(4) Ferguson - FINAL (Amended) House 444 - Dropout Prevention

______________________________________________________________________EXPLANATION:

C

APITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW

.

[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted fromthe law by amendment.

HOUSE BILL 444

F1 9lr2093SECOND READERBy:

Delegate Rosenberg

Delegates Ferguson and Rosenberg

Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2009Assigned to: Ways and MeansA BILL ENTITLEDAN ACT concerning1

Education

–

High School Graduation

–

Dropout Prevention

2FOR the purpose of defining certain terms related to dropout prevention; requiring the3State Superintendent and Maryland State Board of Education to oversee the4calculation of dropout rates for the State; adding data indica

tors to the State’s

5annual calculations of graduation rates and dropout rates; requiring certain State6actors to highlight certain discrepancies between local school boards; setting7certain deadlines for the State Board to produce a report on the creation of a8certain student-tracking on-time graduation formula; adding certain exemptions9

to the State’s compulsory school attendance laws; increasing the age to which

10

certain persons are responsible for a child’s attendance at school;

adding specific11 judicial punishments for certain individuals charged for failing to send certain12children to school; making stylistic changes; adding a severability clause to the13law; providing a certain accommodation period for the implementation of the14collection of dropout rate measures; clarifying the applicability of the law as to15certain individuals; requiring the State Superintendent and State Board to16produce a report for the General Assembly that analyzes certain implementation17costs; delaying the effective implementation of certain provisions; conditioning18the continuance of the law on certain findings by the State Superintendent and19State Board of Education; and generally related to school dropout prevention.20BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,21Article

–

Education22Section 7-203.2 and 7-301.23Annotated Code of Maryland24(2006 Replacement Volume and 2008 Supplement)25SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF26MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:27

2

HOUSE BILL 444Article

–

Education

17-203.2.2(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.3

(2)

“A

LTERNATIVE SCHOOL

”

MEANS A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR

4

PROGRAM THAT ANNUALLY ENROLLS AT LEAST

30

PUPILS AND NO MORE THAN

250

5

PUPILS

,

HAS A SEPARATE ADMINISTRATOR OR TEACHER IN CHARGE OF THE SCHOOL

;

6

AND OFFERS A NONTRADITIONAL CURRICULUM

.

7

(3)

“C

HILDREN AT RISK

”

MEANS PUPILS IN GRADES

5

TO

12

WHO

8

ARE AT RISK OF NOT GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY ARE

9

DROPOUTS OR ARE

2

OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING

:

10

(

I

)

ONE OR MORE YEARS BEHIND THEIR AGE GROUP IN THE

11

NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS ATTAINED

;

12

(

II

)

TWO OR MORE YEARS BEHIND THEIR AGE GROUP IN

13

BASIC SKILL LEVELS AS DETERMINED BY THE

S

TATE

S

UPERINTENDENT AND

S

TATE

14

B

OARD

;

15

(

III

)

HABITUAL TRUANTS

,

AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH

(8)

OF

16

THIS SUBSECTION

;

17

(

IV

) D

ISENGAGED

,

AS DETERMINED BY INDICATORS SUCH AS

18

BEHAVIOR MARKS OR INSTANCES OF SUSPENSION

.

19

(

V

) P

ARENTS

;

OR

20

(

VI

)

ADJUDICATED DELINQUENTS

.

21

(4)

“D

ROPOUT

”

MEANS A CHILD WHO HAS CEASED TO ATTEND

22

SCHOOL

;

DOES NOT ATTEND A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL

,

TECHNICAL COLLEGE OR

23

HOME

-

BASED PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON A FULL

-

TIME BASIS

;

HAS NOT

24

GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL

;

AND DOES NOT HAVE AN ACCEPTABLE EXCUSE

25

PROVIDED IN

§

7-301(

A

)(1)

OF THIS

A

RTICLE

.

26

(5)

“D

ROPOUT RATE

”

MEANS THE PERCENTAGE OBTAINED FROM

27

APPLYING THE

D

ROPOUT RATE FORMULA

.

28

(6) (

I

)

“D

ROPOUT RATE FORMULA

”

MEANS THE NUMBER OF

29

STUDENTS IN A FOUR

-

YEAR COHORT WHO DROP OUT OF A

M

ARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL

30

DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE FOUR

-

YEAR COHORT

.

31

3

HOUSE BILL 444(

II

)

“D

ROPOUT RATE FORMULA

”

DOES INCLUDE STUDENTS

1

WHO GRADUATE ON TIME WITH A

GED

OR OTHER CERTIFICATE NOT ALIGNED WITH

2

S

TATE STANDARDS

.

3[(2)]

(7)

(i) "Four-year cohort" means a group of students who4enter ninth grade together.5(ii) "Four-year cohort" also includes a student who:61. Transfers into the group:7A. During the ninth grade of the group's first8year in high school;9B. During the tenth grade of the group's10second year in high school;11C. During the eleventh grade of the group's12third year in high school; or13D. During the twelfth grade of the group's14fourth year in high school;152. Is retained in grade; or163. Is enrolled in a GED program.17(iii) "Four-year cohort" does not include a student who:181. Dies before graduation;192. Transfers out of the group; or203. The county board confirms has permanently left21the United States.22(iv) Students retained in grade are only counted once as23members of their original cohort.24[(3)]

(8)

"Graduation rate" means the percentage obtained from25applying the graduation rate formula.26[(4)]

(9)

(i) "Graduation rate formula" means the number of 27students who graduate on time with a Maryland high school diploma divided by the28number of students in the four-year cohort.29