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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an after-school pilot program offered by school |
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districts to middle and junior high school students and their |
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parents to prepare students for postsecondary education and |
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training. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.0981 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.0981. AFTER-SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAMS TO PREPARE MIDDLE |
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AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND |
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TRAINING. (a) In this section, "parent" includes a person standing |
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in parental relation. |
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(b) A school district may offer an after-school program to |
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provide instruction to: |
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(1) middle and junior high school students in the |
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curriculum and skills necessary to prepare students to graduate |
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from high school and: |
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(A) enroll in and succeed at postsecondary |
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educational institutions; or |
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(B) obtain and succeed at training required for |
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an occupation; and |
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(2) parents of students participating in the program |
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to enable the parents to assist the students in graduating from high |
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school and achieving postsecondary educational or training goals. |
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(c) Before providing a program under this section, the board |
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of trustees of a school district must adopt a policy for: |
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(1) determining student eligibility for participating |
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in the program that provides for considering teacher |
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recommendations in determining eligibility; |
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(2) ensuring that parents of eligible students are |
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provided notice of the program and of the opportunity for |
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participation in the program by students and parents; |
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(3) ensuring that eligible students and their parents |
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are encouraged to attend the program; |
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(4) ensuring that the program is offered at one or more |
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locations in the district that are easily accessible to eligible |
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students and their parents; and |
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(5) measuring student progress on completion of the |
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program. |
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(d) The commissioner by rule shall: |
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(1) prescribe a procedure that a school district must |
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follow to apply for and receive funding for a program under this |
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section; |
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(2) adopt guidelines for determining which districts |
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receive funding if there is not sufficient funding for each |
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district that applies; |
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(3) require each district providing a program to |
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report student performance results to the commissioner within the |
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period and in the manner prescribed by the rule; and |
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(4) based on district reports under Subdivision (3) |
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and any required analysis and verification of those reports, |
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disseminate to each district in this state information concerning |
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instructional methods that have proved successful in preparing |
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students to: |
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(A) enroll in and succeed at postsecondary |
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educational institutions; or |
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(B) obtain and succeed at training required for |
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an occupation. |
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(e) A program provided under this section shall be paid for |
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with funds appropriated for that purpose. |
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(f) Not later than December 1, 2018, the commissioner shall |
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submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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house of representatives, and the presiding officer of the standing |
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committee of each house of the legislature with primary |
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jurisdiction over public education a written report recommending |
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whether the program under this section should or should not be |
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continued and a detailed explanation of the basis for that |
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recommendation. |
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(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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administer this section. |
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(h) This section expires September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |