[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 122 (Thursday, July 24, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7289-S7291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN:
  S. 3326. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to award 
grants to local education agencies to improve college access; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
designed to make it easier for students to reach college and to succeed 
in college. An educated workforce is crucial to the success of the 
American economy, but too many students are not receiving a college 
education. Of students who were in eighth grade in 2000, only 20 
percent of the lowest-income students will earn a college degree by 
2012, compared to 68 percent of the highest income group. Every student 
who wants to go to college should have that opportunity, and we should 
provide them with the tools they need. Today, I am introducing the 
Pathways to College Act, which creates grants for school districts to 
help them increase the number of low-income students who are entering 
and succeeding in college.
  Lack of guidance and information about college has a real effect on 
students in poor schools. The Consortium on Chicago School Research 
recently released a report called ``Potholes on the Road to College.'' 
This report examines the difficulties faced by Chicago Public School 
students during the college application process. The Consortium 
discovered that only 41 percent of Chicago Public School students who 
wanted to go to college took the steps necessary to apply to and enroll 
in a 4-year college. Only one-third of students enrolled in a college 
that matched their qualifications. Of the students who had the grades 
and test scores to attend a selective college, 29 percent went to a 
community college or skipped college entirely.
  But the most heartbreaking parts of this report are the profiles of 
smart, ambitious students who find themselves helplessly lost in the 
college admissions process. One student, Amelia, worked hard in her 
classes at Silverstein High School and dreamed of studying criminal 
justice. Amelia never received the help she needed to achieve her goal. 
The wait was two weeks to see a guidance counselor, and so Amelia 
learned about the process on her own. She did not apply for federal 
financial aid and ended up at a local community college where she 
described the classes as easy and ``just like high school.''
  The Pathways to College Act would create a grant program for school 
districts serving low-income students to increase their college-
enrollment rates. The Consortium's ``Potholes'' report found that the 
most important factor in whether students enroll in a four-year college 
is if they attended a school where teachers create a strong college-
going culture and help students with the process of applying. The 
Pathways to College Act would provide the funding to help school 
districts improve the college-going culture in schools and guide 
students through the college admissions process.
  A school with a strong college culture is a school where the 
expectation throughout the school is that every single student will go 
to college. Administrators, teachers, and staff members embrace and act 
on that goal every day. With a grant through the Pathways to College 
Act, schools could train student leaders, integrate college planning 
into the curriculum, and provide opportunities for college fairs, 
college tours, and workplace visits. Most

[[Page S7290]]

importantly, teachers and counselors would be trained in post-secondary 
advising so that they can motivate their students to reach for high 
goals. Every school in the school district would incorporate these 
elements and others into a school-wide plan of action to strengthen the 
college-going culture.
  KIPP Ascend Charter School in Chicago is a school that does this 
well. A few weeks ago, a group of eighth grade students from KIPP came 
to my constituent coffee here in Washington. Each one was wearing a 
shirt that said ``I am college bound.'' Every child and each teacher 
believed the message on those shirts, and I did too. The facts prove we 
are all right. Eighty percent of students in the KIPP program nation-
wide attend college. KIPP accomplishes this by training teachers to 
constantly reinforce high college expectations. If you walk into a KIPP 
classroom, you see college posters on the walls and hear college 
discussed as part of the day's lesson. If you ask the students about 
going to college, they will answer without hesitation and might tell 
you about their last field trip to a local university. When you combine 
those clear, high expectations with KIPP's rigorous college-preparatory 
curriculum, you can understand their enormous success.
  The Pathways to College Act will also give school districts the tools 
they need to help students meet their high aspirations. Participating 
school districts would provide each high school freshman with at least 
one meeting with an advisor to discuss their goals post-graduation and 
create a plan to reach those goals. School districts would also educate 
students and families about the intricacies of the college application 
process and the federal financial aid application process. The average 
student-to-counselor ratio in high schools is 315 to one, but schools 
could use grant money to hire more counselors and form partnerships 
with community groups to help students with college applications and 
financial aid forms. School districts also consider could create 
college planning classes or establish a college access center in their 
school.
  The Pathways to College Act provides flexibility to school districts 
to achieve higher college enrollment rates, but requires that each 
school accurately track their results so we can learn from what works. 
Chicago Public Schools is doing a great job--both in tackling the 
problem and in documenting progress. Under the leadership of CEO Arne 
Duncan, Chicago Public Schools responded aggressively to the 
``Potholes'' report. A team of postsecondary coaches were deployed in 
high schools to work with students and counselors. To ensure that 
financial aid is not a roadblock, FAFSA completion rates are tracked so 
that counselors can follow-up with students. A spring-break college 
tour took 500 students to see colleges across the country. Because 
Chicago Public Schools tracks its college enrollment rates, we know 
that their efforts are working. Half of the 2007 graduating class 
enrolled in college, an increase of 6.5 percent in four years. The 
national increase was less than one percent in the same time-frame. 
Nationally, the number of African-American graduates going to college 
has decreased by six percent over the last four years while the Chicago 
rate has increased by almost eight percent.
  Applying to college is not easy. Low-income students often need the 
most help to achieve their college dreams. When schools focus on 
college and provide the tools to get there, students make the 
connection between the work they are doing now and their future goals 
in college and life. Students in those schools are more likely enroll 
in college and are also more likely to work hard in high school to be 
prepared for college when they arrive. The bill I am introducing today 
tries to ensure that lack of information never prevents a student from 
achieving his or her college dream.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3326

       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 ``Pathways to College Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) An educated workforce is crucial to the success of the 
     United States economy. Access to higher education for all 
     students is critical to maintaining an educated workforce. 
     More than 80 percent of the 23,000,000 jobs that will be 
     created in the next 10 years will require postsecondary 
     education. Only 36 percent of all 18- to 24-year olds are 
     currently enrolled in postsecondary education.
       (2) Workers with bachelor's degrees earn on average $17,000 
     more annually than workers with only high school diplomas. 
     Workers who earn bachelor's degrees can be expected to earn 
     $1,000,000 more over a lifetime than those who only finished 
     high school.
       (3) The ACT recommends that schools--
       (A) provide student guidance to engage students in college 
     and career awareness; and
       (B) ensure that students enroll in a rigorous curriculum to 
     prepare for postsecondary education.
       (4) The Department of Education reports that the average 
     student-to-counselor ratio in high schools is 315:1. This 
     falls far above the ratio recommended by the American School 
     Counselor Association, which is 250:1. While school 
     counselors at private schools spend an average of 58 percent 
     of their time on postsecondary education counseling, 
     counselors in public schools spend an average of 25 percent 
     of their time on postsecondary education counseling.
       (5) While just 57 percent of students from the lowest 
     income quartile enroll in college, 87 percent of students 
     from the top income quartile enroll. Of students who were in 
     eighth grade in 2000, only 20 percent of the lowest-income 
     students are projected to attain a bachelor's degree by 2012, 
     compared to 68 percent of the highest income group, according 
     to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in 
     2006.
       (6) A recent report by the Consortium on Chicago School 
     Research found that only 41 percent of Chicago public school 
     students who aspire to go to college took the steps necessary 
     to apply to and enroll in a 4-year institution of higher 
     education. The report also reveals that only \1/3\ of Chicago 
     students who want to attend a 4-year institution of higher 
     education enroll in a school that matches their 
     qualifications. Even among students qualified to attend a 
     selective college, 29 percent enrolled in a community college 
     or did not enroll at all.
       (7) The Consortium found that many Chicago public school 
     students do not complete the Free Application for Federal 
     Student Aid, even though students who apply for Federal 
     financial aid are 50 percent more likely to enroll in 
     college. Sixty-five percent of public secondary school 
     counselors at low-income schools believe that students and 
     parents are discouraged from considering college as an option 
     due to lack of knowledge about financial aid.
       (8) Low-income and first-generation families often 
     overestimate the cost of tuition and underestimate available 
     aid; students from these backgrounds have access to fewer 
     college application resources and financial aid resources 
     than other groups, and are less likely to fulfill their 
     postsecondary plans as a result.
       (9) College preparation intervention programs can double 
     the college-going rates for at-risk youth, can expand 
     students' educational aspirations, and can boost college 
     enrollment and graduation rates.

     SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
       (1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``local educational 
     agency'' and ``Secretary'' have the meanings given the terms 
     in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       (2) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
     local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
     in which a majority of the secondary schools served by the 
     agency are high-need secondary schools.
       (3) High-need secondary school.--The term ``high-need 
     secondary school'' means a secondary school in which not less 
     than 50 percent of the students enrolled in the school are--
       (A) eligible for a school lunch program under the Richard 
     B. Russell National School Lunch Act;
       (B) eligible to be counted under section 1124(c) of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     6333(c)); or
       (C) in families eligible for assistance under the State 
     program funded under part A of title IV of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
       (b) Competitive Grants to Eligible Local Educational 
     Agencies.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a 
     competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies to 
     carry out the activities described in this section.
       (c) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be 5 
     years in duration.
       (d) Distribution.--In awarding grants under this section, 
     the Secretary shall ensure that the grants are distributed 
     among the different geographic regions of the United States, 
     and among eligible local educational agencies serving urban 
     and rural areas.
       (e) Applications.--
       (1) In general.--Each eligible local educational agency 
     desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 
     application to the

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     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include a description of the program to be carried 
     out with grant funds and--
       (A) a description of the secondary school population to be 
     targeted by the program, the particular college-access needs 
     of such population, and the resources available for meeting 
     such needs;
       (B) an outline of the objectives of the program, including 
     goals for increasing the number of college applications 
     submitted by each student, increasing Free Application for 
     Federal Student Aid completion rates, and increasing school-
     wide college enrollment rates across the local educational 
     agency;
       (C) a description of the local educational agency's plan to 
     work cooperatively with programs funded 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. and 1070a-21 et 
     seq.), including the extent to which the agency commits to 
     sharing facilities, providing access to students, and 
     developing compatible record-keeping systems;
       (D) a description of the activities, services, and training 
     to be provided by the program, including a plan to provide 
     structure and support for all students in the college search, 
     planning, and application process;
       (E) a description of the methods to be used to evaluate the 
     outcomes and effectiveness of the program;
       (F) an assurance that grant funds will be used to 
     supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or 
     local funds available to carry out activities of the type 
     carried out under the grant;
       (G) an explanation of the method used for calculating 
     college enrollment rates for each secondary school served by 
     the eligible local educational agency that is based on 
     externally verified data, and, when possible, aligned with 
     existing State or local methods; and
       (H) a plan to make the program sustainable over time, 
     including the use of matching funds from non-Federal sources.
       (3) Method of calculating enrollment rates.--
       (A) In general.--A method included in an application under 
     paragraph (2)(G)--
       (i) shall, at a minimum, track students' first-time 
     enrollment in institutions of higher education; and
       (ii) may track progress toward completion of a 
     postsecondary degree.
       (B) Development in conjunction.--An eligible local 
     educational agency may develop a method pursuant to paragraph 
     (2)(G) in conjunction with an existing public or private 
     entity that currently maintains such a method.
       (f) Special Consideration.--In awarding grants under this 
     section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to 
     applications from eligible local educational agencies serving 
     schools with the highest percentages of poverty.
       (g) Use of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--An eligible local educational agency that 
     receives a grant under this section shall develop and 
     implement, or expand, a program to increase the number of 
     low-income students who enroll in postsecondary educational 
     institutions, including institutions with competitive 
     admissions criteria.
       (2) Required use of funds.--Each program funded under this 
     section shall--
       (A) provide professional development to secondary school 
     teachers and counselors in postsecondary education advising;
       (B) ensure that each student has not less than 1 meeting, 
     not later than the first semester of the first year of 
     secondary school, with a school counselor, college access 
     personnel (including personnel involved in programs funded 
     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. 
     and 1070a-21 et seq.)), trained teacher, or other 
     professional or organization, such as a community-based 
     organization, approved by the school, to discuss 
     postsecondary options, outline postsecondary goals, and 
     create a plan to achieve those goals;
       (C) provide information to all students enrolled in the 
     secondary schools served by the eligible local educational 
     agency and parents beginning in the first year of secondary 
     school on--
       (i) the economic and social benefits of higher education;
       (ii) college expenses, including information about expenses 
     by institutional type, differences between sticker price and 
     net price, and expenses beyond tuition;
       (iii) paying for college, including the availability, 
     eligibility, and variety of financial aid; and
       (iv) the forms and processes associated with applying for 
     financial aid; and
       (D) ensure that each secondary school served by the 
     eligible local educational agency develops a comprehensive, 
     school-wide plan of action to strengthen the college-going 
     culture within the school.
       (3) Allowable use of funds.--Each program funded under this 
     section may--
       (A) establish mandatory postsecondary planning classes for 
     secondary school seniors to assist the seniors in the college 
     preparation and application process;
       (B) hire and train postsecondary coaches with expertise in 
     the college-going process;
       (C) increase the number of counselors who specialize in the 
     college-going process serving students;
       (D) train student leaders to assist in the creation of a 
     college-going culture in their schools;
       (E) provide opportunities for students to explore 
     postsecondary opportunities outside of the school setting, 
     such as college fairs, career fairs, college tours, workplace 
     visits, or other similar activities;
       (F) assist students with test preparation, college 
     applications, Federal financial aid applications, and 
     scholarship applications;
       (G) establish partnerships with programs funded 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. and 
     1070a-21 et seq.)), and with community and nonprofit 
     organizations to increase college-going rates at secondary 
     schools served by the eligible local educational agency;
       (H) provide long-term postsecondary follow up with 
     graduates of the secondary schools served by the eligible 
     local educational agencies, including increasing alumni 
     involvement in mentoring and advising roles within the 
     secondary school;
       (I) create and maintain a postsecondary access center in 
     the school setting that provides information on colleges and 
     universities, career opportunities, and financial aid options 
     and provide a setting in which professionals working in 
     programs funded 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. and 1070a-21 et seq.)), can meet with 
     students;
       (J) deliver college and career planning curriculum as a 
     stand-alone course, or embedded in other classes, for all 
     students in secondary school; and
       (K) increase parent involvement in preparing for 
     postsecondary opportunities.
       (h) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available under 
     this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, 
     other Federal, State, and local funds available to carry out 
     the activities described in this section.
       (i) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, directly or 
     through contracting through a full and open process with 1 or 
     more organizations that have demonstrated experience 
     providing technical assistance to raise school-wide college 
     enrollment rates in local educational agencies in not less 
     than 3 States, shall provide technical assistance to grantees 
     in carrying out this section. The technical assistance 
     shall--
       (1) provide assistance in the calculation and analysis of 
     college-going rates for all grant recipients;
       (2) provide semi-annual analysis to each grant recipient 
     recommending best practices based on a comparison of the 
     recipient's data with that of secondary schools with similar 
     demographics; and
       (3) provide annual best practices conferences for all grant 
     recipients.
       (j) Evaluation and Reporting Requirements.--
       (1) Measure enrollment and track data.--Each eligible local 
     educational agency that receives a grant under this section 
     shall--
       (A) measure externally verified school-wide college 
     enrollment; and
       (B) track data that leads to increased college going, 
     including college applications sent and Free Application for 
     Federal Student Aid forms filed.
       (2) Evaluations by grantees.--Each eligible local 
     educational agency that receives a grant under this section 
     shall--
       (A) conduct periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of 
     the activities carried out under the grant toward increasing 
     school-wide college-going rates;
       (B) use such evaluations to refine and improve activities 
     conducted with the grant and the performance measures for 
     such activities; and
       (C) make the results of such evaluations publicly 
     available, including by providing public notice of such 
     availability.
       (3) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the 
     results of--
       (A) the evaluations conducted under paragraph (2); and
       (B) an evaluation conducted by the Secretary to analyze the 
     effectiveness and efficacy of the activities conducted with 
     grants under this section.
                                 ______