House File 2330 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY MASCHER Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to at=risk students by establishing a school 2 attendance task force pilot project program, requiring a 3 report, and making an appropriation. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6160HH 82 6 kh/nh/24 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.9, subsection 43, Code Supplement 1 2 2007, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 43. a. Annually prepare a report identifying federal and 1 4 state and, to the extent possible, private foundation funding 1 5 for programs that provide educational, economic, and human 1 6 services support services to at=risk students to assist and 1 7 encourage at=risk students to remain in school and graduate. 1 8 The report shall also include a comprehensive list of options 1 9 and measures schools have used to increase at=risk student 1 10 graduation rates, including but not limited to alternative 1 11 programs, support system programs, tutoring, and one=to=one 1 12 support. The department shall make the report available to 1 13 school districts on its web site. 1 14 b. Prepare a plan and a report for ensuring that all Iowa 1 15 children will be able to satisfy the requirements for high 1 16 school graduation. The plan and report shall include a 1 17 statement of the dimensions of the dropout problem in Iowa; a 1 18 survey of existing programs geared to dropout prevention; a 1 19 plan for use of competency=based outcome methods and measures; 1 20 proposals for alternative means for satisfying graduation 1 21 requirements including alternative high school settings, 1 22 supervised vocational experiences, education experiences 1 23 within the correctional system, screening and assessment 1 24 mechanisms for identifying students who are at risk of 1 25 dropping out and the development of an individualized 1 26 education plan for identified students; a requirement that 1 27 schools provide information to students who drop out of school 1 28 on options for pursuing education at a later date; the 1 29 development of basic materials and information for schools to 1 30 present to students leaving school; a requirement that 1 31 students notify their school districts of residence when the 1 32 student discontinues school, including the reasons for leaving 1 33 school and future plans for career development; a requirement 1 34 that, unless a student chooses to make the information 1 35 relating to the student leaving school confidential, schools 2 1 make the information available to community colleges, area 2 2 education agencies, and other educational institutions upon 2 3 request; recommendations for the establishment of pilot 2 4 projects for the development of model alternative options 2 5 education programs; a plan for implementation of any 2 6 recommended courses of action to attain a zero dropout rate by 2 7 the year 2000; and other requirements necessary to achieve the 2 8 goals of this subsection. Alternative means for satisfying 2 9 graduation requirements which relate to the development of 2 10 individualized education plans for students who have dropped 2 11 out of the regular school program shall include, but are not 2 12 limited to, a tracking component that requires a school 2 13 district to maintain periodic contact with a student, 2 14 assistance to a dropout in curing any of the student's 2 15 academic deficiencies, an assessment of the student's 2 16 employability skills and plans to improve those skills, and 2 17 treatment or counseling for a student's social needs. The 2 18 department shall also prepare a cost estimate associated with 2 19 implementation of proposals to attain a zero dropout rate, 2 20 including but not limited to evaluation of existing funding 2 21 sources and a recommended allocation of the financial burden 2 22 among federal, state, local, and family resources. 2 23 Sec. 2. Section 256.9, Code Supplement 2007, is amended by 2 24 adding the following new subsection: 2 25 NEW SUBSECTION. 57. If funds are appropriated by the 2 26 general assembly for the program, establish and coordinate, as 2 27 provided in section 299.25, a school attendance task force 2 28 pilot project program, create a grant application process and 2 29 application forms, develop grant criteria, and provide 2 30 technical assistance to school attendance task force pilot 2 31 project program grant recipients as provided in section 2 32 299.25. 2 33 Sec. 3. Section 279.51, Code Supplement 2007, is amended 2 34 by adding the following new subsection: 2 35 NEW SUBSECTION. 3A. Each school district shall annually 3 1 review the funding streams it utilizes to provide services to 3 2 at=risk students and returning students and for dropout 3 3 prevention, evaluate the services funded to ensure that the 3 4 funds are being used efficiently and effectively, and make 3 5 every effort to identify additional funding sources, community 3 6 or business collaborations, and other funding opportunities 3 7 and measures which could be accessed by the school district to 3 8 expand the services available to the student, make the 3 9 educational experience more meaningful to the student, and 3 10 encourage the student to stay in school and graduate. 3 11 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 299.25 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE TASK FORCE 3 12 PILOT PROJECT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. 3 13 1. If the general assembly appropriates moneys for the 3 14 establishment of a school attendance task force pilot project 3 15 program, the department of education shall establish and 3 16 coordinate a school attendance task force pilot project 3 17 program, as provided in this section to effectuate 3 18 collaborative, positive interventions for truant students with 3 19 multiple needs in order to satisfactorily fill the basic needs 3 20 of the truant student and improve the student's attendance. 3 21 The program shall provide for the establishment of school 3 22 attendance task force projects for a school year. 3 23 2. The department shall establish and administer not less 3 24 than one grant to a large school district, one grant to a 3 25 medium-size school district, and one grant to a small school 3 26 district, and districts shall be selected from both rural and 3 27 urban areas. For purposes of this section, a "large school 3 28 district" is a district with an actual enrollment of five 3 29 thousand or more pupils; a "medium=size school district" is a 3 30 district with an actual enrollment that is greater than seven 3 31 hundred fifty pupils but less than five thousand pupils; and a 3 32 "small school district" is a district with an actual 3 33 enrollment of seven hundred fifty or fewer pupils. A grant 3 34 may be awarded to a consortium of school districts. 3 35 3. The director of the department of education shall 4 1 develop grant approval criteria for the school attendance task 4 2 force pilot project program. Criteria for the selection of 4 3 grant recipients shall include but is not limited to a method 4 4 for prioritizing grant applications based on illustrated 4 5 efforts to meet the multiple needs of the truant students and 4 6 their families and a requirement that the task force members 4 7 will include representatives from the school district or from 4 8 a consortium of school districts, the office of the county 4 9 attorney, the department of human services, local police and 4 10 county sheriff's departments, and the area juvenile court 4 11 office. Evidence of excessive truancy intervention needs may 4 12 entitle a grant application to priority if the application 4 13 includes methods of amelioration of the problem through 4 14 mediation with a student and the student's parent, guardian, 4 15 or legal or actual custodian. 4 16 4. The department shall provide technical assistance to 4 17 grant recipients to establish school attendance task force 4 18 projects. 4 19 5. Grant recipients shall convene a meeting of the schools 4 20 within the area, the county attorney, and a representative of 4 21 the area juvenile court office to review the support structure 4 22 needed to improve school attendance. 4 23 6. Grant recipients shall provide the department of 4 24 education adequate assurance that district school attendance 4 25 policies will be reviewed. Successful grant recipients shall 4 26 use a local truancy intervention task force to review the 4 27 implementation of truancy provisions in this chapter. Grant 4 28 recipients shall provide the department with a final report on 4 29 the effects of the pilot program implementation. The final 4 30 report shall include recommendations for appropriate 4 31 adjustments to the truancy provisions in this chapter. 4 32 Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 4 33 general fund of the state to the department of education for 4 34 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 4 35 2009, the following amount, or so much thereof as is 5 1 necessary, to be used for the purpose designated: 5 2 For purposes of the school attendance task force pilot 5 3 project program established in section 299.25, if enacted: 5 4 .................................................. $ 250,000 5 5 The department may retain a portion of the funds for 5 6 administrative purposes. Notwithstanding section 8.33, 5 7 unencumbered or unobligated funds remaining on June 30 of the 5 8 fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated shall not 5 9 revert but shall be available for expenditure for the 5 10 following fiscal year for the purposes designated. 5 11 EXPLANATION 5 12 This bill establishes a school attendance task force pilot 5 13 project program and appropriates $250,000 from the general 5 14 fund of the state to the department of education for the 5 15 2008=2009 fiscal year for the purposes of the program. The 5 16 bill also requires the director of the department to prepare a 5 17 report on at=risk funding, and requires each school district 5 18 to annually review and evaluate the at=risk funding and 5 19 programs utilized by the school district. 5 20 The department of education is charged with establishing 5 21 and coordinating the program to effectuate collaborative, 5 22 positive interventions for truant students with multiple needs 5 23 in order to satisfactorily fill the basic needs of the truant 5 24 student and improve the student's attendance. 5 25 Project grants are to be awarded to school districts, or a 5 26 consortium of school districts, of various sizes that are 5 27 selected from both rural and urban areas. 5 28 The director of the department is directed to develop 5 29 criteria and a process for implementing school attendance task 5 30 force pilot programs. The criteria must include a requirement 5 31 that the task force members include representatives from the 5 32 school district or from a consortium of school districts, the 5 33 office of the county attorney, the department of human 5 34 services, local police and county sheriff's departments, and 5 35 the area juvenile court office. 6 1 Grant recipients shall provide the department of education 6 2 with adequate assurance that district school attendance 6 3 policies will be reviewed. Grant recipients are directed to 6 4 convene a meeting with the schools within the area, the county 6 5 attorney, and a representative of the area juvenile court 6 6 office to review the support structure needed to improve 6 7 school attendance. 6 8 Grant recipients shall provide the department with a final 6 9 report on the effects of the pilot program implementation, 6 10 including recommendations for appropriate adjustments to the 6 11 truancy provisions in Code chapter 299. 6 12 The bill also requires the director of the department to 6 13 annually prepare a report identifying funding streams for 6 14 programs that provide support services to at=risk students to 6 15 assist and encourage at=risk students to remain in school and 6 16 graduate. The report shall include a comprehensive list of 6 17 options and measures schools have used to increase at=risk 6 18 student graduation rates. The department must make the report 6 19 available to school districts on its web site. 6 20 Each school district must annually review the funding 6 21 streams it currently utilizes to provide services to at=risk 6 22 students and returning students and for dropout prevention, 6 23 evaluate the services funded to ensure that the funds are 6 24 being used efficiently and effectively, and make every effort 6 25 to identify additional funding sources, community or business 6 26 collaborations, and other funding opportunities and measures 6 27 which could be accessed by the school district to expand the 6 28 services available. 6 29 LSB 6160HH 82 6 30 kh/nh/24