Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

The present compulsory attendance law generally requires that each child between six and 17 years of age must attend school. Present law requires directors of schools or attendance supervisors to devise and recommend, and LEAs to adopt, a three-tiered progressive truancy intervention plan for students who violate compulsory attendance requirements prior to the filing of a truancy petition or a criminal prosecution for educational neglect. The interventions must be designed to address student conduct related to truancy in the school setting and minimize the need for referrals to juvenile court.<br /> <br /> This bill refers to the above-described plan as the "progressive truancy plan" instead of "progressive truancy intervention plan" and uses the terms "progressive truancy intervention," "intervention," and "truancy intervention" to specifically reference the truancy interventions of the second and third tiers of a progressive truancy plan. This bill also specifies that the first tier of the progressive truancy plan will be applicable to all enrolled students and the second and third tier of the truancy plan will be required for students who have accumulated a minimum of five days of unexcused absences. This bill changes the requirements for the first two tiers of the progressive truancy plan. This bill does not change the requirements for tier three.<br /> <br /> Tier One<br /> <br /> Under present law, tier one must include, at a minimum:<br /> <br /> (1) A conference with the student and the parent, guardian, or other person having control of the student;<br /> <br /> (2) A resulting attendance contract; and<br /> <br /> (3) Regularly scheduled follow-up meetings to discuss the student's progress.<br /> <br /> This bill changes the requirements for tier one to schoolwide, prevention-oriented supports. <br /> <br /> Tier Two<br /> <br /> Under present law, tier two is implemented if a student accumulates additional unexcused absences in violation of the attendance contract required under tier one. Tier two must include an individualized assessment by a school employee of the reasons a student has been absent from school, and if necessary, referral of the child to counseling, community-based services, or other in-school or out-of-school services aimed at addressing the student's attendance problems.<br /> <br /> Under this bill, tier two must be implemented if a student accumulates five unexcused absences as specified in the LEA's progressive truancy plan. Under this bill, tier two will include all of the components of tiers one and two that exist under present law, as described above. This bill makes corresponding changes in other provisions of law to incorporate the revisions to the tier system made by this bill.<br />