Bill Text: TX HB1741 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to a parental involvement pilot program in certain school districts.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-03 - Referred to Public Education [HB1741 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HB1741-Introduced.html

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82R7659 CAS-F
By: Walle H.B. No. 1741

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a parental involvement pilot program in certain school
districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 26.001 through 26.013, Education Code,
are designated as Subchapter A, Chapter 26, Education Code, and a
heading is added to Subchapter A to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER A. PARENTAL RIGHTS
SECTION 2. Section 26.001(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Parents are full partners with educators,
administrators, and school district boards of trustees in their
children's education. Parents shall be encouraged to actively
participate in creating and implementing educational programs for
their children.
SECTION 3. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter B to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM
Sec. 26.051. ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PILOT
PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot
program under which a participating school district shall develop a
parental involvement plan that reflects the needs of students and
their families. Parents of children enrolled in the district shall
be consulted as the district develops the plan.
(b) A school district may apply to the commissioner to
participate in the pilot program. Subject to receipt of acceptable
applications, the commissioner shall select 100 districts to
participate in the program.
(c) A parental involvement plan developed under Subsection
(a) shall:
(1) involve parents of students at all grade levels in
a variety of roles;
(2) be comprehensive and coordinated; and
(3) recognize that communication between a student's
home and school should be regular, two-way, and meaningful.
(d) A participating school district shall review and update
the district's parental involvement plan each school year and file
a copy of the plan with the agency.
Sec. 26.052. PARENT-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION AND INVOLVEMENT.
(a) To encourage communication with parents, a school in a
participating school district shall:
(1) provide age-appropriate and grade-appropriate
family kits describing:
(A) the district's parental involvement plan
developed under Section 26.051;
(B) the recommended role of the parent, student,
teacher, and school;
(C) ways for parents to become involved in their
children's school and education;
(D) activities planned throughout the school
year to encourage parental involvement; and
(E) a system to allow the parent to communicate
with teachers and the principal in a regular, two-way, and
meaningful manner;
(2) schedule at least two parent-teacher conferences
for each student during a school year; and
(3) schedule open houses at least twice during the
school year.
(b) The requirements prescribed by Subsection (a)(2) may be
satisfied by personal communication between a parent and a teacher
during an open house.
Sec. 26.053. PARENT EVENINGS. A school in a participating
school district shall aid parents in assisting a student by
scheduling regular "Parents Make the Difference" evenings at which
parents are given a report on the state of the school and an
overview of:
(1) the material students will learn;
(2) student assessment under Subchapter B, Chapter 39,
including:
(A) the subject areas in which students will be
assessed;
(B) the manner in which students will be
assessed; and
(C) the dates on which assessment instruments
will be:
(i) administered; and
(ii) readministered;
(3) what parents should expect for their children's
education; and
(4) how parents can assist in their children's
education.
Sec. 26.054. PARENT VISITATION POLICY. A school in a
participating school district may not enforce a policy adopted
under Section 38.022 in a manner that discourages a parent from
visiting the school, and may not adopt other policies or procedures
that discourage a parent from visiting the school.
Sec. 26.055. PARENT CENTER. (a) Each school in a
participating school district shall establish a parent center to:
(1) welcome parents to the school and provide parental
support and assistance;
(2) provide access to community resources to
strengthen school programs, family practices, and student
learning;
(3) provide parents access to teachers and key school
personnel; and
(4) provide students and parents with a building area
in which to establish relationships with other students, parents,
teachers, and school personnel.
(b) A parent center must contain a variety of written
materials related to student success in school, including
information explaining:
(1) instructional programs available at the school;
(2) extracurricular programs available at the school;
(3) how parents of high school students can be
involved in the decisions affecting course selection, career
planning, and preparation for postsecondary opportunities;
(4) the school's procedure for resolving parental
concerns, including how to define the problem, whom the parent
should approach first, and how to develop solutions;
(5) parental rights and responsibilities under this
chapter; and
(6) school district and school procedures.
(c) A parent center administrator shall sponsor seminars
to:
(1) inform parents of high school students about how
to be involved in the decisions affecting course selection, career
planning, and preparation for postsecondary opportunities; and
(2) inform parents of parental rights and
responsibilities under this chapter.
(d) A school in a participating district shall make a good
faith effort to recruit at least one parent support specialist, as
described by Section 26.056, to assist with the management and
operations of the parent center. If a school is unable to identify
a person to serve as parent support specialist, management of the
parent center shall be assigned to school personnel.
(e) An institution of higher education selected by the
commissioner on the basis of proposals submitted in response to a
request for proposals issued by the commissioner shall develop a
survey for a parent to complete about the parent center in a child's
school. The survey shall assess:
(1) how the centers are addressing problems in public
schools and communities; and
(2) the strengths and weaknesses of the centers.
Sec. 26.056. PARENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST PROGRAM. (a) For
the purposes of this subchapter, "parent support specialist" means
a person who serves as a liaison between teachers, other school
personnel, parents, and the community in the person's role as
manager of a parent center under Section 26.055. A parent support
specialist may be compensated or serve in a volunteer capacity. If
a school in a participating school district has a significant
percentage of students whose parents speak a language other than
English, a person selected as parent support specialist for the
school should, if practicable, be bilingual in English and the
other language.
(b) The parent support specialist program is established to
provide teachers, other school personnel, parents, and the
community with a parent support specialist to:
(1) manage a school's parent center under Section
26.055;
(2) conduct parent surveys under Subsection (c)(1);
and
(3) conduct information sessions under Subsection
(c)(3).
(c) A parent support specialist shall:
(1) conduct a survey to determine parent concerns
about the school and to solicit parents' ideas for improving the
school, including ways to foster a relationship between parents,
school, and the local community;
(2) provide the results of the survey conducted under
Subdivision (1) to teachers and other school personnel; and
(3) conduct at least two one-hour information sessions
during the school year for teachers and other school personnel to
discuss parent and community concerns about the school and to
emphasize best practices for developing strong relationships with
parents and the community.
(d) A participating school district shall either establish
a program or join with an existing provider to educate and train
persons to serve as parent support specialists. The agency shall
develop minimum standards for the program.
Sec. 26.057. COMMUNITY RESOURCES. A school in a
participating school district shall take advantage of community
resources by:
(1) contacting alumni from the school and creating an
alumni advisory commission to provide advice and guidance for
school improvement; and
(2) engaging in partnership with institutions of
higher education located in the community.
Sec. 26.058. RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules as
necessary to implement this subchapter.
Sec. 26.059. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September
1, 2015.
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012
school year.
SECTION 5. 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, 2011.