MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 Regular Session
To: Education; Youth and Family Affairs
By: Representative Dixon
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-92, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE IMPOSITION OF A FINE AGAINST TEACHERS, COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS ADMINISTRATORS WHO FALSIFY WRITTEN DOCUMENTS OR OTHERWISE FABRICATE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A DECISION TO REMOVE A STUDENT TO AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WRITTEN DISCIPLINARY POLICY TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS NOTIFYING PARENTS OF THEIR RIGHT TO REVIEW EVIDENCE USED TO SUPPORT A DECISION TO REMOVE A CHILD TO AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-13-92, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-13-92. (1) Beginning with the school year 2004-2005, the school boards of all school districts shall establish, maintain and operate, in connection with the regular programs of the school district, an alternative school program or behavior modification program as defined by the State Board of Education for, but not limited to, the following categories of compulsory-school-age students:
(a) Any compulsory-school-age child who has been suspended for more than ten (10) days or expelled from school, except for any student expelled for possession of a weapon or other felonious conduct;
(b) Any compulsory-school-age child referred to such alternative school based upon a documented need for placement in the alternative school program by the parent, legal guardian or custodian of such child due to disciplinary problems;
(c) Any compulsory-school-age child referred to such alternative school program by the dispositive order of a chancellor or youth court judge, with the consent of the superintendent of the child's school district;
(d) Any compulsory-school-age child whose presence in the classroom, in the determination of the school superintendent or principal, is a disruption to the educational environment of the school or a detriment to the interest and welfare of the students and teachers of such class as a whole; and
(e) No school district is required to place a child returning from out-of-home placement in the mental health, juvenile justice or foster care system in alternative school. Placement of a child in the alternative school shall be done consistently, and for students identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), shall adhere to the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. If a school district chooses to place a child in alternative school, the district will make an individual assessment and evaluation of that child in the following time periods:
(i) Five (5) days for a child transitioning from a group home, mental health care system, and/or the custody of the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services;
(ii) Ten (10) days for a child transitioning from a dispositional placement order by a youth court pursuant to Section 43-21-605; and
(iii) An individualized assessment for youth transitioning from out-of-home placement to the alternative school shall include:
1. A strength needs assessment.
2. A determination of the child's academic strengths and deficiencies.
3. A proposed plan for transitioning the child to a regular education placement at the earliest possible date.
(2) The principal or program administrator of any such alternative school program shall require verification from the appropriate guidance counselor of any such child referred to the alternative school program regarding the suitability of such child for attendance at the alternative school program. Before a student may be removed to an alternative school education program, the superintendent of the student's school district must determine that the written and distributed disciplinary policy of the local district is being followed. The policy shall include standards for:
(a) The removal of a student to an alternative education program that will include a process of educational review to develop the student's individual instruction plan and the evaluation at regular intervals of the student's educational progress; the process shall include classroom teachers and/or other appropriate professional personnel, as defined in the district policy, to ensure a continuing educational program for the removed student;
(b) The duration of alternative placement; and
(c) The notification
of parents or guardians, before a student is removed to an alternative
education program, of their right to review all evidence used to support or
justify the removal and * * * to be included
in the removal and evaluation process, as defined in the district policy.
Nothing in this paragraph should be defined in a manner to circumvent the
principal's or the superintendent's authority to remove a student to
alternative education.
(3) A teacher, counselor, principal, superintendent or other employee of a school district may not falsify a document or other written evidence, or otherwise fabricate any evidence, to support or justify a decision to remove a student to an alternative school program. A person determined to have violated this subsection is subject to the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for each referral to an alternative school program which is based, in whole or in part, upon a falsified document or fabricated evidence.
( * * *4) The local school board or the
superintendent shall provide for the continuing education of a student who has
been removed to an alternative school program.
( * * *5) A school district, in its
discretion, may provide a program of High School
Equivalency Diploma preparatory instruction in the alternative school
program. However, any High School Equivalency
Diploma preparation program offered in an alternative school program
must be administered in compliance with the rules and regulations established
for such programs under Sections 37-35-1 through 37-35-11 and by the Mississippi Community College Board. The
school district may administer the High School
Equivalency Diploma Testing Program under the policies and guidelines of
the Testing Service of the American Council on Education in the alternative
school program or may authorize the test to be administered through the
community/junior college district in which the alternative school is situated.
( * * *6) Any such alternative school program
operated under the authority of this section shall meet all appropriate
accreditation requirements of the State Department of Education.
( * * *7) The alternative school program may
be held within such school district or may be operated by two (2) or more
adjacent school districts, pursuant to a contract approved by the State Board
of Education. When two (2) or more school districts contract to operate an
alternative school program, the school board of a district designated to be the
lead district shall serve as the governing board of the alternative school
program. Transportation for students attending the alternative school program
shall be the responsibility of the local school district. The expense of
establishing, maintaining and operating such alternative school program may be
paid from funds contributed or otherwise made available to the school district
for such purpose or from local district maintenance funds.
( * * *8) The State Board of Education shall
promulgate minimum guidelines for alternative school programs. The guidelines
shall require, at a minimum, the formulation of an individual instruction plan
for each student referred to the alternative school program and, upon a
determination that it is in a student's best interest for that student to
receive High School Equivalency Diploma
preparatory instruction, that the local school board assign the student to a High School Equivalency Diploma preparatory
program established under subsection ( * * *5) of this section. The minimum
guidelines for alternative school programs shall also require the following
components:
(a) Clear guidelines and procedures for placement of students into alternative education programs which at a minimum shall prescribe due process procedures for disciplinary and High School Equivalency Diploma placement;
(b) Clear and consistent goals for students and parents;
(c) Curricula addressing cultural and learning style differences;
(d) Direct supervision of all activities on a closed campus;
(e) Attendance requirements that allow for educational and workforce development opportunities;
(f) Selection of program from options provided by the local school district, Division of Youth Services or the youth court, including transfer to a community-based alternative school;
(g) Continual monitoring and evaluation and formalized passage from one (1) step or program to another;
(h) A motivated and culturally diverse staff;
(i) Counseling for parents and students;
(j) Administrative and community support for the program; and
(k) Clear procedures for annual alternative school program review and evaluation.
( * * *9) On request of a school district,
the State Department of Education shall provide the district informational
material on developing an alternative school program that takes into
consideration size, wealth and existing facilities in determining a program
best suited to a district.
( * * *10) Any compulsory-school-age child
who becomes involved in any criminal or violent behavior shall be removed from
such alternative school program and, if probable cause exists, a case shall be
referred to the youth court.
( * * *11) The State Board of Education
shall promulgate guidelines for alternative school programs which provide broad
authority to school boards of local school districts to establish alternative
education programs to meet the specific needs of the school district.
( * * *12) Each school district having an
alternative school program shall submit a report by July 31 of each calendar
year to the State Department of Education describing the results of its annual
alternative school program review and evaluation undertaken pursuant to
subsection ( * * *8)(k).
The report shall include a detailed account of any actions taken by the school
district during the previous year to comply with substantive guidelines
promulgated by the State Board of Education under subsection ( * * *8)(a) through (j). In the report to be
implemented under this section, the State Department of Education shall
prescribe the appropriate measures on school districts that fail to file the
annual report. The report should be made available online via the department's
website to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018.