Bill Text: MO HB1170 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the Missouri Parent/Teacher Involvement Act
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-19 - Public Hearing Completed (H) [HB1170 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2014-HB1170-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BUTLER.
4789L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 161, RSMo, by adding thereto four new sections relating to the Missouri parent/teacher involvement act.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 161, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto four new sections, to be known as sections 161.950, 161.952, 161.954, and 161.956, to read as follows:
161.950. 1. The provisions of sections 161.950 to 161.956 shall be known as the "Missouri Parent/Teacher Involvement Act". The "Missouri Parent/Teacher Involvement Program" is hereby established for the purpose of providing grant awards to schools in which a majority of school staff, including administrators, teachers, counselors, and other support staff agree to develop and build trusting relationships between families and school staff, thereby increasing communication and accountability, with the goal of contributing to the academic and social success of pupils. The department of elementary and secondary education shall coordinate and administer the program. Priority for distribution of grant moneys under the program established under sections 161.950 to 161.956 shall be given to districts with Missouri assessment program scores in the lowest twentieth percentile.
2. Schools serving grades K-12 within the state shall operate parent/teacher involvement programs that meet the following requirements:
(1) At least fifty percent of the staff employed at the school site shall voluntarily agree to participate in either periodic visits to the homes of pupils or in community meetings that are held at times and locations convenient to parents and legal guardians;
(2) Prior to the commencement of home visits, a school shall establish a compact in which parents and legal guardians agree to participate in periodic home visits or community meetings;
(3) A teacher who participates in the program shall receive training in strategies for communicating effectively with parents and legal guardians and in conducting periodic home visits or community meetings. These strategies may include providing parents and legal guardians with guidance on how to reinforce educational objectives with their children at home;
(4) Teachers, administrators, counselors, and other support staff shall be compensated for their participation in home visits or community meetings at an hourly rate no less than the hourly rate derived from their regular base salary;
(5) All home visits and community meetings under the program shall be conducted by a pair or team that includes at least one staff member and, in the case of schools maintaining K-5, the classroom teacher of the pupil.
For purposes of this subsection, "community meetings" means periodic public meetings between the teacher and the parent or legal guardian held by schools for the purpose of strengthening communication between the schools and parents and legal guardians for the improvement of pupil academic achievement.
161.952. 1. Beginning with school year 2015-16, each school board shall adopt a policy on parental involvement in the schools of the district. The policy shall be designed to build consistent and effective communication between the parents and guardians of pupils enrolled in the district and the teachers and administrators assigned to the schools the pupils attend. The policy shall provide the opportunity for parents and guardians to be actively involved in the pupil's education and to be informed of the following:
(1) The importance of the involvement of parents and guardians in directly affecting the success of their children's educational efforts;
(2) How and when to assist their children or foster children in and support their children's or foster children's classroom learning activities;
(3) Techniques, strategies, and skills to use at home to improve their children's academic success and to support their children's academic efforts at school and their children's development as future responsible adult members of society.
2. The state board of education shall adopt recommendations for the development of parental involvement policies under this section.
161.954. 1. There is hereby created in the state treasury the "Missouri Parent/Teacher Involvement Program Fund", which shall consist of money appropriated for the program established under section 161.950. The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state treasurer may approve disbursements. The fund shall be a dedicated fund and, upon appropriation, money in the fund shall be used solely for the administration of sections 161.950 to 161.956.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080 to the contrary, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the general revenue fund.
3. The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be credited to the fund.
161.956. Under section 23.253 of the Missouri sunset act:
(1) The provisions of the new program authorized under sections 161.950 to 161.956 shall automatically sunset six years after the effective date of sections 161.950 to 161.956 unless reauthorized by an act of the general assembly; and
(2) If such program is reauthorized, the program authorized under sections 161.950 to 161.956 shall automatically sunset twelve years after the effective date of the reauthorization of sections 161.950 to 161.956; and
(3) Sections 161.950 to 161.956 shall terminate on September first of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the program authorized under sections 161.950 to 161.956 is sunset.
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