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.