employed using grant
50	50	funds must have relevant experience as a school district employee
51	51	or an employee of a community-based organization with experience in
52	52	developing and implementing a community school plan. The
53	53	coordinator's duties include:
54	54	(1) recruiting community partners and building
55	55	community support for the school;
56	56	(2) coordinating:
57	57	(A) the school community partnership team's
58	58	planning and training activities;
59	59	(B) planning and evaluation efforts between the
60	60	school and community partners;
61	61	(C) academic and student and family support
62	62	programs; and
63	63	(D) after-school, summer, and enrichment
64	64	programs for students;
65	65	(3) encouraging community and parent engagement in the
66	66	school;
67	67	(4) seeking available resources for implementing
68	68	community school programs and services;
69	69	(5) conducting an annual needs assessment of the
70	70	school in coordination with the school community partnership team;
71	71	and
72	72	(6) acting as a liaison between the school, other
73	73	community schools, the school district, and community partners.
74	74	(c) Before a community school plan may be implemented, the
75	75	plan must:
76	76	(1) satisfy the requirements for a campus improvement
77	77	plan under Section 11.253; and
78	78	(2) be approved by:
79	79	(A) at least 75 percent of campus faculty and
80	80	staff and 75 percent of parents of students enrolled at the school;
81	81	and
82	82	(B) the board of trustees of the school district
83	83	in which the school is located.
84	84	Sec. 29.505. LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. If a school with
85	85	performance below any standard under Section 39.054(e) receives a
86	86	grant under this subchapter, the school's school community
87	87	partnership team functions as the campus intervention team for
88	88	purposes of Section 39.106.
89	89	Sec. 29.506. PROGRAM OVERSIGHT. (a) At least once each
90	90	year, the agency shall:
91	91	(1) monitor the transition into a community school of
92	92	each school awarded a grant under this subchapter; and
93	93	(2) evaluate whether the school has made satisfactory
94	94	progress toward carrying out the school's objectives as set out in
95	95	the community school plan.
96	96	(b) A school that the agency determines has not made
97	97	satisfactory progress under Subsection (a) may continue to receive
98	98	grant funds under this subchapter only if the school:
99	99	(1) amends the school's community school plan to
100	100	address any deficiencies the agency identified during the
101	101	evaluation; and
102	102	(2) demonstrates strong community support for the
103	103	school's transition to a community school.
104	104	Sec. 29.507. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as
105	105	necessary to implement this subchapter.
106	106	SECTION 2. Section 29.259, Education Code, is transferred
107	107	to Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, and redesignated as
108	108	Section 29.923, Education Code, to read as follows:
109	109	Sec. 29.923 [29.259]. ADULT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND
110	110	INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION CHARTER SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this
111	111	section, "adult education" means services and instruction provided
112	112	below the college level for adults by a nonprofit entity described
113	113	by Subsection (e).
114	114	(b) The commissioner shall establish an adult high school
115	115	diploma and industry certification charter school pilot program as
116	116	provided by this section as a strategy for meeting industry needs
117	117	for a sufficiently trained workforce within the state.
118	118	(c) The agency shall adopt and administer a standardized
119	119	secondary exit-level assessment instrument appropriate for
120	120	assessing adult education program participants who successfully
121	121	complete high school curriculum requirements under a program
122	122	provided under this section. The commissioner shall determine the
123	123	level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the secondary
124	124	exit-level assessment instrument for receipt of a high school
125	125	diploma by an adult education program participant in a program
126	126	provided under this section.
127	127	(d) Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to the
128	128	number of charters allowed under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, a
129	129	charter under the pilot program may, on the basis of an application
130	130	submitted, be granted to a single nonprofit entity described by
131	131	Subsection (e) to provide an adult education program for not more
132	132	than 150 individuals described by Subsection (g) to successfully
133	133	complete:
134	134	(1) a high school program that can lead to a diploma;
135	135	and
136	136	(2) career and technology education courses that can
137	137	lead to industry certification.
138	138	(e) A nonprofit entity may be granted a charter under this
139	139	section only if the entity:
140	140	(1) has a successful history of providing education
141	141	services, including industry certifications and job placement
142	142	services, to adults 18 years of age and older whose educational and
143	143	training opportunities have been limited by educational
144	144	disadvantages, disabilities, homelessness, criminal history, or
145	145	similar circumstances; and
146	146	(2) agrees to commit at least $1 million to the adult
147	147	education program offered.
148	148	(f) A nonprofit entity granted a charter under this section
149	149	may partner with a public junior college to provide career and
150	150	technology courses that lead to industry certification.
151	151	(g) A person who is at least 19 years of age and not more
152	152	than 50 years of age is eligible to enroll in the adult education
153	153	program under this section if the person has not earned a high
154	154	school equivalency certificate and:
155	155	(1) has failed to complete the curriculum requirements
156	156	for high school graduation; or
157	157	(2) has failed to perform satisfactorily on an
158	158	assessment instrument required for high school graduation.
159	159	(h) The nonprofit entity must include in its charter
160	160	application the information required by Subsection (i).
161	161	(i) A charter granted under this section must:
162	162	(1) include a description of the adult education
163	163	program to be offered under this section; and
164	164	(2) establish specific, objective standards for
165	165	receiving a high school diploma, including satisfactory
166	166	performance on the standardized secondary exit-level assessment
167	167	instrument described by Subsection (c).
168	168	(j) Funding for an adult education program under this
169	169	section is provided based on the following:
170	170	(1) for participants who are 26 years of age and older,
171	171	an amount per participant from available general revenue funds
172	172	appropriated for the pilot program equal to the statewide average
173	173	amount of state funding per student in weighted average daily
174	174	attendance that would be allocated under the Foundation School
175	175	Program to an open-enrollment charter school under Section 12.106
176	176	were the student under 26 years of age; and
177	177	(2) for participants who are at least 19 years of age
178	178	and under 26 years of age, an amount per participant through the
179	179	Foundation School Program equal to the amount of state funding per
180	180	student in weighted average daily attendance that would be
181	181	allocated under the Foundation School Program for the student's
182	182	attendance at an open-enrollment charter school in accordance with
183	183	Section 12.106.
184	184	(k) Sections 12.107 and 12.128 apply as though funds under
185	185	this section were funds under Subchapter D, Chapter 12.
186	186	(l) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
187	187	beginning December 1, 2016, the agency shall prepare and deliver to
188	188	the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
189	189	representatives, and presiding officer of each standing
190	190	legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over public
191	191	education or economic development a report that:
192	192	(1) evaluates any adult education program operated
193	193	under a charter granted under this section; and
194	194	(2) makes recommendations regarding the abolition,
195	195	continuation, or expansion of the pilot program.
196	196	(m) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
197	197	administer the pilot program under this section. In adopting
198	198	rules, the commissioner may modify charter school requirements only
199	199	to the extent necessary for the administration of a charter school
200	200	under this section that provides for adult education.
201	201	SECTION 3. Section 42.003(a), Education Code, is amended to
202	202	read as follows:
203	203	(a) A student is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation
204	204	School Program if, on September 1 of the school year, the student:
205	205	(1) is 5 years of age or older and under 21 years of age
206	206	and has not graduated from high school, or is at least 21 years of
207	207	age and under 26 years of age and has been admitted by a school
208	208	district to complete the requirements for a high school diploma; or
209	209	(2) is at least 19 years of age and under 26 years of
210	210	age and is enrolled in an adult high school diploma and industry
211	211	certification charter school pilot program under Section 29.923
212	212	[29.259].
213	213	SECTION 4. (a) The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 29,
214	214	Education Code, is repealed.
215	215	(b) Sections 7.021(b)(8), 7.102(c)(17), 29.251, 29.252,
216	216	29.255, 29.256, and 29.257, Education Code, are repealed.
217	217	SECTION 5. The Texas Education Agency shall establish the
218	218	grant program under Subchapter M, Chapter 29, Education Code, as
219	219	added by this Act, not later than November 1, 2015.
220	220	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
221	221	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
222	222	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
223	223	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
224	224	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.