The following chart contains information about bills that have
been proposed during the past two sessions (2001 and 2003). As
you will see, considerable attention has been paid to defining,
quantifying, and reporting dropout statistics while conspicuously
fewer bills have intended to initiate dropout prevention programs.
Moreover, of the anti-dropout legislation that has been proposed,
most has focused on remediating students, their families, or specific
schools. Likewise, existing state programs tend to "deal
with" dropouts rather than altering the opportunity structure
at the sociological level (see TDPRS). That relatively little
attention has been paid to the structural, systemic, and ideological
underpinnings of differential educational outcomes generally,
and to dropout rates more specifically, provides compelling evidence
of the ambivalence the power elite have toward educating "other
people's children".
| Bill |
Primary Focus |
Status |
| HB 642 (2003) |
Dropout count and dropout rate |
In committee |
| HB 1518 (2003) |
Reporting of dropout rates |
Out of committee (8-1 vote in favor) |
| SB 186 (2003) |
Reporting of droput rates |
In committee |
| SB 257 (2003) |
Reporting of dropout rates |
In committee |
| SB 632 (2003) |
Reporting of dropout rates |
In committee |
| SB 1076 (2003) |
Elimination of obstacles to graduation |
In committee |
| HB 208 (2001) |
Counseling for parents of "at risk" students |
In committee |
| HB 457 (2001) |
Dropout count |
Signed-effective 9/1/01 |
| HB 580 (2001) |
Audits of dropout counts |
Left pending in committee |
| HB 1277 (2001) |
Including incarcerated students in dropout count |
Left pending in committee |
| HB 1406 (2001) |
Dissemination of class size and droput rate information |
No action taken in committee |
| HB 1783 (2001) |
Reporting of performance indicators and dropout rates |
Companion considered in lieu of committee |
| HB 2062 (2001) |
Self-paced program for students deemed to be "at risk" for dropping out |
Left pending in committee |
| SB 646 (2001) |
Dropout count |
Left pending in committee |
| SB 1072 (2001) |
Follow-up on status of dropouts |
Referred to education; left pending in committee |
| SB 1102 (2001) |
Survey to gather information about students who dropped out |
Committee report sent to Calendars |
