1.Short
title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Graduate for a Better Future
Act
.
(b)The table of contents to this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of
contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Purposes.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Program authorized.
Sec. 6. Reporting and accountability.
Sec. 7. Evaluation and report.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)The high school
graduation rate for the class of 2003 was only 70 percent nationwide. Thus,
almost 1/3 of American students who enter high school in
9th grade drop out of school and never receive a high school diploma.
(2)Large disparities
exist in the high school graduation rates among various subgroups of students.
Although the high school graduation rate for white students was 78 percent in
2003, the rate for African American students was only 55 percent, and the rate
for Hispanic students was only 53 percent.
(3)For students in
approximately 2,000 high schools across the United States, the chance of
graduating from high school is less than 60 percent.
(4)In 2003,
3,500,000 Americans ages 16 to 25 did not have a high school diploma and were
not enrolled in school.
(5)To retain its
competitive edge in the world economy, it is essential that America’s youth be
prepared for the jobs of today and for the jobs of the future. Such jobs
increasingly require a post-secondary education.
(6)Individuals
without a high school diploma experience higher rates of unemployment,
incarceration, living in poverty, and receiving public assistance than
individuals with at least a high school diploma.
(7)Over his or her
lifetime, an individual without a high school diploma will earn approximately
$1,100,000 less than an individual with a bachelor’s degree, $1,500,000 less
than an individual with a master’s degree, and $2,400,000 less than an
individual with a doctoral degree.
3.The purposes of this Act are—
(1)to create models
of excellence for academically rigorous high schools, including early college
high schools, in order to prepare all students for college and work;
(2)to raise high
school graduation rates and college-going rates;
(3)to reduce college
remediation rates;
(4)to create a
seamless curriculum between high school and college;
(5)to improve
teaching and curricula to make high school more rigorous and relevant;
(6)to improve
instruction and access to supports for struggling high school students;
(7)to improve
communication between parents, students, and schools; and
(8)to create,
implement, and utilize early warning systems to help identify students at risk
of dropping out of high school, especially systems that monitor student
absenteeism.
4.
(1)Advanced
Placement or International Baccalaureate courseThe term
Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course means a
course of college-level instruction provided to middle school or secondary
school students, terminating in an examination administered by the College
Board or the International Baccalaureate Organization.
(2)The term college-going rate means the
percentage of high school graduates who enroll at an institution of higher
education in the school year immediately following graduation from high
school.
(3)The term dual credit course means a college
course that—
(A)may be taken at a
high school or at an institution of higher education;
(B)is taught
by—
(i)college faculty;
or
(ii)high school
faculty with credentials that the eligible entity determines are appropriate;
and
(C)the successful
completion of which can earn high school academic credit as well as college
academic credit.
(4)The term eligible entity means—
(A)a State
educational agency;
(B)a national,
regional, or statewide nonprofit organization with expertise and experience in
working with local educational agencies and high schools to raise high school
academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college-going rates;
or
(C)a partnership
consisting of a State educational agency and an entity described in
subparagraph (B).
(5)Eligible local
educational agencyThe term eligible local educational
agency means a local educational agency with a high school graduation
rate of 60 percent or less—
(A)in the aggregate;
or
(B)applicable to 2
or more of the following subgroups of high school students served by the local
educational agency:
(i)Economically
disadvantaged students.
(ii)Students from
major racial or ethnic groups.
(6)The term high school means a nonprofit
institutional day or residential school, including a public charter high
school, that provides high school education, as determined under State
law.
(7)High school
graduation rateThe term high school graduation rate
means the percentage of students who graduate from high school with a regular
diploma in the standard number of years as measured by a valid and reliable
measure of high school graduation rates, such as the averaged freshman
graduation rate.
(8)Institution of
higher educationThe term institution of higher
education has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(9)The term local educational agency
has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(10)The
term parent has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
(11)Rigorous
secondary school program of studyThe term rigorous
secondary school program of study means a rigorous secondary school
program of study recognized as such by the Secretary for purposes of
subparagraph (A)(i) or (B)(i) of section 401A(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–1(c)(3)).
(12)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(13)The term State educational agency
has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965.
(14)Student with a
disabilityThe term student with a disability means
a child with a disability, as defined in section 602 of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401).
5.
(a)From amounts appropriated under section 8 for a fiscal
year, the Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible entities to enable eligible entities to award subgrants to eligible
local educational agencies for the authorized activities described in
subsection (d).
(b)
(1)The
Secretary may award grants under this Act (other than a planning grant under
subsection (c)(3)) for a period of not more than 6 years.
(2)An
eligible entity may award subgrants under this Act for a period of not more
than 5 years.
(c)Eligible entity
authorized activities
(1)An
eligible entity that receives a grant under this Act—
(A)shall reserve not
more than 15 percent of the grant funds to carry out the activities described
in paragraphs (2) through (5); and
(B)shall use not
less than 85 percent of the grant funds to award subgrants, on a competitive
basis, to eligible local educational agencies to enable the eligible local
educational agencies to carry out the authorized activities described in
subsection (d).
(2)State level
planning and administrationAn eligible entity that receives a
grant under this Act may use the grant funds reserved under paragraph (1)(A)
for planning and administration, including—
(A)evaluating
applications from eligible local educational agencies;
(B)administering the
distribution of subgrants to eligible local educational agencies; and
(C)assessing and
evaluating, on a regular basis, eligible local educational agency activities
carried out under this Act, including regularly evaluating the academic rigor
of courses at high schools in the State that receive funding under this
Act.
(3)Local
educational agency planning grants
(A)From amounts reserved under paragraph (1)(A), an eligible
entity may award a planning grant to an eligible local educational
agency.
(B)An
eligible entity shall award each planning grant under this paragraph in the
amount of $10,000.
(C)Duration and
use of planning grant fundsEach planning grant shall be—
(i)awarded for a
period of 1 year;
(ii)nonrenewable;
and
(iii)used to plan
and apply for a subgrant awarded under paragraph (1)(B).
(4)Technical
assistance for local educational agenciesAn eligible entity that
receives a grant under this Act may use the grant funds reserved under
paragraph (1)(A) for technical assistance, including—
(A)assisting
eligible local educational agencies in accomplishing the tasks required to
implement a program under this Act;
(B)implementing a
program of professional development for teachers and administrators, in high
schools that receive funding under this Act, that prepares teachers and
administrators to implement the authorized activities described in subsection
(d); and
(C)assisting
eligible local educational agencies in designing a program to be assisted under
this Act.
(5)An
eligible entity that receives a grant under this Act may use the grant funds
reserved under paragraph (1)(A) for annually providing the Secretary with a
report on the implementation of this section as required under section
6.
(d)Eligible local
educational agency authorized activitiesEach eligible local
educational agency receiving a subgrant under this Act, shall use the subgrant
funds to carry out each of the following activities:
(1)To implement a
college-preparatory curriculum for all students in a high school served by the
eligible local educational agency under this Act (and for students with
disabilities in accordance with the individualized education program of the
student) that is, at a minimum, aligned with a rigorous secondary school
program of study.
(2)To implement
accelerated academic catch-up programs, for students who enter high school not
meeting proficient levels of academic achievement in mathematics, reading or
language arts, or science, that enable such students to meet the proficient
levels of achievement and remain on track to graduate from high school on time
with a regular high school diploma.
(3)To implement an
early warning system to quickly identify students at risk of dropping out of
high school, including systems that track student absenteeism.
(4)To implement a
system of student and classroom progress monitoring, which may include the
adoption and use of diagnostic or formative assessments that—
(A)measure student
academic progress in the core academic areas; and
(B)may identify
areas in which students need additional academic assistance and support.
(5)To implement a
comprehensive college guidance program that—
(A)will ensure that
all students in a high school served by the eligible local educational agency
under this Act, and their parents, are regularly notified throughout the
students' time in high school, of high school graduation requirements and
college entrance requirements; and
(B)provides guidance
and assistance to students in applying to an institution of higher education
and in applying for Federal financial aid assistance and other State, local,
and private financial aid assistance and scholarships.
(6)To implement a
program that offers, all students in a high school served by the eligible local
educational agency under this Act, opportunities for work-based and
experiential learning experiences, such as job-shadowing, internships, and
community service.
(7)To implement a
program that ensures that all students in a high school served by the eligible
local educational agency under this Act, have access to and enroll in courses
in which the students may earn college credit for courses taken while in high
school, such as a dual credit course, or an Advanced Placement or International
Baccalaureate course.
(8)To implement a
program of student advisement in which all students in a high school served by
the eligible local educational agency under this Act are assigned and have
regular meetings with an academic teacher advisor.
(9)To implement a
program of teacher professional development and institutional leadership that
includes use of diagnostic and formative assessments to identify student and
teacher needs, to assess classroom practice, and to improve classroom
instruction.
(e)
(1)Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this Act shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may require. Each application shall—
(A)include a
description of how subgrants made by the eligible entity under this Act will
meet the requirements described in subsection (d);
(B)include a
description of the peer review process the eligible entity shall use to
evaluate applications from eligible local educational agencies;
(C)contain an
assurance that the eligible entity, and any eligible local educational agencies
receiving a subgrant from that eligible entity, will, if requested, participate
in the independent evaluation under section 7(1);
(D)describe how the
eligible entity will use grant funds received under this section;
(E)describe how the
eligible entity will assist eligible local educational agencies that receive
planning grant funds or subgrant funds under this Act in securing any necessary
waivers from the State educational agency that may be required to carry out the
requirements of this Act, such as waivers with respect to budgeting, school
structure, staffing, and flexible use of resources and time; and
(F)describe how the
eligible entity will assess and evaluate, on a regular basis, eligible local
educational agency activities carried out under this Act, including regularly
evaluating the academic rigor of courses at high schools in the State that
receive funding under this Act.
(2)Eligible local
educational agencyEach eligible local educational agency
desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the
eligible entity at such time and in such manner as the eligible entity may
require. Each application shall—
(A)include a
description of each high school that will receive funding from the eligible
local educational agency under this Act, including such high school graduation,
academic achievement, demographic, and socioeconomic data as the eligible
entity may request;
(B)contain an
assurance that academic merit tests will not be used to determine student
enrollment in each such high school;
(C)contain a
description of specific outreach and recruitment efforts at each such high
school that will be undertaken for student populations historically
underrepresented at institutions of higher education;
(D)contain an
assurance that a college-preparatory curriculum will be offered to all students
at each such high school (and to students with disabilities in accordance with
the individualized education program of the student), that is, at a minimum,
aligned with a rigorous secondary school program of study;
(E)include a
comprehensive description of how curriculum at each such high school will be
developed, structured, and delivered;
(F)include clearly
delineated benchmarks for improved student academic achievement, high school
graduation rates, and college-going rates at each such high school;
(G)include a
description of assessments that will be used at each such high school,
including assessments for school accountability purposes and student progress
monitoring purposes;
(H)contain a
comprehensive plan for professional development at each such high school that
includes intended changes in teaching practices that will result in improved
student academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college-going
rates;
(I)include a
detailed description of work-based and experiential learning experiences that
will be offered for all students at each such high school, such as job
shadowing, internships, and community service;
(J)contain an
assurance that all students at each such high school will be assigned and have
regular access to an academic teacher advisor;
(K)contain an
assurance that the eligible local educational agency will grant each such high
school any necessary waivers from local educational agency policies and rules
that may be required to carry out the requirements of this Act, such as waivers
with respect to budgeting, school structure, staffing, and flexible use of
resources and time;
(L)include a plan
that details how programs assisted under this Act will be sustained after the
end of subgrant funding under this Act;
(M)in the case of
dual credit courses and early college high schools, contain formal agreements
between the eligible local educational agency and institutions of higher
education that detail shared responsibility for each such high school and
students at the high school;
(N)include a
description of school staffing considerations and how teachers will be selected
for each such high school;
(O)include a
detailed plan of the college awareness program at each such high school that
addresses applying for admission to an institution of higher education and
applying for financial aid; and
(P)contain an
assurance that the eligible local educational agency will report to the
eligible entity all data necessary for the eligible entity’s report under
section 6.
(f)
(1)Subject to paragraph (2), each eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section shall provide, toward the cost of the
activities assisted under the grant, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal
to 100 percent of the amount of the grant.
(2)The
Secretary may waive all or part of the matching requirement described in
paragraph (1) for any fiscal year for an eligible entity if the Secretary
determines that applying the matching requirement to such eligible entity would
result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the authorized
activities described in subsection (c).
(3)Grant funds provided under this Act shall be used to
supplement, not supplant, other Federal and State funds available to carry out
the activities described in subsection (d).
6.Reporting and
accountability
(a)Each eligible entity
receiving a grant under this Act shall collect and report annually to the
Secretary such information on the results of the activities assisted under the
grant as the Secretary may reasonably require, including information on—
(1)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and
graduate from high school on time with a regular high school diploma;
(2)the number and
percentage of students, at each grade level, in the State who are assisted
under this Act and meet or exceed State reading or language arts, mathematics,
or science standards, as measured by State academic assessments required under
section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6311(b)(3));
(3)the number and
percentage of students, at each grade level, in the State who are assisted
under this Act and are on track to graduate from high school on time and with a
regular high school diploma;
(4)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and
participate in work-based and experiential learning experiences, such as job
shadowing, internships, community service, and descriptive information on the
types of experiences in which such students participated;
(5)the number and
percentage of students, in grades 11 and 12, in the State who are assisted
under this Act and enrolled in not less than 2 of the following:
(A)a dual credit
course; or
(B)an Advanced
Placement or International Baccalaureate course;
(6)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and receive
a passing grade or higher for a dual credit course, or an Advanced Placement or
International Baccalaureate course;
(7)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and apply
to an institution of higher education while still in high school;
(8)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and are
accepted to an institution of higher education while still in high
school;
(9)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and enroll
in an institution of higher education in the school year immediately following
the students’ high school graduation;
(10)the number and
percentage of students in the State who are assisted under this Act and
enrolled in remedial mathematics or English courses during their freshman year
at an institution of higher education;
(11)the number and
percentage of students, in grade 10, in the State who are assisted under this
Act and take the PSAT; and
(12)the number and
percentage of students, in grades 11 and 12, in the State who are assisted
under this Act and take the SAT or ACT, and the students’ mean scores on such
assessments.
(b)Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section
shall report the information required under subsection (a) disaggregated in the
same manner as information is disaggregated under section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1111(b)(1)(C)(i)).
7.From the amount
appropriated for any fiscal year under section 8, the Secretary shall reserve
such sums as may be necessary—
(1)to conduct an
independent evaluation, by grant or by contract, of the program carried out
under this Act, which shall include an assessment of the impact of the program
on high school graduation rates, college-going rates, and student academic
achievement; and
(2)to prepare and
submit a report on the results of the evaluation described in paragraph (1) to
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives.
8.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $500,000,000 for fiscal
year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal
years.