Sec. 1201. Improving secondary schools
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/bill/113/s/1094/is/section-1201A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Part B of title I ( 20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq. ) is amended to read as follows: The purposes of this section are to ensure students graduate from secondary school college and career ready and to increase graduation rates by providing grants to eligible entities to provide schools with the necessary resources to implement innovative and effective secondary school reform strategies. In this section: The term applied learning means a strategy that— engages students in opportunities to apply rigorous academic content aligned with college-level expectations to real world experience, through such means as work experience, work-based learning, problem-based learning, or service-learning; and develops students’ cognitive competencies and pertinent employability skills.
The term chronic absenteeism means a student misses— 10 percent of the school days per school year; or not less than 20 school days per school year. The term competency-based learning model means an education model in which educators use explicit measurable learning objectives to assist students to advance upon mastery of objectives as determined through relevant assessments. The term effective secondary school reform strategies means a set of programs, interventions, and activities with demonstrated effectiveness in improving the academic achievement of struggling students or dropouts.
The term eligible entity means a high-need local educational agency, or a consortia of such local educational agencies, in partnership with— 1 or more institutions of higher education; 1 or more employers or industry-related organizations; and 1 or more external partners or qualified intermediaries. The term eligible secondary school means a high school that— is eligible for funds under part A; has a graduation rate below 75 percent; does not receive grant funds under section 1116(d); and is identified as low performing based on the State’s accountability system.
The term external partner means a public or private nonprofit organization or a nonprofit charter management organization, with a demonstrated record of successful secondary school reform. The term feeder middle school means an elementary school or secondary school from which a majority of students go on to attend an eligible secondary school. The term qualified intermediary means an entity that has demonstrated expertise to build and sustain partnerships with entities such as employers, schools, community-based organizations, postsecondary educational institutions, social service agencies, economic development organizations, and workforce investment systems, to broker services, resources, and supports for youth and the organizations and systems designed to serve them.
The term struggling student means a student who— is at an increased risk for low academic achievement and is unlikely to graduate secondary school within 4 years; or a student who has dropped out of school. From the total amount of funds appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve— not more than 2.5 percent for national activities, which the Secretary shall use for technical assistance, data collection and dissemination, and evaluation and reporting activities; and not less than one half of 1 percent for the Bureau of Indian Education for activities consistent with the purposes of this section.
From the total amount of funds appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal year and not reserved under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities, based on the quality of the applications submitted, of which— not more than 25 percent of grant funds shall be used for activities described in subsection (e)(1); and not less than 75 percent of grant funds shall be used for activities described in paragraphs
(2)and
(3)of subsection
(e)and subsection (f). Grants awarded under this section shall be for a period of 5 years, conditional after 3 years on satisfactory progress on the performance indicators described in subsection (d)(2)(G), as determined by the Secretary. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications from eligible entities— serving high-need areas, such as high-poverty or rural local educational agencies; or that demonstrate partnerships with employers to provide students at participating schools with career-related experience or assistance in attaining career-related credentials. Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report including data on the entity’s progress on the performance indicators described in subsection (d)(2)(G). An eligible entity that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Each application submitted under paragraph
(1)shall include, at a minimum, a description of the following: How the eligible entity will use funds awarded under this section to carry out the activities described in subsection (e)(1). The role of each entity that comprises the eligible entity in meeting the purposes of this section, including the external partner’s capacity and record of success in secondary school reform. How the eligible entity will sustain the activities proposed, including the availability of funds from non-Federal sources and coordination with other Federal, State, and local funds. How the eligible entity conducted a comprehensive needs analysis and capacity assessment of the eligible secondary schools served by the eligible entity to identify secondary schools proposed to be served by the grant. The needs analysis and capacity assessment shall include the following: An examination of each secondary school’s data in the aggregate, and disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students described in section 1111(a)(2)(B)(x), on the following: Graduation rates and characteristics of those students who are not graduating, including such students’ attendance, behavior, expulsion rates, suspension rates, course performance, and credit accumulation rates. Rates of dropout recovery (re-entry). Rates of enrollment and remediation in institutions of higher education, in accordance with section 1111(d)(3)(B)(viii). The percentage of students who are 2 or more years over-aged or under-credited for their grade level. An examination of each eligible secondary school and feeder middle school’s data in the aggregate, and disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students described in section 1111(a)(2)(B)(x), as applicable, on the following: Student academic achievement, including the percentage of students who have on-time credit accumulation at the end of each grade and the percentage of students failing a core, credit-bearing, reading or language arts, science, or mathematics course, or failing 2 or more of any courses. The percentage of students who have an attendance rate lower than 90 percent. Annual rates of expulsions, suspensions, school violence, harassment, and bullying, as defined under State or local laws or policies. Annual, average credit accumulation. Annual, average attendance rates. Annual rates of students who move in and out of the school within a school year. Annual, average rates of enrollment in and completion of advanced coursework, including opportunities to earn postsecondary credit while in high school, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses and exams, dual enrollment, and early college. Curriculum alignment with college and career ready standards across all grade levels. The non-academic barriers that impact student achievement and the available support services to address such barriers. The number and percentage of students who do not transition from grade 8 to grade 9 and who have not transferred to and enrolled in a school outside of the local educational agency within the State or out of the State. An examination, including a description, of each eligible secondary school’s capacity to implement the school reform activities described under subsection (e)(3), including— the capacity and experience levels of administrative, instructional, and noninstructional staff; the budget, including how Federal, State, and local funds are being spent (as of the time of the assessment) and can be better spent; and the technical assistance, additional resources, and staff necessary to implement the activities identified in subsection (e)(3). An assessment of the capacity of the eligible entity to provide technical assistance and resources to implement the activities described in subsection (e). The rationale for the strategies chosen to be implemented under subsection (e), including how such strategies will address the needs identified through the needs analysis. How the eligible entity will incorporate students with disabilities, English learners, and struggling students into the activities under subsection (e). The performance indicators and targets the eligible entity will use to assess the effectiveness of the activities implemented under this section including— graduation rates; dropout recovery (re-entry) rates; percentage of students with less than a 90 percent attendance rate; percentage of students who have on-time credit accumulation at the end of each grade and the percentage of students failing a core subject course; rates of expulsions, suspensions, school violence, harassment, and bullying, as defined under State or local laws or policies; annual, average attendance rates; annual rates of student mobility; annual rates of student transfers; college remediation, enrollment, persistence, and completion rates; and percentage of students successfully— completing Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; completing rigorous postsecondary education courses while attending a secondary school; or enrolling in and completing, career and technical education, as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 ( 20 U.S.C. 2302 ) or a program that leads to an apprenticeship registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act ; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq. ). An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to— implement an early warning indicator system to help high schools and feeder middle schools, served by the eligible entity’s local educational agency, to identify struggling students and create a system of evidence-based interventions, by— identifying and analyzing the academic and non-academic risk factors that most reliably predict dropouts by using longitudinal data of past cohorts of students; identifying specific indicators of student progress and performance, such as attendance and chronic absenteeism, academic performance in core courses, and credit accumulation, to guide decisionmaking; identifying or developing a mechanism for regularly collecting and analyzing data about the impact of interventions on the indicators of student progress and performance; analyzing academic indicators to determine whether students are making sufficient academic growth to graduate secondary school in the standard numbers of years; and identifying and implementing strategies for pairing academic support with integrated student services and case-management interventions for students requiring intensive supports, which may include partnerships with other external partners; provide support and credit recovery opportunities for struggling students, including those who are over-aged and under-credited, at secondary schools served by the eligible entity by offering activities, such as— a flexible school schedule; competency-based learning models and performance-based assessments; and the provision of support services; provide dropout recovery or re-entry programs to secondary schools that are designed to encourage and support dropouts returning to an educational system, program, or institution following an extended absence in order to graduate college and career ready; provide evidence-based grade and school transition programs and supports, including through curricula alignment; and provide school leaders, instructional staff, noninstructional staff, students, and families with high-quality, easily accessible and timely information about— secondary school graduation requirements; postsecondary education application processes; postsecondary admissions processes and requirements, including public financial aid and other available private scholarship and grant aid opportunities; and other programs and services for increasing rates of college access and success for students from low-income families. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds in feeder middle schools to improve the academic achievement of students and prepare students to graduate college and career ready by— using early warning indicator and intervention systems described in paragraph (1)(A); creating a personalized learning environment; implementing a transition strategy to support the successful transition of students between grades, including encouraging collaboration among elementary, middle, and secondary school grades; providing high-quality professional development opportunities to school leaders, teachers, and other school staff to prepare staff to— address the academic challenges of students in middle grades; understand the developmental needs of students in the middle grades and how to address those needs in an educational setting; implement data-driven interventions; and provide academic guidance to students so that students can graduate on college and career ready; and implementing organizational practices and school schedules that allow for collaborative staff participation, team teaching, and common instructional planning time. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds in eligible secondary schools to implement a comprehensive approach that will— personalize the school experience by taking steps such as— creating opportunities for struggling students to receive personalized instruction, including providing a personalized sequence of instructional content and skills development, and opportunities for credit recovery; implementing competency-based learning models; and providing ongoing evaluation of student academic achievement and the necessary supports so that students graduate college and career ready; increase student engagement by providing applied learning opportunities; provide school leaders with autonomy through a flexible budget and staffing authority; implement high-quality, evidence-based professional development for teachers and school leaders, provide increased opportunities for teachers to work collaboratively, and improve instruction; improve curriculum and instruction, by— redesigning academic content and instructional practices to align with high academic standards for all students, the criteria associated with admission to and success in postsecondary education, and the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace; increasing rigor by providing opportunities to earn postsecondary credit while in high school, including through Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment, and early college; and implementing competency-based learning models; strengthen the transition between high school and postsecondary education through activities such as— providing academic and career counseling in student-to-counselor ratios that allow students to make informed decisions about academic and career options; provide high-quality college and career exploration opportunities including college campus visits; coordinating secondary and postsecondary support services, and academic calendars, to allow students to visit and take courses at institutions of higher education; and providing academic and support services, including financial aid counseling for postsecondary education; and implement not less than 1 of the following effective secondary school reform strategies to prepare students for college and a career, and to improve graduation rates: Graduation Promise Academies, which include— 9th grade academies taught by teams of teachers who work with small groups of students; career academies for upper grades; extended learning periods, such as block scheduling, to reduce the number of students for whom teachers are responsible and the number of courses students are taking at any one time; an after-hours credit recovery program; curriculum coaches who provide high-quality professional development and support; partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, community-based organizations, and community members focused on improving student achievement; and a college-going culture, including student supports and guidance. Career academies, which implement a college and career ready curriculum that integrates rigorous academics, career and technical education, and experiential learning for high school students in high-skill, high-demand industries, in collaboration with local and regional employers. Dual enrollment programs that provide dual enrollment opportunities with college credit-bearing courses, including accelerated certificate programs with community colleges or other recognized postsecondary credentials. Early college high schools that design curricula and sequences of courses in collaboration with teachers from the eligible secondary school and faculty from the partner institution of higher education so that students may simultaneously earn credits towards a high school diploma and either an associate degree or transferable postsecondary education credits toward a postsecondary degree at no cost to students or their families. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may use grant funds to— improve parent and family engagement in the educational attainment and achievement of struggling students and dropouts to be college and career ready by— leveraging community-based services and opportunities; and providing parents and families with the necessary information, including data on their child’s academic achievement and how to navigate the public school system; provide extended learning opportunities, by extending the school day, week, or year to increase the total number of school hours to include additional time for instruction in academic subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education; increase student supports through activities such as student advisories, school counseling opportunities, and one-to-one mentoring; and create smaller learning communities. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide matching funds, from non-Federal sources, in an amount equal to not less than 20 percent of the amount of grant funds awarded in the first 3 years of the grant, not less than 50 percent of the amount awarded in the fourth year of the grant, and not less than 75 percent of the amount awarded in the fifth year of the grant, as applicable. The Secretary may waive all or part of the matching requirement described in paragraph
(1)for a fiscal year for an eligible entity, on a case-by-case basis, if the Secretary determines that applying the matching requirement to such eligible entity would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (e). An eligible entity shall use Federal funds received under this section only to supplement the funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be made available from other Federal and non-Federal sources for the activities described in this section, and not to supplant such funds. The purposes of this subpart are— to raise student academic achievement by— increasing the number of teachers serving high-need schools who are qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and increasing the number of students attending high-need schools who— enroll and succeed in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and take Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations; to increase, and to support statewide and, as applicable, districtwide, efforts to increase the availability of, and enrollment in, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses, in high-need schools; and to provide high-quality professional development for teachers of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses, in high-need schools. From amounts appropriated to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall give priority to funding activities under section 1223 and shall distribute any remaining funds under section 1224. From amounts made available to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to State educational agencies having applications approved under this section to enable the State educational agencies to pay, on behalf of low-income students, part or all of the costs of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fees, if the low-income students— are enrolled in an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course; and plan to take an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination. In determining the amount of the grant awarded to a State educational agency under this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider the number of children eligible to be counted under section 1124(c) in the State in relation to the number of such children so counted in all States. A State educational agency that is awarded a grant under this section shall make publicly available information regarding the availability of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fee payments under this section, and shall disseminate such information to eligible secondary school students and parents, including through secondary school teachers and counselors. Each State educational agency desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, each State educational agency application shall— describe the Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fees the State educational agency will pay on behalf of low-income students in the State from grant funds awarded under this section; provide an assurance that any grant funds awarded under this section shall be used only to pay for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fees; and contain such information as the Secretary may require to demonstrate that the State educational agency will ensure that a student is eligible for payments authorized under this section, including ensuring that the student is a low-income student. The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section. Each State educational agency awarded a grant under this section shall, with respect to each Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course subject, annually report to the Secretary the following data for the preceding year: The number of students in the State who are taking an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course in such subject. The number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations taken by students in the State who have taken an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course in such subject. The number of students in the State scoring at each level on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations in such subject, disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students described in section 1111(a)(2)(B)(x). Demographic information regarding students in the State taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations in that subject, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, English proficiency status, and socioeconomic status. The Secretary shall annually compile the information received from each State educational agency under paragraph
(1)and report to the authorizing committees regarding the information. For purposes of this section, the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall be treated as a State educational agency. From amounts made available to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable such entities to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (e). The Secretary shall award a grant under this section for a period of not more than 3 years. The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for an additional period of not more than 2 years, if an eligible entity— is achieving the objectives of the grant; and has shown improvement against baseline data on the performance measures described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(E)of subsection (g)(1). The Secretary shall make grant payments under this section on an annual basis. In this section, the term eligible entity means— a State educational agency; a high-need local educational agency; or a partnership consisting of— a national, regional, or statewide public or nonprofit organization with expertise and experience in providing Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course services; and a State educational agency or a high-need local educational agency. Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require. The application shall, at a minimum, include a description of— the goals and objectives for the project supported by the grant under this section, including— increasing the number of teachers serving high-need schools who are qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; increasing the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses that are offered at high-need schools; and increasing the number of students attending a high-need school, particularly low-income students, who succeed in— Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and if offered by the school, pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses; how the eligible entity will ensure that students have access to courses, including pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses, that will prepare students to enroll and succeed in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; how the eligible entity will provide professional development for teachers that will further the goals and objectives of the grant project; how the eligible entity will ensure that teachers serving high-need schools are qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; how the eligible entity will provide for the involvement of business and community organizations and other entities, including institutions of higher education, in carrying out the activities described in subsection (e); how the eligible entity will use funds received under this section; and how the eligible entity will evaluate the outcome of the grant project. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from eligible entities that— are part of a statewide or districtwide strategy, as applicable, for increasing the availability of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses, in high-need schools; demonstrate a focus on increasing the availability of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses in core academic subjects; and propose to carry out activities that target high-need schools. Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out activities designed to increase— the number of teachers serving high-need schools who are qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and the number of students attending high-need schools who succeed in the examinations for such courses, including through reimbursing low-income students attending high-need schools for part or all of the cost of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fees. In addition to the activities described in paragraph (1), an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may use grant funds for— high-quality teacher professional development, in order to expand the pool of teachers in the participating State, high-need local educational agency, or high-need school who are qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, including through innovative models, such as online academies and training institutes; pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate teacher and counselor high-quality professional development in secondary school to prepare students for success in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and in institutions of higher education; coordination and articulation between grade levels to prepare students to succeed in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; purchase of instructional materials for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; activities to increase the availability of, and participation in, online Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; carrying out the requirements of subsection (g); and in the case of an eligible entity described in subsection (b)(1), awarding subgrants to high-need local educational agencies to enable the high-need local educational agencies to carry out authorized activities described in subparagraphs
(A)through (F). An eligible entity that is awarded a grant to provide online Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses under this subpart may enter into a contract with an organization to provide the online Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, including contracting for necessary support services. Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall collect and report to the Secretary annually such data regarding the results of the grant as the Secretary may reasonably require, including— the number of students served by the eligible entity enrolling in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses, disaggregated by grade level of the student, and the grades received by such students in the courses; the number of students taking an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination and the distribution of scores on those examinations, disaggregated by the grade level of the student at the time of examination; the number of teachers who are currently, as of the date of the report, receiving training to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and will teach such courses in the next school year; the number of teachers becoming qualified to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and the number of qualified teachers who are teaching Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses in high-need schools served by the eligible entity. Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall report the data required under paragraph (1)— disaggregated by subject area; in the case of student data, disaggregated in the same manner as information is disaggregated under section 1111(a)(2)(B)(x); and in a manner that allows for an assessment of the effectiveness of the grant program. From the amount appropriated for this subpart and reserved for evaluation activities in accordance with section 9601(a), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall, in consultation with the relevant program office at the Department, evaluate the implementation and impact of the activities supported under this section, consistent with section 9601, including progress as measured by the performance measures established under subparagraphs
(A)through
(E)of subsection (g)(1). Subject to paragraph (3), each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 100 percent of the amount of the grant, except that an eligible entity that is a high-need local educational agency shall provide an amount equal to not more than 50 percent of the amount of the grant. The eligible entity may provide the matching funds described in paragraph
(1)in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, but may not provide more than 50 percent of the matching funds in-kind. The eligible entity may provide the matching funds from State, local, or private sources. The Secretary may waive all or part of the matching requirement described in paragraph
(1)for any fiscal year for an eligible entity described in paragraph
(1)or
(2)of subsection (b), if the Secretary determines that applying the matching requirement to such eligible entity would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (e). Grant funds provided under this subpart shall supplement, and not supplant, other non-Federal funds that are available to assist low-income students to pay for the cost of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination fees or to expand access to Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and pre-Advanced Placement or pre-International Baccalaureate courses. In this subpart: The term high-need school means a secondary school— with a demonstrated need for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses; and that— has a high concentration of low-income students; or is designated with a school locale code of 33, 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary. The term low-income student means a student who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). .
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Sec. 1201
Improving secondary schools
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