| 1 | 1 | | 85R11797 SRS-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Stucky, González of El Paso, VanDeaver, H.B. No. 2519 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Koop, Lambert |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to a study on dropout prevention and recovery before the |
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| 9 | 9 | | ninth grade. |
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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 Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 29.919 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 29.919. MIDDLE GRADES DROPOUT PREVENTION AND RECOVERY |
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| 14 | 14 | | STUDY. (a) The agency shall conduct a study to identify the best |
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| 15 | 15 | | practices for: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) reducing the number of students who drop out of |
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| 17 | 17 | | school before entering the ninth grade; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) directing students who drop out of school before |
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| 19 | 19 | | entering the ninth grade toward an appropriate educational program. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The study must examine: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) current programs and interventions available to: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) students who are enrolled in grades four |
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| 23 | 23 | | through eight and are at risk of dropping out of school; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) students who have dropped out of school |
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| 25 | 25 | | before entering the ninth grade; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) barriers to students attempting to reenroll in a |
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| 27 | 27 | | school district or open-enrollment charter school after dropping |
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| 28 | 28 | | out of school before entering the ninth grade; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) best practices in this state and other states for |
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| 30 | 30 | | re-engaging students who dropped out of school before entering the |
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| 31 | 31 | | ninth grade; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) the feasibility of adopting a pilot program to |
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| 33 | 33 | | establish an early warning data system beginning with students in |
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| 34 | 34 | | the sixth grade to track each student's attendance, behavior, and |
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| 35 | 35 | | performance in core subjects. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) Not later than September 1, 2018, the agency shall |
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| 37 | 37 | | submit a report to the legislature that includes the results of the |
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| 38 | 38 | | study conducted under this section and any recommendations for |
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| 39 | 39 | | legislative or other action. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2019. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 42 | 42 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 43 | 43 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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