Advanced Coursework Equity Act
This bill directs the Department of Education to establish three grant programs to increase enrollment and performance of underrepresented students in advanced courses and programs. Local educational agencies receiving grants or subgrants must use such funds for certain activities, such as conducting community engagement, expanding enrollment of underrepresented students in advanced courses, and providing direct services (e.g., tutoring) to underrepresented students.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6328 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6328
To promote equity in advanced coursework and programs at elementary and
secondary schools.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 9, 2023
Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Grijalva, Ms.
Crockett, Ms. Norton, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Espaillat, and Mr. Ruiz)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote equity in advanced coursework and programs at elementary and
secondary schools.
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 ``Advanced Coursework Equity Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to expand access to advanced courses and programs at
under-resourced elementary and secondary schools;
(2) to advance equitable enrollment practices, so that all
students who are ready to engage in more rigorous coursework
can benefit from advanced courses and programs; and
(3) to equip dramatically more students, especially
students from historically underrepresented groups, with
twenty-first century skills in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this
Act as ``STEM'') needed to succeed in college and a competitive
global workforce.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Black, Latino, and Native American students, students
with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-
income families are underrepresented in advanced programs and
courses.
(2) While 1 in 10 students in schools in the United States
participate in the Advanced Placement (AP) program, just over 1
in 20 low-income, Black, and Native American students
participate in Advanced Placement, 1 in 50 English learners
participate, and fewer than 1 in 50 students with disabilities
participate. One in 10 White students, 1 in 15 Latino students,
and 1 in 20 Black students participate in dual enrollment
programs.
(3) Taking the mathematics course Algebra 1 in grade 8 is
necessary for most students to be on track for enrolling in
advanced math courses in high school. If Black and Latino
students had a fair opportunity to participate in eighth grade
Algebra I across the country, schools would enroll an
additional 43,019 Black students and 59,452 Latino students in
eighth grade Algebra I courses. The Department of Education
reported that in the 2015-2016 school year, only 48 percent of
schools with high concentrations of English learners offered
Algebra I compared with 70 percent of schools with low
concentrations of English learner students. In the same year,
just 2 percent of English learner students nationwide were
enrolled in Algebra I in grade 8.
(4) A low-income student with reading and math achievement
levels equal to those of a high-income student is half as
likely to receive gifted services as the high-income student.
Black students are approximately half as likely as White peers
with the same mathematics and reading achievement levels to be
referred to gifted services.
(5) A major barrier for Black and Latino students and
students with disabilities to access advanced courses and
programs is the over-reliance on subjective criteria, such as
the recommendation of teachers and counselors, in the advanced
course admittance process. When Denver Public Schools
implemented universal screening for gifted and talented
programs, Latino students were identified for the program at
twice the rate as the year before.
(6) Just 1 in 12 students in the United States scored in
the top 2 proficiency levels on the 2018 PISA math assessment.
This is below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) average and less than half the rate of South
Korea, Japan, and Switzerland.
(7) Public elementary schools and secondary schools face a
$305,000,000,000 budget shortfall due to COVID-19 related tax
revenue decreases and new COVID-19 related expenses. As school
districts prepare to make drastic cuts to educational
programming, access to advanced coursework and programs is in
jeopardy for millions of students, especially students from
underrepresented groups and students attending under-resourced
schools. Additional funding and reforms are needed to maintain
and expand access to advanced coursework and programs,
especially for marginalized students in communities hit hardest
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Terms from the elementary and secondary education act
of 1965.--The terms ``early college high school'', ``elementary
school'', ``English learner'', ``gifted and talented'',
``institution of higher education'', ``parent'', ``school
leader'', ``secondary school'', and ``State educational
agency'' have the meaning given those terms in section 8101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(2) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801), and includes a public charter school that is a local
educational agency.
(3) Open enrollment.--The term ``open enrollment'' means an
enrollment mechanism through which any student that chooses to
enroll in an advanced course or program is allowed to do so,
without regard to previous academic performance or test scores.
(4) Subgroup of students.--The term ``subgroup of
students'' has the meaning given that term in section
1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2)).
(5) Universal screening.--The term ``universal screening''
means an enrollment mechanism through which all students in a
grade are screened for enrollment in advanced courses and
programs. Students that are determined to be qualified for
advanced courses or programs are automatically enrolled in
those courses or programs, unless a parent chooses to opt out a
student. The determination of which students are qualified for
advanced courses or programs--
(A) shall be made after consideration of not less
than 2 objective assessments (except that a student may
qualify based on only 1 such assessment)--
(i) that are combined in a reasoned way
that is not biased against any particular
subgroup of students;
(ii) that provide appropriate
accommodations for students with disabilities;
(iii) that may be administered not
explicitly for the primary purpose of
determining enrollment in an advanced course or
program (such as through a statewide exam that
all students in a grade will take), so long as
students with disabilities have equal access to
the assessment and are provided appropriate
accommodations in accordance with the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) and section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794); and
(iv) that may include--
(I) a standardized assessment that
provides appropriate accommodations for
students with disabilities in
accordance with the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1400 et seq.) and section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
794);
(II) a statewide, districtwide, or
schoolwide assessment; or
(III) grades from relevant courses,
a portfolio of relevant work, or class
ranking; and
(B) may be partially based upon a subjective
measure (such as a teacher's recommendation) in
addition to the required 2 objective measures.
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
(1) conduct 3 separate grant programs, by--
(A) awarding not less than 80 percent of the
amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 9
to State educational agencies to allow those State
educational agencies to award subgrants to
participating local educational agencies, including
public charter schools, to enable those local
educational agencies to carry out the activities
described in section 7;
(B) awarding not less than 15 percent of the
amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 9
to participating local educational agencies to allow
those local educational agencies to carry out the
activities described in section 7; and
(C) awarding not more than 4 percent of the amounts
authorized to be appropriated under section 9 to an
institution of higher education or other nonprofit
entity that has a demonstrated record of effectiveness
in delivering or designing advanced coursework or
programs (such as by previously executing a successful
project that was part of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and
Talented Students Education Program under section 4644
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7294)), to enable that institution or entity
to provide services to students in rural areas and
students who otherwise lack access to advanced courses
or programs; and
(2) reserve not more than 1 percent of the amounts
authorized to be appropriated under section 9 for the
Department of Education to administer the program under this
Act, provide technical assistance to grantees, evaluate
grantees' performance (as required by this Act), and
disseminate information about findings and best practices
related to the activities authorized under this Act.
(b) Application.--
(1) State educational agency.--A State educational agency
desiring to receive a grant under subsection (a)(1)(A) shall
submit an application to the Secretary during the first year of
the 3-year grant cycle, and at such time and in such manner as
the Secretary may require. The application shall include the
following:
(A) An assurance that memoranda of understanding,
as described in section 6(c), have been executed
between the State educational agency and not less than
50 percent of the local educational agencies in the
State, representing not less than 50 percent of all
students in the State, to participate in the grant
program and fulfill the program obligations.
(B) A list of the participating local educational
agencies that have executed such memoranda, and the
percentage of the State's public school students who
are served by those local educational agencies.
(C) A plan for supporting participating local
educational agencies with implementing programs and
activities to improve enrollment in all advanced
courses or programs offered by the local educational
agency and improving student preparation for and
participation in pathways to postsecondary education in
STEM fields, which may include--
(i) using data from evidence-based early
warning indicator systems; and
(ii) other evidence-based activities,
including open enrollment or universal
screening.
(D) A plan to assemble a statewide advisory council
of students from underrepresented subgroups of
students, and parents or guardians of students from
those subgroups, with at least 2 members of each
subgroup of students. The plan shall explain how the
council will be involved in the State educational
agency's implementation of the grant, as well as
oversight and evaluation of the grant.
(E) A plan for supporting participating local
educational agencies in collecting and reporting data
about advanced coursework enrollment and student
performance data, including data disaggregated and
cross-tabulated by race and ethnicity, sex, disability
status, socioeconomic status, and status as an English
learner.
(F) A description of ambitious 3-year enrollment
and performance goals for each subgroup of students,
and intermediate annual targets for each subgroup of
students, to bridge statewide inequities (according to
race and ethnicity, sex, disability status,
socioeconomic status, and status as an English learner)
in advanced coursework or program participation and
performance.
(G) A proposed budget for how the State educational
agency will spend funding awarded through the grant.
(2) Local educational agency.--A local educational agency
desiring to receive a grant under subsection (a)(1)(B) shall be
eligible to apply for a grant if the local educational agency
is not also seeking a subgrant from a State educational agency
that receives a grant under this Act. A local educational
agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The
application shall include the following:
(A) An assurance that--
(i) the local educational agency is not
also seeking a subgrant from a State
educational agency that receives a grant under
this Act during the applicable grant cycle; and
(ii) the local educational agency has a
high student poverty ratio (as measured by
comparing the number of students meeting at
least one measure of poverty described in
section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6313(a)(5)) to the total number of students in
the school).
(B) A description of the enrollment mechanism that
the participating local educational agency will use for
its various advanced courses or programs, which shall
include open enrollment or universal screening,
including in the case of universal screening, a
description of what assessments will be used to
determine enrollment as described in section 4(5), and
a justification for why each assessment was selected.
(C) A plan to assemble a local advisory council of
students from underrepresented subgroups of students,
and parents or guardians of students from those
subgroups, with at least 2 members of each subgroup of
students. The plan shall explain how the council will
be involved in the local educational agency's
implementation of the grant, as well as oversight and
evaluation of the grant.
(D) A plan to train school leaders, academic
advisors or counselors, and teachers on strategies for
bridging inequities (according to race and ethnicity,
sex, socioeconomic status, disability status, and
status as an English learner) in advanced coursework or
STEM program participation and performance.
(E) A plan to communicate to students and families,
in multiple languages and through multiple formats, the
process and requirements to enroll in advanced courses.
(F) An agreement to carry out the activities
described in section 7.
(G) A plan for collecting and reporting data about
advanced coursework enrollment and student performance
data, including data disaggregated and cross-tabulated
by race and ethnicity, sex, disability status,
socioeconomic status, and status as an English learner.
(H) A description of ambitious 3-year enrollment
and performance goals for each subgroup of students,
and intermediate annual targets for each subgroup of
students, to bridge districtwide inequities (according
to race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status,
disability status, and status as an English learner) in
advanced coursework or STEM program participation and
performance.
(I) A proposed budget for how the participating
local educational agency will spend funding awarded
through the grant.
(3) Other nonprofit entity.--An institution of higher
education or other nonprofit entity desiring to receive a grant
under subsection (a)(1)(C) shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including, at a
minimum--
(A) at least one memorandum of understanding that
the applicant has already established with a school,
local educational agency, or State educational agency
that the applicant intends to work with, and a
description of the services the applicant would provide
to that school, local educational agency, or State
educational agency;
(B) materials that demonstrate the applicant's
record of effectiveness in designing or delivering
advanced coursework or programs and providing academic
supports for students that belong to underrepresented
subgroups;
(C) a description of ambitious 3-year enrollment
and performance goals for each subgroup of students
that the applicant intends to serve, and intermediate
annual targets for each such subgroup of students, to
bridge statewide inequities (according to race and
ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, disability
status, and status as an English learner) in advanced
coursework or program participation and performance;
(D) a plan for collecting and reporting data about
advanced coursework enrollment and student performance
data, including data disaggregated and cross-tabulated
by race and ethnicity, sex, disability status,
socioeconomic status, and status as an English learner;
and
(E) a proposed budget for how the applicant will
spend funding awarded through the grant.
(c) Criteria for Awarding Grants.--
(1) In general.--In evaluating applications for a grant
under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), of subsection (a)(1),
respectively, the Secretary shall consider--
(A) the 3-year goals, and intermediate annual
targets, for bridging statewide inequities (according
to race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status,
disability status, and status as an English learner) in
advanced coursework or program participation and
performance;
(B) the level of detail and feasibility of the plan
for implementing (or supporting a participating State
educational agency, local educational agency, or school
in implementing, as applicable) open enrollment or
universal screening for all advanced courses or
programs offered by the local educational agency;
(C) the level of detail and feasibility of the plan
for assembling an advisory council of students from
underrepresented subgroups of students, and parents or
guardians of students from those subgroups, and
involving that advisory council in the implementation
of the grant, as well as oversight and evaluation of
the grant; and
(D) the level of detail and feasibility of the plan
for collecting and reporting (or supporting a
participating State educational agency, local
educational agency, or school in collecting or
reporting, as applicable) data by subgroup of students
about advanced coursework enrollment and performance.
(2) Priorities.--
(A) State educational agency.--In awarding a grant
under subsection (a)(1)(A), the Secretary shall give
priority to--
(i) States that established memoranda of
understanding, as described in section 6(c),
with a high percentage of the local educational
agencies in the State and covering a high
percentage of total students in the State;
(ii) States with large gaps in equitable
access, enrollment, and performance in advanced
coursework across subgroups of students, as
described in the grant applications of the
State educational agencies;
(iii) States that prioritize evidence-based
strategies to ensure subgroups of students have
equitable access to pathways to postsecondary
education in STEM fields; and
(iv) States that made recent improvements
to equitable participation and performance in
advanced coursework among historically
underrepresented subgroups of students based on
data collection from the Office of Civil Rights
of the Department of Education, and demonstrate
a need for additional funds to expand
improvements.
(B) Local educational agency.--In awarding a grant
under subsection (a)(1)(B), the Secretary shall give
priority to--
(i) local educational agencies that have
made recent improvements to equitable
participation and performance in advanced
coursework among historically underrepresented
subgroups of students based on data collection
from the Office of Civil Rights of the
Department of Education;
(ii) local educational agencies that
provide pathways to postsecondary education in
STEM fields to a high proportion of students
who are enrolled in high schools served by the
local educational agency; and
(iii) local educational agencies that
prioritize evidence-based strategies to ensure
subgroups of students have equitable access to
pathways to postsecondary education in STEM
fields.
(d) Amount; Duration.--
(1) State educational agency.--
(A) Amount.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(A) shall be in an amount that is not less than
$15,000,000 and not more than $60,000,000.
(B) Duration.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(A) shall be for a 3-year period.
(2) Local educational agency.--
(A) Amount.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(B) shall be in an amount that is not less than
$1,000,000 and not more than $20,000,000.
(B) Duration.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(B) shall be for a 3-year period.
(3) Other nonprofit entity.--
(A) Amount.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(C) shall be in an amount that is not more than
$3,000,000.
(B) Duration.--A grant awarded under subsection
(a)(1)(C) shall be for a 3-year period.
(e) Number of Grants Awarded.--
(1) State educational agency.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Secretary shall award not less than 6 and not more than
10 grants under subsection (a)(1)(A) per 3-year grant
cycle period.
(B) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A),
if the amount appropriated to carry out this Act is--
(i) less than $233,000,000 in any year, the
Secretary may award fewer than 6 awards under
subsection (a)(1)(A) per cycle; and
(ii) more than $300,000,000 in any year,
the Secretary may award more than 10 awards
under subsection (a)(1)(A) per cycle.
(2) Local educational agency.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Secretary shall award not less than 8 and not more than
16 grants under subsection (a)(1)(B) per 3-year grant
cycle period.
(B) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A),
if the amount appropriated to carry out this Act is--
(i) less than $233,000,000 in any year, the
Secretary may award fewer than 8 awards under
subsection (a)(1)(B) per cycle; and
(ii) more than $300,000,000 in any year,
the Secretary may award more than 16 awards
under subsection (a)(1)(B) per cycle.
(f) Special Rule.--In the event a local educational agency that is
receiving a subgrant cannot carry out one or more of the activities
described in section 7, a State educational agency receiving a grant
under subsection (a)(1)(A) may use not more than 4 percent of the grant
funds to carry out high-quality technical assistance for local
educational agencies in the State.
SEC. 6. SUBGRANTS.
(a) In General.--A State educational agency receiving a grant under
this Act shall use the grant funds to award subgrants to local
educational agencies in the State.
(b) Requirement.--A State educational agency shall award not less
than 65 percent of grant funds to--
(1) local educational agencies that have a high student
poverty ratio (as measured by comparing the number of students
meeting at least one measure of poverty described in section
1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)) to the total number of children in
the school); and
(2) local educational agencies that will support elementary
schools and secondary schools that offer fewer advanced course
or program offerings (or fewer available slots in those courses
or programs) than the average for the State.
(c) Subgrant Agreement.--As part of a memorandum of understanding
described in section 5(b)(1)(A), and as a requirement for receiving a
subgrant under this Act, a participating local educational agency
shall--
(1) establish ambitious 3-year enrollment and performance
goals for each subgroup of students, and intermediate annual
targets for each subgroup of students to bridge districtwide
inequities (according to race, sex, socioeconomic status,
disability status, and status as an English learner) in--
(A) advanced coursework;
(B) STEM program participation and performance; or
(C) both advanced coursework and STEM program
participation and performance;
(2) specify the enrollment mechanism that the local
educational agency will use for its various advanced courses or
programs, which shall include open enrollment or universal
screening, including in the case of universal screening, a
description of what assessments will be used to determine
enrollment as described in section 4(5), and a justification
for why each assessment was selected;
(3) submit a plan to train school leaders, academic
counselors or advisors, and teachers on strategies for bridging
inequities (according to race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic
status, disability status, and status as an English learner) in
advanced coursework or program participation and performance;
(4) submit a plan to assemble a local advisory council of
students from underrepresented subgroups of students, and
parents or guardians of students from those subgroups, with at
least 2 members of each subgroup of students, including an
explanation of how the council will be involved in the local
educational agency's implementation of the grant, as well as
oversight and evaluation of the grant;
(5) submit a plan to communicate to students and families,
in multiple languages and through multiple formats, the process
and requirements to enroll in advanced courses; and
(6) an agreement to carry out the activities described in
section 7.
SEC. 7. USES OF FUNDS.
(a) Required Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency receiving a
grant or subgrant under this Act shall use the grant or subgrant funds
to carry out 2 or more of the following activities:
(1) Conducting community engagement (including by
assembling a local advisory council) with regard to changes to
advanced courses or programs.
(2) Not later than 1 year after funding is received,
training school leaders, academic counselors or advisors, and
teachers on strategies for bridging inequities (according to
race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, disability
status, and status as an English learner) in advanced
coursework or program participation and performance.
(3) Expanding enrollment in advanced courses or programs
for underrepresented students.
(4) Not later than 1 year after funding is received,
implementing open enrollment or universal screening for all
advanced courses and programs, including--
(A) gifted and talented programs, 8th grade Algebra
I, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate,
dual enrollment, early college high school, and any
similarly advanced courses or programs; and
(B) training individuals involved in the assessment
process in the administration of the assessments and
the interpretation of the results.
(5) Launching advanced courses or programs, or expand
enrollment capacity in advanced courses or programs, which may
include gifted and talented programs, 8th grade Algebra I,
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual
enrollment, early college high school, or any similarly
advanced courses or programs.
(6) Providing direct services, such as tutoring, to
students from underrepresented groups to enable those students
to thrive academically in advanced courses and programs, and if
applicable, prioritize services to be delivered by
paraprofessionals or other qualified school personnel.
(b) Permitted Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency receiving
a grant or subgrant under this Act may (in addition to the required
uses described in subsection (a)) use the grant or subgrant funds to
carry out one or more of the following activities:
(1) Launching innovative advanced coursework models that
allow all students to benefit from advanced coursework, such as
embedded enrichment (for elementary and middle school
students), and open honors (for high school students).
(2) Purchasing curricula and materials for advanced courses
and programs, such as calculators, books, and laboratory
materials.
(3) Covering the cost of advanced coursework fees for low-
income students.
(4) Using funds to train or hire teachers to teach advanced
coursework.
(5) Strengthening or developing a positive school climate
through teacher training and professional development,
including implicit bias training, identity-affirming curricula,
peer mentoring, programs to recruit and retain diverse
educators, engaging and supporting families, and expanding
alternatives to punitive and exclusionary discipline practices.
(c) Nonprofit Entity.--An institution of higher education or other
nonprofit entity receiving a grant under section 5(a)(1)(C) may use the
grant to carry out one or more of the following activities for students
in rural areas and students who otherwise lack access to advanced
courses or programs:
(1) Providing direct services, such as tutoring, to
students from underrepresented groups to enable those students
to thrive academically in advanced courses and programs, which
may include gifted and talented programs, 8th grade Algebra I,
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual
enrollment, early college high school, embedded enrichment (for
elementary and middle school students), open honors (for high
school students), or any similarly advanced courses or
programs.
(2) Purchasing curricula and materials for advanced courses
and programs, such as calculators, books, and laboratory
materials.
(3) Covering the cost of advanced coursework exams for low-
income students.
SEC. 8. REPORTING; BONUS GRANT.
(a) Report to Secretary.--
(1) States and leas.--Not later than 60 days after the end
of each year of the grant, each State educational agency or
local educational agency receiving a grant shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary a report containing the following:
(A) A description of the training that the local
educational agency receiving a grant, or local
educational agencies receiving a subgrant in the State,
as applicable, conducted to train school leaders,
academic counselors or advisors, and teachers on
strategies for bridging inequities (according to race
and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, disability
status, and status as an English learner) in advanced
coursework or program participation and performance,
including the number of people trained and what schools
those trained individuals are affiliated with.
(B) A listing of the advanced courses or programs
available at the local educational agency receiving a
grant, or at each local educational agency that
received a subgrant, as applicable, and the student
enrollment mechanism for each of those courses or
programs. If a local educational agency uses universal
screening instead of open enrollment, then the list
shall include a description of what assessments will be
used to determine enrollment as described in section
4(5).
(C) The number and percentages of students in the
State (or in the local educational agency, in the case
of a local educational agency receiving a grant) that
are enrolled in advanced courses or programs,
disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race and
ethnicity, sex, disability status, socioeconomic
status, and status as an English learner.
(D) The academic outcomes (such as grades or exam
scores) of students enrolled in advanced courses or
programs in the State (or in the local educational
agency, in the case of a local educational agency
receiving a grant), disaggregated and cross-tabulated
by race and ethnicity, sex, disability status,
socioeconomic status, and status as an English learner.
(E) A final budget for how the State or local
educational agency spent funding awarded through the
grant.
(F) A narrative articulating whether the State or
local educational agency receiving a grant met its
annual intermediate targets for equitable enrollment
and performance among underrepresented subgroups of
students in advanced coursework or programs, including
analysis for why the State did or did not meet these
targets across underrepresented subgroups of students,
and a plan to remediate any gaps for the coming grant
year. This narrative shall also include the analysis
from the local advisory council (in the case of a
grantee that is a local educational agency) or the
State advisory council (in the case of a grantee that
is a State educational agency).
(G) A description of communication with families,
including how parents were notified of--
(i) advanced coursework opportunities;
(ii) the value of the programs; and
(iii) the ability to opt out.
(2) Other nonprofit entities.--Not later than 60 days after
the end of each year of the grant, each nonprofit entity
receiving a grant under section 5(a)(1)(C) shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary a report containing the information
described in subparagraph (C) through (F) of paragraph (1) with
respect to students that are enrolled in advanced courses or
programs provided by the nonprofit entity and the nonprofit
entity's targets.
(b) Bonus.--
(1) State educational agency.--The State educational agency
receiving a grant under section 5(a)(1)(A) that achieves the
greatest growth toward that State's advanced coursework
enrollment and performance equity goals described in section
5(b)(1)(F) at the end of the first or second grant year shall
receive a bonus payment of 5 percent of the original grant
amount (to be used during the subsequent grant year). A State
educational agency shall direct not less than 50 percent of the
bonus funds to local educational agency subgrantees that
achieved the greatest growth toward the local educational
agency's advanced coursework equity goals described in section
6(c)(1).
(2) Local educational agency.--The local educational agency
receiving a grant under section 5(a)(1)(B) that achieves the
greatest growth toward that local educational agency's advanced
coursework enrollment and performance equity goals described in
section 5(b)(2)(H) at the end of the first grant year shall
receive a bonus payment of 5 percent of the original grant
amount (to be used during the subsequent grant year). A local
educational agency shall direct not less than 50 percent of the
bonus funds to the schools that achieved the greatest growth
toward the local educational agency's advanced coursework
equity goals described in section 5(b)(2)(H).
(c) Evaluation.--At the end of the 3-year grant period, the
Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report containing an
evaluation of the grant program under this Act and a summary of the
reports submitted under subsection (a). The evaluation shall contain an
analysis of the effectiveness of the program, including the impact of
the grants on equitable enrollment and performance in advanced courses
and programs. This evaluation shall provide recommendations based on
the Secretary's findings from the grant program.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$266,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, $266,000,000 for fiscal year 2024,
and $266,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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