SRC-DPW S.B. 1784 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1784
By: Gallegos
Education
4/12/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law identifies a number of education programs a school
district must design and implement for students with special needs.
Section 29.081, Education Code, grants a school district the authority to
utilize community-based dropout recovery education programs to provide
alternative education programs for students at risk of dropping out of
school.  In March 1995, the attorney general advised that school districts,
which contract with public or private entities to provide educational
services, are not relieved of their obligations to comply with statutory
requirements applicable to school districts.  The attorney general's
position has prevented school districts from contracting with
community-based programs that are providing creative solutions to students
who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out of school.
S.B. 1784 would give school districts the local authority to develop and
regulate community-based dropout recovery education programs in order to
provide an alternative education program that parallels the needs of
at-risk students. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1784 sets forth guidelines for the administration of
private community-based dropout recovery education programs to provide
alternative education programs for students at risk of dropping out of
school. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 29C, Education Code, by adding Section 29.081(e),
to require a school district to develop goals, objectives, and guidelines
that best address the needs of students at risk of dropping out of school,
when utilizing a community-based dropout recovery education program.
Requires the guidelines to regard grading of students' work, offering
course credit, curriculum development and implementation, modifying
instructional time requirements, performance standards, qualifications of
staff and faculty, class size, student-faculty ratios, and methods of
evaluating subject mastery as part of the development process.  Authorizes
the guidelines to comply with all the requirements of this code.  Deletes
text requiring the program to perform certain tasks. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.