271
and the Congress on actions the District government or the
Federal Government should take to ensure implementation
of the approved Educational Plan.
(b) RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONS
WITHIN AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In the case of any rec-
ommendations submitted under subsection (a) which
are within the authority of the District of Columbia
government to adopt, not later than 90 days after re-
ceiving the recommendations, the Board, shall submit
a statement to the Commission which provides notice
as to whether the Board will adopt the recommenda-
tions.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN
REQUIRED
FOR
ADOPTED RECOMMENDATIONS.—If the Board notifies
the Commission under paragraph (1) that the Board
will adopt any of the recommendations submitted
under subsection (a), the Board shall include in the
statement a written plan to implement the rec-
ommendation which includes—
(A) specific performance measures to deter-
mine the extent to which the Board has adopted
the recommendation; and
(B) a schedule for auditing the Board’s
compliance with the plan.
272
(3) 
EXPLANATIONS
REQUIRED
FOR
REC-
OMMENDATIONS NOT ADOPTED.—If the Board notifies
the Commission under paragraph (1) that the Board
will not adopt any recommendation submitted under
subsection (a) which the Board has authority to
adopt, the Board shall include in the statement expla-
nations for the rejection of the recommendations.
(4) COMMISSION
REACTION
TO
NONRESPONSE
FROM BOARD OR REJECTION OF RECOMMENDATION.—
(A) In the instance where there is no response from
the Board at the end of 90 days the Commission shall
immediately notify, including the written rec-
ommendation submitted under subsection (a) to the
Board, the other elements of the District of Columbia
government and the Committee on Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate, the Committee on Government Re-
form and Oversight of the House of Representatives,
and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate
and the House of Representatives.
(B) The Commission may then direct the Super-
intendent to carry out such recommendation.
SEC. 210. VACANCY IN SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Board shall notify the Commission within 10 days of the
273
occurrence of a vacancy in the Superintendent of Public
Schools.
(b) Upon receipt of the notice described in (a) the Com-
mission shall, as soon as is practicable, conduct a search
for candidates for the office of Superintendent of Public
Schools and submit the names of 3 candidates to the Board.
(c) Within 30 days of the receipt of the names described
in (b) the Board shall choose one to be the Superintendent
of the District of Columbia Public Schools.
SEC. 211. IMPROVING ORDER AND DISCIPLINE.
(a) DRESS CODE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the first day of
the 1996-1997 school year, the Commission shall de-
velop and implement, through the Board of Education
and the Superintendent of Schools, a uniform dress
code for the District of Columbia Public Schools.
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—The dress code—
(A) shall include a prohibition of gang
membership symbols;
(B) shall take into account the relative costs
of any policy for each student; and
(C) may include a requirement that stu-
dents wear uniforms.
(b) COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT FOR SUS-
PENDED STUDENTS.—
274
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any student suspended from
classes at a District of Columbia Public School who
is required to serve the suspension outside the school
shall perform community service for the period of sus-
pension. The community service required by this sub-
section shall be subject to rules and regulations pro-
mulgated by the Mayor.
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall take
effect beginning on the first day of the 1996-1997
school year.
(c) EXPIRATION DATE.—This section and the member-
ship provided in section 202(a)(2)(H) shall expire on the
last day of the 1997–1998 school year.
(d) REPORT.—The Commission shall study the effec-
tiveness of the policies implemented pursuant to this section
in improving order and discipline in schools and report
its findings to the appropriate committees of Congress 60
days before the last day of the 1997–1998 school year.
SEC. 212. EXPIRATION DATE.
This subtitle shall expire on September 30, 2016.
Subtitle B—Charter Schools
SEC. 213. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this subtitle is to permit the District
of Columbia to establish charter schools to improve the edu-
275
cation of students and encourage community involvement
in education.
SEC. 214. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this subtitle—
(1) CHARTER
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘charter
school’’ means a public school that—
(A) operates under a charter granted for a
period of 5 years by the Commission on Consen-
sus Reform in the District of Columbia Public
Schools or the Board of Education of the District
of Columbia and functions independently of the
D.C. Public Schools as a local education agency
and is exempted from significant local rules that
inhibit the flexible operation and management of
public schools, but not from any rules relating to
other requirements under this subtitle;
(B) is created by a developer as a public
school, or is adapted by a developer from an ex-
isting public school, or an existing non-Public
School, and is operated under public supervision
and direction;
(C) operates in pursuit of a specific set of
educational objectives determined by the school’s
developer and agreed to by the authorized public
chartering agency;
276
(D) provides a program of elementary or
secondary or both;
(E) is nonsectarian in its programs, admis-
sions policies, employment practices, and all
other operations, and is not affiliated with a sec-
tarian school or religious institution;
(F) does not charge tuition;
(G) is governed by a Board of Trustees;
(H) complies with the Age Discrimination
Act of 1975, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, and part B of the Individuals With Dis-
abilities Education Act;
(I) admits students on the basis of a lottery,
if more students apply for admission than can
be accommodated;
(J) agrees to comply with the same Federal
and District of Columbia audit requirements as
do other elementary and secondary schools in the
District of Columbia, unless such requirements
are specifically waived for the purpose of this
program; and
(K) meets all applicable Federal and local
health and safety requirements.