1-1 By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1102 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2001; March 7, 2001, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 7, 2001, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 7, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1102 By: Zaffirini 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to a survey concerning children who drop out of school. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. (a) In accordance with this section, the Office 1-12 of Survey Research in the College of Communication at The 1-13 University of Texas at Austin shall design and conduct a thorough, 1-14 statewide, scientific, statistical survey to obtain information 1-15 concerning children who drop out of school and shall prepare a 1-16 report based on that information. 1-17 (b) In conducting the survey required under Subsection (a) 1-18 of this section, the persons conducting the survey shall: 1-19 (1) poll, in all regions in this state: 1-20 (A) parents of children of secondary school age 1-21 who have dropped out of school; and 1-22 (B) with parental consent, children of secondary 1-23 school age who have dropped out of school; and 1-24 (2) attempt to obtain the following information and 1-25 any other information specified by the persons who designed the 1-26 survey: 1-27 (A) secondary school dropout rates; 1-28 (B) reasons for dropping out of school; 1-29 (C) the number or percentage of dropouts 1-30 attending a course of instruction to prepare for the high school 1-31 equivalency examination; 1-32 (D) the number or percentage of dropouts who 1-33 have completed a course of instruction to prepare for the high 1-34 school equivalency examination; 1-35 (E) the current employment status of dropouts; 1-36 (F) the opinion of public school instruction 1-37 held by persons surveyed; and 1-38 (G) suggestions by persons surveyed for 1-39 improving public school education programs to prevent dropouts. 1-40 (c) The results of the survey shall: 1-41 (1) be compared with official Texas Education Agency 1-42 dropout data; 1-43 (2) indicate variations in results in various regions 1-44 of the state; 1-45 (3) be used by the agency in developing policies to 1-46 address the needs of students at risk of dropping out of school, as 1-47 defined by Section 29.081, Education Code, including, to the extent 1-48 necessary, policies to address the specific needs of students in 1-49 various regions of the state; and 1-50 (4) be compiled by the Office of Survey Research into 1-51 a report, together with information required under Subdivisions (1) 1-52 and (2) of this subsection and any recommendations arising from the 1-53 results, and submitted to the legislature not later than January 1-54 31, 2003. 1-55 (d) The Texas Education Agency shall cooperate with the 1-56 Office of Survey Research as necessary for the Office of Survey 1-57 Research to carry out its duties under this Act. 1-58 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-59 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-60 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-61 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-62 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-63 * * * * *