(1) (a) Each high priority and priority local education provider shall conduct a practices assessment as described in subsection (2) of this section. Each high priority and priority local education provider's practices assessment shall consider community partnerships with state and local government agencies and community-based organizations and current practices and policies as they relate to different types of dropout students or students at risk of dropping out.

(b) Each high priority local education provider shall complete its initial practices assessment no later than June 30, 2010. Each priority local education provider shall complete its initial practices assessment no later than June 30, 2011. Following completion of the initial practices assessment, each high priority and priority local education provider shall review and update the practices assessment in accordance with timelines adopted by rule of the state board.

(c) Each local education provider that is not a high priority or priority local education provider is encouraged to conduct a practices assessment and to periodically review and update the practices assessment. A local education provider that chooses to conduct a practices assessment pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall comply with the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.

(d) If a high priority or priority local education provider has authorized one or more existing charter schools pursuant to article 30.5 of this title, each charter school shall conduct its own practices assessment in accordance with the deadlines specified in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1) and submit the assessment to the department pursuant to subsection (4) of this section. A practices assessment conducted by a charter school shall conform to the requirements specified in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) Each practices assessment, at a minimum, must address the high priority or priority local education provider's:

(a) Attendance and truancy reporting and enforcement policies and definitions;

(b) Risk factors and remedies applicable to students who are failing one or more courses, have experienced traumatic life events, or have lost academic interest or motivation and to students whose presence or actions are perceived to be detrimental to other students;

(c) Interaction with the judicial system in enforcing compulsory school attendance;

(d) Interaction with the juvenile justice system in:

(I) Assisting in administering juvenile diversion programs and coordinating supports for all students transitioning out of the juvenile justice system to aid in the continuation of the students' education, especially for those students involved in the juvenile justice system as a result of school-related violations of the local education provider's code of conduct or crimes committed on school property; and

(II) Coordinating with juvenile probation officers regarding school-related conditions of probation;

(e) Coordination with child welfare services, including but not limited to county departments of human or social services, facility schools, and other youth services providers;

(f) Grading policies;

(g) Policies for grade repetition and remediation;

(g.5) Practices relating to visual arts and performing arts education, including but not limited to the availability of courses in visual arts and performing arts, requirements for obtaining visual arts or performing arts course credits, the availability of extracurricular activities that involve visual arts or performing arts, and the high priority or priority local education provider's relationships with nonprofit or for-profit community arts organizations;

(h) Course completion requirements and policies; and

(i) Policies and practices relating to:

(I) The use of individual career and academic plans;

(II) Addressing ethnicity, language, and cultural barriers between students' homes and school;

(III) English-language acquisition;

(IV) Student acquisition of behavioral, social, and emotional skills;

(V) Students' health care needs;

(VI) Alternative and flexible educational strategies;

(VII) Family involvement and family support services;

(VIII) Expanded learning opportunity programs;

(IX) Staff development in implementing evidence-based strategies;

(X) Innovations to address barriers to school engagement and success;

(XI) Outreach services to re-engage students who drop out of school; and

(XII) Review and analysis of data regarding dropout rates, graduation rates, school completion rates, truancy rates, the number of students who are habitually truant, suspension rates, and expulsion rates.

(3) The office shall provide technical assistance to high priority local education providers to assist them in completing their practices assessments. The office may provide technical assistance to priority local education providers as allowable within available appropriations. In addition, at the request of a high priority or priority local education provider and to the extent practicable within available resources, the office shall provide a template, which includes any student data that is pertinent to the high priority or priority local education provider and to which the office has access, to assist the high priority or priority local education provider in preparing its practices assessment.

(4) Upon completing its practices assessment or any updates to the assessment, each high priority and priority local education provider shall transmit the assessment to the department for publication on the internet.