[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1655 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1655

To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants for the support 
       of full-service community schools, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 9, 2009

   Mr. Nelson of Nebraska (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. 
 Gillibrand, and Mr. Burris) introduced the following bill; which was 
 read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
                              and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants for the support 
       of full-service community schools, 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 ``Full-Service Community Schools Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are the following:
            (1) Providing support for the planning, implementation, and 
        operation of full-service community schools.
            (2) Improving the coordination, availability, and 
        effectiveness of services for children and families.
            (3) Enabling principals and teachers to complement and 
        enrich efforts to help all children reach proficiency in 
        reading and math by 2014.
            (4) Ensuring that children come to school ready to learn 
        every day.
            (5) Enabling families to participate in the education of 
        their children.
            (6) Enabling more efficient use of Federal, State, local, 
        and private sector resources that serve children and families.
            (7) Facilitating the coordination of programs operated by 
        community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and 
        State, local, and tribal governments.
            (8) Engaging students as resources to their communities.
            (9) Engaging the business community and other community 
        organizations as partners in the development of full-service 
        community schools.

SEC. 3. FULL-SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOL.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``full-service community 
school'' means a public elementary or secondary school that--
            (1) participates in a community-based effort to coordinate 
        educational, developmental, family, health, and other 
        comprehensive services through community-based organizations 
        and public and private partnerships; and
            (2) provides access to such services to students, families, 
        and the community.

SEC. 4. LOCAL PROGRAMS.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary of Education (in this Act referred to as 
the ``Secretary'') may award grants to eligible entities to assist 
public elementary or secondary schools to function as full-service 
community schools.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
to coordinate not less than 3 qualified existing services and provide 
not less than 2 qualified additional services at 1 or more public 
elementary or secondary schools.
    (c) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in 
such manner as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall require 
that each such application include the following:
            (1) A description of the eligible entity.
            (2) A list of partner entities that will assist the 
        eligible entity to coordinate and provide qualified services.
            (3) A memorandum of understanding between the eligible 
        entity and all partner entities describing the role the partner 
        entities will assume.
            (4) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity to 
        coordinate and provide qualified services at a full-service 
        community school.
            (5) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the 
        following:
                    (A) The student, family, and school community to be 
                served, including information about the demographic 
                characteristics and needs of students, families, and 
                community residents, the number of families and 
                students to be served, and the frequency of services.
                    (B) Yearly measurable performance goals for the 
                program, including an increase in the percentage of 
                families and students targeted for services each year 
                of the program and improved outcomes for students and 
                families, particularly student academic achievement.
                    (C) Performance measures to monitor progress toward 
                attainment of the goals established under subparagraph 
                (B).
                    (D) Qualified services, existing and additional, to 
                be coordinated and provided by the eligible entity and 
                its partner entities, including an explanation of why 
                these services have been selected, and how they respond 
                to specified needs.
                    (E) Plans to ensure that each site has full-time 
                coordination of qualified services at each full-service 
                community school.
                    (F) Planning, coordination, management, and 
                oversight of qualified services at each school to be 
                served, including the role of the school principal, 
                partner entities, parents, and members of the 
                community.
                    (G) Funding sources for qualified services to be 
                coordinated and provided at each school to be served, 
                whether such funding is derived from grants under this 
                section or from other Federal, State, local, or private 
                sources.
                    (H) Plans for professional development for 
                personnel managing, or coordinating or delivering 
                qualified services at, the schools to be served.
                    (I) Plans for joint utilization and maintenance of 
                school facilities by the eligible entity and its 
                partner entities.
                    (J) How the eligible entity and its partners will 
                focus services on schools eligible for a schoolwide 
                program under section 1114 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6314).
                    (K) Plans for periodic evaluation based upon 
                attainment of the performance measures described in 
                subparagraph (C).
                    (L) How the provision and coordination of qualified 
                services is expected to improve student academic 
                achievement.
                    (M) How the qualified services will meet the 
                principles of effectiveness described in subsection 
                (d).
            (6) A plan for sustainability.
    (d) Principles of Effectiveness.--
            (1) In general.--For a program developed pursuant to this 
        section to meet principles of effectiveness, such program 
        shall--
                    (A) be based upon an assessment of objective data 
                regarding the need for the establishment of a full-
                service community school and qualified services at each 
                school to be served and in the community involved;
                    (B) be based upon an established set of performance 
                measures aimed at ensuring the availability and 
                effectiveness of high-quality services; and
                    (C) if appropriate, be based upon scientifically-
                based research that provides evidence that the 
                qualified services involved will help students meet 
                State and local student academic achievement standards.
    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to eligible entities that--
            (1) will serve 2 or more full-service community schools 
        eligible for a school-wide program under section 1114 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6314);
            (2) demonstrate a record of effectiveness in coordinating 
        multiple qualified services;
            (3) will serve more than 1 full-service community school as 
        part of a community- or district-wide strategy; and
            (4) will be connected to a school and community partnership 
        group that brings together key stakeholders across sectors, 
        such as the local educational agency, parents and neighborhood 
        residents, youth, local government, institutions of higher 
        education, teacher unions, community-based organizations, 
        business and civic groups, and others to improve results for 
        students and their families.
    (f) Grant Period.--Each grant awarded under this section shall be 
for a period of 5 years and may be renewed at the discretion of the 
Secretary based on demonstrated effectiveness in meeting performance 
goals and measure as described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of 
subsection (c)(5).
    (g) Minimum Amount.--The Secretary may not award a grant to an 
eligible entity under this section in an amount that is less than 
$75,000 for each year of the 5-year grant period.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``additional services'' means services 
        directly funded under this Act.
            (2) The term ``eligible entity'' means a consortium of a 
        local educational agency and 1 or more community-based 
        organizations, nonprofit organizations, or other public or 
        private entities.
            (3) The term ``existing services'' means services already 
        being financed by Federal, State, local or private sources, or 
        volunteer activities being supported by civic, business, faith-
        based, social, and other similar organizations.
            (4) The term ``qualified services'' means any of the 
        following:
                    (A) Early childhood education.
                    (B) Remedial education activities and enrichment 
                activities.
                    (C) Programs under the Head Start Act, including 
                Early Head Start programs.
                    (D) Programs that promote parental involvement and 
                family literacy, including the Reading First, Early 
                Reading First, and William F. Goodling Even Start 
                Family Literacy programs authorized in part B of title 
                I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq.).
                    (E) Mentoring and other youth development programs.
                    (F) Parent leadership development activities.
                    (G) Parenting education activities.
                    (H) Child care services.
                    (I) Community service and service learning 
                opportunities.
                    (J) Programs that provide assistance to students 
                who have been truant, suspended, or expelled.
                    (K) Job training and career counseling services.
                    (L) Nutrition services.
                    (M) Primary health and dental care.
                    (N) Mental health counseling services.
                    (O) Adult education, including instruction in 
                English as a second language.
                    (P) Other services consistent with this Act.

SEC. 5. STATE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary may award grants to State collaboratives 
to support the development of full-service community school programs in 
accordance with this section.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
only for the following:
            (1) Planning, coordinating, and expanding the development 
        of full-service community schools in the State, particularly 
        schools in high-poverty local educational agencies.
            (2) Providing technical assistance and training for full-
        service community schools, including professional development 
        for personnel and creation of data collection and evaluation 
        systems.
            (3) Collecting, evaluating, and reporting data about the 
        progress of full-service community schools.
            (4) Evaluating the impact of State and Federal policies and 
        guidelines on the ability of eligible entities to integrate 
        Federal and State programs at full-service community schools, 
        and taking action to make necessary changes.
    (c) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, a State 
collaborative shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall 
require that each such application include the following:
            (1) A list of all governmental agencies and nonprofit 
        organizations that will participate as members of the State 
        collaborative.
            (2) A description of the expertise of each member of the 
        State collaborative--
                    (A) in coordinating Federal and State programs 
                across multiple agencies;
                    (B) in working with and developing the capacity of 
                full-service community schools; and
                    (C) in working with high-poverty schools and local 
                educational agencies.
            (3) A comprehensive plan describing how the grant will be 
        used to plan, coordinate, and expand the delivery of services 
        at full-service community schools.
            (4) A comprehensive accountability plan that will be used 
        to demonstrate effectiveness, including the measurable 
        performance goals of the program and performance measures to 
        monitor progress and assess services' impact on students and 
        families and academic achievement.
            (5) An explanation of how the State collaborative will 
        provide technical assistance and training, including 
        professional development, for full-service community schools.
            (6) An explanation of how the State will collect and 
        evaluate information on full-service community schools.
    (d) Grant Period.--Each grant awarded under this section shall be 
for a period of 5 years.
    (e) Minimum Amount.--The Secretary may not award a grant to a State 
collaborative under this section in an amount that is less than 
$500,000 for each year of the 5-year grant period.
    (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``State'' includes the several States, the 
        District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, 
        Guam, the Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession 
        of the United States.
            (2) The term ``State collaborative'' means a collaborative 
        of a State educational agency and not less than 2 other 
        governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations that provide 
        services to children and families.

SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established an advisory 
committee to be known as the ``Full-Service Community Schools Advisory 
Committee'' (in this section referred to as the ``Advisory 
Committee'').
    (b) Duties.--Subject to subsection (c), the Advisory Committee 
shall--
            (1) consult with the Secretary on the development and 
        implementation of programs under this Act;
            (2) identify strategies to improve the coordination of 
        Federal programs in support of full-service community schools; 
        and
            (3) issue an annual report to the Congress on efforts under 
        this Act, including a description of--
                    (A) the results of local and national evaluation of 
                such efforts; and
                    (B) the scope of services being coordinated under 
                this Act.
    (c) Consultation.--In carrying out its duties under this section, 
the Advisory Committee shall consult annually with eligible entities 
awarded grants under section 4, State collaboratives awarded grants 
under section 5, and other entities with expertise in operating full-
service community schools.
    (d) Members.--The Advisory Committee shall consist of 5 members as 
follows:
            (1) The Secretary of Education (or the Secretary's 
        delegate).
            (2) The Attorney General of the United States (or the 
        Attorney General's delegate).
            (3) The Secretary of Agriculture (or the Secretary's 
        delegate).
            (4) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or the 
        Secretary's delegate).
            (5) The Secretary of Labor (or the Secretary's delegate).

SEC. 7. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, directly or through 
grants, shall provide such technical assistance as may be appropriate 
to accomplish the purposes of this Act.
    (b) Evaluations by Secretary.--The Secretary shall conduct 
evaluations on the effectiveness of grants under sections 4 and 5 in 
achieving the purposes of this Act.
    (c) Evaluations by Grantees.--The Secretary shall require each 
recipient of a grant under this Act--
            (1) to conduct periodic evaluations of the progress 
        achieved with the grant toward achieving the purposes of this 
        Act;
            (2) to use such evaluations to refine and improve 
        activities conducted with the grant and the performance 
        measures for such activities; and
            (3) to make the results of such evaluations publicly 
        available, including by providing public notice of such 
        availability.
    (d) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available to a grantee 
under this Act may be used only to supplement, and not supplant, any 
other Federal, State, or local funds that would otherwise be available 
to carry out the activities assisted under this Act.
    (e) Matching Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall require each recipient 
        of a grant under this Act to provide matching funds from non-
        Federal sources in an amount determined under paragraph (2).
            (2) Determination of amount of match.--
                    (A) Sliding scale.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                the Secretary shall determine the amount of matching 
                funds to be required of a grantee under this subsection 
                based on a sliding fee scale that takes into account--
                            (i) the relative poverty of the population 
                        to be targeted by the grantee; and
                            (ii) the ability of the grantee to obtain 
                        such matching funds.
                    (B) Maximum amount.--The Secretary may not require 
                any grantee under this section to provide matching 
                funds in an amount that exceeds the amount of the grant 
                award.
            (3) In-kind contributions.--The Secretary shall permit 
        grantees under this section to match funds in whole or in part 
        with in-kind contributions.
            (4) Consideration.--Notwithstanding this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall not consider an applicant's ability to match 
        funds when determining which applicants will receive grants 
        under this Act.
    (f) Special Rule.--Entities receiving funds under this Act shall 
comply with all existing Federal statutes that prohibit discrimination.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
    (b) Allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated to carry out this Act 
for each fiscal year--
            (1) 75 percent shall be for section 4;
            (2) 20 percent shall be for section 5; and
            (3) of the remaining 5 percent, not less than $500,000 
        shall be for technical assistance under section 7(a).
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