By Rodriguez, Naishtat H.B. No. 2016
74R6653 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to school social workers and to social services provided
1-3 by public schools.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Subchapter W to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER W. SOCIAL WORKERS
1-8 Sec. 21.801. SOCIAL WORKERS REQUIRED. (a) A school
1-9 district with 500 or more students enrolled in elementary school
1-10 grades shall employ a licensed master social worker for each
1-11 elementary school in the district, and for each school shall employ
1-12 at least one licensed master social worker for every 500 elementary
1-13 school students.
1-14 (b) A school district with fewer than 500 students enrolled
1-15 in elementary school grades shall provide social services to
1-16 elementary school students by:
1-17 (1) employing a part-time licensed master social
1-18 worker; or
1-19 (2) entering into a cooperative agreement with one or
1-20 more school districts to share the services of a licensed master
1-21 social worker.
1-22 Sec. 21.802. GENERAL DUTIES. A social worker employed by a
1-23 school district shall:
1-24 (1) facilitate and coordinate the efforts of parents,
2-1 representatives of social service agencies in the community, and
2-2 members of school-based support teams in providing social services
2-3 to students;
2-4 (2) train parents in skills needed for parenting and
2-5 train parents, representatives of social service agencies in the
2-6 community, and members of school-based support teams in providing
2-7 social services to students;
2-8 (3) provide support and guidance to parents and
2-9 educators in identifying community needs that if not addressed may
2-10 have a negative effect on families and students and assist in
2-11 developing strategies to address those needs;
2-12 (4) inform parents about social services available for
2-13 families in the community, including educational, health, social,
2-14 mental health, housing, legal, and banking services, and about the
2-15 manner of gaining access to those services;
2-16 (5) to the extent practicable and appropriate, provide
2-17 for social services that are available in the community to be
2-18 offered on the school campus;
2-19 (6) provide assistance in fostering communication and
2-20 cooperation between parents and school staff;
2-21 (7) assist in identifying educational programs that
2-22 parents can implement and assist parents in obtaining skills
2-23 necessary to teach preschool children at home; and
2-24 (8) identify for the school district emerging trends
2-25 in the community.
2-26 Sec. 21.803. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. (a) Each school may
2-27 obtain, and maintain as part of the student's permanent record,
3-1 written consent of the parent or legal guardian of a student for
3-2 the student to participate in a program or activity conducted by
3-3 the school social worker. The consent form must include specific
3-4 information on the content of the program and the types of
3-5 activities in which the student may be involved.
3-6 (b) Each school shall annually conduct a parent's preview of
3-7 the social services program or social services activities to be
3-8 offered for the school year. Any materials, including any
3-9 curriculum to be used, must be available at the campus during
3-10 regular school hours for any parent or guardian to preview.
3-11 Material that is not available on the campus for the preview may
3-12 not be used as part of a social services program or activity.
3-13 Sec. 21.804. JOB DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION FORM. The
3-14 Central Education Agency shall develop a job description for school
3-15 social workers and an evaluation form for school districts to use
3-16 in evaluating the performance of school social workers. The agency
3-17 shall consult with state social worker associations in the
3-18 development of the job description and evaluation form.
3-19 Sec. 21.805. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
3-20 (1) "Elementary school" means a public school in which
3-21 classes are held for kindergarten through fifth grade or sixth
3-22 grade.
3-23 (2) "Licensed master social worker" has the meaning
3-24 assigned by Section 50.001, Human Resources Code.
3-25 SECTION 2. Section 35.062(b), Education Code, is amended to
3-26 read as follows:
3-27 (b) The academic excellence indicators adopted under
4-1 Sections 35.041(b)(1) through (6) shall be the main consideration
4-2 of the Central Education Agency in the rating of the district under
4-3 this section. Additional criteria in the accreditation rules may
4-4 include consideration of:
4-5 (1) goals and objectives of the district;
4-6 (2) compliance with statutory requirements and
4-7 requirements imposed by rule of the State Board of Education under
4-8 statutory authority;
4-9 (3) the relation between the academic excellence
4-10 indicators adopted by the State Board of Education under Section
4-11 35.041 and the campus performance objectives established under
4-12 Section 21.7532, including the manner in which the campus
4-13 performance objectives were established and the progress of the
4-14 campus in meeting the objectives;
4-15 (4) the quality of learning on each of the district's
4-16 campuses based on indicators including scores on achievement tests;
4-17 (5) the quality of the district's appraisal of teacher
4-18 performance and of administrator performance;
4-19 (6) the effectiveness of the district's principals as
4-20 instructional leaders;
4-21 (7) the effectiveness of the district's campuses on
4-22 the basis of the most current criteria identified by research on
4-23 effective schools;
4-24 (8) the fulfillment of curriculum requirements;
4-25 (9) the effectiveness of the district's programs in
4-26 special education based on the Central Education Agency's most
4-27 recent compliance review of the district and programs for special
5-1 populations;
5-2 (10) the effectiveness of district and campus staff
5-3 development programs;
5-4 (11) the effective use of technology to enhance
5-5 student achievement;
5-6 (12) the effectiveness of the district's remedial and
5-7 support programs under Section 21.557 for students at risk of
5-8 dropping out of school;
5-9 (13) the effectiveness of the district's dropout
5-10 prevention and recovery programs;
5-11 (14) efficient allocation of available resources;
5-12 (15) the presence and quality of comprehensive and
5-13 developmental guidance and counseling programs on campuses;
5-14 (16) the quality and effectiveness of the district's
5-15 vocational education program; <and>
5-16 (17) the effectiveness of the board of trustees in
5-17 governing the district; and
5-18 (18) the presence and quality of social services on
5-19 campuses.
5-20 SECTION 3. A school district shall employ social workers in
5-21 accordance with Subchapter W, Chapter 21, Education Code, as added
5-22 by this Act, beginning with the 1996-1997 school year.
5-23 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
5-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-2 passage, and it is so enacted.