[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2970 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2970

   To provide for summer academic enrichment programs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2000

    Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Breaux, and Ms. Landrieu) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for summer academic enrichment programs, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Student Education Enrichment 
Demonstration Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) States are establishing new and higher academic 
        standards for students in kindergarten through grade 12;
            (2) no Federal funding streams are specifically designed to 
        help States and school districts with the costs of providing 
        students who are struggling academically, with the extended 
        learning time and accelerated curricula that the students need 
        to meet high academic standards;
            (3) forty-eight States now require State accountability 
        tests to determine student grade-level performance and 
        progress;
            (4) nineteen States currently rate the performance of all 
        schools or identify low-performing schools through State 
        accountability tests;
            (5) sixteen States now have the power to close, take over, 
        or overhaul chronically failing schools on the basis of those 
        tests;
            (6) fourteen States provide high-performing schools with 
        monetary rewards on the basis of those tests;
            (7) nineteen States currently require students to pass 
        State accountability tests to graduate from high school;
            (8) six States currently link student promotion to results 
        on State accountability tests;
            (9) excessive percentages of students are not meeting their 
        State standards and are failing to perform at high levels on 
        State accountability tests; and
            (10) while the Chicago Public School District implemented 
        the Summer Bridge Program to help remediate their students in 
        1997, no State has yet created and implemented a similar 
        program to complement the education accountability programs of 
        the State.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to provide Federal support through a new 
demonstration program to States and local educational agencies, to 
enable the States and agencies to develop models for high quality 
summer academic enrichment programs that are specifically designed to 
help public school students who are not meeting State-determined 
performance standards.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Elementary school; secondary school; local educational 
        agency; state educational agency.--The terms ``elementary 
        school'', ``secondary school'', ``local educational agency'', 
        and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the 
        terms in section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (3) Student.--The term ``student'' means an elementary 
        school or secondary school student.

SEC. 5. GRANTS TO STATES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a demonstration 
program through which the Secretary shall make grants to State 
educational agencies, on a competitive basis, to enable the agencies to 
assist local educational agencies in carrying out high quality summer 
academic enrichment programs as part of statewide education 
accountability programs.
    (b) Eligibility and Selection.--
            (1) Eligibility.--For a State educational agency to be 
        eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), the State 
        served by the State educational agency shall--
                    (A) have in effect all standards and assessments 
                required under section 1111 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311); and
                    (B) compile and annually distribute to parents a 
                public school report card that, at a minimum, includes 
                information on student and school performance for each 
                of the assessments required under section 1111 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            (2) Selection.--In selecting States to receive grants under 
        this section, the Secretary shall make the selections in a 
        manner consistent with the purpose of this Act.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a State educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Contents.--Such application shall include--
                    (A) information describing specific measurable 
                goals and objectives to be achieved in the State 
                through the summer academic enrichment programs carried 
                out under this Act, which may include specific 
                measurable annual educational goals and objectives 
                relating to--
                            (i) increased student academic achievement;
                            (ii) decreased student dropout rates; or
                            (iii) such other factors as the State 
                        educational agency may choose to measure; and
                    (B) information on criteria, established or adopted 
                by the State, that--
                            (i) the State will use to select local 
                        educational agencies for participation in the 
                        summer academic enrichment programs carried out 
                        under this Act; and
                            (ii) at a minimum, will assure that grants 
                        provided under this Act are provided to--
                                    (I) the local educational agencies 
                                in the State that have the highest 
                                percentage of students not meeting 
                                basic or minimum required standards for 
                                State assessments required under 
                                section 1111 of the Elementary and 
                                Secondary Education Act of 1965;
                                    (II) local educational agencies 
                                that submit grant applications under 
                                section 6 describing programs that the 
                                State determines would be both highly 
                                successful and replicable; and
                                    (III) an assortment of local 
                                educational agencies serving urban, 
                                suburban, and rural areas.

SEC. 6. GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) First year.--
                    (A) In general.--For the first year that a State 
                educational agency receives a grant under this Act, the 
                State educational agency shall use the funds made 
                available through the grant to make grants to eligible 
                local educational agencies in the State to pay for the 
                Federal share of the cost of carrying out the summer 
                academic enrichment programs, except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Technical assistance and planning assistance.--
                The State educational agency may use not more than 5 
                percent of the funds--
                            (i) to provide to the local educational 
                        agencies technical assistance that is aligned 
                        with the curriculum of the agencies for the 
                        programs;
                            (ii) to enable the agencies to obtain such 
                        technical assistance from entities other than 
                        the State educational agency that have 
                        demonstrated success in using the curriculum; 
                        and
                            (iii) to assist the agencies in planning 
                        activities to be carried out under this Act.
            (2) Succeeding years.--
                    (A) In general.--For the second and third year that 
                a State educational agency receives a grant under this 
                Act, the State educational agency shall use the funds 
                made available through the grant to make grants to 
                eligible local educational agencies in the State to pay 
                for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out the 
                summer academic enrichment programs, except as provided 
                in subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Technical assistance and planning assistance.--
                The State educational agency may use not more than 5 
                percent of the funds--
                            (i) to provide to the local educational 
                        agencies technical assistance that is aligned 
                        with the curriculum of the agencies for the 
                        programs;
                            (ii) to enable the agencies to obtain such 
                        technical assistance from entities other than 
                        the State educational agency that have 
                        demonstrated success in using the curriculum; 
                        and
                            (iii) to assist the agencies in evaluating 
                        activities carried out under this Act.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a local educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing by such information as the 
        Secretary or the State may require.
            (2) Contents.--The State shall require that such an 
        application shall include, to the greatest extent practicable--
                    (A) information that--
                            (i) demonstrates that the local educational 
                        agency will carry out a summer academic 
                        enrichment program funded under this section--
                                    (I) that provides intensive high 
                                quality programs that are aligned with 
                                challenging State content and student 
performance standards and that are focused on reinforcing and boosting 
the core academic skills and knowledge of students who are struggling 
academically, as determined by the State;
                                    (II) that focuses on accelerated 
                                learning, rather than remediation, so 
                                that students served through the 
                                program will master the high level 
                                skills and knowledge needed to meet the 
                                highest State standards or to perform 
                                at high levels on all State assessments 
                                required under section 1111 of the 
                                Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
                                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311);
                                    (III) that is based on, and 
                                incorporates best practices developed 
                                from, research-based enrichment methods 
                                and practices;
                                    (IV) that has a proposed curriculum 
                                that is directly aligned with State 
                                content and student performance 
                                standards;
                                    (V) for which only teachers who are 
                                certified and licensed, and are 
                                otherwise fully qualified teachers, 
                                provide academic instruction to 
                                students enrolled in the program;
                                    (VI) that offers to staff in the 
                                program professional development and 
                                technical assistance that are aligned 
                                with the approved curriculum for the 
                                program; and
                                    (VII) that incorporates a parental 
                                involvement component that seeks to 
                                involve parents in the program's topics 
                                and students' daily activities; and
                            (ii) may include--
                                    (I) the proposed curriculum for the 
                                summer academic enrichment program;
                                    (II) the local educational agency's 
                                plan for recruiting highly qualified 
                                and highly effective teachers to 
                                participate in the program; and
                                    (III) a schedule for the program 
                                that indicates that the program is of 
                                sufficient duration and intensity to 
                                achieve the State's goals and 
                                objectives described in section 
                                5(c)(2)(A);
                    (B) an outline indicating how the local educational 
                agency will utilize other applicable Federal, State, 
                local, or other funds, other than funds made available 
                through the grant, to support the program;
                    (C) an explanation of how the local educational 
                agency will ensure that only highly qualified personnel 
                who volunteer to work with the type of student targeted 
                for the program will work with the program and that the 
                instruction provided through the program will be 
                provided by qualified teachers;
                    (D) an explanation of the types of intensive 
                training or professional development, aligned with the 
                curriculum of the program, that will be provided for 
                staff of the program;
                    (E) an explanation of the facilities to be used for 
                the program;
                    (F) an explanation regarding the duration of the 
                periods of time that students and teachers in the 
                program will have contact for instructional purposes 
                (such as the hours per day and days per week of that 
                contact, and the total length of the program);
                    (G) an explanation of the proposed student/teacher 
                ratio for the program, analyzed by grade level;
                    (H) an explanation of the grade levels that will be 
                served by the program;
                    (I) an explanation of the approximate cost per 
                student for the program;
                    (J) an explanation of the salary costs for teachers 
                in the program;
                    (K) a description of a method for evaluating the 
                effectiveness of the program at the local level;
                    (L) information describing specific measurable 
                goals and objectives, for each academic subject in 
                which the program will provide instruction, that are 
                consistent with, or more rigorous than, the adequate 
                yearly progress goals established by the State under 
                section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965;
                    (M) a description of how the local educational 
                agency will involve parents and the community in the 
program in order to raise academic achievement; and
                    (N) a description of how the local educational 
                agency will acquire any needed technical assistance 
                that is aligned with the curriculum of the agency for 
                the program, from the State educational agency or other 
                entities with demonstrated success in using the 
                curriculum.
    (c) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the State 
educational agency shall give priority to applicants who demonstrate a 
high level of need for the summer academic enrichment programs.
    (d) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost described in 
        subsection (a) is 50 percent.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
        may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including 
        plant, equipment, or services.

SEC. 7. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

    Funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of this Act shall be 
used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local 
public or private funds expended to provide academic enrichment 
programs.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    (a) State Reports.--Each State educational agency that receives a 
grant under this Act shall annually prepare and submit to the Secretary 
a report. The report shall describe--
            (1) the method the State educational agency used to make 
        grants to eligible local educational agencies and to provide 
        assistance to schools under this Act;
            (2) the specific measurable goals and objectives described 
        in section 5(c)(2)(A) for the State as a whole and the extent 
        to which the State met each of the goals and objectives in the 
        year preceding the submission of the report;
            (3) the specific measurable goals and objectives described 
        in section 6(b)(2)(L) for each of the local educational 
        agencies receiving a grant under this Act in the State and the 
        extent to which each of the agencies met each of the goals and 
        objectives in that preceding year;
            (4) the steps that the State will take to ensure that any 
        such local educational agency who did not meet the goals and 
        objectives in that year will meet the goals and objectives in 
        the year following the submission of the report or the plan 
        that the State has for revoking the grant of such an agency and 
        redistributing the grant funds to existing or new programs;
            (5) how eligible local educational agencies and schools 
        used funds provided by the State educational agency under this 
        Act; and
            (6) the degree to which progress has been made toward 
        meeting the goals and objectives described in section 
        5(c)(2)(A).
    (b) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall annually prepare and 
submit to Congress a report. The report shall describe--
            (1) the methods the State educational agencies used to make 
        grants to eligible local educational agencies and to provide 
        assistance to schools under this Act;
            (2) how eligible local educational agencies and schools 
        used funds provided under this Act; and
            (3) the degree to which progress has been made toward 
        meeting the goals and objectives described in sections 
        5(c)(2)(A) and 6(b)(2)(L).
    (c) Government Accounting Office Report to Congress.--The 
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study 
regarding the demonstration program carried out under this Act and the 
impact of the program on student achievement. The Comptroller General 
shall prepare and submit to Congress a report containing the results of 
the study.

SEC. 9. ADMINISTRATION.

    The Secretary shall develop program guidelines for and oversee the 
demonstration program carried out under this Act.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2004.

SEC. 11. TERMINATION.

    The authority provided by this Act terminates 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
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