[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 756 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 756
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide
grants to provide programs that benefit the educational, health, social
service, cultural, and recreational needs of inner and small cities and
rural and disadvantaged suburban communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2001
Mrs. McCarthy of New York (for herself, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Kildee, Mr.
Etheridge, Mr. George Miller of California, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Payne,
Mr. Scott, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Tierney, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Wu, Mrs. Meek
of Florida, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Hinojosa, and Ms. Woolsey), introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide
grants to provide programs that benefit the educational, health, social
service, cultural, and recreational needs of inner and small cities and
rural and disadvantaged suburban communities.
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 ``Quality After-School Expansion Act
of 2001''.
SEC. 2. 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS.
Part I of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8241 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 10901. SHORT TITLE.
``This part may be cited as the `21st Century Community Learning
Centers Act'.
``SEC. 10902. FINDINGS.
``The Congress finds that--
``(1) a local public school often serves as a center for
the delivery of education and human resources for all members
of a community;
``(2) evaluations show that collaboration between public
schools (particularly in inner and small cities and rural and
disadvantaged suburban communities) and other public and
nonprofit agencies and organizations, local businesses,
educational entities, recreational, cultural, and other
community and human service entities helps to meet the needs
of, and expands the opportunities available to, all residents
of the communities served by such schools;
``(3) participation in high-quality programs can result in
better grades and conduct in school, and is particularly
beneficial for children living in high-risk environments. In
particular, children who participate in a high-quality after-
school program spend more time in academic and enrichment
activities; watch less television; have significantly lower
incidences of drug use and unwanted teenage pregnancies; and
communicate better with adults and their peers.
``(4) by using school facilities, equipment, and resources,
communities can promote a more efficient use of public
education facilities, especially in rural and inner city areas
where limited financial resources have enhanced the necessity
for local public schools to become social service centers;
``(5) the high technology, global economy of the 21st
century will require lifelong learning to keep America's
workforce competitive and successful, and local public schools
should provide centers for lifelong learning and educational
opportunities for individuals of all ages; and
``(6) 21st Century Community Learning Centers enable the
entire community to develop an education strategy that
addresses the educational needs of all members of local
communities.
``SEC. 10903. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.
``(a) Program Authority.--The Secretary is authorized, in
accordance with the provisions of this part, to award grants to State
educational agencies to enable its schools to plan, implement, or to
expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social service,
cultural, and recreational needs of inner and small cities and rural
and disadvantaged suburban communities with a substantial need for
expanded learning opportunities because--
``(1) they lack resources to establish or expand before-
and after-school centers that benefit the educational, health,
social service, cultural, and recreational needs of the
community; or
``(2) they have other needs consistent with the purposes of
this part.
``(b) Reservation.--From the funds appropriated under section 10913
to carry out this part for each fiscal year, the Secretary--
``(1) shall reserve an amount necessary to make
continuation grants to existing grantees under this part, as it
was in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of
the Quality After-School Expansion Act of 2001;
``(2) shall reserve the lesser of .5 percent or $3,000,000
of such amount for grants under this part to Guam, American
Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Marshall Islands,
and the Federated States of Micronesia;
``(3) shall reserve .5 percent of such amount for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of Interior to carry
out programs under this part for Indian children; and
``(4) shall reserve the lesser of 2.5 percent or
$20,000,000 for evaluation and national activities under
section 10910.
``(c) State Educational Agency Allotments.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), and
after making the reservations in subsection (b), the Secretary
shall, for each fiscal year, allocate among the States the
remainder according to the ratio between the amount each State
received under part A of title I for the preceding year and the
sum of such amounts received by all the States.
``(2) Minimum.--For any fiscal year, no State (including
for the purposes of this part, the Bureau of Indian Affairs)
shall be allotted under this subsection an amount that is less
than .5 percent of the total amount allotted to all the States
under this subsection.
``(3) Reallotment.--The Secretary may reallot any amount of
any allotment to a State if the Secretary determines that the
State will be unable to use such amount within 2 years of such
allotment. Such reallotments shall be made on the same basis as
allotments are made under paragraph (1).
``(d) Within State Distribution of Funds.--Each State educational
agency having an approved application pursuant to section 10904 and
receiving an allocation under subsection (c), shall--
``(1) use not less than 95 percent of the funds made
available to it under section 10903(c) to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible local entities acting on behalf
of one or more public elementary or secondary schools; and
``(2) use up to 5 percent for State level activities and
evaluation, of which 40 percent may be used for administration.
``SEC. 10904. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY APPLICATIONS.
``(a) In General.--Each State educational agency seeking a grant
under this part shall submit an application in such form, and
containing such information, as the Secretary may reasonably require.
At a minimum, the application shall--
``(1) designate the State educational agency as the agency
responsible for the administration and supervision of programs
assisted under this part;
``(2) describe the competitive procedures and criteria the
State will use to ensure that grants under this part will
support high-quality programs in communities with a substantial
need for expanding learning opportunities, with a priority for
those that--
``(A) have a high proportion of high-poverty
students; and
``(B) lack resources to establish or expand before-
and after-school centers that benefit the educational
health, social service, cultural, and recreational
needs of the community;
``(3) describe the steps the State will take to ensure that
programs implement effective strategies, including providing
ongoing technical assistance and training, evaluation,
dissemination of promising practices, and monitoring;
``(4) contain an assurance that the State educational
agency shall provide for the annual submission of data
regarding the uses of funds under this part, including the
activities provided and populations served under this part, and
such other information as the Secretary may require;
``(5) contain an assurance that the State educational
agency shall comply with the requirements of this part;
``(6) contain a description of how the State will
coordinate Federal, State, and local programs in order to use
most effectively the resources available to support the
project;
``(7) provide that the State educational agency will keep
such records and provide such information to the Secretary as
may be required for fiscal audit and program evaluation
(consistent with all State educational agency fiscal audit and
program evaluation responsibilities required under this Act);
``(8) describe how the State will evaluate the
effectiveness of programs and activities carried out with funds
under this part; and
``(9) provide for timely public notice and public
dissemination of the data submitted under this part.
``(b) Approval Standard.--The Secretary shall approve a State
application under this section if the Secretary determines that it
satisfies the requirements, and holds reasonable promise for
accomplishing the purposes of this part.
``SEC. 10905. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY ACTIVITIES.
``Each State having an approved application under section 10904
shall use funds allocated under section 10903(d)(2) for one or more of
the following activities:
``(1) Establishment and implementation of a peer review
process for grant applications.
``(2) Supervision of the awarding of funds to eligible
local entities.
``(3) Planning, supervision, and processing of funds made
available under this section
``(4) Monitoring and evaluation of programs and activities
assisted under this part.
``(5) Providing technical assistance under this part.
``SEC. 10906. STATE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
``Each State educational agency shall establish performance
indicators and acceptable goals of progress to evaluate the
effectiveness of programs funded under this part.
``SEC. 10907. LOCAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS
``(a) Competitive Grants.--The State educational agency shall
distribute funds provided under section 10903(d)(1) on a competitive
basis to eligible local entities, acting on behalf of one or more
public elementary or secondary schools, to enable such schools to plan,
implement, or expand community learning centers that address the
educational, health, social service, cultural, and recreational needs
of the local community.
``(b) Extended Learning Time.--In order to receive a grant under
this part, an eligible local entity shall provide significant expanded
learning opportunities, such as before and after school, for children
and youth in the community that--
``(1) are designed to help students in the school or
schools and in the community achieve to challenging State
content and performance standards;
``(2) provide academic instruction by trained and qualified
teachers;
``(3) utilize research-based practices, to the extent
available and feasible, that show success in raising student
achievement and increasing literacy skills;
``(4) include a parent and family involvement component;
``(5) include professional development that is aligned to
the extended learning curriculum;
``(6) indicate how the school or schools will provide a
continuity of extended learning curriculum over multiple years;
and
``(7) include ongoing evaluation to assess the
effectiveness of the program.
``(c) Equitable Distribution.--In awarding grants under this part,
the State educational agency shall ensure that both urban and rural
areas of the State are served.
``(d) Grant Period; Reapplication.--
``(1) Grant period.--A State educational agency shall award
grants under this part for a period not to exceed 5 years.
``(2) Reapplication.--An eligible local entity that
receives a grant under this part may reapply under this part
for additional grants, except that no such entity may receive
funding under this part for more than 10 years.
``(e) Amount.--A State educational agency shall not award a grant
under this part in any fiscal year in an amount less than $75,000.
``SEC. 10908. LOCAL APPLICATION.
``(a) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
part, an eligible local entity, acting on behalf of one or more public
elementary or secondary schools, shall submit an application to the
State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and accompanied
by such information as the State educational agency may reasonably
require.
``(b) Contents.--Each such application shall include--
``(1) a comprehensive local plan that enables the school or
schools to serve as a center for the delivery of education and
human resources for members of a community;
``(2) an evaluation of the needs, available resources, and
goals and objectives for the proposed project in order to
determine which activities will be undertaken to address such
needs;
``(3) a description of the proposed project, including--
``(A) in any case in which the application is
submitted by an eligible local entity other than a
single local educational agency, a copy of the
memorandum of understanding between the entities
comprising the eligible local entity that details the
roles and responsibilities of each participating entity
as they relate to the project to be funded;
``(B) a description of how the program will provide
services in a manner that will meet the needs of
working families;
``(C) a description of the manner in which the
program will assist students in meeting challenging
State academic standards;
``(D) a description of the manner in which the
program will assist students in developing personal,
social, health, and related competencies;
``(E) a description of the mechanism that will be
used to disseminate information in a manner that is
understandable and accessible to the community;
``(F) a description of how the applicant will
coordinate Federal, State, and local programs in order
to use most effectively the resources available to
support the project;
``(G) a description of the collaborative efforts to
be undertaken with community-based organizations,
related public agencies, businesses, or other
appropriate organizations in order to promote community
involvement in the planning and implementation of
services provided under this part;
``(H) a description of how the community learning
center will serve as a delivery center for existing and
new services, especially for interactive
telecommunication used for education and professional
training; and
``(I) an assurance that the school or schools will
establish a facility utilization policy that
specifically states--
``(i) the rules and regulations applicable
to building and equipment use; and
``(ii) supervision guidelines;
``(4) information demonstrating that the school or schools
will provide at least 50 percent of the cost of the project
from other sources, which may include other Federal funds and
may be provided in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluate;
``(5) an assurance that the school or schools will, each
year of the project, expend, from non-Federal sources, at least
as much for the services under this part as it expended for the
preceding year; and
``(6) information demonstrating how the school or schools
will continue the project after completion of the grant.
``SEC. 10909. USES OF FUNDS.
``Grants awarded under section 10907, either directly or through
contracts with community-based organizations with demonstrated ability
to provide high-quality programming, shall be used to establish or
expand community learning centers that provide activities that offer
significant expanded learning opportunities, such as before and after
school, for children and youth in the community. A grantee shall use at
least a portion of its grant under section 10907 to implement or expand
before- and after-school learning opportunities, and shall use the
remainder of its grant to carry out not less than three of the
following activities:
``(1) Literacy education programs.
``(2) Senior citizen programs.
``(3) Children's day care services.
``(4) Integrated education, health, social service,
recreational, or cultural programs.
``(5) Summer and weekend school programs in conjunction
with recreation programs.
``(6) Nutrition and health programs.
``(7) Expanded library service hours to serve community
needs.
``(8) Telecommunications and technology education programs
for individuals of all ages.
``(9) Parenting skills education programs.
``(10) Support and training for child day care providers.
``(11) Employment counseling, training, and placement.
``(12) Services for individuals who leave school before
graduating from secondary school, regardless of the age of such
individual.
``(13) Services for individuals with disabilities.
``(14) Mentoring of at-risk children, including mentoring
by senior citizens.
``SEC. 10910. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
``The Secretary shall use funds reserved under section 10903(b)(4)
for technical assistance, evaluation, dissemination of information,
activities to encourage the spread and adoption of successful extended
learning opportunities programs, and other national activities that
support programs under this part.
``SEC. 10911. DEFINITIONS.
``For the purpose of this part:
``(1) Community learning center.--The term `community
learning center' means an entity within a public elementary or
secondary school building that--
``(A) provides expanded learning opportunities, and
educational, recreational, health, and social service
programs for residents of all ages within a local
community in a safe and drug-free environment;
``(B) is operated by a local educational agency in
conjunction with local governmental agencies,
businesses, vocational education programs, institutions
of higher education, community colleges, and cultural,
recreational, and other community and human service
entities; and
``(C) includes expanded learning opportunities,
such as before and after school.
``(2) Eligible local entity.--The term `eligible local
entity' means any of the following:
``(A) A local educational agency.
``(B) A consortium of local educational agencies.
``(C) A local educational agency in collaboration
with a community-based organization.
``(D) A consortium of local educational agencies in
collaboration with one or more community-based
organizations.
``SEC. 10912. SUPPLEMENT.
``Funds made available under this part shall be used to supplement
and not supplant other Federal, State, and local funds expended to
carry out activities relating to expanded learning opportunities.
``SEC. 10913. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000,000 for fiscal
year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the four
succeeding fiscal years, to carry out this part.''.
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