80R7967 CAE-F

By: Thompson H.B. No. 2568

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an arts and humanities pilot program in certain school districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 29.918 to read as follows:

Sec. 29.918. ARTS AND HUMANITIES PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:

(1) "Program" means the arts and humanities pilot program established under this section.

(2) "Student at risk of dropping out of school" has the meaning assigned by Section 29.081.

(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish and implement an arts and humanities pilot program to provide to students at a selected high school in a participating school district courses that have been proven to enhance student academic performance and self-esteem by improving cognitive, psychological, social, and concentration skills. The commissioner shall establish the program in the six school districts in the state that have the highest number of students at risk of dropping out of school, as determined by the commissioner.

(c) The commissioner shall establish a committee composed of one administrator from each of the participating school districts to administer the program.

(d) Each member of the committee established under Subsection (c) is responsible for selecting:

(1) the eligible high school campus in the district the member represents to participate in the program; and

(2) a faculty member at the selected high school to implement the program at the campus.

(e) One high school in each participating school district shall be selected to participate in the program for the 2007-2008 school year. A high school campus is eligible to participate in the program if, during the school year preceding the year of participation in the program, the median annual household income of students enrolled in the high school was less than $25,000.

(f) A high school selected to participate in the program shall provide courses in the arts and humanities as provided by this section. Classes must meet at the participating high school two or three days a week for 90 minutes after the regular class day. Not more than 10 students may enroll in a course. A participating high school shall hold an awards ceremony and showing of student artwork at the end of each semester to recognize student achievement.

(g) A student is eligible to participate in the program if the student:

(1) is a student at risk of dropping out of school; and

(2) maintains satisfactory grades and regular class attendance during the school year.

(h) The committee established under Subsection (c) shall:

(1) identify funding for the program from federal agencies and business and community organizations to pay the costs of instructor salaries, materials, supplies, and student awards; and

(2) evaluate the program by monitoring the academic progress of students participating in the program.

(i) The committee member and faculty representative from each school district shall by unanimous vote:

(1) select the courses to be offered at the high school selected for that district from the subjects provided under Subsection (k); and

(2) select the instructors for each course from professionals and artisans in the school district.

(j) The committee established under Subsection (c) and faculty representatives shall:

(1) design and complete a progress report that will monitor the performance of each student participating in the program to determine the effect of participation on the student's:

(A) regular class attendance;

(B) academic performance; and

(C) behavior; and

(2) design and complete a study at the end of the program to determine:

(A) if the program should be continued at participating high schools and expanded to additional high schools with high dropout rates during the 2008-2009 school year; and

(B) the fiscal feasibility of continuing and expanding the program during the 2008-2009 school year.

(k) The committee member and faculty representative for each school district shall select four courses to be offered each semester of the school year at the participating high school in the member's district. The courses that may be selected are:

(1) scholastic chess;

(2) bamboo arts and crafts;

(3) Native American leatherwork, beading, and weaving;

(4) capoeira;

(5) music, including piano and chorus;

(6) theater arts;

(7) dance, including flamenco, tango, hip-hop, and dance choreography;

(8) drawing;

(9) fashion tailoring;

(10) greenhouse food cultivation and culinary arts;

(11) junior statesman and model United Nations; and

(12) volunteering, including medical, elderly, and environmental volunteering.

(l) The courses chosen by a participating school during the first semester may not be repeated during the second semester.

(m) This section expires September 1, 2009.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.