By:  Davila                                           H.B. No. 2486
       73R4960 CAS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to parent involvement and education pilot programs.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Sections 21.929(c), (e), and (f), Education Code,
    1-5  are amended to read as follows:
    1-6        (c)  Programs for parents of children enrolled in school must
    1-7  include methods to encourage parents to visit the school.  The
    1-8  program also shall provide for training parents to participate in
    1-9  their children's school and education and to help <in helping>
   1-10  their children develop:
   1-11              (1)  self-esteem;
   1-12              (2)  good study habits at home and at school; and
   1-13              (3)  communication with their parents, with school
   1-14  personnel, and with other students.
   1-15        (e)  In selecting programs for approval and funding, the
   1-16  agency shall give preference to programs that serve campuses with a
   1-17  significant percentage of students at risk of dropping out of
   1-18  school, as determined under Section 21.557(f) of this code.  The
   1-19  <significantly high dropout rates and that include students from
   1-20  families of low income, as determined by rule of the> State Board
   1-21  of Education by rule shall define "significant percentage" for
   1-22  purposes of this subsection.
   1-23        (f)  The Central Education Agency shall provide guidelines
   1-24  and other assistance for schools in developing and establishing
    2-1  parent involvement education programs.  The guidelines shall
    2-2  provide for considering any specific cultural needs of parents in a
    2-3  particular district.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1993-1994
    2-5  school year.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-7  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-8  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-9  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-10  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-11  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-12  passage, and it is so enacted.