1.This Act may be cited as the
Fast Track to College Act of
2009
.
2.The purpose of this Act is to increase high
school graduation rates and the percentage of students who complete a
recognized postsecondary credential by the age of 26, including among
low-income students and students from other populations underrepresented in
higher education.
3.For purposes of this Act:
(1)The term dual enrollment program means an
academic program through which a high school student is able simultaneously to
earn credit toward a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree or
certificate.
(2)Early college
high schoolThe term early college high school means
a high school that provides a course of study that enables a student to earn a
high school diploma and either an associate’s degree or one to two years of
college credit toward a postsecondary degree or credential.
(3)Educational
service agencyThe term educational service agency
has the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(4)The term eligible entity means a local
educational agency, which may be an educational service agency, in a
collaborative partnership with an institution of higher education. Such
partnership also may include other entities, such as a nonprofit organization
with experience in youth development.
(5)Institution of
higher educationThe term institution of higher
education has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965.
(6)The term local educational agency
has the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(7)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(8)The term
low-income student means a student described in section 1113(a)(5)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6313(a)(5)).
4.Authorization of
appropriations; reservations
(a)To carry out this Act, there are authorized to be
appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be
necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
(b)Early College
High SchoolsThe Secretary shall reserve not less than 45 percent
of the funds appropriated under subsection (a) to support early college high
schools under section 5.
(c)Other Dual
Enrollment ProgramsThe Secretary shall reserve not less than 45
percent of such funds to support other dual enrollment programs under section
5.
(d)The Secretary shall reserve 10 percent of such funds, or
$10,000,000, whichever is less, for grants to States under section 9.
5.
(a)The Secretary is authorized to award six-year grants to
eligible entities seeking to establish a new, or support an existing, early
college high school or other dual enrollment program.
(b)The Secretary shall
ensure that grants are of sufficient size to enable grantees to carry out all
required activities and otherwise meet the purposes of this Act, except that a
grant under this section may not exceed $2,000,000.
(c)
(1)An eligible entity shall contribute matching funds toward
the costs of the early college high school or other dual enrollment program to
be supported under this section, of which not less than half shall be from
non-Federal sources, which funds shall represent not less than the
following:
(A)20 percent of the
grant amount received in each of the first and second years of the
grant.
(B)30 percent in each
of the third and fourth years.
(C)40 percent in the
fifth year.
(D)50 percent in the
sixth year.
(2)Determination of
amount contributedThe Secretary shall allow an eligible entity
to satisfy the requirement of this subsection through in-kind
contributions.
(d)An eligible entity shall use a grant received under this
section only to supplement funds that would, in the absence of such grant, be
made available from non-Federal funds for support of the activities described
in the eligible entity’s application under section 7, and not to supplant such
funds.
(e)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
applicants—
(1)that propose to
establish or support an early college high school or other dual enrollment
program that will serve a student population of which 40 percent or more are
students counted under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)); and
(2)from States that
provide assistance to early college high schools or other dual enrollment
programs, such as assistance to defray the costs of higher education, such as
tuition, fees, and textbooks.
(f)The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, ensure that grantees are from a representative cross-section of
urban, suburban, and rural areas.
6.
(a)An eligible entity shall use grant funds received
under section 5 to support the activities described in its application under
section 7, including the following:
(1)In the case of a new early college high school or other dual
enrollment program, during the first year of the grant—
(A)hiring a principal
and staff, as appropriate;
(B)designing the
curriculum and sequence of courses in collaboration with, at a minimum,
teachers from the local educational agency and faculty from the partner
institution of higher education;
(C)informing parents
and the community about the school or program and opportunities to become
actively involved in the school or program;
(D)establishing a
course articulation process for defining and approving courses for high school
and college credit;
(E)outreach programs
to ensure that middle and high school students and their families are aware of
the school or program;
(F)liaison activities
among partners in the eligible entity; and
(G)coordinating
secondary and postsecondary support services, academic calendars, and
transportation.
(2)During the remainder of the grant period—
(A)academic and
social support services, including counseling;
(B)liaison activities
among partners in the eligible entity;
(C)data collection
and use of such data for student and instructional improvement and program
evaluation;
(D)outreach programs
to ensure that middle and high school students and their families are aware of
the early college high school or other dual enrollment program;
(E)professional
development, including joint professional development for secondary school
personnel and faculty from the institution of higher education; and
(F)school or program
design and planning team activities, including curriculum development.
(b)An eligible entity may also use grant funds received
under section 5 otherwise to support the activities described in its
application under section 7, including—
(1)purchasing
textbooks and equipment that support the curriculum of the early college high
school or other dual enrollment program;
(2)developing
learning opportunities for students that complement classroom experiences, such
as internships, career-based capstone projects, and opportunities to
participate in the activities provided under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of
part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et
seq., 1070a–21 et seq.);
(3)transportation;
and
(4)planning time for
high school and college educators to collaborate.
7.
(a)To receive a grant under section 5, an eligible entity
shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
including such information as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(b)At a minimum, the application described in subsection
(a) shall include a description of—
(1)the budget of the
early college high school or other dual enrollment program;
(2)each partner in
the eligible entity and its experience with early college high schools or other
dual enrollment programs, key personnel from each partner and such personnel's
responsibilities for the school or program, and how the eligible entity will
work with secondary and postsecondary teachers, other public and private
entities, community-based organizations, businesses, labor organizations, and
parents to ensure that students will be prepared to succeed in postsecondary
education and employment, which may include the development of an advisory
board;
(3)how the eligible
entity will target and recruit at-risk youth, including those at risk of
dropping out of school, first generation college students, and students from
populations 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));
(4)a
system of student supports, including small group activities, tutoring,
literacy and numeracy skill development in all academic disciplines, parental
and community outreach and engagement, extended learning time, and college
readiness activities, such as early college academic seminars and
counseling;
(5)in the case of an
early college high school, how a graduation and career plan will be developed,
consistent with State graduation requirements, for each student and reviewed
each semester;
(6)how parents or
guardians of students participating in the early college high school or other
dual enrollment program will be informed of the students' academic performance
and progress and, subject to paragraph (5), involved in the development of the
students' career and graduation plans;
(7)coordination
between the institution of higher education and the local educational agency,
including regarding academic calendars, provision of student services,
curriculum development, and professional development;
(8)how the eligible
entity will ensure that teachers in the early college high school or other dual
enrollment program receive appropriate professional development and other
supports, including to enable the teachers to utilize effective parent and
community engagement strategies, and help English-language learners, students
with disabilities, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds to
succeed;
(9)learning
opportunities for students that complement classroom experiences, such as
internships, career-based capstone projects, and opportunities to participate
in the activities provided under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of part A of
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.,
1070a–21 et seq.);
(10)how policies,
agreements, and the courses in the program will ensure that postsecondary
credits earned will be transferable to, at a minimum, public institutions of
higher education within the State, consistent with existing statewide
articulation agreements;
(11)student
assessments and other measurements of student achievement, including benchmarks
for student achievement;
(12)outreach programs
to provide elementary and secondary school students, especially those in middle
grades, and their parents, teachers, school counselors, and principals
information about and academic preparation for the early college high school or
other dual enrollment program;
(13)how the local
educational agency and institution of higher education will work together, as
appropriate, to collect and use data for student and instructional improvement
and program evaluation;
(14)how the eligible
entity will help students meet eligibility criteria for postsecondary courses
and ensure that students understand how their credits will transfer; and
(15)how the eligible
entity will access and leverage additional resources necessary to sustain the
early college high school or other dual enrollment program after the grant
expires, including by engaging businesses and non-profit organizations.
(c)An
eligible entity’s application under subsection (a) shall include assurances
that—
(1)in the case of an
early college high school, the majority of courses offered, including of
postsecondary courses, will be offered at facilities of the institution of
higher education;
(2)students will not
be required to pay tuition or fees for postsecondary courses offered as part of
the early college high school or other dual enrollment program;
(3)postsecondary
credits earned will be transcribed upon completion of the requisite coursework;
and
(4)faculty teaching
such postsecondary courses meet the normal standards for faculty established by
the institution of higher education.
(d)The
Secretary may waive the requirement of subsection (c)(1) upon a showing that it
is impractical to apply due to geographic considerations.
8.
(a)Peer Review of
ApplicationsThe Secretary shall establish peer review panels to
review applications submitted pursuant to section 7 to advise the Secretary
regarding such applications.
(b)Composition of
Peer Review PanelsThe Secretary shall ensure that each peer
review panel is not comprised wholly of full-time officers or employees of the
Federal Government and includes, at a minimum—
(1)experts in the
establishment and administration of early college high schools or other dual
enrollment programs from the secondary and postsecondary perspective;
(2)faculty at
institutions of higher education and secondary school teachers with expertise
in dual enrollment; and
(3)experts in the
education of at-risk students.
9.
(a)The Secretary is authorized to award five-year grants to
State agencies responsible for secondary or postsecondary education for efforts
to support or establish early college high schools or other dual enrollment
programs.
(b)The Secretary shall ensure that grants are of sufficient
size to enable grantees to carry out all required activities.
(c)A State shall contribute matching funds from
non-Federal sources toward the costs of carrying out activities under this
section, which funds shall represent not less than 50 percent of the grant
amount received in each year of the grant.
(d)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to States
that provide assistance to early college high schools or other dual enrollment
programs, such as assistance to defray the costs of higher education, such as
tuition, fees, and textbooks.
(e)To
receive a grant under this section, a State agency shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and including such
information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(f)At a minimum, the application described in subsection
(e) shall include—
(1)how the State will
carry out all of the required State activities described in subsection
(g);
(2)how the State will
identify and eliminate barriers to implementing effective early college high
schools and other dual enrollment programs after the grant expires, including
by engaging businesses and non-profit organizations;
(3)how the State will
access and leverage additional resources necessary to sustain early college
high schools or other dual enrollment programs; and
(4)such other
information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(g)A State receiving a grant under this section shall use
such funds for—
(1)creating outreach
programs to ensure that middle and high school students, their families, and
community members are aware of early college high schools and other dual
enrollment programs in the State;
(2)planning and
implementing a statewide strategy for expanding access to early college high
schools and other dual enrollment programs for students who are
underrepresented in higher education to raise statewide rates of high school
graduation, college readiness, and completion of postsecondary degrees and
credentials, with a focus on at-risk students, including identifying any
obstacles to such a strategy under State law or policy;
(3)providing
technical assistance to early college high schools and other dual enrollment
programs, such as brokering relationships and agreements that forge a strong
partnership between elementary and secondary and postsecondary partners;
(4)identifying
policies that will improve the effectiveness and ensure the quality of early
college high schools and other dual enrollment programs, such as access,
funding, data and quality assurance, governance, accountability, and alignment
policies;
(5)planning and
delivering statewide training and peer learning opportunities for school
leaders and teachers from early college high schools and other dual enrollment
programs, which may include providing instructional coaches who offer on-site
guidance;
(6)disseminating best
practices in early college high schools and other dual enrollment programs from
across the State and from other States; and
(7)facilitating
Statewide data collection, research and evaluation, and reporting to
policymakers and other stakeholders.
10.
(a)
(1)The Secretary shall establish uniform guidelines for all
grantees concerning information such grantees annually shall report to the
Secretary to demonstrate a grantee’s progress toward achieving the goals of
this Act.
(2)At a minimum, a report submitted under this subsection by
an eligible entity receiving funds under section 5 for an early college high
school or other dual enrollment program shall include the following information
about the students participating in the school or program, for each category of
students described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(1)(C)(i)):
(A)The number of
students.
(B)The percentage of
students scoring advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic on the
assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965.
(C)The performance of
students on other assessments or measurements of achievement.
(D)The number of
secondary school credits earned.
(E)The number of
postsecondary credits earned.
(F)Attendance rate,
as appropriate.
(G)Graduation
rate.
(H)Placement in
postsecondary education or advanced training, in military service, and in
employment.
(I)A description of
the school or program’s student, parent, and community outreach and
engagement.
(b)The Secretary annually shall—
(1)prepare a report
that compiles and analyzes the information described in subsection (a) and
identifies the best practices for achieving the goals of this Act; and
(2)submit the report
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and
the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives.
(c)The Secretary’s designee shall visit each grantee at least
once for the purpose of helping the grantee achieve the goals of this Act and
to monitor the grantee’s progress toward achieving such goals.
(d)Not later than 6 months after the date on which funds
are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall enter into a
contract with an independent organization to perform an evaluation of the
grants awarded under this Act. Such evaluation shall apply rigorous procedures
to obtain valid and reliable data concerning participants’ outcomes by social
and academic characteristics and monitor the progress of students from high
school to and through postsecondary education.
(e)The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to
eligible entities concerning best practices in early college high schools and
other dual enrollment programs and shall disseminate such best practices among
eligible entities and State and local educational agencies.
11.
(a)Nothing
in this Act shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the rights,
remedies, and procedures afforded to the employees of local educational
agencies (including schools) or institutions of higher education under Federal,
State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or
under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of
understanding, or other agreements between such employees and their
employers.
(b)A student who graduates from an early college high school
supported under this Act in the standard number of years for graduation
described in the eligible entity’s application shall be considered to have
graduated on time for purposes of section 1111(b)(2)(C)(6) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(6)).