[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 55 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Reed, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. 
        Franken, and Mr. Akaka):
  S. 833. A bill to provide grants to States to ensure that all 
students in the middle grades are taught an academically rigorous 
curriculum with effective supports so that students complete the middle 
grades prepared for success in secondary school and postsecondary 
endeavors, to improve State and district policies and programs relating 
to the academic achievement of students in the middle grades, to 
develop and implement effective middle grades models for struggling 
students, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, it is my honor today to introduce the 
Success in the Middle Act of 2011. This bill recognizes the role of the 
middle grades as a tipping point in the education of many of our 
Nation's students, especially those who are at risk of dropping out. 
Success in the Middle invests much-needed attention and resources in 
middle grades education, requiring states to create plans to 
specifically address the unique needs of students in the age group, and 
focusing on schools that feed students into some of our country's most 
dropout prone high schools so they are ready for the curriculum and the 
unique social pressures they will encounter there.
  My concern about the middle grades began in a unique place behind my 
desk in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office. After serving as 
the United States Attorney for Rhode Island, where I dealt with cases 
involving mobsters and white collar crime, I now suddenly had hundreds 
of juvenile cases coming across my desk. I asked my staff to examine 
the problem and together we tried to find the root of it. Ultimately, 
it all seemed to go back to one issue: middle school truancy. In order 
to better see what was happening in middle schools, my office adopted 
one, Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School in Providence. We worked hard to 
create a real relationship between the police department and the school 
to help get truant kids back in classrooms; we worked with the local 
utility to get lights in the parking lot so teachers felt safe staying 
after school; partnered with local businesses to get teachers phones in 
the classrooms so they could call parents when the kids went missing; 
began a mentoring program between students and attorneys in my office; 
and brought in community groups to start afterschool programs.
  The experience at Perry helped me realize what an impact the middle 
grades have on a child's future. It is an age where a child is 
beginning to make his or her own decisions, but can still be influenced 
by adults and by enriching experiences in their lives. The middle 
grades are a time when, if properly directed, students look to their 
futures and set goals for themselves in order to enter high school 
ready to achieve that first vital goal: graduation.
  When I entered the Senate, one of my first priorities was to continue 
to advocate for improved middle grades education. In Rhode Island, I 
convened a small group of teachers, public and private school 
administrators, union leaders, afterschool experts, and others who 
shared my deep interest in the middle grades to continue the 
conversation about how best to improve them. This group examined the 
issues faced by these students and how curriculum, the professional 
development of teachers, and the environment of the school affected 
them on a daily basis. Their work has influenced how I perceive 
education policy and has been invaluable as we have moved forward with 
Success in the Middle.
  To see just how badly our middle grade students need this help, let 
us take a look at the facts: Less than 1/3 of 8th grade students scored 
proficient in reading and math on the 2009 National Assessment on 
Educational Progress, NAEP, and nearly 30 percent scored below the 
basic level in math. A lack of basic skills at the end of the middle 
grades has serious implications students who enter high school two or 
more years behind have only a 50 percent chance of progressing on time 
to 10th grade, creating a significant risk of dropping out. Sixth grade 
students who do not attend school regularly, who frequently receive 
disciplinary actions, or who fail math or English have a less than 15 
percent chance of graduating high school on time and a 20 percent 
chance of graduating one year late.
  This is why investing wisely in the middle grades is so important. 
Success in the Middle makes that investment, creating a formula grant 
program that help states invest in proven strategies for the middle 
grades, including comprehensive school-wide improvement efforts, 
targeted professional development, and student supports such as 
extended learning time and personal academic plans. It also requires 
the creation of early warning and intervention systems for at-risk 
students and transition plans for the middle grades. Finally, Success 
in the Middle invests in national research into best practices for the 
middle grades.
  I am proud to introduce Success in the Middle, which in previous 
Congresses was introduced by then-Senator Obama and by my senior 
Senator from Rhode Island, Jack Reed. I am proud to follow in the 
footsteps of these champions of education, who have demonstrated the 
vital need to focus our efforts on the middle grades in order to best 
serve our Nation's children, especially those most at risk for dropping 
out.
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