House Bill 1064

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL BOARDS TO ADOPT A POLICY TO DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC PLAN FOR EACH STUDENT AND PROVIDE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLAN; TO PROVIDE DUTIES OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS UNDER THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE FOR SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR PUPILS AND PROGRAMS RELATED THERETO; TO REQUIRE PROGRAMS OF PEER MONITORING; TO PROVIDE FOR PUPIL-LED CONFERENCES AND PROVIDE GUIDELINES THEREFOR; TO PROVIDE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1.

high school.

SECTION 2. (1) The school board of each school district which includes at least one (1) middle school or junior high school with an enrollment of five hundred (500) pupils or more shall adopt a policy for each of those middle schools and junior high schools to provide a program of small learning communities for pupils enrolled in the grade level at which those middle schools or junior high schools initially enroll pupils. The policy must require:

(a) Where practicable, the designation of a separate area geographically within the middle school or junior high school where the pupils enrolled in their initial year at the middle school or junior high school attend classes;

(b) The collection and maintenance of information relating to pupils enrolled in their initial year at the middle school or junior high school, including, without limitation, credits earned, attendance, truancy and indicators that a pupil may be at risk of dropping out of middle school or junior high school;

(c) Based upon the information collected pursuant to paragraph (b), the timely identification of any special needs of a pupil enrolled in his initial year at the middle school or junior high school, including, without limitation, any need for programs of remedial study for a particular subject area and appropriate counseling;

(d) Methods to increase the involvement of parents and legal guardians of pupils enrolled in their initial year in a middle school or junior high school in the education of their children; and

(e) The assignment of:

(i) Guidance counselors;

(ii) At least one (1) licensed school administrator or his designee; and

(iii) Appropriate adult mentors,

specifically for the pupils enrolled in their initial year at the middle school or junior high school.

(2) The principal of each middle school or junior high school in which five hundred (500) pupils or more are enrolled shall:

(a) Carry out a program of small learning communities in accordance with the policy prescribed by the board of trustees pursuant to subsection (1); and

(b) Submit an annual report, on a date prescribed by the school board, that sets forth the specific strategies, programs and methods which are used to focus on the pupils enrolled in their initial year at the middle school or junior high school, including, without limitation, the program of mentoring provided pursuant to Section 3 this act.

SECTION 3. (1) The school board of each school district shall adopt a policy for each middle school and junior high school in the school district to provide a program of peer mentoring, which may include a component of adult mentoring, or pupils enrolled in the grade level at which the middle school or junior high school initially enrolls pupils. The policy must be designed to increase the ability of those pupils to successfully make the transition from elementary school to middle school or junior high school.

(2) The principal of each middle school or junior high school shall:

(a) Carry out a program of mentoring in accordance with the policy adopted by the board of trustees pursuant to subsection (1); and

(b) Submit an annual report to the school board on:

(i) The specific activities of the program of mentoring; and

(ii) The effectiveness of the program of mentoring in increasing the ability of pupils to successfully make the transition to middle school or junior high school.

(3) This section does not prohibit a middle school or junior high school from continuing any other similar program of mentoring that the middle school or junior high school currently provides in a manner that is consistent with the policy prescribed by the board of trustees.

SECTION 4. (1) The school board of each school district shall adopt a policy which allows the board to require a pupil enrolled in a middle school or junior high school in the school district to conduct a pupil-led conference between the pupil, his parent or legal guardian and his teacher to review the educational development of the pupil at least once during the enrollment of the pupil in the middle school or junior high school. The policy must include, without limitation:

(a) Guidelines for preparing the pupil to conduct the conference, including, without limitation, the appropriate structure of a conference and topics of discussion for the conference; and

(b) A method for the pupil, his parent or legal guardian and the teacher to provide an evaluation of the conference.

(2) If a pupil is required to conduct a pupil-led conference, the conference must be used as a guide for the pupil and the parent or legal guardian of the pupil to monitor the pupil's educational development. If the pupil does not conduct a pupil-led conference or if the parent or legal guardian of the pupil does not attend a pupil-led conference, the pupil is eligible for promotion to high school if he otherwise satisfies the requirements for promotion to high school.

SECTION 5. (1) The school board of each school district shall adopt the policies required by this act not later than January 1, 2011, for implementation beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

(2) On or before July 1, 2011, the school board of each school district shall provide a report to the State Superintendent of Education on the status of the adoption of the policies required by this act, including, without limitation, a plan for implementation of those policies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. On or before July 1, 2011, the State Superintendent of Education shall compile the reports and provide a report of the compilation to the Legislative Committee on Education.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.