Text: HF00283 Text: HF00285 Text: HF00200 - HF00299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 279.51, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code
1 2 1997, is amended by striking the paragraph and inserting in
1 3 lieu thereof the following:
1 4 c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and for
1 5 each fiscal year thereafter, two million eight hundred
1 6 thousand dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated
1 7 as provided in this lettered paragraph.
1 8 (1) Grants shall be made available to school districts for
1 9 the establishment or continuation of student assistance
1 10 programs. The funds shall be allocated to school districts
1 11 which receive approval for project grants pursuant to an
1 12 application form to be developed and reviewed by the
1 13 department of education. The purpose of the project is to
1 14 administer a systemic kindergarten through grade twelve
1 15 prevention and intervention program designed to effect a
1 16 positive change in at-risk student behavior, including but not
1 17 limited to, dropping out of school; alcohol, tobacco, and
1 18 other drug use; poor academic performance or poor coping
1 19 skills; and gang membership. Student assistance teams shall
1 20 be comprised of school faculty and may include support staff,
1 21 parents, students, and other volunteers. The teams shall meet
1 22 on a regular basis to evaluate at-risk student behavior
1 23 suggesting a need for intervention, and to implement
1 24 appropriate strategies designed to redirect students toward
1 25 more positive behavior, or make referrals for area education
1 26 agency testing, professional counseling, or treatment.
1 27 (2) The department of education, in conjunction with each
1 28 area education agency, shall coordinate the development of a
1 29 comprehensive, research-based training program to be offered
1 30 annually to school districts within each region for team
1 31 development or training. The department shall coordinate the
1 32 selection of team trainers. Trainers shall be recognized
1 33 experts in student assistance program administration, and
1 34 shall be selected by the department based upon input from area
1 35 education agency faculty and at-risk advisory committees.
2 1 Each area education agency shall be responsible for
2 2 administering project training to team members utilizing the
2 3 funds appropriated in paragraph "a".
2 4 (3) The department shall identify or develop evaluation
2 5 tools designed to measure the effectiveness of student
2 6 assistance program teams in reducing at-risk behavior,
2 7 utilizing funds appropriated under this lettered paragraph.
2 8 Evaluation results shall be reported by each school district
2 9 receiving project grants to the department on an annual basis
2 10 and the reports shall be submitted to the general assembly.
2 11 (4) The department shall take notice that federal drug-
2 12 free schools moneys pursuant to the federal Safe and Drug-Free
2 13 Schools and Communities Act, 20 U.S.C. } 7101, may be used to
2 14 supplement the state funds allocated in this lettered
2 15 paragraph for the financing of local student assistance
2 16 program teams, which may include student-centered activities,
2 17 parent involvement programs, and stipends for team personnel
2 18 as allowed by the federal Act. School districts may utilize
2 19 the state funds allocated in this lettered paragraph to
2 20 provide for substitute teaching staff during training sessions
2 21 for faculty who are student assistance program team members,
2 22 or alternatively provide stipends to faculty for training
2 23 conducted during periods when school is not in session.
2 24 (5) State funds allocated in this lettered paragraph which
2 25 remain after the payment of staff development costs and the
2 26 development of the evaluation mechanism shall by allocated on
2 27 a per-pupil basis by rule in the same manner as are drug-free
2 28 schools funds received pursuant to the federal Safe and Drug-
2 29 Free Schools and Communities Act.
2 30 Sec. 2. The department shall adopt rules relating to
2 31 implementation of this Act prior to the July 1, 1998, funding
2 32 implementation date.
2 33 EXPLANATION
2 34 This bill provides for the establishment of student
2 35 assistance programs designed to develop and train student
3 1 assistance program teams to engage in student at-risk behavior
3 2 prevention and intervention. Identified at-risk behaviors
3 3 include, but are not limited to, dropping out of school; poor
3 4 grades or poor coping skills; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug
3 5 use; and gang membership. Teams may be comprised of school
3 6 faculty, support staff, parents, students, and other
3 7 volunteers. Teams will be trained at the regional area
3 8 education agency for their school district by recognized
3 9 experts in student assistance programs selected by the
3 10 department of education with input from faculty and area
3 11 education agency at-risk advisory committees. Training will
3 12 be financed with a portion set aside from the funds in this
3 13 paragraph. The department of education is directed to
3 14 identify or develop an evaluation mechanism to assess project
3 15 effectiveness, and to relay annual assessment reports from
3 16 school districts receiving project grants to the general
3 17 assembly.
3 18 The projects will be financed starting in the fiscal year
3 19 beginning July 1, 1998, utilizing the $2.8 million
3 20 appropriation for school-based youth services education
3 21 contained in section 279.51, subsection 1, paragraph "c", as
3 22 amended in this bill. After paying administration and trainer
3 23 costs and the cost of evaluation mechanism development and
3 24 implementation, remaining funds shall be allocated to each
3 25 school district on a per-pupil basis in the same manner as
3 26 federal funds are distributed pursuant to the federal Safe and
3 27 Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The bill provides for
3 28 the payment of stipends to faculty, or the furnishing of
3 29 substitute teaching staff, during periods when training is
3 30 taking place.
3 31 The department is directed to develop rules for project
3 32 implementation prior to the July 1, 1998, funding
3 33 implementation date.
3 34 LSB 1258YH 77
3 35 rn/sc/14.2
Text: HF00283 Text: HF00285 Text: HF00200 - HF00299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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