1.This Act may be cited as
the Secondary School Reform Act of
2011
.
2.
(a)The
purpose of this section is to ensure students graduate from secondary school
with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and the workforce
and to increase graduation rates by providing grants to eligible entities to
provide schools with the necessary resources to implement innovative and
effective secondary school reform strategies.
(b)In
this section:
(1)Competency-based
learning modelThe term competency-based learning
model means an educational model in which students advance upon mastery,
educators use explicit and measurable learning objectives to empower students,
and assessments are used as a learning experience for students.
(2)Effective
secondary school reform strategiesThe term effective
secondary school reform strategies means a set of programs,
interventions, and activities with demonstrated effectiveness in improving the
academic achievement of struggling students or dropouts.
(3)The term eligible entity means a high-need
local educational agency in partnership with 1 or more external
partners.
(4)Eligible
secondary schoolThe term eligible secondary school
means a high school that—
(A)is eligible for
funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.);
(B)has a graduation
rate below 75 percent;
(C)does not receive
grant funds under section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)); and
(D)is identified as
in need of improvement by a local educational agency based on a district-wide
needs analysis and capacity assessment.
(5)The term external partner means a public or
private nonprofit organization, public or private nonprofit institution of
higher education, or nonprofit charter management organization, with a
demonstrated record of successful secondary school reform.
(6)The term feeder middle school means an
elementary school or secondary school ending in grade 8 from which a majority
of students go on to attend an eligible secondary school.
(7)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(8)The term struggling student means a student
who exhibits outcomes or behaviors that indicate the student is at an increased
risk for low academic achievement and is unlikely to achieve secondary school
graduation in the standard number of years.
(c)
(1)
(A)
(i)From the total amount of funds appropriated to carry out
this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve not more than 2.5
percent for national activities, which the Secretary shall use for technical
assistance, data collection and dissemination, reporting activities, and the
evaluation described in clause (ii).
(ii)From
the amount reserved under clause (i), the Director of the Institute of
Education Sciences shall conduct an evaluation of the impact of the activities
carried out under this section.
(B)From
the total amount of funds appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal
year and not reserved under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall award grants,
on a competitive basis, to eligible entities, based on the quality of the
applications submitted, of which—
(i)not
more than 25 percent of grant funds shall be used for activities described in
subsection (e)(1); and
(ii)not less than 75
percent of grant funds shall be used for activities described in paragraphs (2)
and (3) of subsection (e) and subsection (f).
(2)Grants awarded under this section shall be for a period
of 5 years, conditional after 3 years on satisfactory progress on the
performance indicators described in subsection (d)(2)(E).
(3)Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may require, an annual report including data on the entity's progress
on the performance indicators described in subsection (d)(2)(E).
(d)
(1)An eligible entity that desires a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably
require.
(2)Each
application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, a
description of the following:
(A)How the eligible
entity will use funds awarded under this section to carry out the activities
described in subsection (e)(1).
(B)The external
partner’s capacity and record of success in secondary school reform and how the
eligible entity will sustain the activities proposed, including the
availability of funds from non-Federal sources and coordination with other
funding sources.
(C)How the eligible
entity conducted a comprehensive needs analysis and capacity assessment of the
secondary schools served by the eligible entity to identify eligible secondary
schools. The needs analysis and capacity assessment shall carry out the
following:
(i)Examine each
secondary school’s data in the aggregate and disaggregated by each of the
categories of students 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))
on the following:
(I)Graduation rate
and characteristics of those students that are not graduating, including such
students' attendance, behavior, suspension rates, course performance, and
credit accumulation rates.
(II)Rates of dropout
recovery (re-entry).
(III)Rates of
college remediation, enrollment, persistence, and completion.
(IV)Performance with
respect to measures of career success.
(ii)Examine each
secondary school and feeder middle school's data in the aggregate, and
disaggregated by each of the categories of students 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)), as applicable, on the following:
(I)Student academic
achievement, including the percentage of students who have on-time credit
accumulation at the end of each grade and the percent of students failing a
core, credit-bearing, reading or language arts, science, or mathematics course,
or failing 2 or more of any courses.
(II)Percent of
students who have an attendance rate lower than 90 percent.
(III)Annual rates of
expulsions, suspensions, school violence, harassment, and bullying.
(IV)Annual, average
credit accumulation.
(V)Annual, average
attendance rates.
(VI)Annual rates of
student mobility.
(VII)Curriculum
alignment across all grade levels.
(VIII)Non-academic
barriers that impact student achievement and the availability of student and
academic support services to address those barriers.
(iii)Examine and
include a description of each eligible secondary school’s capacity to implement
the school reform activities under subsection (e)(3), including—
(I)the number,
experience, training level, responsibilities, and stability of existing
administrative, instructional, and non-instructional staff for the eligible
secondary school;
(II)the budget,
including how Federal, State, and local funds are being spent, as of the time
of the assessment, for instruction and operations at the school level for staff
salaries, instructional materials, professional development, and student
support services, in order to establish the extent to which existing resources
need to and can be reallocated to support the needed eligible secondary school
activities; and
(III)the technical
assistance, additional resources, and staff necessary to implement the
activities identified in subsection (e).
(iv)Include an
assessment of the eligible entity's capacity to provide technical assistance,
additional staff, and resources to implement the activities described in
subsection (e).
(D)The strategies
chosen to be implemented at the eligible secondary schools, including—
(i)a
rationale for reform strategies selected for each of the eligible secondary
schools, including how the chosen strategy will most effectively address the
needs identified through the needs analysis;
(ii)each eligible
secondary school’s capacity to implement the chosen reform strategies,
including the quality of external partners and the qualifications of school
leaders; and
(iii)a
description of the performance of the eligible secondary schools and feeder
middle schools, including the information requested in clauses (i) and (ii) of
subparagraph (C).
(E)The performance
indicators and targets the eligible entity will use to assess the effectiveness
of the activities implemented under this section and to determine whether the
eligible secondary schools and feeder middle schools will receive funds in
years 4 and 5, including, in the aggregate and disaggregated by each of the
categories of students 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)), as applicable, including—
(i)graduation
rates;
(ii)dropout recovery
(re-entry) rates;
(iii)percentage of
students with not less than a 90 percent attendance rate;
(iv)percentage of
students who have on-time credit accumulation at the end of each grade and the
percentage of students failing a core, credit-bearing, reading or language
arts, science, or mathematics course, or failing 2 or more of any
courses;
(v)average annual
credit accumulation rates;
(vi)rates of
expulsions, suspensions, school violence, harassment, and bullying;
(vii)annual, average
attendance rates;
(viii)annual rates
of student mobility;
(ix)college
remediation, enrollment, persistence, and completion rates; and
(x)percentage of
students successfully—
(I)completing
Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses;
(II)completing
rigorous postsecondary education courses; or
(III)enrolling in
and completing, as applicable, career and technical education, registered
apprenticeship and workforce training programs.
(e)
(1)An eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section shall use the grant funds to—
(A)implement an
early warning indicator and intervention system to help all middle schools and
high schools served by the eligible entity's local educational agency to
identify struggling students and to create a system of evidence-based
interventions to be used by all schools to effectively intervene, by—
(i)identifying and
analyzing, through the use of longitudinal data of past cohorts of students,
the academic and behavioral indicators that most reliably predict dropping out
of secondary school, such as attendance, behavior, academic performance in core
courses, and earned on time promotion from grade-to-grade;
(ii)analyzing the
distribution of struggling students in secondary schools across all
grades;
(iii)analyzing
student progress and performance on the indicators identified under clause (i)
to guide decisionmaking;
(iv)analyzing
academic indicators to determine whether students are on track for on-time
secondary school graduation and college and career readiness;
(v)analyzing student
data to assist students in grade and school transitions from kindergarten
through high school graduation; and
(vi)developing a
mechanism for regularly collecting, reporting, and making accessible to all
schools served by the eligible entity—
(I)student-level
data on the indicators identified under clause (i);
(II)student-level
progress and performance, as described in clause (iii);
(III)student-level
data on the indicators described in clause (iv); and
(IV)information
about the impact of interventions on student outcomes and progress;
(B)provide support
and credit recovery opportunities for struggling students at secondary schools
served by the eligible entity by offering activities, such as—
(i)a
flexible school schedule to address struggling students’ academic needs;
(ii)competency-based
learning models and performance-based assessments to improve educational
outcomes for over-aged or under-credited students;
(iii)an opportunity
to work with a teacher in a small group on core academic subjects; and
(iv)the provision of
support services;
(C)provide dropout
recovery or re-entry programs to secondary schools that are designed to
encourage and support dropouts returning to an educational system, program, or
institution following an extended absence in order to obtain a regular
secondary school diploma and essential workforce skills by—
(i)conducting
outreach to students who have dropped out;
(ii)making
information about effective, local dropout recovery programs publicly
available; and
(iii)providing
school counseling services;
(D)provide
evidence-based grade and school transition programs and supports from
kindergarten through high school graduation, including by ensuring curricula
alignment; and
(E)provide school
leaders, instructional staff, non-instructional staff, students, and families
with high-quality, easily accessible information about—
(i)secondary school
graduation requirements;
(ii)postsecondary
education application processes;
(iii)admissions
processes and requirements, including all public financial aid and private
scholarship and other grant aid opportunities; and
(iv)other programs
and services for increasing rates of college access and success for students
from low-income families.
(2)Required use of
funds in feeder middle schoolsAn eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section shall use the grant funds in feeder middle schools to
improve the academic achievement of their students and prepare them for
rigorous secondary school course work by taking actions such as—
(A)using early
warning indicator and intervention systems described in paragraph (1)(A) to
inform coordinated academic and behavioral supports to improve outcomes of
their students;
(B)creating a
personalized learning environment by developing an academic plan for each
student and assigning not less than 1 adult to each student to help monitor
student progress;
(C)providing
high-quality professional development opportunities to school leaders,
teachers, and other school staff to prepare staff to—
(i)address the
academic challenges of students in middle grades;
(ii)understand the
developmental needs of students in the middle grades and how to address them in
an educational setting;
(iii)implement
data-driven interventions; and
(iv)provide academic
guidance to students so the students can achieve the academic goals established
in their academic plans; and
(D)implementing
organizational practices and school schedules that allow for collaborative
staff participation, team teaching, and common instructional planning
time.
(3)Required use of
funds in eligible secondary schoolsAn eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds in eligible
secondary schools to carry out the following:
(A)Personalize the
school experience by taking steps such as—
(i)creating Academic
Support Labs where struggling students can receive personalized instruction and
opportunities for credit recovery;
(ii)having small
classes with a low teacher-student ratio;
(iii)implementing
competency-based models;
(iv)providing
ongoing monitoring of student academic achievement and the necessary supports
so the students are on track for on-time secondary school graduation and
college and career readiness; or
(v)cohort or block
scheduling.
(B)Increase student
engagement by providing service-learning, experiential, and work-based and
other learning opportunities, such as—
(i)rigorous and
relevant project-based contextual learning opportunities;
(ii)internship
opportunities, including work-based internships;
(iii)community
service, learning apprenticeships, and job shadowing; and
(iv)college campus
visits, and college and career counseling.
(C)Provide school
leaders with autonomy through a flexible budget and hiring authority.
(D)Implement
high-quality professional development for teachers and school leadership teams
and provide increased opportunities for teachers to work collaboratively and to
participate in common planning, within and across grades and subjects, to
improve instruction.
(E)Improve
curriculum and instruction, by taking actions such as—
(i)implementing a
college and career ready curriculum for all students;
(ii)adopting
effective, evidence-based curriculum and instructional materials aligned to
high academic standards for all students; and
(iii)increasing
rigor through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses,
or another highly rigorous, evidence-based, postsecondary preparatory program
culminating in an examination administered by a nationally recognized
educational association, as approved by the Secretary.
(F)Develop an
individual graduation plan for each student that defines each student’s career
and postsecondary education goals, and provides the individualized
evidence-based interventions necessary to meet the goals.
(G)Implement 1 of
the following effective secondary school reform strategies to prepare students
for college and a career, and to improve graduation rates:
(i)Graduation
Promise Academies, which include—
(I)9th grade
academies taught by teams of teachers who work with small groups of
students;
(II)Career Academies
for upper grades;
(III)extended
learning periods, such as cohort or block scheduling, to reduce the number of
students for whom teachers are responsible and the number of courses students
are taking at any one time;
(IV)an after-hours
credit recovery program;
(V)curriculum
coaches who provide high-quality professional development and support;
(VI)partnerships
among parents, teachers, administrators, community-based organizations, and
community members focused on improving student achievement; and
(VII)a college-going
culture, including student supports and guidance.
(ii)Career
Academies, which—
(I)establish career
pathways by implementing a college and career ready curriculum that integrates
rigorous academics, career and technical education, and experiential learning
for high school students in high-skill, high-demand industries in collaboration
with local and regional employers;
(II)provide
counseling to advance students’ college and career goals;
(III)collaborate
with local employers to develop and provide work-based experiences for high
school students;
(IV)establish an
advisory committee that includes local and regional employers, nonprofit
institutions of higher education, and others, to assist in the Career
Academies' development and implementation;
(V)modernize
career-related equipment utilized by students; and
(VI)provide dual
enrollment opportunities with college credit-bearing courses, including
accelerated certificate programs with community colleges or other
industry-recognized certificates.
(iii)Early College
Schools, which—
(I)partner with 1 or
more public or nonprofit institutions of higher education;
(II)conduct outreach
programs to ensure that middle school and high school students and their
families are aware of the Early College Schools;
(III)design
curriculum and sequence of courses in collaboration with teachers from the
eligible secondary school and faculty from the partner institution of higher
education so that students may simultaneously earn credits towards a high
school diploma and either an associate degree or transferable postsecondary
education credits toward a postsecondary degree;
(IV)coordinate
secondary and postsecondary support services, academic calendars, and
transportation to allow students to visit and take courses at the institutions
of higher education; and
(V)provide academic
and support services, including financial aid counseling, to enable students to
make informed choices about their programs of study and ensure they are on
track to college and career readiness.
(f)An eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section may use grant funds to—
(1)improve community
and family engagement in the educational attainment and achievement of
struggling students and dropouts by—
(A)leveraging
community-based services and opportunities to provide every student with the
academic and other supports necessary for academic success; and
(B)increasing family
engagement by providing families with the necessary tools and data to support
their children’s academic achievement and navigate the public school
system;
(2)provide extended
learning opportunities, such as—
(A)redesigning the
school day, week, or year to create extended learning time in core subjects;
or
(B)utilizing block
scheduling to create longer class periods that allow teachers the time to teach
in depth and to use a variety of instructional strategies that meet the needs
of different kinds of learners;
(3)increase student
supports through evidence-based use of student advisories, school counseling
opportunities, case management, and one-on-one mentoring; and
(4)create smaller
learning communities.
(g)
(1)An eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section shall provide matching funds, from non-Federal sources, in an amount
equal to not less than 20 percent of the amount of grant funds awarded in the
first 3 years of the grant, not less than 50 percent of the amount awarded in
the fourth year of the grant, and not less than 75 percent of the amount
awarded in the fifth year of the grant, as applicable.
(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 (e).
(h)An eligible entity shall use Federal funds received
under this section only to supplement the funds that would, in the absence of
such Federal funds, be made available from other Federal and non-Federal
sources for the activities described in this section, and not to supplant such
funds.
(i)Authorization
of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and such sums as may be
necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.