PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 967 PRINTER'S NO. 3572
No. 893 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GEIST, BAKER, BARD, BATTISTO, BELARDI, BROWNE,
BUXTON, CLARK, CORRIGAN, DALEY, FICHTER, GIGLIOTTI, HARHAI,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN, MAHER, ORIE,
PESCI, PHILLIPS, PIPPY, PLATTS, READSHAW, ROBERTS, SAINATO,
SAYLOR, SERAFINI, SEYFERT, STERN, SURRA, TIGUE, TULLI, WALKO,
WILT AND ZUG, MARCH 15, 1999
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 16, 2000
AN ACT
1 Providing for the establishment of pilot educational boot camp
2 programs; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Educational
7 Boot Camp Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION." A SOUND EDUCATIONAL COURSE OF STUDY <--
13 CONSISTENT WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS.
14 "Boot camp personnel." Persons who have been honorably
15 discharged from the United States Armed Forces OR WHO ARE OR <--
1 HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED WITHOUT DISMISSAL FOR CAUSE BY ANY AGENCY OF
2 LAW ENFORCEMENT OR CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, have an
3 instructional specialty, ARE LICENSED TO TEACH IN THIS <--
4 COMMONWEALTH and are responsible for supervising activities and
5 providing ACADEMIC instruction. <--
6 "Department." The Department of Education of the
7 Commonwealth.
8 "Educational boot camp." A program AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION <--
9 PROGRAM PURSUANT TO SECTION 1901-C(1) OF THE ACT OF MARCH 10,
10 1949 (P.L.30, NO.14), KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949,
11 OPERATED BY A SCHOOL ENTITY in which eligible students are
12 provided with rigorous physical activity, intensive
13 regimentation, discipline and continuing academic studies <--
14 INSTRUCTION under the direct supervision of boot camp personnel. <--
15 "Eligible student." A student in grades seven through 12,
16 identified by the school entity, WHO IS A DISRUPTIVE STUDENT AS <--
17 DEFINED IN SECTION 1901-C(5) OF THE ACT OF MARCH 10, 1949
18 (P.L.30, NO.14), KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949, AND
19 who has failed to comply with disciplinary policies established
20 by the school entity.
21 "LICENSED TO TEACH." HOLDING A VALID PENNSYLVANIA TEACHING <--
22 CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN ACCORDANCE
23 WITH LAW.
24 "School entity." A school district or area vocational-
25 technical school.
26 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
27 Section 3. Educational boot camp program.
28 (a) Establishment.--
29 (1) The board of school directors of any school district <--
30 may establish an educational boot camp program.
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1 (2) (1) The board of school directors of any school <--
2 district, consistent with section 1106 of the act of March
3 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of
4 1949, may SHALL hire necessary boot camp personnel. <--
5 (3) (2) The board of school directors of any school <--
6 district may SHALL select a site on property presently owned <--
7 by the school district that is adequate to provide education
8 for the number of students identified by the school entity.
9 (b) Program objectives.--The following shall be the
10 objectives of the program:
11 (1) To protect the health and safety of the general
12 student population by providing a program for eligible
13 students which will promote proper classroom behavior and
14 reduce recidivism.
15 (2) To provide an alternative placement for eligible
16 students who ordinarily would face suspension or expulsion
17 from school.
18 (3) To provide discipline and academic instruction for
19 eligible students.
20 (4) To utilize the experience and expertise of honorably
21 discharged members of the United States Armed Forces.
22 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
23 The secretary shall have the duty to promulgate guidelines,
24 which shall include, but not be limited to, programming,
25 supervision, ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION and administration. The <--
26 department shall provide 12 weeks of intensive training for all
27 boot camp personnel. The training shall include pedagogical
28 instruction.
29 Section 5. Certification of boot camp personnel. <--
30 (a) Waiver.--The secretary shall have the authority to waive
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1 certification requirements for individuals who successfully
2 complete educational boot camp personnel training.
3 (b) Pursuit of certification.--Boot camp personnel must
4 pursue teacher certification through an approved teacher
5 certification program and must obtain certification within six
6 years of the date of initial employment.
7 Section 6 5. Pilot project. <--
8 (a) Grants.--The department shall make available one-time
9 grants for pilot educational boot camp projects in the 1997-1998
10 school year. The grants shall provide start-up funding which may
11 be used for boot camp personnel training, supplies or education
12 materials. A grant shall not exceed $25,000.
13 (b) Evaluation.--The department shall monitor and evaluate
14 the educational boot camp programs to ensure that the
15 programmatic objectives are met. The department shall present
16 annual reports of the evaluations to the Education Committee of
17 the Senate and the Education Committee of the House of
18 Representatives no later than February 1 of each year.
19 Section 7 6. Appropriation. <--
20 The sum of $200,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
21 is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education for grants
22 for pilot educational boot camp projects under this act.
23 Section 8 7. Effective date. <--
24 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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