1.Short title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the
Reengaging Americans in Serious
Education by Uniting Programs Act
.
(b)The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purpose.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Grants authorized.
Sec. 5. Application.
Sec. 6. Priority.
Sec. 7. Selection criteria.
Sec. 8. Use of funds.
Sec. 9. Accountability, performance measures, and
evaluation.
Sec. 10. Technical assistance and best practices.
Sec. 11. Authorization of appropriations.
2.The purposes of this Act are—
(1)to prepare young people in disadvantaged
situations for a competitive future; and
(2)to challenge and support young people who
have dropped out of secondary school to—
(A)attain a secondary school diploma;
(B)attain a 2-year or 4-year credential from a
recognized postsecondary educational institution, an industry recognized
credential, or certification from a registered apprenticeship program;
and
(C)secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career.
3.In this Act:
(1)The term disability has the
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
(2)The term eligible entity means
a partnership that includes—
(A)a mayor, or appropriate chief executive
officer of general purpose local government, of the community to be assisted
under the grant awarded under section 4;
(B)a representative of—
(i)each local educational agency serving the
community to be assisted under the grant;
(ii)the local juvenile justice system serving
the community;
(iii)the local criminal justice system serving
the community;
(iv)the local workforce system serving the
community;
(v)the local housing agency serving the
community;
(vi)the local mental health agency serving the
community; and
(vii)the local child welfare agency serving the
community;
(C)a representative of a State agency serving
youth in the community to be assisted under the grant;
(D)not less than 1 representative of an
institution of higher education, which may include a community college;
(E)a representative of—
(i)a local secondary school;
(ii)not less than 1 community-based
organization;
(iii)a public or private, nonprofit agency
providing services to young people;
(iv)a labor management committee; and
(v)a business; and
(F)young people in disadvantaged situations,
and parents or caregivers of young people in disadvantaged situations.
(3)Federal Youth Development
CouncilThe term
Federal Youth Development Council means the Federal Youth
Development Council established under the Tom Osborne Federal Youth
Coordination Act (Public Law 109–365; 120 Stat. 2594).
(4)Homeless children and youthsThe term homeless children and
youths has the meaning given the term in section 725 of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a).
(5)In a disadvantaged situationThe term in a disadvantaged
situation, when referring to an individual, includes an individual
who—
(A)has left secondary school without obtaining
a secondary school diploma;
(B)is attending secondary school and is at
risk of leaving secondary school without obtaining a secondary school diploma;
or
(C)(i)has a secondary school diploma or its
recognized equivalent; and
(ii)faces a barrier to employment or does not
have the skills to obtain employment or enter postsecondary education.
(6)Institution of higher
educationThe term
institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(7)The term one-stop center means
a one-stop center described in section 134(c) of the Workforce Investment Act
of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(c)).
(8)The term postsecondary
education means—
(A)a 4-year program of instruction, or not
less than a 1-year program of instruction that is acceptable for credit toward
a baccalaureate degree, offered by an institution of higher education;
or
(B)a certificate or registered apprenticeship
program at the postsecondary level offered by an institution of higher
education or a nonprofit educational institution.
(9)Registered apprenticeship
programThe term
registered apprenticeship program means an industry skills
training program at the postsecondary level that combines technical and
theoretical training through structured on-the-job learning with related
instruction (in a classroom or through distance learning) while an individual
is employed, working under the direction of qualified personnel or a mentor,
and earning incremental wage increases aligned to enhanced job proficiency,
resulting in the acquisition of a nationally recognized and portable
certificate, under a plan approved by the Office of Apprenticeship of the
Department of Labor or by a State agency recognized by the Department of
Labor.
(10)The term secondary school has
the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(11)The term Secretary means the
Secretary of Labor.
(12)The term young people means
individuals who are between the ages of 14 and 24, inclusive, at the time of
commencement of participation in services funded through a grant under section
4.
4.
(a)The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Attorney General of the United
States, the Federal Youth Development Council, and leaders in the field of
working with young people in disadvantaged situations, shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to pay
the costs of—
(1)developing and implementing a strategy to
identify young people in disadvantaged situations; and
(2)providing such young people with support
needed to—
(A)graduate from secondary school;
(B)attain a postsecondary credential,
including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of higher
education, an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a
registered apprenticeship program; and
(C)secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career.
(b)The Secretary shall award a grant under
this section in an amount that—
(1)is appropriate to achieve the goals and
implement the activities described in the application submitted under section
5; and
(2)is not less than $1,000,000 per
year.
(c)A grant under this section shall be awarded
for a period of 5 years, and may be renewed at the discretion of the Secretary
based on the effective performance of the eligible entity under the preceding
grant in accordance with the levels of performance determined by the eligible
entity and the Secretary pursuant to section 9(b).
(d)Equitable geographic distribution of
fundsThe Secretary shall
ensure an equitable and appropriate distribution of grants awarded under this
section among eligible entities—
(1)serving urban, rural, and suburban areas;
and
(2)with varying degrees of experience and
expertise in serving young people in disadvantaged situations.
(e)Fiscal and administrative
agentsAn eligible entity
shall choose an entity to be the fiscal agent and an entity to be the
administrative agent for the grant funds received under this section.
(f)An existing workforce, education, or youth
development partnership, coalition, or organization may serve as the eligible
entity for the purposes of grants under this section if the partnership,
coalition, or organization includes, or modifies the members of the
partnership, coalition, or organization to include, the individuals required to
be included in the eligible entity under section 3(2).
5.
(a)An eligible entity that desires a grant
under section 4 shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
(b)An application submitted under this section
shall include—
(1)a description of the eligible entity
submitting the application, including a description of the fiscal agent and the
administrative agent for the grant;
(2)a description of the strategy that the
eligible entity will use to carry out the purpose of this Act, which shall
include—
(A)a well-developed education component, which
may include an emphasis on basic literacy and the skills needed in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics;
(B)a work preparation component, which may
include a hands-on internship, work experience, or national or community
service, that promotes the development of applied skills such as oral and
written communication, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking; and
(C)a youth support component, including the
array of comprehensive support services that will—
(i)address the challenges that caused the
young people in disadvantaged situations to leave school without a secondary
school diploma;
(ii)remove barriers to and support the
attainment of—
(I)the graduation of such young people from
secondary school;
(II)a postsecondary credential, including a
2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of higher education, an
industry-recognized credential, or certification from a registered
apprenticeship program; and
(III)success in a family-supporting career;
and
(iii)provide appropriate case management to
ensure young people achieve the purposes described in section 2;
(3)a needs assessment of the community to be
assisted under the grant, including—
(A)an estimate of the number of young people
in disadvantaged situations in the community; and
(B)an assessment of resources available in the
community that can help such young people—
(i)address the challenges that caused such
young people to leave school without a secondary school diploma;
(ii)return to an appropriate educational
setting;
(iii)attain a secondary school diploma;
(iv)attain a postsecondary credential,
including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of higher
education, an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a
registered apprenticeship program; and
(v)secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career;
(4)a plan for identifying and engaging young
people in disadvantaged situations and connecting such young people with a
continuum of comprehensive and coordinated resources that can help such young
people attain a secondary school diploma, a recognized postsecondary
credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of
higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a
registered apprenticeship program, and secure and succeed in a
family-supporting career, including a description of—
(A)the needs of such young people that will be
met by the eligible entity through the grant;
(B)the identities, roles, and capacity of the
partners in the eligible entity to fulfill the needs described in subparagraph
(A), including a description of the role to be played by—
(i)secondary schools and postsecondary
institutions in constructing education programming;
(ii)the local workforce system, including
one-stop career centers and businesses, in developing and implementing the
workforce preparation activities; and
(iii)youth serving systems, including the
juvenile justice system, and other community-based organizations in providing
outreach, support, and direct service;
(C)a plan to leverage non-Federal (including
in-kind) resources and a plan for sustainability beyond the grant
period;
(D)the services to be provided through the
grant to carry out the strategy described in paragraph (2) and a description of
the process that will be used to award subgrants and contracts under section 7
for the provision of such services;
(E)the research and evidence base indicating
why the selected strategy and selection of services will be effective in
meeting the comprehensive needs of the young people in disadvantaged situations
identified in the community;
(F)the goals, intended outcomes, and
performance measures of the eligible entity's strategy in accordance with the
performance measures under section 9(b);
(G)a statement of concurrence on the
application, signed by the partners in the eligible entity, that outlines the
specific roles and responsibilities of the partners as the roles and
responsibilities relate to the functioning of the eligible entity; and
(H)a plan to create, or include an existing,
youth advisory council, that is composed of young people in disadvantaged
situations from the community to be served, to make recommendations regarding
the services to be provided under the grant;
(5)a description of the system that will be
put in place to—
(A)provide case management, counseling,
intensive placement and follow-up services, adult advocacy, or mentoring to
help young people in disadvantaged situations and their families access the
various systems, resources, and supports necessary to ensure such young
people's success; and
(B)ensure that young people receiving services
through the grant will receive individualized case management to ensure that
the young people achieve the purposes described in section 2(2),
including—
(i)an assessment of needs;
(ii)coordination of appropriate services;
and
(iii)academic preparation and support for entry,
persistence, and completion of postsecondary education;
(6)a description of how the eligible entity
will ensure that every young person served under the grant receives
comprehensive services, including receiving not less than 1 workforce
preparation service as described in section 7(b)(1), not less than 1 education
support service as described in section 7(b)(2), and not less than 1 youth
support service as described in section 7(b)(3), until the young person—
(A)attains a secondary school diploma, a
2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of higher education, an
industry-recognized credential, or certification from a registered
apprenticeship program; and
(B)secures and succeeds in a family-supporting
career;
(7)a description of how the strategy to be
implemented under the grant will identify, engage, and provide services to
young people in disadvantaged situations who—
(A)are or were previously homeless children
and youths;
(B)were previously under the care and
placement responsibility of the State agency responsible for administering a
plan under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621
et seq., 670 et seq.);
(C)were under the custody of the State’s
juvenile justice system or criminal justice system; or
(D)have a disability;
(8)a description of how public and private
services that exist on the date of submission of the application will be
coordinated and integrated in order to implement and sustain the strategy under
the grant;
(9)a description of how Federal, State, and
local private and public funds will be leveraged, coordinated, and integrated
in order to implement the strategy under the grant;
(10)a description of how the strategy to be
implemented under the grant strengthens, and does not duplicate, efforts within
the community to be served under the grant that are funded under chapter 4 of
subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2851
et seq.); and
(11)a description of how the strategy to be
implemented under the grant aligns with the efforts of the local educational
agency serving the community assisted under the grant to improve secondary
schools, including efforts focused on—
(A)students who are off-track to an on-time
graduation; and
(B)recuperative strategies.
(c)Existing plans, assessments, and
strategiesPlans, needs
assessments, and strategies that have been developed by an eligible entity or
the partners in the eligible entity may be used to satisfy the requirements of
this section if such plans, needs assessments, or strategies—
(1)include the information required by this
section, or can be modified to include the information required by this
section; and
(2)are submitted to the Secretary with such
modifications.
6.In awarding grants to eligible entities
under section 4, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from
eligible entities proposing—
(1)to serve areas with disproportionately high
numbers or percentages of young people who have left secondary school without
obtaining a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
(2)to serve areas with high concentrations of
young people in families whose family income is not more than 200 percent of
the poverty line (as determined under section 673(2) of the Community Services
Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))); and
(3)to serve areas with high numbers or
percentages of young people who are unemployed or underemployed.
7.The Secretary shall award grants to eligible
entities under section 4 based on selection criteria that includes the
following:
(1)Best practices or researchThe extent to which the application
submitted by an eligible entity under section 5 is rooted in documented best
practices or research.
(2)The extent to which the application
demonstrates the integration of multiple services into a comprehensive,
coordinated continuum that meets the holistic needs of young people, including
health services, mental health services, housing, civic opportunities, job
readiness, work experience, school readiness, reenrollment in school, and
connections to family and community.
(3)Leadership and community
involvementThe extent to
which the application demonstrates the leadership and substantive involvement
of the business community, the mayor or appropriate chief executive officers of
the general purpose local government, and the public and nonprofit sectors of
the community served by the grant.
(4)Leveraging and sustainabilityThe extent to which the application
demonstrates that resources from multiple sources will be leveraged to
implement the grant, and the extent to which the application demonstrates a
plan for sustainability beyond the grant period.
8.
(a)
(1)Each eligible entity receiving a grant
under section 4 shall use the grant funds—
(A)to award subgrants and contracts to
community-based organizations and other entities to enable the organizations
and entities to provide a comprehensive array of coordinated activities that
will—
(i)support the educational, vocational,
social, emotional, and civic needs of young people in disadvantaged situations;
and
(ii)allow such young people to graduate from
secondary school, attain a postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or
4-year credential from an institution of higher education, an
industry-recognized credential, or certification from a registered
apprenticeship program, and secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career;
(B)for training, technical assistance, and
professional development for the organizations and entities that is offered by
local or national organizations;
(C)for coordinating the overall effort of the
eligible entity; or
(D)for the reasonable costs associated with
the administration and oversight of the grants under section 4.
(2)Each organization or entity receiving a
subgrant or contract under this Act—
(A)shall use the subgrant or contract funds to
carry out a workforce preparation service, an education support service, or a
youth support service, described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection
(b), respectively; and
(B)may use the subgrant or contract funds to
carry out an activity described in paragraph (4) or (5) of subsection
(b).
(b)The services and activities referred to in
subsection (a)(2) include the following:
(1)Work and career preparation
(A)Job training, youth entrepreneurship,
technological and vocational skill building, meaningful internship and
apprenticeship opportunities, and other workforce preparation activities
developed in partnership with the business community and other
employers.
(B)Exposure and preparation for
careersStrategies that will
expose young people in disadvantaged situations to, and prepare such young
people for, careers, including careers in high-growth, high-demand industries
that require the use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
skills.
(C)Strategies that
promote the development of applied skills in such young people, including oral
and written communication, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, and a
commitment to social and civic responsibility, including service-learning
activities.
(D)Compensation for employment opportunities
for such young people, including summer and year-round employment
opportunities, national and community service, service-learning, and work
experience.
(2)
(A)Education programming for such young
people, including assessment, instruction, tutoring, and technology supports to
academic instruction.
(B)Career and technical
educationCareer and
technical education.
(C)Dual enrollment programs and early college
high schoolsParticipation in
dual enrollment programs, early college high schools, and other proven models
for supporting the educational achievement of disadvantaged youth.
(D)Postsecondary credentialsPrograms that provide young people with a
postsecondary credential from an institution of higher education, a non-profit
educational institution that offers an industry recognized credential, or a
registered apprenticeship program, which may include attainment of a GED, only
if the GED attainment is an element of the pathway toward achieving such
credential or certification.
(E)Support for young people in their
transition into and their successful completion of postsecondary
education.
(F)Financial assistance for such young people
for education support services and for higher education.
(3)
(A)Case management, including using subgrant
or contract funds for youth centers to serve as points of access and continued
support.
(B)Health, mental health, or drug treatment
servicesHealth services,
mental health services, or drug treatment services.
(C)Housing.
(D)Transportation.
(E)Childcare or family support
servicesChildcare services
or family support services.
(F)Mentoring activities for such young people,
including one-to-one relationship building and tutoring.
(4)Curriculum development that promotes
contextual learning.
(5)Other services or
opportunitiesOther services
or opportunities that the Secretary or the eligible entity determine will help
carry out the purposes of this Act.
(c)An eligible entity receiving a grant under
section 4 shall ensure that, of the group of young people in disadvantaged
situations who receive the services and participate in the activities described
in subsections (a) and (b) under the grant, not less than 75 percent of the
group shall be young people who—
(1)left secondary school without receiving a
secondary school diploma; and
(2)regardless of educational status—
(A)face a barrier to employment or do not have
the skills to obtain employment or enter postsecondary education; and
(B)(i)are or were previously homeless children
and youths;
(ii)were previously under the care and
placement responsibility of the State agency responsible for administering a
plan under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621
et seq., 670 et seq.);
(iii)were under the custody of the juvenile
justice or criminal justice system; or
(iv)have a disability.
(d)Waiver of multiple service
requirementThe Secretary may
waive the requirement of subsection (a) regarding the provision of a
comprehensive array of coordinated activities for an eligible entity receiving
a grant under section 4 to permit not more than 25 percent of the young people
served by the eligible entity under the grant to receive only 1 or more
services among the allowable activities described in subsection (b) if the
eligible entity determines that such young people only need 1 or more such
services in order to—
(1)attain a secondary school diploma;
(2)attain a recognized postsecondary
credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of
higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a
registered apprenticeship program; and
(3)secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career.
9.Accountability, performance measures, and
evaluation
(a)The purpose of this section is to establish
an accountability system, comprised of the activities described in this
section, in order to—
(1)assess the effectiveness of grants under
section 4 in helping disadvantaged youth—
(A)attain a secondary school diploma;
(B)attain a 2-year or 4-year credential from
an institution of higher education, an industry recognized credential, or
certification from a registered apprenticeship program; and
(C)secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career;
(2)identify and disseminate effective
practices to strengthen performance; and
(3)maximize the return on investment of
Federal funds in activities assisted pursuant to a grant under section
4.
(b)
(1)For each eligible entity, performance
measures shall consist of the indicators of performance described in paragraph
(2) and the level of performance described in paragraph (3).
(2)Indicators of performanceThe indicators of performance referred to
in paragraph (1) shall consist of the following:
(A)
(i)Youth participation in activities funded
under section 4.
(ii)Youth progress
towards attainment of a secondary school diploma.
(iii)Youth attainment of a secondary school
diploma.
(B)
(i)Diploma, and entrance into education or
employmentYouth acquisition
of a secondary school diploma, and entrance into postsecondary education or
employment.
(ii)Youth attainment of 1 or more recognized
postsecondary credentials, which may include a certificate, a license, a
journey-status card, or an associate degree or baccalaureate degree.
(C)
(i)Employment, diploma, and
credentialEmployment of
individuals who participated in activities funded under section 4, attained a
secondary school diploma, and attained 1 or more recognized credentials, which
may include a certificate, license, journey-status card, or associate degree or
baccalaureate degree.
(ii)Initial wage or salary levelThe initial wage or salary level of
individuals described in clause (i).
(3)For each indicator of performance described
in paragraph (2), the Secretary, in coordination with the eligible entity,
shall determine a level of performance expressed in objective, quantifiable,
and measurable form and in a way to show the progress of the eligible entity
toward continuously improving performance.
(4)
(A)Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under section 4 shall reach agreement with the Secretary on the levels of
performance for the years covered by the grant. The levels of performance shall
take into account the economic conditions of the area served, youth
characteristics, secondary school graduation rates, and the activities or
services provided under the grant.
(B)If unanticipated circumstances arise
resulting in a significant change in the economic conditions, youth
characteristics, secondary school graduation rates, or activities or services
provided in the community served under the grant, then the eligible entity may
request that the Secretary adjust the level of performance for the eligible
entity.
(c)Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under section 4 shall provide an assurance to the Secretary, as part of the
application submitted under section 5, that the eligible entity will—
(1)report progress toward achieving the
indicators under subsection (b) beyond the grant period for young people served
under the grant; and
(2)use funds provided under the grant for such
progress reporting.
(d)
(1)Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under section 4 shall annually, for each year of the grant, provide a report to
the Secretary that includes the progress of the eligible entity in
accomplishing the performance measures for the eligible entity. The annual
report shall include—
(A)information on the progress each eligible
entity made in accomplishing its performance measures, disaggregated by the
subgroups described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II));
(B)the costs of the activities supported under
the grant under section 4, including—
(i)the type of cost, such as cash, personnel,
equipment, supplies, or materials, or other cost;
(ii)the sources used to pay such costs, such
as—
(I)funding from other Federal, State, or local
public programs; or
(II)private sector or philanthropic
contributions; and
(iii)the dollar value of the resources leveraged
to cover such costs and support the activities;
(C)any fiscal and management accountability
information required by the Secretary, which information shall use sound
financial and management practices;
(D)the characteristics and number of young
people in disadvantaged situations served by the services and activities
provided under the grant; and
(E)the services and supports provided under
the grant.
(2)Valid and reliable
informationIn preparing the
reports under this subsection, each eligible entity shall establish procedures,
consistent with guidelines issued by the Secretary, to ensure that the
information contained in the reports is valid and reliable.
(e)Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award a grant or a contract to an
entity outside the Department of Labor for an evaluation of the activities
assisted under the grants awarded under section 4. Such evaluation
shall—
(1)evaluate a subgroup of eligible entities
that received a grant under section 4;
(2)include an analysis and documentation of
the strategies implemented by the eligible entities assisted under the grants
awarded under section 4 and the key lessons learned, as such lessons relate to
program design, systems coordination, and implementation;
(3)measure the outcomes, and progress toward
the outcomes, of the strategies implemented under the grants under section 4 in
terms of the interim and transitional indicators of performance under
subsection (b)(2), and if feasible, the long-term indicators of performance
under such subsection;
(4)document the incremental progress of such
young people over time on the outcomes measured under paragraph (3);
(5)measure the return on investment resulting
from the activities funded with grants under section 4; and
(6)begin as soon as practicable after the
awarding of the grant or contract under this section and continue throughout
the duration of the periods of the grants under section 4 so that the plans
included in the applications under section 5 may be informed by, and conducive
to, the evaluation.
10.Technical assistance and best
practicesThe Secretary
shall—
(1)in consultation with the Federal Youth
Development Council and the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention established under section 206 of the Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5616), the Shared Youth
Vision, and other related agencies, disseminate best practices that emerge from
the program assisted under this Act in identifying young people in
disadvantaged situations, and in implementing effective public and private
strategies for preparing such young people to be successful students, workers,
and citizens during and after implementation of the program; and
(2)provide, directly or through a grant or
contract with 1 or more nonprofit organizations selected through a competitive
process, training, technical assistance, and professional development for
organizations serving young people in disadvantaged situations, including
organizations serving such young people that do not receive funding under this
Act.
11.Authorization of appropriations
(a)There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be
necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
(b)Of the amounts appropriated to carry out
this section for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use—
(1)not less than 90 percent of such amount for
grants to eligible entities under section 4; and
(2)a total of not more than 10 percent of such
amount for the evaluation under section 9(b) and the training, technical
assistance, and dissemination of best practices under section 10.