[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4880-S4881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2166. Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Coons) submitted
an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2089 submitted by
Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mrs. Murray) to the bill S. 1177, to
reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to
ensure that every child achieves; which was ordered to lie on the
table; as follows:
After part B of title X, insert the following:
PART C--AMERICORPS SCHOOL TURNAROUND
SEC. 10301. SHORT TITLE.
This part may be cited as the ``AmeriCorps School
Turnaround Act of 2015''
SEC. 10302. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Students are most successful when they have personal,
attentive support.
(2) Turning schools around requires collaboration among
teachers, administrators, counselors, business leaders, the
philanthropic sector, and community members.
(3) National service provides valuable support to
elementary schools and secondary schools and has a record for
improving student academic achievement.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this part are to--
(1) strengthen and accelerate interventions in the lowest-
performing elementary schools and secondary schools;
(2) provide financial support to eligible entities that
serve low-performing schools;
(3) significantly improve outcomes for students in
persistently low-performing schools by--
(A) providing opportunities for academic enrichment;
(B) extending learning time; and
(C) providing individual support for students; and
(4) improve high school graduation rates and college
readiness for the most disadvantaged students.
SEC. 10303. DEFINITIONS.
In this part:
(1) Chief executive officer.--The term ``Chief Executive
Officer'' means the Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation for National and Community Service appointed
under section 193 of the National and Community Service Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12651c).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an elementary school or secondary school; or
(B) any of the following entities that serve low-performing
schools:
(i) Public or private nonprofit organizations, including
faith-based and other community organizations.
(ii) Local educational agencies.
(iii) Institutions of higher education.
(iv) Government entities within States.
(v) Indian Tribes.
(vi) Labor organizations.
(3) Low-performing school.--The term ``low-performing
school'' means an elementary school or secondary school that
is identified under section 1116 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316).
(4) National service participant.--The term ``national
service participant'' means an individual described under
part III of the National and Community Service Act of 1990
(42 U.S.C. 12591 et seq.).
(5) School turnaround corps project.--The term ``School
Turnaround Corps project'' means a project carried out by an
eligible entity that is a permissible use of funds for a
grant under this part.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 10304. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT FOR SCHOOL TURNAROUND
GRANTS.
(a) Interagency Agreement.--
(1) In general.--The Chief Executive Officer shall enter
into an interagency agreement with the Secretary similar to
an interagency agreement described in section 121(b)(1) of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12571(b)(1)) regarding the grant program described in section
10305, except that funds appropriated under this part may be
used as if for the purposes for which funds may be provided
through grants under section 121(a) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(a)).
(2) Amendment to the ncsa.--Section 121(b) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 12571(b)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(6) School turnaround grant interagency agreement.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Corporation shall enter
into an interagency agreement similar to an interagency
agreement described in paragraph (1) with the Secretary of
Education under this subsection regarding the school
turnaround grant program described in section 10305 of the
AmeriCorps School Turnaround Act of 2015.''.
(b) Approved National Service Positions.--
(1) In general.--The Chief Executive Officer shall approve
positions for School Turnaround Corps projects as approved
national service positions in accordance with subtitle C of
title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12571 et seq.).
(2) Distribution of assistance and approved positions
unaffected.--Nothing in this part shall be construed to
affect the distribution of assistance or approved national
service positions under section 129 of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12581).
(c) Treatment of Funds Appropriated.--
(1) National service trust.--For purposes of section
145(a)(1) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990
(42 U.S.C. 12601(a)(1)), a portion of the funds appropriated
under this part, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer
based on the number of participants selected for School
Turnaround Corps projects, shall be treated as funds made
available to carry out subtitle D of title I of the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.).
(2) Investment of trust funds.--For purposes of subsection
(b) of section 145 of the National and Community Service Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601), a portion of the funds
appropriated under this part, as determined by the Chief
Executive Officer based on the number of participants
selected for School Turnaround Corps projects, shall be
treated as if appropriated to the Trust established under
such section.
(3) Reserve account.--For purposes of section
149(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the National and Community Service Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C.
[[Page S4881]]
12606(b)(1)(B)(ii)), a portion of the funds appropriated
under this part, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer
based on the number of participants selected for School
Turnaround Corps projects, shall be treated as funds
appropriated for the fiscal year involved under section 501
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12681) and made available to carry out subtitle C or D of
title I of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 12601
et seq.).
(4) Audits.--For purposes of section 149(c) of the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12606(c)), funds
appropriated under this part shall be treated as appropriated
funds for approved national service positions.
SEC. 10305. SCHOOL TURNAROUND GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--From amounts made available under this
part after the reservation described in subsection (b), the
Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with the Secretary,
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities to enable such eligible entities--
(1) to improve the academic achievement of elementary
school and secondary school students; and
(2) to select national service participants and engage such
participants' in School Turnaround Corps projects.
(b) Amounts Reserved.--The Chief Executive Officer shall
reserve not less than 1 percent, and not more than 2 percent,
of the amount appropriated to carry out this part for each
fiscal year to award grants under this part to Indian tribes
and organizations serving tribal populations.
(c) Priority.--In making grants under this part, the Chief
Executive Officer, in consultation with the Secretary--
(1) shall give priority to eligible entities that will
serve significant populations of low-income students; and
(2) may give priority to eligible entities that--
(A) are located in low-income communities;
(B) will serve communities with significant populations of
families with limited English proficiency;
(C) will place national service participants in urban or
rural areas; or
(D) will increase the ability of educators to provide
appropriate services and coordinate activities with State and
local systems providing services under part B of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1411
et seq.) for children with developmental delays or
disabilities, including such children in the child welfare
system of the State.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use the funds made available through
the grant to carry out 1 or more of the activities described
in paragraphs (2) through (6), and shall engage national
service participants to carry out such activities.
(2) Increasing high-quality, individualized learning
time.--Improving the quality and frequency of individualized
learning time provided to elementary school and secondary
school students by providing individualized support, which
may include increasing postsecondary education enrollment
rates through postsecondary education preparation counseling
assistance, including assistance with completing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and applications
for institutions of higher education, and educating students
and their families about financial literacy for postsecondary
education.
(3) Out-of-school and extended learning programs.--
Increasing personalized, out-of-school and extended learning
programs provided to elementary school and secondary school
students by engaging national service participants to serve
as--
(A) tutors who provide individualized, academic support
outside of the standard school day; and
(B) family resource mentors who connect the student,
family, and school in an open conversation about the
student's academic situation.
(4) College and career readiness and graduation coaches.--
The provision of individual graduation, postsecondary
education, and career preparation guidance and assistance by
college or career planing advisors.
(5) Schoolwide activities.--Carrying out schoolwide
activities, including--
(A) establishing a school culture and environment that
improves school safety, attendance, and discipline and
addressing other non-academic factors that impact student
achievement, such as students' social, emotional, and health
needs; and
(B) carrying out activities to increase graduation rates,
such as early warning systems, credit-recovery programs, and
re-engagement strategies.
(6) Accelerating reading and mathematics knowledge and
skills.--The provision of activities to accelerate students'
acquisition of reading and mathematics knowledge and skills.
SEC. 10306. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) In General.--As a condition on receipt of any funds for
a program under this part, each grantee shall agree to submit
an annual report at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Chief Executive Officer, in
consultation with the Secretary, may require.
(b) Content.--At a minimum, each annual report under this
subsection shall describe--
(1) the degree to which progress has been made toward
meeting the annual benchmarks and long-term goals and
objectives described in the grant recipient's application;
and
(2) demographic data about low-performing schools,
including the number of low-income and minority students,
served in each program.
SEC. 10307. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
part $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2016, and such sums as may
be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
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