By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1102
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a survey concerning children who drop out of school.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  (a)  In accordance with this section, the Office
 1-5     of Survey Research in the College of Communication at The
 1-6     University of Texas at Austin shall design and conduct a thorough,
 1-7     statewide, scientific, statistical survey to obtain information
 1-8     concerning children who drop out of school and shall prepare a
 1-9     report based on that information.
1-10           (b)  In conducting the survey required under Subsection (a)
1-11     of this section, the persons conducting the survey shall:
1-12                 (1)  poll, in all regions in this state:
1-13                       (A)  parents of children of secondary school age
1-14     who have dropped out of school; and
1-15                       (B)  with parental consent, children of secondary
1-16     school age who have dropped out of school; and
1-17                 (2)  attempt to obtain the following information and
1-18     any other information specified by the persons who designed the
1-19     survey:
1-20                       (A)  secondary school dropout rates;
1-21                       (B)  reasons for dropping out of school;
1-22                       (C)  the number or percentage of dropouts
1-23     attending a course of instruction to prepare for the high school
1-24     equivalency examination;
1-25                       (D)  the number or percentage of dropouts who
 2-1     have completed a course of instruction to prepare for the high
 2-2     school equivalency examination;
 2-3                       (E)  the current employment status of dropouts;
 2-4                       (F)  the opinion of public school instruction
 2-5     held by persons surveyed; and
 2-6                       (G)  suggestions by persons surveyed for
 2-7     improving public school education programs to prevent dropouts.
 2-8           (c)  The results of the survey shall:
 2-9                 (1)  be compared with official Texas Education Agency
2-10     dropout data;
2-11                 (2)  indicate variations in results in various regions
2-12     of the state;
2-13                 (3)  be used by the agency in developing policies to
2-14     address the needs of students at risk of dropping out of school, as
2-15     defined by Section 29.081, Education Code, including, to the extent
2-16     necessary, policies to address the specific needs of students in
2-17     various regions of the state; and
2-18                 (4)  be compiled by the Office of Survey Research into
2-19     a report, together with information required under Subdivisions (1)
2-20     and (2) of this subsection and any recommendations arising from the
2-21     results, and submitted to the legislature not later than January
2-22     31, 2003.
2-23           (d)  The Texas Education Agency shall cooperate with the
2-24     Office of Survey Research as necessary for the Office of Survey
2-25     Research to carry out its duties under this Act.
2-26           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-1     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-2     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 3-3     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 3-4     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.