Tex.
Educ. Code Section 29.926
Agriculture Education Program
(a)
The agency shall develop an agriculture education program for elementary school students to encourage appreciation and improve students’ understanding of agriculture. In developing the program, the agency shall coordinate with:(1)
the Department of Agriculture; and(2)
nonprofit organizations with expertise in agriculture education, as identified by the agency.(b)
The agency shall develop a list of agriculture education programs approved by the agency and the State Board of Education that may be used as part of the curriculum for elementary school students. A program included on the list must be available to an elementary school at no cost to the school district or open-enrollment charter school.(1)
expanding learning options for:(A)
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs in participating school districts under Subchapter N (Definitions), Chapter 29 (Educational Programs);(B)
the Texas Regional Pathways Network; and(C)
the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program under Chapter 134 (Jobs and Education for Texans (Jet) Grant Program);(2)
supplemental instructional supports, including tutoring; and(3)
COVID-19 learning acceleration supports, including:(A)
innovation in curriculum and instruction;(B)
diagnosing student mastery;(C)
extended instructional time; and(D)
supports for teachers.(b)
The agency may take actions as necessary in implementing intensive supports under Subsection (a), including providing grants to school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and regional education service centers.(1)
$208.35 for each student enrolled in the district or charter school; and(2)
$1,290 for each student enrolled in the district or charter school during the 2020-2021 school year multiplied by the percentage of students at the district or charter school who are not performing satisfactorily, as determined under Subsection (b).(b)
For purposes of Subsection (a)(2), the agency shall determine the percentage of students not performing satisfactorily by:(1)
dividing the number of students who did not perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023 (Adoption and Administration of Instruments) by the total number of students who were administered assessment instruments under Section 39.023 (Adoption and Administration of Instruments) during the 2018-2019 school year; and(2)
increasing the resulting number under Subdivision (1) by:(A)
for the 2021-2022 school year, 40 percent; and(B)
for the 2022-2023 school year, 20 percent.(c)
The agency shall reduce the amount of the allotment that a school district or open-enrollment charter school receives under Subsection (a) by the amount that the district or charter school receives from the local educational agency subgrants under Section 313(c), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. M, Pub. L. No. 116-260, reprinted in note, 20 U.S.C. Section 3401) and Section 2001(d), American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2, reprinted in note, 20 U.S.C. Section 3401).(d)
If the allotment provided to a school district or open-enrollment charter school under Subsection (a) is reduced in accordance with Subsection (c), the agency shall provide the total allotment amount to which the district or charter school is entitled for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years to the district or charter school in an equal amount each year.(e)
An allotment provided to a school district or open-enrollment charter school under this section may not reduce funding to which the district or charter school is otherwise entitled.(f)
The agency may not provide allotments to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools under this section after the 2022-2023 school year.(g)
This section expires September 1, 2024.
Source:
Section 29.926 — Agriculture Education Program, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.29.htm#29.926 (accessed Apr. 20, 2024).
