[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4013 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4013

  To create an equitable and excellent education system in the United 
   States so that every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, social 
class, or State of residence, can receive a high-quality, academically 
              rigorous education in a local public school.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2015

 Mr. Honda (for himself, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Delaney, Ms. 
    Edwards, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
    Hinojosa, Ms. Lee, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McNerney, and Mr. Takano) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
   Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To create an equitable and excellent education system in the United 
   States so that every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, social 
class, or State of residence, can receive a high-quality, academically 
              rigorous education in a local public school.

    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 ``Equity and Excellence in American 
Education Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to create a public education system in 
the United States that has the capacity to deliver an excellent 
education to every child, irrespective of race, ethnicity, English 
language proficiency, special needs, social class, or State of 
residence. Building that capacity on an equitable basis requires our 
Nation to make new, substantial financial investments in the education 
of our children, designed--
            (1) to overcome the widely varying fiscal and economic 
        capacities to fund education that exist from State to State and 
        community to community, which historically have resulted in far 
        too many public schools having insufficient resources to cover 
        the costs of providing their students with a high-quality, 
        academically rigorous education;
            (2) to support capacity building at the school level 
        focused on implementing educational practices that have been 
        demonstrated to enhance student achievement;
            (3) to move away from outdated concepts of school finance 
        that are focused primarily on State and local considerations, 
        such as ``property valuation per pupil'' and ``per pupil 
        foundation levels'' tied to State fiscal capacity, and to move 
        to an education finance system focused on the actual cost of 
        delivering a high-quality public education to each child based 
        on that child's needs;
            (4) to ensure all social, health and other necessary 
        ``wrap-around'' services are available in public schools that 
        serve a significant population of children who come from 
        poverty; and
            (5) to target new Federal investments to those schools that 
        serve--
                    (A) a high percentage of children from poverty or 
                otherwise economically disadvantaged families and 
                communities; or
                    (B) a high percentage of children who are part of a 
                racial or ethnic minority group or are English language 
                learners and who have historically demonstrated an 
                achievement gap in academic performance compared to the 
                performance of non-minority children.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) lack of financial capacity has been one of the 
        consistent obstacles to providing the meaningful education 
        opportunity each child in the United States needs to attain 
        high levels of achievement in rigorous academic programs and 
        build the skills necessary to attend college, compete in a 
        global economy, and become a responsible, productive, and 
        engaged citizen;
            (2) this Act will address that financial shortcoming and 
        help create an education funding system that is sufficient in 
        amount, equitable in application based on student need, and 
        predictable and sustainable over time.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Employment cost index.--The term ``Employment Cost 
        Index'' means the Employment Cost Index for total compensation 
        (not seasonally adjusted) for civilian workers, by occupational 
        group and industry, educational services, elementary and 
        secondary schools, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
        (or any successor index thereto).
            (2) Enhanced investment.--The term ``enhanced investment'' 
        means a year-to-year increase in the average per-pupil 
        expenditure made by a State, after the effective date of this 
        Act, in the education of children attending targeted schools 
        who live in that State, that satisfies both of the following 
        requirements:
                    (A) The initial amount of such increase in 
                elementary and secondary education funding is at least 
                $250 per pupil more than the amount of total 
                expenditures per pupil from all sources in such 
                targeted schools for the immediately preceding school 
                year (taking into account the percent increase, if any, 
                in the Employment Cost Index in the most recently 
                completed calendar year).
                    (B) The entire amount of such enhanced investment 
                comes from State funds, and does not include local or 
                Federal sources.
            (3) Evidence-based cost analysis model.--The term 
        ``evidence-based cost analysis model'' means a research-based 
        evaluation of the actual cost of educating all children in a 
        State to achieve high academic standards and otherwise create a 
        meaningful educational opportunity, that--
                    (A) considers only educational practices, personnel 
                levels and qualifications, strategies, programs and 
                other educational resources that have been demonstrated 
                through evidence-based research to enhance student 
                achievement;
                    (B) adjusts for specific student demographics 
                including poverty, English language proficiency, 
                minority status, ethnic status, and special needs; and
                    (C) adjusts for the specific expense of providing 
                each of the resources described in subparagraph (A) 
                based on the regional costs in a State.
            (4) Meaningful educational opportunity.--The term 
        ``meaningful educational opportunity'' means the provision of a 
        combination of educational resources, including programs, 
        practices, technology, physical facilities, wrap-around 
        services, instructional materials, enrichment programs and 
        qualified teaching, administrative and support personnel, 
        necessary to ensure each child attending a targeted school 
        receives a rigorous public education of sufficient quality to 
        allow that child to achieve high academic standards and to 
        graduate high school with the skills needed to be college and 
        career ready.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (6) Targeted school.--A ``targeted school'' is a public 
        elementary school or secondary school that satisfies one of the 
        following requirements:
                    (A) Twenty percent or more of the students at such 
                school are eligible for free or reduced priced lunch 
                under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
                    (B) Twenty percent or more of the students at such 
                school qualify as limited English proficient.
                    (C) Twenty-five percent or more of the students at 
                such school are racial or ethnic minorities, Indian, or 
                migratory.
            (7) Wrap-around services.--The term ``wrap-around 
        services'' means any social, counseling, health, nutritional, 
        and other support services needed by students attending 
        targeted schools.
            (8) ESEA terms.--Any term that is defined in section 9101 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801) shall have the meaning given the term in such 
        section.

               TITLE I--EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE

SEC. 100. AUTHORIZATION OF THE EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE.

    (a) Authorization.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, 
the Secretary shall carry out a grant program, known as the ``Equity 
and Excellence Initiative'', to provide--
            (1) an initial grant to each eligible State to match the 
        enhanced investment made by such State for providing a 
        meaningful educational opportunity for children who attend 
        targeted schools in such State; and
            (2) subsequent grants to each State receiving a grant 
        described in paragraph (1), for the fiscal year following the 
        receipt of such grant and each subsequent fiscal year, provided 
        such State satisfies the maintenance-of-effort requirement 
        under section 102.
    (b) Certification of Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a 
grant under subsection (a), a State shall submit to the Secretary a 
certification, prepared by the State educational agency of such State 
and signed by the head of such agency, that--
            (1) verifies that the State has made an enhanced 
        investment, or has satisfied the maintenance-of-effort 
        requirement under section 102, for the appropriate fiscal year;
            (2) identifies the amount of such enhanced investment or 
        maintenance-of-effort requirement, and provides specific 
        documentation of the calculation of such amount in sufficient 
        detail to permit the verification of such amount by the 
        Secretary;
            (3) provides a detailed list of the targeted schools that 
        will receive such enhanced investment or maintenance-of-effort 
        requirement amount, including--
                    (A) the basis on which each such school qualifies 
                as a targeted school;
                    (B) the number and demographic composition 
                (including race, ethnicity, gender, English language 
                proficiency, and low income status) of the students 
                attending each such school; and
                    (C) a metric for reviewing how each such school is 
                performing academically, including performance by 
                demographic categories within such school;
            (4) includes verification that the entire amount of 
        enhanced investment or maintenance-of-effort requirement comes 
        exclusively from State funds, and does not include any local or 
        Federal funds; and
            (5) includes such other information as the Secretary may 
        require by regulation.
The Secretary may issue a standard form for use by States for 
certification of eligibility under this subsection, provided that any 
such form shall not be more than 10 pages in length.
    (c) Technical Assistance Grants.--In addition to the grants 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall, subject to the 
availability of appropriations, provide the State educational agency of 
each State that is awarded an initial grant under subsection (a)(1) 
with a technical assistance grant of $250,000 to assist the State 
educational agency in meeting the reporting, certification, data 
collection, and filing requirements under this title. The Secretary 
shall renew such technical assistance grant for each fiscal year for 
which a State is awarded a subsequent grant under subsection (a)(2).

SEC. 101. GRANT AMOUNTS AND DISTRIBUTION.

    (a) Grant Amounts.--
            (1) Initial grant.--The amount of the initial grant to a 
        State under section 100(a)(1) shall be equal to the enhanced 
        investment made by such State during the previous fiscal year, 
        multiplied by the number of students at targeted schools that 
        received such enhanced investment amount in such State who will 
        be in attendance at such schools during the school year funded 
        by such initial grant.
            (2) Subsequent grants.--The amount of a subsequent grant to 
        a State under section 100(a)(2) shall be--
                    (A) for the fiscal year following the award of an 
                initial grant described in paragraph (1) to the State, 
                an amount equal to--
                            (i) the enhanced investment made by such 
                        State during the fiscal year preceding the 
                        award of the initial grant, plus
                            (ii) the amount of the maintenance-of-
                        effort requirement under section 102 for the 
                        State for the fiscal year following the award 
                        of the initial grant; and
                    (B) for each subsequent fiscal year, an amount 
                equal to--
                            (i) the amount of the subsequent grant 
                        awarded to such State for the preceding year, 
                        plus
                            (ii) the amount of the maintenance-of-
                        effort requirement under section 102 for the 
                        State for such year.
            (3) Maximum amount.--
                    (A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and 
                (2), no grant under section 100(a) shall exceed the 
                amount necessary to provide a meaningful educational 
                opportunity to every student who attends a targeted 
                school in such State (as determined annually by the 
                Secretary using an evidence-based cost analysis model).
                    (B) Reduction.--If, with respect to any State, it 
                is determined that the amount of a grant under section 
                100(a) plus the amount of Federal and local funding for 
                public education provided to the targeted schools in 
                such State for such year exceeds the amount necessary 
                to provide such meaningful educational opportunity, the 
                amount of the grant under section 100(a) shall be 
                reduced until the combination of such other funding for 
                public education and the amount of the grant under 
                section 100(a) does not exceed the cost of providing 
                such meaningful educational opportunity.
    (b) Distribution.--The Secretary shall award a grant under section 
100(a) to an eligible State not later than 120 days after the Secretary 
receives a certification from such State in accordance with section 
100(b). Not later than 30 days after receipt of grant funds under 
section 100(a), a State shall, through the State educational agency, 
distribute to each targeted school located in such State a percentage 
of such grant funds that is equal to the number of students attending 
such targeted school divided by the total number of students attending 
all targeted schools in such State.

SEC. 102. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.

    (a) In General.--Beginning with the fiscal year following the first 
fiscal year for which the State receives a grant under section 100(a) 
for its targeted schools, the State shall use State funds to maintain 
an investment in an amount equal to such grant amount for its targeted 
schools, which amount shall be adjusted on an annual basis by the 
percentage change in the Employment Cost Index for the most recently 
completed calendar year.
    (b) Reduction of Other Federal Funds.--If, in any school year a 
State fails to satisfy the requirement described in subsection (a)--
            (1) the Secretary may assist the targeted schools in such 
        State by awarding a local educational agency a grant under 
        section 201 in an amount that the State should have provided 
        under subsection (a); and
            (2) in a case in which the Secretary of Education awards 
        such a grant to such State, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        reduce other Federal funding owed to such State under any 
        Federal assistance program (except for than the Medicaid 
        program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1396 et seq.)), part A of title IV and section 1108(b) of the 
        Social Security Act (other than under subsections (a)(3) and 
        (b) of section 403 of such Act), or the special supplemental 
        nutrition program for women, infants, and children under 
        section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, on a dollar-for-
        dollar basis, and shall provide an accounting thereof to the 
        such State.

SEC. 103. USE OF GRANT FUNDS BY TARGETED SCHOOLS.

    (a) Use of Grant Funds.--A targeted school shall use any grant 
funds received under this title to create a meaningful educational 
opportunity for each student attending such school, and shall include a 
combination of one or more of the activities described in subsection 
(b).
    (b) Authorized Uses.--Grant funds received by a targeted school 
shall be used for building education capacity by implementing systems-
based reforms, programs or initiatives that have been demonstrated, in 
the United States or abroad, to enhance student achievement, learning 
or critical thinking skills over time. Such reforms, programs or 
initiatives may include the following:
            (1) Enhancing pedagogical skills of extant teaching 
        staff.--To support the crucial role teachers play in creating a 
        meaningful educational opportunity--
                    (A) induction, mentoring, training and other 
                professional development programs for teachers that are 
                based on best practices, aligned with college and 
                career ready standards, embedded in daily practice, and 
                that have evidence-based support; and
                    (B) collaborative teaching programs across schools 
                and local educational agencies that encourage teachers 
                to work in groups and share effective strategies.
            (2) Enhancing instructional capacity.--To provide robust 
        educational resources and programming--
                    (A) implement extended learning time initiatives 
                pursuant to which the school day or year is extended in 
                conjunction with a plan that incorporates additional 
                substantive learning, tutoring or enrichment 
                programming demonstrated to correlate to enhanced 
                student learning, achievement or development of either 
                critical thinking or social/emotional learning;
                    (B) implement high-quality after-school, summer, 
                and vacation programs;
                    (C) implement social/emotional learning curriculum 
                including all teacher training or professional 
                development necessary for such implementation to be 
                successful;
                    (D) introduce, supplement or implement fully 
                rigorous academic programming including but not limited 
                to programming needed for effective implementation of 
                the college and career ready standards, advanced 
                placement, honors or gifted programs, and academic 
                tutoring programs, including but not limited to 
                acquisition of all associated textbooks, library 
                materials, computers, smart-boards, electronic tablets 
                or similar devices, lab materials, virtual resources 
                and other technology, pedagogical material or 
                instructional supplies, as well as all professional 
                development necessary for effective implementation 
                thereof;
                    (E) implement effective response to intervention 
                programming using appropriately skilled professional 
                staff to target instructional interventions to 
                children's areas of specific need as soon as those 
                needs become apparent;
                    (F) implement appropriate programs and services for 
                English language learners;
                    (G) implement meaningful enrichment programming 
                that includes cultural, athletic, academic, civic, 
                community service, and other enrichment activities, 
                except that a targeted school shall use no more than 5 
                percent of the funds received for enrichment programs 
                outlined in this subparagraph, unless such targeted 
                school receives a waiver of the preceding limit from 
                the Secretary;
                    (H) implement appropriate programs and services for 
                students with disabilities that are not funded under 
                other State or Federal programs;
                    (I) implement compensation programs designed to 
                attract and retain highly skilled teachers, 
                particularly those qualified in the areas of science, 
                technology and math and instruction of English language 
                learners;
                    (J) hire additional, professional, qualified, 
                teaching staff and classroom assistants needed to 
                reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade 
                to no more than 15 students, and class sizes for all 
                grades thereafter to no more than 25 students;
                    (K) hire additional nurses, counselors, support 
                staff, certified special education teachers or 
                assistants as required to service the needs of the 
                children attending such targeted school;
                    (L) implement evidence-based, effective strategies 
                for reducing and preventing children from dropping out 
                of school; and
                    (M) implement enhanced technology and vocational 
                instruction.
            (3) Wrap-around services.--To ensure children are provided 
        with the services necessary to receive a meaningful educational 
        opportunity, the provision of necessary and appropriate wrap-
        around services each student attending such school may need 
        through a program implemented by the school, to the extent 
        feasible, to help coordinate the delivery of all such needed 
        wrap-around services with high-quality providers of such 
        services, except that a targeted school shall utilize no more 
        than 5 percent of such grant funds to carry out this paragraph, 
        unless such school receives a waiver from the Secretary.
            (4) Effective leadership.--To support the crucial role 
        effective leadership plays in creating a meaningful educational 
        opportunity and to attract, develop, and keep effective 
        principals and other administrators, providing access to 
        appropriate professional development, mentoring and training 
        programs and implementing a compensation structure necessary to 
        attract highly qualified professionals, except that a school 
        may use no more than 5 percent of such grant funds to carry out 
        this paragraph, unless such school receives a waiver from the 
        Secretary.
            (5) Parent engagement.--To encourage involvement of parents 
        and guardians in the education of their children, implement or 
        enhance effective parent engagement strategies and programs, 
        including providing parenting education, after-hours adult 
        education offerings in basic and advanced knowledge and skill 
        areas, professional development that promotes mutual engagement 
        between schools and families, adult English language learner 
        classes targeted to parents of enrolled students, crisis 
        counseling and support for families, and other family-based 
        support services, provided that a school shall use no more than 
        10 percent of such grant funds to carry out this paragraph, 
        unless such school receives a waiver from the Secretary.
            (6) Other uses.--To account for the evolution of the 
        concept of a meaningful educational opportunity, for purposes 
        not included in paragraphs (1) through (5), if--
                    (A) the State educational agency makes a written 
                request to the Secretary for authorization to use grant 
                funds for such purpose;
                    (B) such request involves--
                            (i) implementation of an educational 
                        practice not enumerated in paragraphs (1) 
                        through (5) for which there is research-based 
                        evidence that such practice enhances student 
                        achievement, learning or critical thinking; or
                            (ii) creation or implementation of a pilot 
                        program such State educational agency believes 
                        will enhance student achievement, learning or 
                        critical thinking; and
                    (C) the Secretary approves such request in writing.

SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization.--For the purpose of carrying out this title, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2016 and each of the succeeding fiscal years.
    (b) Ratable Reduction.--If the amount appropriated under subsection 
(a) for a fiscal year is not sufficient to award each participating 
State a grant under this title that is equal to the full amount such 
State is eligible to receive for such year the Secretary may ratably 
reduce the amount of each such grant or take other actions necessary to 
ensure an equitable distribution of such amount.

                    TITLE II--EDUCATING EVERY CHILD

SEC. 200. EDUCATING EVERY CHILD INITIATIVE.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to ensure that every 
child in the United States--
            (1) receives the meaningful educational opportunity 
        necessary for that child to achieve high academic standards, 
        regardless of the investment made in that child's education by 
        the State or local community in which the child lives; and
            (2) develop the numeracy and literacy skills needed to be 
        competitive in a modern economy and to be a contributing, 
        engaged citizen in a vibrant democracy
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to carry out a 
program, known as the ``Educating Every Child Initiative'', to make 
annual grants directly to local educational agencies that include 
targeted schools if the Secretary determines that the State in which 
that child lives has failed to invest sufficient resources in that 
State's public education system to create a meaningful educational 
opportunity for all children who attend targeted schools in that State. 
Grants the Secretary makes under this title shall be referred to as 
``Educating Every Child Grants.''

SEC. 201. GRANT TERMS.

    (a) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
title, a local educational agency shall submit to the Secretary--
            (1) a plan for utilization of the grant proceeds, that 
        shall include only permitted uses described in section 103(b); 
        and
            (2) a certification that all targeted schools receiving 
        Educating Every Child Grants under this title shall utilize 
        such grant funds only for such permitted uses.
    (b) Use of Funds.--A local educational agency receiving such grant 
under this title shall distribute such funds in the amounts, and 
directly to, the targeted schools designated by the Secretary.
    (c) Grant Amount.--The maximum amount of a grant under this title 
shall be that amount that, when aggregated with all other Federal, 
State, and local funds received by the targeted schools in such local 
education agency that will receive the funds from such grant, is 
sufficient to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to every 
child who attends such targeted schools (as determined by the Secretary 
using an evidence-based cost analysis model).
    (d) Minimum Investment Required.--The State in which the targeted 
schools receiving grants under this title are located shall maintain 
the minimum investment (as defined in section 202) in each year such 
targeted schools receive such grants.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide each local 
educational agency that includes targeted schools receiving grants 
under this title annual technical assistance grants of $100,000 to 
support such local educational agency's compliance with the reporting 
and planning obligations of this title, in each year the Secretary 
makes such grants to targeted schools located in such agency.

SEC. 202. MINIMUM INVESTMENT.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of this title, the ``minimum 
investment'' of a State shall mean the total amount of education 
funding received by targeted schools in that State from State and local 
resources in the complete school year immediately preceding the first 
year such targeted schools receive a grant under section 100(a), 
increased annually thereafter by the Employment Cost Index for the then 
most recently complete calendar year, for each year in which targeted 
schools in that State receive such grant.
    (b) Reduction of Funding.--If a State fails to satisfy its minimum 
investment obligation under this title, then the Department of the 
Treasury shall reduce other Federal funding owed to that State under 
any Federal program other than the Medicaid program under title XIX of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), part A of title IV 
and section 1108(b) of the Social Security Act (other than under 
subsections (a)(3) and (b) of section 403 of such Act), or the special 
supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children under 
section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, on a dollar-for-dollar 
basis, and shall provide an accounting thereof to the applicable State.

SEC. 203. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For purposes of carrying out this title, there are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016 and 
each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

       TITLE III--EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FISCAL POLICY PROGRAM

SEC. 300. EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FISCAL POLICY.

    (a) Purpose.--Recognizing that every State has a unique fiscal 
system, economy and demographic composition, the purpose of this title 
is to--
            (1) provide assistance to particular States to reform 
        fiscal policies to create adequate State capacity to invest 
        sufficiently in ensuring all of the children in the State 
        receive a meaningful educational opportunity; and
            (2) to assist States in reforming their tax policies to 
        comport with the principles of fair, responsive and stable 
        taxation, thereby generating the capacity to fund education 
        sufficiently so that all children, including those attending 
        targeted schools receive a meaningful educational opportunity.
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to establish the 
``Equitable and Sustainable Fiscal Policy'' Program (ESFP), to support 
efforts by States to reform State fiscal policies to create State 
capacity to invest sufficiently in ensuring all their children receive 
a meaningful educational opportunity, by comporting with the principles 
of fairness, responsiveness, and stability required for equitable and 
sustainable taxation in a modern economy.

SEC. 301. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

    Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall 
provide technical assistance grants of $1,000,000 to each State that 
submits a complete and accurate application for a grant under this 
title. The Governor of a State that desires to receive such a grant 
shall submit a written application to the Secretary, that--
            (1) outlines the fiscal policy reforms that State intends 
        to consider;
            (2) summarizes that State's current education funding 
        system;
            (3) identifies how it intends to enhance State funding of 
        targeted schools to provide a meaningful educational 
        opportunity to children attending such schools; and
            (4) delineates how the proceeds of the grant received under 
        this section will be used both to study that State's fiscal 
        policy and generate popular support for implementing the 
        necessary tax policy reforms.

SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For purposes of carrying out this title, there are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016 and 
each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

                 TITLE IV--REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

SEC. 400. ANNUAL REPORTS REQUIRED.

    Each State receiving a grant under title I or local educational 
agency receiving a grant under title II, shall file annual reports with 
the Secretary within 60 days of the close of the school year in which 
the grant is received, regarding the utilization of the proceeds of 
those grants which, at a minimum shall specify--
            (1) in detail each targeted school receiving any such grant 
        proceeds and the total grant proceeds distributed to each such 
        targeted school;
            (2) in detail the specific permitted uses described in 
        section 102(b) for which all grant proceeds were utilized by 
        each targeted school receiving the same;
            (3) how funding such permitted uses with grant proceeds 
        received under this Act contributes to or constitutes part of a 
        comprehensive, strategic plan to enhance the capacity of that 
        State's entire educational system to enable it to provide a 
        meaningful educational opportunity to all students--but 
        particularly those students attending targeted schools;
            (4) the demographic breakdown of each targeted school and 
        the academic performance of the children attending those 
        targeted schools vis-a-vis each other, the State's student body 
        overall, and the students attending the 5 percent of schools 
        with the highest per pupil funding levels in that State;
            (5) the academic performance of racial and ethnic minority 
        students, Indians, and English language learners in that State 
        overall and as compared to the performance of non-minority 
        students in that State;
            (6) specific programming, if any, designed to address any 
        achievement gap that appears in the comparisons required under 
        paragraph (5);
            (7) per-pupil funding levels in that State broken down by 
        decile covering--
                    (A) income levels per district,
                    (B) property values per district, and
                    (C) targeted schools versus all other schools;
            (8) professional staffing levels, teacher qualifications 
        and class sizes by grade level in targeted schools vis-a-vis 
        all other schools in that State;
            (9) attendance rates, graduation rates and drop-out rates 
        (using definitions thereof agreed upon in writing by the 
        Secretary), percentage of students enrolled in and passing 
        advanced placement courses and tests, and ACT scores in 
        targeted schools versus all other State schools;
            (10) availability of wrap-around services in the targeted 
        schools to meet the need therefor; and
            (11) such other data as the Secretary may from time to time 
        require via regulation or request in writing.

SEC. 401. DEVELOPMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall work with the State 
educational agencies and local educational agencies receiving grants 
under this Act to develop the following:
            (1) A series of accountability metrics that will allow the 
        Federal Government to monitor the performance of the equity and 
        excellence investments it makes under this Act to ensure those 
        investments are creating a meaningful educational opportunity 
        and ultimately leading to enhanced student achievement. These 
        metrics will be informative in nature, provide adequate data 
        (as determined by the Secretary), and provide information that 
        will allow the Department of Education, working in 
        collaboration with State educational agencies, local 
        educational agencies receiving grants under this Act and other 
        stakeholders (such as but not limited to educators and as 
        appropriate community members and parents) to develop changes 
        in practice designed to enhance performance and effectively 
        create the desired meaningful educational opportunity.
            (2) A series of mechanisms designed to remediate practices 
        that are not attaining those goals.
All enforcement mechanisms implemented by the Secretary pursuant to 
regulations it issues to accomplish the goals identified in this 
section will be designed in a manner that changes practice at the 
State, local educational agency, or targeted school level in a manner 
that creates a meaningful educational opportunity for all children and 
shall not take resources away from low income, minority, English 
language learners, or other children who attend targeted schools and 
need resources the most.
    (b) Enhanced Metrics.--Evaluations of academic performance shall 
include multiple measures that--
            (1) may include standardized test scores but shall not be 
        based solely on test scores;
            (2) to the extent test scores are considered, utilize a 
        growth model of evaluation that tracks the academic performance 
        of each child over time rather than simply comparing test 
        scores by grade level of different annual cohorts of students;
            (3) shall include an evaluation of drop-out rates utilizing 
        a methodology of which has been approved in writing and in 
        advance by the Secretary;
            (4) may include course passage rates and may include--
                    (A) where available, district developed assessments 
                that incorporate sound methodology and best practice as 
                determined by the Secretary;
                    (B) where available, AP course taking;
                    (C) when appropriate, portfolio based work; and
                    (D) when appropriate, school environment metrics 
                such as, but not limited to, reduced incidents of 
                significant student discipline, development of 
                collaborative educational practices, and implementation 
                of effective, well-designed teacher and administrator 
                professional development and induction and mentoring;
            (5) shall include an evaluation of growth in critical 
        thinking. To the extent standardized tests are utilized to 
        evaluate student achievement, the Secretary will work with 
        State educational agencies receiving grants under this Act to 
        ensure such testing provides an accurate measure of student 
        learning and is free of racial, ethnic, gender, income class or 
        other biases; and
            (6) shall include an analysis of resources (fiscal, 
        facility, and personnel) to determine whether the applicable 
        State and/or local educational agency has the capacity to 
        provide a meaningful educational opportunity to each child it 
        serves.

SEC. 402. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a 
report that provides National and State-level data on the information 
collected under this Act and on the progress toward enhancing student 
achievement in targeted schools and creating an equitable and excellent 
public education system in the United States.
                                 <all>