Multiple Agencies
A Report on Safe Schools
August 1999
Report No. 99-049
Overall Conclusion
As implemented, the programs designed to make Texas public schools safe do not guarantee that violent students are removed and educated. The Safe Schools Act (Act), which created juvenile justice and disciplinary alternative education programs (JJAEPs and DAEPs), was passed to remove disruptive and violent students from public classrooms and to ensure that they are educated.
Key Facts and Findings
- School officials do not consistently remove violent students to alternative education programs as the Act requires. For example, at least 850 incidents during the 1997-1998 school year did not result in expulsions to JJAEPs. These 850 on-campus incidents included 255 incidents with illegal knives, 218 with weapons (which may include weapons such as explosives, machine guns, and brass knuckles), 196 incidents of aggravated assault, and 74 incidents with firearms.
- The academic progress of many students in alternative education programs is not measured. Because of insufficient data, we do not know if students in alternative education programs continue to learn or improve their behavior.
- Special education, minority, poor, and at-risk students are disproportionately represented in alternative education programs. The percentage of students in DAEPs eligible to receive special education services was twice that of regular Texas schools. Also, 66 percent of DAEP students were minorities, 55 percent were economically disadvantaged, and 60 percent were at risk of dropping out of school.
- Some school districts that expelled students to JJAEPs continued to report them as eligible for Foundation School Program funding, although state law says they were ineligible. As a result, districts could owe the State $1.4 million in reimbursements.