[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 579 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 579
To provide grants to eligible local educational agencies to help public
schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2019
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Harris, Mr.
Blumenthal, and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants to eligible local educational agencies to help public
schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, 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 ``Smaller Class Sizes for Students and
Educators Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local
educational agency'', and ``poverty line'' have the meanings
given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Early elementary grades.--The term ``early elementary
grades'' means kindergarten through grade 3.
(3) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible
local educational agency'' means a local educational agency--
(A) for a school district in which 75 percent or
more of the population have incomes below the poverty
line; and
(B) that is within a State, as such term is defined
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(5) Targeted school.--The term ``targeted school'' means a
public elementary school in which not less than 75 percent of
the students attending the elementary school are from families
with incomes below the poverty line.
SEC. 3. REDUCING CLASS SIZE IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 3 CLASSROOMS.
(a) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From amounts made available under
subsection (g), the Secretary shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies to
enable the eligible local educational agencies to reduce class
sizes in the early elementary grades.
(2) Duration of grant.--A grant awarded under this section
shall be for a period of 5 years.
(b) Application.--
(1) In general.--An eligible local educational agency 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 require.
(2) Contents.--The application required under paragraph (1)
shall include an evidence-based plan to lower class sizes in
the early elementary grades that includes the following:
(A) A description of--
(i) how the eligible local educational
agency will reduce the class size for early
elementary grade classes in the targeted
schools served by the eligible local
educational agency to not more than 18 students
per class, recognizing that class size maximums
must be based on type of students, grade level,
subject area, physical facilities, and workload
maximums for educators; and
(ii) the continuum of small class sizes
based on grade level the eligible local
educational agency will provide for students in
the early elementary grades in targeted
schools.
(B) A description of how the eligible local
educational agency will recruit, hire, and retain
individuals, including individuals from populations
underrepresented in the teaching profession, as
teachers for the early elementary grades.
(C) A description of how the eligible local
educational agency will provide additional professional
development and training for teachers hired for class
size reduction.
(D) A description of how the eligible local
educational agency will provide time for collaboration
between teachers at the targeted schools for activities
such as analyzing student work, instruction and
assessment planning, or curriculum and instruction-
specific professional development.
(E) A description of how the eligible local
educational agency will ensure that any new teachers
hired using grant funds are certified to teach in the
field of hire, qualified, effective, and able to teach
to State standards, as determined by the State for
purposes of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).
(F) In the case of an eligible local educational
agency that is using funds available under part A of
title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq.) for class size
reduction, information regarding such use and the
extent to which the funds are being used to reduce
class size in the early elementary grades in targeted
public schools.
(G) The average class size, by grade, in the early
elementary grades of the public schools served by the
eligible local educational agency at the time the
application is submitted and during the prior 2
academic years.
(H) A description of how the eligible local
educational agency will determine or define class size.
(c) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible local educational agencies
with the greatest number of students from families with incomes below
the poverty line.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) Administrative expenses.--An eligible local educational
agency receiving a grant under this section may use not more
than 3 percent of the grant funds for the administrative
expenses of the grant.
(2) Reducing class size.--
(A) In general.--An eligible local educational
agency shall use not less than 97 percent of the grant
funds to reduce class sizes in the early elementary
grades at targeted schools by--
(i) recruiting, training, and hiring
qualified teachers, both general education
teachers and teachers of special-needs
children, for the early elementary grades at
targeted schools;
(ii) in the case of an eligible local
educational agency for which all targeted
schools have class sizes at or less than the
levels established by the local educational
agency in the plan submitted under subsection
(b)(2), obtaining additional space, or
renovating school buildings, to provide more
classroom space, except that not more than 15
percent of the funds provided under the grant
may be used for this purpose; and
(iii) in the case of an eligible local
educational agency for which all targeted
schools have class sizes at or less than the
levels established by the local educational
agency in the plan submitted under subsection
(b)(2), providing professional development for
teachers of the early elementary grades at
targeted schools, except that not more than 15
percent of the funds provided under the grant
may be used for this purpose.
(B) Highest need.--In carrying out activities under
the grant, the eligible local educational agency shall
first prioritize targeted schools that serve the
highest percentage of students from families with
incomes below the poverty line and then prioritize
schools with the highest average class sizes in the
early elementary grades.
(e) Reporting.--
(1) Annual reports by eligible local educational
agencies.--Each eligible local educational agency receiving a
grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the
Secretary an annual report that includes an evaluation of the
activities carried out under grant, including an evaluation
of--
(A) the progress of the eligible local educational
agency in reducing class size in the early elementary
grades at the targeted schools served by the local
educational agency;
(B) student academic achievement, which may include
locally developed assessments, in the early elementary
grades of the targeted schools receiving support
through the local educational agency under the grant
where pre- and post-assessment data is available;
(C) a climate study of teachers in such targeted
schools that addresses working conditions, job
satisfaction, and teacher stress;
(D) teacher qualifications for newly hired teachers
in such targeted schools for class size reduction;
(E) targeted professional development and training
provided to newly hired teachers in targeted schools
for class size reduction;
(F) the time added to be used for teachers to
collaborate in targeted schools;
(G) teacher retention and turnover rates pre- and
post-class size reduction efforts; and
(H) a description of rates of student discipline
problems and in chronic student absenteeism.
(2) Annual reports by the secretary.--By not later than 30
days after the date by which the reports under paragraph (1)
are first due, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall
prepare and submit a 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
regarding the grants awarded under this section.
(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--A local educational agency receiving
funds under this section shall use such funds to supplement, and not
supplant, any other funds available to the local educational agency for
the purposes of reducing class size in the early elementary grades.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000,000 for the first
fiscal year and such sums as are necessary for each succeeding fiscal
year.
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