Sec. 104. Competitive subgrants to improve low-performing middle grades
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A State educational agency that receives a grant under this title shall make competitive subgrants to eligible local educational agencies and eligible entities to enable the eligible local educational agencies and eligible entities to improve low-performing middle grades in schools served by the agencies or entities. In making subgrants under subsection (a), a State educational agency shall give priority to eligible local educational agencies or eligible entities based on— the respective populations of children described in section 102(c)(1) served by the eligible local educational agencies participating in the subgrant application process; and the respective populations of children served by the participating eligible local educational agencies who attend eligible schools.
An eligible local educational agency or eligible entity that desires to receive a subgrant under subsection
(a)shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the State educational agency may reasonably require, including— a comprehensive schoolwide improvement plan described in subsection (d); a description of how activities described in such plan will be coordinated with activities specified in plans for schoolwide programs under section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6314 ) and school improvement plans required under section 1116(b)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6316(b)(3)); and a description of how activities described in such plan will be complementary to, and coordinated with, school improvement activities for elementary schools and secondary schools in need of improvement that serve the same students within the participating local educational agency. An eligible local educational agency or eligible entity that desires to receive a subgrant under subsection
(a)shall develop a comprehensive schoolwide improvement plan for the middle grades that shall— include the information described in subsection (c)(2); describe how the eligible local educational agency or eligible entity will— identify eligible schools; ensure that funds go to the highest priority eligible schools first, based on the eligible schools' populations of children described in section 102(c)(1); use funds to close achievement gaps and improve the academic achievement of all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities, in eligible schools; implement an early warning indicator and intervention system to alert schools when students begin to exhibit outcomes or behaviors that indicate the student is at increased risk for low academic achievement or is unlikely to progress to secondary school graduation, and to create a system of evidence-based interventions to be used by schools to effectively intervene, by— identifying and analyzing, such as through the use of longitudinal data of past cohorts of students, the academic and behavioral indicators in the middle grades that most reliably predict dropping out of secondary school, such as attendance, chronic absenteeism, behavior measures (including suspensions, officer referrals, or conduct marks), academic performance in core courses, and earned on-time promotion from grade-to-grade; analyzing student progress and performance on the indicators identified under clause
(i)to guide decisionmaking; analyzing academic indicators to determine whether students are on track to graduate on time, and developing appropriate evidence-based intervention; and identifying or developing a mechanism for regularly collecting and reporting— student-level data on the indicators identified under clause (i); student-level progress and performance, as described in clause (ii); student-level data on the indicators described in clause (iii); and information about the impact of interventions on student outcomes and progress; increase academic rigor and foster student engagement to ensure students are entering secondary school prepared for success in a rigorous college- and career-ready curriculum, including a description of how such readiness will be measured; implement a systemic transition plan for all students and encourage collaboration among elementary grades, middle grades, and secondary school grades to support the successful transition between grades; increase community and family engagement in education in the middle grades to support student success; and provide evidence that the strategies, programs, supports, and instructional practices proposed under the schoolwide improvement plan are new and have not been implemented before by the eligible local educational agency or eligible entity; and provide evidence of an ongoing commitment to sustain the plan for a period of not less than 4 years. In making subgrants under subsection (a), the State educational agency shall— establish a peer-review process to assist in the review and approval of applications under subsection (c); and appoint individuals to participate in the peer-review process who are educators and experts in identifying, evaluating, and implementing effective education programs and practices, including— experts in areas of teaching and learning, educational standards and assessments, school improvement, in addressing the needs of students with disabilities and English language learners in the middle grades, and in the academic and behavioral supports for middle grades students; and recognized exemplary middle grades teachers and principals who have been recognized at the State or national level for exemplary work or contributions to the field. If a State educational agency, using the peer-review process described in subsection (e), determines that an application for a grant under subsection
(a)does not meet the requirements of this title, the State educational agency shall notify the eligible local educational agency or eligible entity of such determination and the reasons for such determination, and offer— the eligible local educational agency or eligible entity an opportunity to revise and resubmit the application; and technical assistance to the eligible local educational agency or eligible entity, by the State educational agency or a nonprofit organization with demonstrated expertise in high-quality middle grades interventions, to revise the application. An eligible local educational agency or eligible entity that receives a subgrant under subsection
(a)shall carry out the following: Align the curricula for grades kindergarten through 12 for schools within the local educational agency to improve transitions from elementary grades to middle grades to secondary school grades. In each eligible school served by the eligible local educational agency receiving or participating in the subgrant: Align the curricula for all grade levels within eligible schools to improve grade to grade transitions. Implement evidence-based or, when available, scientifically valid instructional strategies, programs, and learning environments that meet the needs of all students and ensure that school leaders and teachers receive professional development on the use of these strategies. Ensure that school leaders, teachers, pupil service personnel, school librarians, and other school staff understand the developmental stages of adolescents in the middle grades and how to deal with those stages appropriately in an educational setting. Implement organizational practices and school schedules that allow for effective leadership, collaborative staff participation, professional development, effective teacher instructional teaming, and parent and community involvement. Create a more personalized and engaging learning environment for middle grades students by developing a personal academic plan for each student and assigning not less than 1 adult to help monitor student progress. Provide all students, and the students' families, with information about, and assistance with, the requirements for secondary school graduation, admission to an institution of higher education, and career success. Utilize data from an early warning indicator and intervention system described in subsection (d)(2)(D) to identify struggling students and assist the students as the students transition from elementary school to middle grades to secondary school. Implement academic supports, such as effective school library programs, and effective and coordinated additional assistance programs to ensure that students have a strong foundation in reading, writing, mathematics, and science skills. Implement evidence-based or, when available, scientifically valid schoolwide programs and targeted supports to promote positive academic outcomes, such as increased attendance rates and the promotion of physical, personal, and social development. Develop and use effective formative assessments to inform instruction. An eligible local educational agency or eligible entity that receives a subgrant under subsection
(a)may use the subgrant funds to carry out the following: Implement extended learning opportunities in core academic areas including more instructional time in literacy, mathematics, science, history, and civics in addition to opportunities for language instruction and understanding other cultures and the arts. Provide evidence-based professional development activities with specific benchmarks to enable teachers and other school staff to appropriately monitor academic and behavioral progress of, and modify curricula and implement accommodations and assistive technology services for, students with disabilities, consistent with the students' individualized education programs under section 614(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1414(d) ). Employ and use instructional coaches, including literacy, mathematics, and English language learner coaches. Provide professional development for content-area teachers and school librarians on working effectively with English language learners and students with disabilities, as well as professional development for English as a second language educators, bilingual educators, and special education personnel. Provide professional development in areas that support decreasing rates of suspension and expulsion. Encourage and facilitate the sharing of data among elementary grades, middle grades, secondary school grades, and postsecondary educational institutions. Create collaborative study groups composed of principals or middle grades teachers, or both, among eligible schools within the eligible local educational agency receiving or participating in the subgrant, or between such eligible local educational agency and another local educational agency, with a focus on developing and sharing methods to increase student learning and academic achievement. In addition to the subgrants described in subsection (a), a State educational agency may (without regard to the preceding provisions of this section) make planning subgrants, and provide technical assistance, to eligible local educational agencies and eligible entities that have not received a subgrant under subsection
(a)to assist the local educational agencies and eligible entities in meeting the requirements of subsections
(c)and (d). Each subgrant under this subsection shall be in an amount of not more than $100,000 and shall be for a period of not more than 1 year in duration.
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- 20 USC 6316(b)(3)
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Sec. 104
Competitive subgrants to improve low-performing middle grades
Cite20 USC 6316(b)(3)
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