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.
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