CS/CS/HB 173 Summary - Juvenile Justice Education Programs

• Revises the multiagency plan for career education in juvenile justice programs to include virtual education as an educational option and emphasizes high school equivalency examination preparation opportunities.

• Authorizes instructional personnel at all juvenile justice facilities to access specific student records (academic, immunization, and registration) from district school systems for students assigned to the programs.

• Establishes State Board of Education rules articulating expectations for effective education programs in Department of Juvenile Justice facilities, including assessment procedures, instructional programs, funding requirements, and transition services.

• Requires the Department of Education to ensure eligible juvenile justice students have access to high school equivalency testing and to assist juvenile justice programs in becoming high school equivalency testing centers, replacing previous GED test language.

• Creates a comprehensive accountability and program improvement process with objective student performance measures and program performance ratings for all juvenile justice education programs, with consequences for underperforming programs and removal of previous minimum threshold standards.