SRC-AMY S.B. 632 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 632
78R5012 BDH-DBy: Barrientos
Education
3/31/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Texas needs more accurate information regarding school dropouts to better
be able to  to counter this growing and expensive problem.  As proposed,
S.B. 632 requires the Office of Survey Research of the College of
Communication of The University of Texas to complete a statewide poll
every other year of parents of junior high and high school students and
young people between 18 and 24 not attending school.  This bill requires
the poll to include, but does not limit it to, questions that would
determine high school dropout rates, reasons for dropping out,  high
school completion rates, General Educational Development program
participation and completion rates, employment status, and student
recommendations for restructuring the delivery of public school education
programs to encourage students to complete high school. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly 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 29.088,
as follows: 

Sec. 29.088.  SURVEY REGARDING DROPOUTS.  (a) Requires the Office of
Survey Research of the College of Communication of The University of Texas
to complete a statewide scientific survey, not later than December 1,
2004, to gather information on students who leave public schools in this
state without obtaining a high school diploma. 

(b) Requires the survey to poll parents and guardians of middle, junior
high, and high school students and individuals at least 18 but younger
than 24 years of age not enrolled in public school. 

(c) Requires the survey to be designed to obtain information related to
high school dropout and completion rates, causes of increased dropout
rates, rates of student participation in and completion of high school
equivalency programs, recommendations to increase high school completion
rates, and certain other related information. 

(d) Requires the Office of Survey Research to make a written report of the
survey results available to the public. 

(e) Provides that this section expires December 1, 2004.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.