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PRINTER'S NO. 3560
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2427
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY HILL-EVANS, THOMAS, KINSEY, SOLOMON, ROEBUCK,
SCHLOSSBERG, KIRKLAND, SCHWEYER, M. QUINN, READSHAW,
FITZGERALD, RABB, D. COSTA, GILLEN, ROTHMAN, KIM, DELOZIER,
STURLA, LEWIS, QUIGLEY AND MARSICO, MAY 23, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 23, 2018
AN ACT
Establishing the Integrated Student Supports Program and the
Pennsylvania Student Supports Fund; and conferring powers and
imposing duties on the Department of Education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Integrated
Student Supports Act.
Section 2. Legislative intent.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) High school dropout rates can have a significant
negative impact on this Commonwealth's economy as determined
by the loss of generated income tax revenue and dependence on
government aid, as well as elevated risks for incarceration.
(2) Graduation rates in many Pennsylvania school
districts have fallen well below the Statewide average.
Removing academic and nonacademic barriers to learning
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through evidence-based integrated student supports helps to
reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates.
(3) The General Assembly intends to create a fund
allowing Pennsylvania public school entities to utilize
programming provided by a third-party nonprofit organization
in order to decrease dropout rates and increase graduation
rates.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Fund." The Integrated Student Supports Fund established in
section 4(c).
"Organization." The third-party nonprofit organization
designated by the department under section 4(b).
"Program." The Integrated Student Supports Program
established in section 4(a).
"Public school entity." Any of the following:
(1) A school district as defined in section 102 of the
act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
School Code of 1949.
(2) A charter school, cyber charter school or regional
charter school as defined in section 1703-A of the Public
School Code of 1949.
(3) An intermediate unit as established under Article
IX-A of the Public School Code of 1949.
(4) An area vocational-technical school as established
under Article XVIII of the Public School Code of 1949.
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Section 4. Integrated Student Supports Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Integrated Student Supports Program
is established to remove academic and nonacademic barriers to
learning as a means to enhance student academic success,
decrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates in public
elementary and secondary schools throughout this Commonwealth.
Under the program, the department may provide grants to public
school entities as provided under section 5 for students in
kindergarten through grade 12.
(b) Designation.--
(1) Within 60 days of the effective date of this
section, the Secretary of Education shall:
(i) Designate, through a request for proposal
process, an organization to serve as the provider of
evidence-based community school services to public school
entities. The organization must satisfy all of the
following:
(A) Currently operate in more than 60 public
school entities.
(B) Provide in-school and out-of-school programs
in the following areas:
(I) Social, emotional, physical and moral
development.
(II) College and career preparation.
(III) Behavior intervention.
(IV) Parental engagement and support.
(V) Student re-engagement.
(ii) Post notice of the designation on the
department's publicly accessible Internet website.
(2) This subsection shall be subject to the provisions
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of 62 Pa.C.S. (relating to procurement).
(c) Fund.--The Integrated Student Supports Fund is
established in the State Treasury. Money in the fund shall be
used to fund the grants provided under section 5. The following
shall apply:
(1) The department may transfer undistributed money not
expended, encumbered or committed from the department's
appropriation to the fund for the purpose of funding the
grants provided under this section.
(2) The fund may include:
(i) Grants, donations, contributions or gifts from
public or private sources specifically earmarked for
deposit into the fund.
(ii) Interest, dividends and pecuniary gains from
investment of money in the fund.
Section 5. Grants.
(a) Establishment of advisory councils.--Each public school
entity shall establish and manage an advisory council which
shall develop the strategic school plan for students in
kindergarten through grade 12. An advisory council shall be
comprised of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders,
including representatives from the public school entity, local
and regional industries, private philanthropic foundations,
community-based organizations and social service agencies.
(b) Provision of grants.--
(1) The department may provide grants to a public school
entity for the purpose of funding the implementation of the
approved strategic plan to provide integrated student
supports to remove academic and nonacademic barriers to
education.
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(2) A public school entity seeking funds under this
subsection must submit a strategic plan for programming for
students in kindergarten through grade 12 to the department.
Grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis, based on the
department's review of a public school entity's strategic
plan, and shall match the public school entity's proposed
investment amount in programming on a dollar-for-dollar
basis. Strategic plans submitted to the department must
demonstrate that a dedicated space exists or will exist
within the public school entity for the use of the integrated
student supports provider.
(3) Grants awarded to public school entities under this
subsection shall be used in their entirety for the
programming provided by the organization selected by the
department.
Section 6. Reports.
(a) Annual report.--The organization shall provide a report
on the progress of the organization's evidence-based programming
within each public school entity receiving a grant under section
5 to the department within one year of the effective date of
this section and annually no later than October 1 of each
subsequent year thereafter. The report shall include outcomes
for case managed students including the following:
(1) Grade promotion and graduation rates.
(2) Student attendance.
(3) Student behavior.
(4) Student academics and grade point averages.
(b) Publication.--The report shall be published annually on
the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
Section 7. Effective date.
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This act shall take effect immediately.
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