PRINTER'S NO.  144

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

157

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, PIPPY, BROWNE, TARTAGLIONE, ERICKSON, FARNESE, WILLIAMS, WARD, BOSCOLA, COSTA, FERLO, HUGHES, BREWSTER, WASHINGTON, DINNIMAN, KITCHEN, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, STACK, YUDICHAK, EARLL, BLAKE AND SOLOBAY, JANUARY 18, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 18, 2011  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

1

Establishing a task force within the Department of Education,

2

providing for its powers and duties and providing for

3

administrative support.

4

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

5

hereby enacts as follows:

6

Section 1.  Task force on homeless children's education.

7

(a)  Establishment.--There is established within the

8

Department of Education a task force on homeless children's

9

education.

10

(b)  Composition.--The task force shall be composed of the

11

following members:

12

(1)  The Secretary of Education, who shall act as

13

chairperson of the task force.

14

(2)  The Secretary of Public Welfare or a designee from

15

the Office of Children, Youth and Families.

16

(3)  Fifteen members to be appointed by the Secretary of

17

Education, within 30 days of the effective date of this act,

 


1

to include:

2

(i)  Five representatives of local agencies assisting

3

homeless children and families, one each from

4

southwestern, northwestern, central, southeastern and

5

northeastern Pennsylvania.

6

(ii)  Four representatives from the Commonwealth's

7

public schools, one of which shall be from a charter

8

school, representing urban, suburban and rural areas of

9

Pennsylvania.

10

(iii)  Three representatives from Pennsylvania

11

intermediate units.

12

(iv)  Three representatives from Pennsylvania social

13

services organizations or advocacy organizations with

14

experience working with homeless children and education

15

issues.

16

(c)  Study.--The task force shall conduct a study of the

17

homeless child population and their educational needs in this

18

Commonwealth. The Department of Education shall develop uniform

19

forms and surveys necessary for obtaining the information

20

required for the study. The study shall include:

21

(1)  A demographic survey of homeless parents and

22

homeless youth that includes, but is not limited to:

23

(i)  length of homelessness;

24

(ii)  number of episodes of homelessness;

25

(iii)  highest educational level attained by homeless

26

parents;

27

(iv)  living situation of homeless students;

28

(v)  ages and grade levels of homeless students;

29

(vi)  school attendance rates and gaps in enrollment

30

and truancy rates;

- 2 -

 


1

(vii)  average number of school changes;

2

(viii)  access to remedial services;

3

(ix)  access to after school programs;

4

(x)  access to and use of Title I funds and all other

5

funding sources to support homeless students;

6

(xi)  drop-out rates of homeless students;

7

(xii)  standardized test scores, including State

8

standardized test scores; and

9

(xiii)  causes and signs of homelessness.

10

(2)  An assessment of the difficulties in serving

11

homeless students.

12

(3)  An assessment of different school-aged students,

13

including unaccompanied youth.

14

(4)  An assessment of barriers to serving the needs of

15

preschool children experiencing homelessness, including

16

ensuring access to early intervention services.

17

(5)  An assessment of successful strategies for serving

18

homeless students, including strategies for informing

19

parents, students and school districts of the educational

20

services available to homeless students.

21

(6)  An assessment of the relationship between homeless

22

shelters and school personnel and effective protocols to

23

serve homeless students.

24

(7)  An assessment of best practices used in other states

25

to educate homeless students.

26

(8)  An assessment of methods for the accurate

27

identification and counting of homeless students in pre-K

28

through twelfth grade, including unaccompanied youth.

29

(9)  Recommendations regarding data currently collected

30

by the department that could be desegregated on an ongoing

- 3 -

 


1

basis in regard to homelessness of children.

2

(d)  Report to the General Assembly.--The task force shall

3

issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the

4

Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Minority

5

Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of

6

Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of

7

Representatives, the chairman and minority chairman of the

8

Education Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority

9

chairman of the Education Committee of the House of

10

Representatives, and provide periodic updates of this report at

11

least once every three years. The initial report shall be

12

submitted within one year after the first meeting of the task

13

force and distributed to those State and local agencies that

14

work with homeless children, as well as to all Pennsylvania

15

school districts. Subsequent reports shall be made based on a

16

schedule developed by the task force which shall be indicated in

17

the initial report.

18

(e)  Meetings.--The task force shall meet at least once each

19

quarter and shall hold its first meeting within 60 days of the

20

effective date of this act.

21

(f)  Compensation.--Task force members shall receive no

22

compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for all

23

necessary travel and other reasonable expenses incurred in

24

connection with the performance of their duties as members.

25

(g)  Duties of department.--The Department of Education shall

26

provide administrative support, office space and any other

27

technical assistance required by the task force to carry out its

28

duties under this section, including access to all reports and

29

data required by the Federal Government to comply with Title I

30

of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public

- 4 -

 


1

Law 89-10, 20 U.S.C. Ch. 63, et seq.) and McKinney-Vento

2

Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 (Public Law 100-77, 42 U.S.C. §

3

11301, et seq.).

4

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

- 5 -