PRINTER'S NO. 917
No. 834 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY ITKIN, E. Z. TAYLOR, BILLOW, DeWEESE, STEIGHNER,
STEELMAN, GIGLIOTTI, COLAIZZO, WILLIAMS, HARPER, BELARDI,
PRESTON, KRUSZEWSKI, OLASZ, HALUSKA, STABACK, PESCI,
LEVDANSKY, STISH, JAROLIN, THOMAS, MELIO, SALOOM, KASUNIC,
FARGO, VROON, RAYMOND AND HERSHEY, MARCH 18, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 18, 1991
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for parent-school
6 conferences for students whose educational performances are
7 below the established standard; and imposing a fine for
8 conference nonattendance.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
12 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
13 section to read:
14 Section 290.2. Parent-School Conferences.--To further
15 implement the purpose of this subdivision, each school district
16 shall evaluate the tests administered under section 290.1. For
17 each student failing to achieve mastery level performance on the
18 basic competency test at grade levels third, sixth and eighth,
19 within thirty (30) days of the test results being known, each
1 school district shall evaluate the student and develop an
2 academic skills plan to assist the student in achieving mastery
3 of the basic skills in subject areas where performance is below
4 mastery level. Once the academic skills plan is developed, a
5 conference shall be organized and scheduled, within sixty (60)
6 days of the test results being known, with the student's school
7 principal, the student's teachers, the student's counselor and
8 any other necessary person to present the plan to the student
9 and the student's parents, guardians or persons in loco
10 parentis. At the request of the parents, guardians or persons in
11 loco parentis, an individual of their choosing may attend the
12 conference with them. The conference shall be held at a
13 reasonable time and location to be set by the student's school
14 principal who shall notify the student's parents, guardians or
15 persons in loco parentis, in writing by certified mail, return
16 receipt requested, of the conference. Failure on the part of the
17 student's parents, guardians or persons in loco parentis to
18 attend the conference or to change the date and time to one
19 which is mutually agreeable shall be a summary offense and shall
20 subject them to a penalty in the amount prescribed by a court of
21 competent jurisdiction, not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) plus
22 court costs and reasonable fees assessed by the court. The fine
23 shall be forwarded by the court to the school district attended
24 by the student and placed in a fund set up to defer the cost of
25 remedial programs for students failing to achieve mastery level
26 performance on the basic competency test.
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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