Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive, matching Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants to nonprofit organizations that partner with a local educational agency (LEA) to implement a comprehensive continuum of supports and services that engage community partners in improving the academic achievement, health and social development, and college and career readiness of children that live in distressed neighborhoods with underperforming schools.
Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching Promise School grants to LEAs that partner with nonprofit organizations, and Indian or charter schools that partner with nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher education, to implement school-centered strategies and integrated student supports that leverage community partnerships to improve student achievement and development in schools with high concentrations of low-income children.
Authorizes the Secretary to renew Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants and Promise School grants if the grantees demonstrate significant success in: (1) ensuring children's school readiness; (2) improving their academic outcomes; (3) increasing their college and career readiness; and (4) improving their health, mental health, and social and emotional well-being.
Requires this Act's grantees to evaluate their programs continuously and improve them based on data and outcomes.
Directs the Secretary to evaluate this Act's grant programs and disseminate research on best practices for improving the academic achievement of children living in our most distressed communities.
Authorizes the Secretary to award matching planning grants to entities eligible for this Act's other grants.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2098 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2098
To support Promise Neighborhoods.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 2, 2011
Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Scott of Virginia)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support Promise Neighborhoods.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Between 2007 and 2009, the number of children in the
United States living in poverty increased by 2,200,000, to
15,500,000 children.
(2) According to the National Center for Children in
Poverty, the number of poor children under age 6 increased by
24 percent between 2000 and 2007. The Center also found that,
in Iowa, 20 percent of children under age 6 live in poor
families.
(3) According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), in 2008, the United States had a child
poverty rate of 20.6 percent, making the United States the OECD
nation with the fourth worst level of child poverty. Of the 4
most developed countries in the world, the United States has
the highest rate of child poverty.
(4) According to the National Center for Children in
Poverty, at age 4, children who live below the poverty line are
18 months below normal learning and achievement for their age
group, and by age 10 that gap is still present. For children
living in the poorest families, the gap is even larger.
(5) Children from low-income families are more likely to
have low levels of school engagement, to be chronically absent
from school, to have emotional and behavioral problems, and to
live in stressful home environments.
(6) By age 3, children in low-income homes will have heard
one-third as many words as children in middle-income and high-
income homes.
(7) Studies show that children who attend high-quality
early childhood education programs are less likely to repeat
grades, less likely to be assigned to special education, and
more likely to perform better on standardized tests, experience
reduced rates of teenage pregnancy, and graduate from high
school. Additionally, such children are less likely to engage
in criminal behavior and more likely to obtain employment at
higher wages. Economically disadvantaged children gain even
larger benefits from such high-quality programs.
(8) Compared with children in kindergarten from low-income
families, children in kindergarten from high-income families
live in homes with 3 times the number of books and such
children are 4 times as likely to have a computer at home.
Children from high-income families also watch far less
television and are more likely to visit museums or libraries.
(9) By the time children from low-income families enter
kindergarten, they are already 3 months behind the national
average in reading and mathematics skills, a gap that persists
through high school.
(10) A child from a middle-income family typically enters
first grade with about 1,000 hours of one-on-one picture book
reading time with parents, other relatives, or teachers, but a
child from a low-income family averages less than 100 hours of
such reading time.
(11) The percentage of households with children reporting
food insecurity (limited or uncertain access to nutritious,
safe foods) increased by 25 percent between 2007 and 2008. Poor
nutrition is linked to behavioral problems, lower educational
performance, and delayed socio-emotional development.
(12) Twenty-nine percent of high-achieving 8th graders from
low-income families complete college. This is the same rate of
college completion as low-achieving 8th graders from high-
income families.
(13) About one-fourth of all students who start 9th grade
will not graduate 4 years later. For African-American and
Latino students, that figure increases to 40 percent. A 16- to
24-year-old coming from a high-income family is about 7 times
as likely to have completed high school as a 16- to 24-year-old
coming from a low-income family.
(14) The average annual cost to incarcerate a youth in the
United States is approximately $88,000, while per pupil annual
spending for a student in kindergarten through grade 12 is
$10,000.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to significantly improve academic
outcomes, including school readiness, high school graduation, and
college entry and success of children living in our Nation's most
distressed neighborhoods, by using data-driven decisionmaking and
existing external resources to provide children in such neighborhoods
with access to a community-based continuum of high-quality pipeline
services that include access to early learning opportunities, high-
quality schools, and evidence-based practices that address the needs of
such children from birth through college and career.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms
used in this Act have the meanings given the terms in section
9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Child.--The term ``child'' means an individual from
birth through age 21.
(3) College and career readiness.--The term ``college and
career readiness'' means the level of preparation a student
needs in order to--
(A) enroll and succeed, without remediation, in
credit-bearing courses at an institution of higher
education;
(B) demonstrate the full range of knowledge and
perform the full range of workplace skills necessary to
succeed and advance in 21st century careers, such as
higher-order thinking, collaboration and teamwork, and
oral and written communication skills; and
(C) complete a program leading to an industry-
recognized credential that prepares graduates to obtain
employment with family-sustaining wages and
opportunities for advancement.
(4) Community of practice.--The term ``community of
practice'' means a group of entities that interact regularly to
share best practices to address 1 or more persistent problems,
or improve practice with respect to such problems, in 1 or more
neighborhoods.
(5) Expanded learning time.--The term ``expanded learning
time'' means using a longer school day, week, or year schedule
to significantly increase the total number of school hours to
include additional time for--
(A) instruction in core academic subjects;
(B) instruction in other subjects and enrichment
and other activities that contribute to a well-rounded
education, including music and the arts, physical
education, service-learning, and experiential and work-
based learning opportunities (such as community
service, learning apprenticeships, internships, and job
shadowing); and
(C) instructional and support staff to collaborate,
plan, and engage in professional development, including
on family and community engagement, within and across
grades and subjects.
(6) Family and community engagement.--The term ``family and
community engagement'' means the process of engaging family and
community members in education meaningfully and at all stages
of the planning, implementation, and school and neighborhood
improvement process, including, at a minimum--
(A) disseminating a clear definition of the
neighborhood to the members of the neighborhood;
(B) ensuring representative participation by the
members of such neighborhood in the planning and
implementation of the activities of each grant awarded
under this Act;
(C) regular engagement by the eligible entity and
the partners of the eligible entity with family members
and community partners;
(D) the provision of strategies and practices to
assist family and community members in actively
supporting student achievement and child and youth
development; and
(E) collaboration with institutions of higher
education and employers to align expectations and
programming with college and career readiness.
(7) Family and student supports.--The term ``family and
student supports'' includes--
(A) health programs (including both mental health
and physical health services);
(B) school-, public-, and child-safety programs;
(C) programs that improve family stability;
(D) employment programs (including those that meet
local business needs, such as internships and
externships);
(E) social service programs;
(F) legal aid programs;
(G) financial education programs;
(H) adult education and family literacy programs;
(I) family and community engagement programs; and
(J) programs that increase access to learning
technology and enhance the digital literacy skills of
students.
(8) Family member.--The term ``family member'' means a
parent (as defined in section 9101 the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), relative, or other
adult who is responsible for the education, care, and well-
being of a child.
(9) Integrated student supports.--The term ``integrated
student supports'' means services, supports, and community
resources, which shall be offered through a site coordinator
for at-risk students, that have been shown by evidence-based
research--
(A) to increase academic achievement and
engagement;
(B) to support positive child and youth
development; and
(C) to increase student preparedness for success in
college and the workforce.
(10) Neighborhood.--The term ``neighborhood'' means a
defined geographical area in which there are multiple signs of
distress, demonstrated by indicators of need, including
poverty, childhood obesity rates, academic failure, and rates
of juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration.
(11) Pipeline.--The term ``pipeline'' means a continuum of
supports and services (including pipeline services, as defined
in this Act) for children from birth through college entry,
college success, and career attainment.
(12) Pipeline services.--The term ``pipeline services''
includes, at a minimum, strategies to address through services
or programs (including integrated student supports and
wraparound services) the following:
(A) Prenatal education and support for expectant
parents.
(B) High-quality early learning opportunities.
(C) High-quality schools and out-of-school-time
programs and strategies.
(D) Support for a child's transition to elementary
school, between elementary school and middle school,
from middle school to high school, and from high school
into and through college and into the workforce.
(E) Family and community engagement.
(F) Family and student supports.
(G) Activities that support college and career
readiness, such as--
(i) assistance with college admissions,
financial aid, and scholarship applications,
especially for low-income and low-achieving
students; and
(ii) career preparation services and
supports.
(H) Neighborhood-based support for college-age
students who have attended the schools in the pipeline,
or students who are members of the community,
facilitating their continued connection to the
community and success in college and the workforce.
TITLE I--PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP GRANTS
SEC. 101. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under section 304, the
Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based pipeline that
engages community partners to improve academic achievement, student
development, and college and career readiness, measured by common
outcomes, by carrying out the activities described in section 104 in
neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income individuals and
persistently low-achieving schools or schools with an achievement gap.
(b) Duration.--
(1) In general.--Grants awarded under this title shall be
for a period of not more than 5 years.
(2) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew grants under this
title for an additional period of not more than 5 years, if an
eligible entity demonstrates significant success in--
(A) ensuring school readiness, including success in
early learning;
(B) improving academic outcomes, including academic
achievement and graduation rates;
(C) increasing college and career readiness,
including rates of enrollment in institutions of higher
education; and
(D) improving the health, mental health, and social
and emotional well-being of children.
(c) Continued Funding.--Continued funding after the third year of
the grant period shall be contingent on the eligible entity's progress
toward meeting the performance metrics described in section 106(a).
(d) Matching Requirement.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant
under this title shall contribute matching funds in an amount equal to
not less than 100 percent of the amount of the grant. Such matching
funds may come from Federal or non-Federal sources. The Secretary may
require that a portion of such matching funds come from private
sources.
(e) Financial Hardship Waiver.--The Secretary may waive or reduce
the matching requirement described in subsection (d) if the eligible
entity demonstrates a need due to significant financial hardship.
SEC. 102. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.
In this title, the term ``eligible entity'' means a nonprofit
entity in partnership with a local educational agency. Such partnership
may also include any of the following entities:
(1) An institution of higher education, as defined in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1002).
(2) The office of a chief elected official of a unit of
local government.
(3) An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined
under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
SEC. 103. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
title, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(b) Contents of Application.--At a minimum, an application
described in subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of a plan to significantly improve the
academic outcomes of children living in an identified
neighborhood by providing a pipeline that addresses the
neighborhood's needs, as identified by the needs analysis
described in paragraph (4) and supported by evidence-based
practices.
(2) A description of the neighborhood that the eligible
entity will serve.
(3) Measurable annual goals for the outcomes of the grant,
including--
(A) performance goals, in accordance with the
metrics described in section 106(a), for each year of
the grant; and
(B) projected participation rates and any plans to
expand the number of children served or the
neighborhood proposed to be served by the grant
program.
(4) An analysis of the needs and assets of the neighborhood
identified in paragraph (2), including--
(A) a description of the process through which the
needs analysis was produced, including a description of
how family and community members were engaged in such
analysis;
(B) an analysis of community assets within, or
accessible to, the neighborhood, including, at a
minimum--
(i) early learning programs, including
high-quality child care, Early Head Start
programs, Head Start programs, and
prekindergarten programs;
(ii) the availability of healthy food
options and opportunities for physical
activity;
(iii) existing family and student supports;
(iv) locally owned businesses and
employers; and
(v) institutions of higher education;
(C) evidence of successful collaboration within the
neighborhood;
(D) the steps that the eligible entity is taking,
at the time of the application, to meet the needs
identified in the needs analysis; and
(E) any barriers the eligible entity, public
agencies, and other community-based organizations have
faced in meeting such needs.
(5) A description of the data and evidence base used to
identify the pipeline services to be provided, including data
regarding--
(A) school readiness;
(B) academic achievement and college and career
readiness;
(C) secondary school graduation rates;
(D) health indicators, such as rates of childhood
obesity or other health and developmental risk factors;
(E) college enrollment, persistence, and completion
rates; and
(F) conditions for learning, including school
climate surveys, discipline rates, and student
attendance and incident data.
(6) A description of the process used to develop the
application, including the involvement of family and community
members.
(7) An estimate of--
(A) the number of children, by age, who will be
served by each pipeline service; and
(B) for each age group, the percentage of children
(of such age group), within the neighborhood, who the
eligible entity proposes to serve, disaggregated by
each service, and the goals for increasing such
percentage over time.
(8) A description of how the pipeline services will include
the following activities:
(A) Providing high-quality early learning
opportunities for children, beginning prenatally and
extending through grade 3, by--
(i) establishing or supporting high-quality
early learning opportunities that provide
children with full-day, full-year access to
programs that support the cognitive and
developmental skills, including social and
emotional skills, needed for success in
elementary school;
(ii) providing for opportunities, through
parenting classes, baby academies, home visits,
or other evidence-based strategies, for
families and expectant parents to--
(I) acquire the skills to promote
early learning, development, and health
and safety, including learning about
child development and positive
discipline strategies (such as through
the use of technology and public media
programming);
(II) learn about the role of
families and expectant parents in their
child's education; and
(III) become informed about
educational opportunities for their
children, including differences in
quality among early learning
opportunities;
(iii) ensuring successful transitions
between early learning programs and elementary
school, including through the establishment of
memoranda of understanding between early
learning providers and local educational
agencies serving young children and families;
(iv) ensuring appropriate screening,
diagnostic assessments, and referrals for
children with disabilities, developmental
delays, or other special needs;
(v) improving the early learning workforce
in the community, including through--
(I) investments in the recruitment,
retention, distribution, and support of
high-quality professionals, especially
those with certification and experience
in child development;
(II) the provision of high-quality
teacher preparation and professional
development;
(III) the use of joint professional
development for early learning
providers and elementary school
teachers and administrators; or
(IV) efforts to increase the pay
and benefits of early learning
professionals; and
(vi) enhancing data systems and data
sharing among the eligible entity, partners,
early learning providers, schools, and local
educational agencies operating in the
neighborhood.
(B) Supporting, enhancing, operating, or expanding
ambitious, rigorous, and comprehensive education
reforms designed to significantly improve educational
outcomes for children and youth in early learning
programs through grade 12, which may include--
(i) operating schools or working in close
collaboration with local schools to provide
high-quality academic programs, curricula, and
integrated student supports;
(ii) the provision of expanded learning
time; and
(iii) the provision of programs and
activities that ensure that students--
(I) are prepared for the college
admissions, scholarship, and financial
aid application processes; and
(II) graduate college and career
ready.
(C) Supporting access to a healthy lifestyle, which
may include--
(i) the provision of high-quality and
nutritious meals;
(ii) access to programs that promote
physical activity, physical education, and
fitness; and
(iii) education to promote a healthy
lifestyle and positive body image.
(D) Providing social, health, and mental health
services and supports, including referrals for
essential care and preventative screenings, for
children, family, and community members, which may
include--
(i) dental services;
(ii) vision care; and
(iii) oral and auditory screenings and
referrals.
(E) Supporting students and family members as they
transition from early learning programs into elementary
school, from elementary school to middle school, from
middle school to high school, from high school into and
through college and into the workforce, including
through specialized resources to address challenges
that students may face as they transition, such as the
following:
(i) Early college high schools.
(ii) Dual enrollment programs.
(iii) Career academies.
(iv) Counseling and support services.
(v) Dropout prevention and recovery
strategies.
(vi) Collaboration with the juvenile
justice system and reentry counseling for
adjudicated youth.
(vii) Advanced Placement (AP) or
International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.
(viii) Teen parent classrooms.
(ix) Graduation and career coaches.
(9) A description of the strategies that will be used to
provide pipeline services (including a description of the
process used to identify such strategies and the outcomes
expected, and a description of which programs and services will
be provided to children, family members, community members, and
children not attending schools or programs operated by the
eligible entity or its partner providers) to support the
purpose of this Act.
(10) An explanation of the process the eligible entity will
use to establish and maintain family and community engagement.
(11) An explanation of how the eligible entity will
continuously evaluate and improve the pipeline, including--
(A) a description of the metrics, consistent with
section 106(a), that will be used to inform each
component of the pipeline; and
(B) the processes for using data to improve
instruction, optimize integrated student supports,
provide for continuous program improvement, and hold
staff and partner organizations accountable.
(12) An identification of the fiscal agent, which may be
any entity described in section 102.
(13) A list of Federal and non-Federal sources of funding
that the eligible entity will secure to comply with the
matching-funds requirement described in section 101(d),
including other programs funded by the Department of Education,
or programs in the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of
Justice, or the Department of Labor.
(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--An eligible entity, as part of
the application described in this section, shall submit a preliminary
memorandum of understanding, signed by each partner entity or agency.
The preliminary memorandum of understanding shall describe, at a
minimum--
(1) each partner's financial and programmatic commitment
with respect to the strategies described in the application,
including an identification of the fiscal agent;
(2) each partner's long-term commitment to providing
pipeline services that, at a minimum, accounts for the cost of
supporting the pipeline (including after grant funds are no
longer available) and potential changes in local government;
(3) each partner's mission and plan that will govern the
work that partners do together;
(4) each partner's long-term commitment to supporting the
pipeline through data collection, monitoring, reporting, and
sharing; and
(5) each partner's commitment to ensure sound fiscal
management and controls, including evidence of a system of
supports and personnel.
SEC. 104. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under
this title shall use the grant funds to--
(1) implement the pipeline services, as described in the
application under section 103; and
(2) continuously evaluate the success of the program and
improve the program based on data and outcomes.
(b) Special Rule.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under
this title shall, in the 3rd year of the grant and each subsequent
year, including each year of a renewal grant, use not less than 80
percent of grant funds to carry out the activities described in
subsection (a)(1).
SEC. 105. REPORT AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
(a) Report.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
title shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary, which
shall include--
(1) information about the number and percentage of
children, family members, and community members in the
neighborhood who are served by the grant program, including a
description of the number and percentage of children accessing
each of the pipeline services;
(2) data (disaggregated by the categories described in
section 205(a)(1)) about the grant program's success in--
(A) narrowing achievement gaps and improving
student achievement;
(B) ensuring school readiness and healthy socio-
emotional development;
(C) increasing student persistence;
(D) increasing student attendance, and decreasing
incidences of violence, suspension, and expulsion;
(E) improving conditions for learning, as measured
by a school climate survey;
(F) increasing the number and percentage of family
members who participate in adult education and family
literacy programs and other community activities; and
(G) increasing secondary school graduation rates
and college entry and completion rates;
(3) information relating to the performance metrics
described in section 106(a); and
(4) other indicators that may be required by the Secretary,
in consultation with the Director of the Institute of Education
Sciences.
(b) Publicly Available Data.--Each eligible entity that receives a
grant under this title shall make publicly available, including through
electronic means, the information described in subsection (a). To the
extent practicable, such information shall be provided in a form and
language accessible to parents and families in the neighborhood, and
such information shall be a part of statewide longitudinal data
systems.
SEC. 106. ACCOUNTABILITY.
(a) Performance Metrics.--The Secretary shall establish performance
metrics relevant to the evaluation of the grant program under this
title.
(b) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate the implementation
and impact of the activities funded under this title, in accordance
with section 302.
TITLE II--PROMISE SCHOOL GRANTS
SEC. 201. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under section 304, the
Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities to implement school-centered, evidence-based strategies and
integrated student supports that leverage community partnerships to
improve student achievement and child and youth development by carrying
out the activities described in section 204 in schools with high
concentrations of low-income children.
(b) General Provisions.--The requirements of subsections (b), (c),
(d), and (e) of section 101 and section 104(b) shall apply to a grant
under this title in the same manner as such subsections apply to a
grant under title I, except that the performance metrics used for
section 101(c) shall be the metrics under section 206(a).
SEC. 202. DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.
In this title, the term ``eligible entity'' means--
(1) not less than 1 local educational agency in partnership
with 1 or more nonprofit entities;
(2) a school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that
falls under the definition of a local educational agency under
section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) in partnership with 1 or more nonprofit
organizations or institutions of higher education; or
(3) a charter school that is not a local educational
agency, operating in partnership with 1 or more nonprofit
organizations or institutions of higher education.
SEC. 203. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS; PRIORITY.
(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
title, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(b) Contents of Application.--At a minimum, the application
described in subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of the local educational agency, schools,
and students that will be served by the grant program.
(2) A description of the steps that the eligible entity is
taking--
(A) to meet the needs identified in the analysis
described in paragraph (4); and
(B) to remove any barriers that the eligible entity
has identified in meeting such needs.
(3) The designation of a site coordinator, who shall meet
nationally recognized professional development standards, and
have appropriate time, autonomy, and support to provide--
(A) leadership in building relationships and
establishing and sustaining partnerships that support
school improvement, school turnaround efforts in
accordance with section 1116 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316),
increases in student achievement, positive child and
youth development, and family and community engagement;
and
(B) effective coordination of student services at
all stages of the pipeline.
(4) An analysis of the needs and assets of the schools and
communities that will be assisted under this title. Such
analysis shall include--
(A) student data, including information about--
(i) school readiness;
(ii) achievement;
(iii) credit accumulation;
(iv) grade to grade promotion;
(v) graduation;
(vi) attendance; and
(vii) discipline; and
(B) information about the assets described in
section 103(b)(4)(B) with respect to such schools and
communities.
(5) An explanation of how the eligible entity and its
program partners will use evidence-based practice, data, and
research to leverage partnerships to implement integrated
student supports and wraparound services to--
(A) address the needs identified in paragraph (4);
(B) ensure that family members and community
members--
(i) participate in the education of their
children and become an integral part of the
school culture, school improvement, and
decisionmaking; and
(ii) promote strategies that include the
educational and financial planning that are
necessary to increase access to, and success
in, postsecondary education;
(C) enable teachers and administrators, including
early learning providers, to complement and enrich
efforts to help children--
(i) make learning gains;
(ii) prepare for graduation; and
(iii) plan for the future, including
preparing for college and careers; and
(D) coordinate and leverage other programs that
serve children, the schools served by the grant, and
the neighborhood.
(6) An explanation of the extent to which the eligible
entity and its program partners will serve or involve children
residing in the neighborhood regardless of whether such
children attend a school served by the grant (including by, as
appropriate, providing high-quality early learning
opportunities for children, beginning at birth and extending
through grade 3) by--
(A) as appropriate, carrying out the activities
described in section 103(b)(7)(A); and
(B) carrying out the activities described in
subparagraphs (B) through (E) of section 103(b)(7).
(7) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity
for measuring student outcomes and school-specific outcomes.
(8) A description of how the strategies supported with
funds under this title will be--
(A) coordinated with other programs and strategies
carried out by the local educational agency; and
(B) to the greatest extent practicable, coordinated
with other agencies, such as agencies that provide
reentry services to adjudicated youth.
(9) A description of the strategy the eligible entity will
use to--
(A) support family and community engagement; and
(B) make schools the centers of their respective
communities.
(10) A list of Federal and non-Federal sources of funding
that the eligible entity will secure to comply with the
matching-funds requirement described in section 101(d),
including other programs funded by the Department of Education,
or programs in the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of
Justice, or the Department of Labor.
(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--An eligible entity, as part of
the application described in this section, shall submit a preliminary
memorandum of understanding that meets the requirements of section
103(c).
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this title, the Secretary
shall give priority to applicants that--
(1) propose to provide a continuum of high-quality
education and student support services for children beginning
in prekindergarten and extending through high school
graduation; and
(2) propose to include significant investments in high-
quality early learning programs, consistent with section
203(b)(6)(A).
SEC. 204. USE OF FUNDS.
Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this title shall
use the grant funds to--
(1) implement the activities described in the application
under section 203; and
(2) continuously evaluate the success of the grant program
and improve the grant program based on data and outcomes.
SEC. 205. REPORT AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
(a) Report.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
title shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary, which
shall include--
(1) information about the number and percentage of children
served by the grant program, disaggregated by age, gender,
race, ethnicity, disability status, socioeconomic status, and
English proficiency;
(2) data about the grant program's success in--
(A) narrowing achievement gaps;
(B) ensuring school readiness and healthy socio-
emotional development;
(C) improving academic achievement;
(D) increasing student persistence;
(E) increasing on-time secondary school graduation
rates and college entry; and
(F) increasing student attendance and decreasing
incidents of violence, suspension, and expulsion; and
(3) other indicators that may be required by the Secretary,
in consultation with the Director of the Institute of Education
Sciences.
(b) Publicly Available Data.--Each eligible entity that receives a
grant under this title shall make publicly available, including through
electronic means, the information described in subsection (a). To the
extent practicable, such information shall be provided in a form and
language accessible to parents and families in the neighborhood.
SEC. 206. ACCOUNTABILITY.
(a) Performance Metrics.--The Secretary shall establish performance
metrics relevant to the evaluation of the grant program under this
title.
(b) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate the implementation
and impact of the activities funded under this title, pursuant to
section 302.
TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 301. PLANNING GRANTS.
(a) Purpose.--The purposes of the planning grant program
established under this section are to--
(1) enable communities to assess their needs and assets
regarding the unmet needs of children and youth;
(2) develop appropriate plans to address such unmet needs
through the provision of pipeline services; and
(3) support communities as such communities prepare to
apply for a grant under title I or title II.
(b) Planning Grants Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated
under section 304, the Secretary may reserve not more than 10 percent
for planning grants to entities eligible for grants under title I or
II.
(c) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for a
period of not more than 1 year, and such grants shall not be renewed.
(d) Application.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Contents.--At a minimum, the application described in
paragraph (1) shall describe--
(A) how the eligible entity will conduct a needs
and assets analysis;
(B) how the eligible entity will use planning grant
funds in accordance with the purpose of this Act,
including to establish a process to prioritize and
allocate resources and services to address the unmet
needs of children and youth in the community; and
(C) how the eligible entity will use planning grant
funds to become more competitive in applying for a
grant under title I or II.
(e) Limitation.--No entity may receive a grant under this section
while concurrently receiving grant funding under title I or II of this
Act.
(f) Matching Funds.--The Secretary shall require that each eligible
entity receiving a grant under this section contribute matching funds
in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the amount of the
grant. Such matching funds may come from Federal or non-Federal
sources.
SEC. 302. EVALUATION.
From the amounts appropriated under section 304, the Secretary may
reserve not more than 3 percent for a national evaluation of the
activities carried out under titles I and II. In conducting such
evaluations, the Secretary shall--
(1) direct the Director of the Institute of Education
Sciences, in consultation with the relevant program office at
the Department, to evaluate the implementation and impact of
the activities funded under titles I and II, including the
costs and benefits of such activities, relative expenditures on
different activities in the pipeline, and the impacts of such
activities on incarceration and recidivism rates of children in
neighborhoods served by grants under such titles;
(2) direct the Director of the Institute of Education
Sciences to identify best practices to improve the
effectiveness of activities funded under titles I and II; and
(3) disseminate research on best practices to significantly
improve the academic outcomes of children living in our
Nation's most distressed communities.
SEC. 303. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
From the amounts appropriated under section 304 for a fiscal year,
the Secretary may reserve not more than 5 percent for national
activities, which may include--
(1) research on the activities carried out under titles I
and II;
(2) identifying and disseminating best practices;
(3) support for the community of practice related to the
purposes of this grant, which may include technical assistance
and conferences;
(4) professional development; and
(5) other activities consistent with the purpose of this
Act.
SEC. 304. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012 and each of the 4
succeeding fiscal years.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
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