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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a graduation progress committee for certain public |
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school students in the conservatorship of the Department of Family |
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and Protective Services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 33.9041 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.9041. GRADUATION PROGRESS COMMITTEE FOR CERTAIN |
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CHILDREN IN CONSERVATORSHIP OF STATE. (a) This section applies |
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only to a student in grades 7 through 12 who is in the |
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conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective |
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Services. |
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(b) For each student to whom this section applies, the |
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school district that the student attends shall establish a |
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graduation progress committee at the beginning of the student's |
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seventh grade year to ensure that the student is progressing |
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satisfactorily toward high school graduation and to recommend |
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services and assistance, as necessary, to support the student's |
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progress toward graduation. The committee shall be composed of: |
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(1) a school administrator of the district; |
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(2) a school counselor employed by the district; |
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(3) one or more of the student's teachers; |
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(4) a representative of the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services; |
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(5) as applicable: |
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(A) the student's foster parent; or |
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(B) a designated advocate described by |
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Subsection (c) if the student does not have a foster parent or if |
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the student's foster parent is unable to serve; |
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(6) as appropriate, the student; and |
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(7) any other person familiar with the student, on |
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request by the student's foster parent, the district, or the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services. |
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(c) The commissioner by rule shall establish a procedure for |
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appointing an alternative committee member if a person described by |
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Subsection (b) is unable to serve, including appointing a |
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designated advocate for the student if the student does not have a |
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foster parent or if the student's foster parent is unable to serve. |
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(d) The school district shall provide an appropriate |
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translator, if available, for a person described by Subsection |
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(b)(5), (6), or (7) who is unable to speak English. |
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(e) The school district shall ensure a good faith effort is |
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made to timely notify each person described by Subsection (b)(5), |
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(6), or (7) of the time and place for convening the graduation |
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progress committee and the purpose of the committee. The notice |
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must be: |
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(1) provided in person or by regular mail or e-mail; |
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(2) clear and easy to understand; and |
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(3) written in English, in Spanish, or, to the extent |
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practicable, in the native language of the person receiving the |
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notice. |
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(f) A student's graduation progress committee shall meet at |
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least once every six months or more frequently on request by any |
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committee member. |
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(g) Not later than the fifth school day before the date on |
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which a student's graduation progress committee is scheduled to |
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meet, the school district shall notify each of the student's |
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teachers of the meeting and invite each teacher to submit to the |
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committee in writing or in person information regarding the |
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student's academic progress and behavior and any recommendations |
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for improvement. |
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(h) At each committee meeting, a student's graduation |
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progress committee shall: |
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(1) review any information provided by the student's |
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teachers and any other information relevant to the student's |
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academic progress; |
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(2) recommend academic or behavioral support and |
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assistance for the student, as appropriate; and |
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(3) evaluate the effectiveness of any academic or |
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behavioral support or assistance provided to the student and, if |
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appropriate, adjust the committee's recommendations accordingly. |
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(i) The school district shall: |
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(1) to the extent practicable, provide any academic or |
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behavioral support or assistance recommended by a student's |
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graduation progress committee under Subsection (h); or |
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(2) identify alternative resources that may fulfill |
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the committee's recommendations. |
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(j) The school district shall prepare a report of each |
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meeting of a student's graduation progress committee and provide a |
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copy of the report to each committee member. The Department of |
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Family and Protective Services shall include a copy of each report |
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in any file maintained by the department for the student. |
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(k) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 33.9041(b), Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, a school district shall establish a |
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graduation progress committee for each student to whom that section |
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applies not later than September 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 3. This act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2017. |