Library / Laws / 113th / s / S. 2849 / Introduced in Senate
II
113th Congress
2d Session
S. 2849
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 17 (legislative day, September 16), 2014Mr. Sanders (for himself and Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To strengthen student achievement and graduation rates and prepare youth for postsecondary
education at institutions of higher education, careers, and citizenship
through innovative partnerships that meet the comprehensive needs of
youth.
1.
Short
title; table of contents
(a)
Short
title
This Act may be cited
as the Developing Innovative
Partnerships and Learning Opportunities that Motivate Achievement
Act or the DIPLOMA Act.
(b)
Table of
contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Program authorized; allotment to States.
Sec. 5. State youth strategy.
Sec. 6. Coordinating body; State applications.
Sec. 7. State use of funds.
Sec. 8. Local consortium application; local youth strategy.
Sec. 9. Local use of funds.
Sec. 10. Construction.
Sec. 11. Accountability and transparency.
Sec. 12. Authorization of appropriations.
2.
Purposes
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to create
engaging learning experiences that—
(A) strengthen
academic achievement, build civic capacity, and provide a continuum of
supports
and opportunities for youth and their families; and
(B) prepare youth for postsecondary education at institutions of higher education, careers,
and citizenship through results-focused
partnerships at all levels that mobilize and coordinate school and
community
resources;
(2) to ensure the
academic, physical, social, emotional, health, mental health, and civic
development of disadvantaged youth and thereby strengthen their families
and
communities;
(3) to engage and
support parents, caregivers, and families in their role as first educators
of
their children;
(4) to promote community engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth and family
engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth;
(5) to leverage and
integrate the human and financial assets of local communities, schools,
State
governments, the Federal Government, and the natural assets of
communities—
(A) toward better
results for youth and families; and
(B) for sustained
civic capacity; and
(6) to develop
strategies that achieve key results, such as full-service community
schools,
community-based, integrated student services, and related approaches that
meet
the comprehensive needs of youth.
3.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Chronically absent
The term chronically absent means missing—
(A) 20 school days in an academic year; or
(B) 10 percent of the school days in such
academic year.
(2)
Community-based,
integrated student services
The term community-based,
integrated student services means interventions, coordinated through a
single point of contact, that improve student achievement by connecting
community resources with the academic and social service needs of
students.
(3)
Community
engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth
(A)
In
general
The term community engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth
means systematic efforts to involve, engage, and collaborate with parents,
community residents, members of school communities, community partners,
and
other stakeholders in exploring the needs of their students and schools,
developing plans to address those needs, and working together to address
those
needs.
(B)
Inclusions
The
term includes effective community engagement in an ongoing process to—
(i) develop a
welcoming school and school system;
(ii) mobilize the community’s assets to support
student achievement and growth;
(iii) engage those individuals and stakeholders who
traditionally have not participated;
(iv) improve working relationships; and
(v) deepen
the commitment to student success.
(4)
Family
engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth
The term family engagement in the academic and developmental needs of youth means a shared responsibility of families and schools for
student success, in which schools and community-based organizations are
committed to reaching out to engage families in meaningful ways that
encourage
the families to actively support the learning and development of their
children, as
well as the learning and development of other youth. The shared
responsibility is continuous from birth through young adulthood and
reinforces
learning that takes place in the home, school, and community.
(5)
Full-service
community school
The term full-service community
school means a public elementary school or secondary school that—
(A) participates in a
community-based effort to coordinate educational, developmental, family,
health, and other comprehensive services through community-based
organizations
and specialized instructional support personnel employed by the school or
the
local educational agency, and public and private partnerships; and
(B) provides access
to such services to students, families, and the community, such as access
during the school year (including before- and after-school hours) and
during the summer.
(6)
Institution of higher education
The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001).
(7)
Local
consortium
The term local consortium means a
consortium consisting of community representatives that—
(A) shall
include—
(i) a
local educational agency; and
(ii) not less than 1
other community partner that is independent of the local educational
agency;
(B) may include a
broad array of community partners, including—
(i) a
community-based organization;
(ii) a
youth-serving organization or agency;
(iii) an institution
of higher education;
(iv) a
foundation;
(v) a
business;
(vi) a
teacher organization;
(vii) an organization
representing education professionals;
(viii) a local
government, including a local government agency serving youth, such as a
child or youth welfare or juvenile justice agency;
(ix) an
organization representing students; and
(x) an
organization representing parents; and
(C) may include
representatives from multiple jurisdictions.
(8)
Local
educational agency
The term local educational agency
has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and
Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(9)
Outlying
area
The term outlying area has the meaning given
the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965
(20 U.S.C. 7801).
(10)
Secretary
The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(11)
Specialized
instructional support personnel
The term specialized
instructional support personnel means school counselors, school social
workers, school psychologists, and other qualified professional personnel
involved in providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational,
therapeutic, and other necessary corrective or supportive services
(including
related services as that term is defined in section 602 of the Individuals
with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401)) as part of a comprehensive
program
to meet student needs.
(12)
Specialized
instructional support services
The term specialized
instructional support services means the services provided by
specialized instructional support personnel, and includes any other
corrective
or supportive services to meet student needs.
(13)
State
The
term State means each of the several States of the United States,
the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(14)
Youth
The term youth means an individual from birth through the transition to adulthood.
4.
Program authorized; allotment to States
(a)
Formula grants
authorized
(1)
In
general
The Secretary is
authorized to award grants, from allotments under subsection (c), to
States
having applications approved under section 6(b) to enable the States to
award
subgrants to local consortia to leverage and integrate human and financial
assets at all levels in order to—
(A) ensure the
academic, physical, social, emotional, and civic development of
disadvantaged
youth; and
(B) strengthen the
families and communities of disadvantaged youth and achieve the
targets and goals developed pursuant to section 5(c)(1).
(2)
Duration
The
Secretary shall award a grant under this subsection for a period of 5
years.
(3)
Renewal
The
Secretary may renew a grant under this subsection for a period of 5
years.
(b)
Reservation
From
the funds appropriated under section 12 for any fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reserve—
(1) not more than 2
percent for national activities, which the Secretary may carry out
directly or
through grants and contracts, such as—
(A) providing
training and training technical assistance to local consortia and
organizations
partnering with local consortia to carry out services under this Act; or
(B) conducting the
national evaluation pursuant to section 11(a)(3); and
(2) not more than 1
percent for payments to the outlying areas and the Bureau of Indian
Education, to
be allotted in accordance with their respective needs for assistance under
this
Act, as determined by the Secretary, to enable the outlying areas and the
Bureau of Indian Education to carry out the purposes of this Act.
(c)
State
allotments
(1)
Determination
From
the funds appropriated under section 12 for any fiscal year and not
reserved under subsection (b), the Secretary shall allot to each State
that submits an approved application under section 6(b) for
the fiscal year an amount that bears the same relationship to such funds
as
the amount the State received under subpart 2 of part A of title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.)
for the
preceding fiscal year bears to the amount all States that submitted
approved applications received under that
subpart for the preceding fiscal year, except that no State shall receive
less
than an amount equal to one-half of 1 percent of such
funds.
(2)
Reallotment of
unused funds
If a State does not receive an allotment under this
Act for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reallot the amount of the
State's
allotment to the remaining States in accordance with this section.
5.
State youth strategy
(a)
In
general
A State that receives a grant under this Act shall use
the grant funds to develop and implement a State youth strategy
(referred to in this Act as the State strategy).
(b)
Strategy
requirements
The State strategy—
(1) shall be
developed by the Governor of the State;
(2) shall include the
components described in subsection (c); and
(3) may include other
components as the Governor determines necessary to strengthen results for
youth.
(c)
Required
Components
The State strategy components required under
subsection (b) are the following:
(1)
State results
framework
The State strategy shall contain comprehensive,
research-based annual goals and aligned quantifiable indicators
demonstrating
continuous improvement with respect to youth, particularly disadvantaged
youth,
that shall serve as targets for each year with respect to which the State
strategy applies. The goals shall include the following:
(A) Youth are
ready for school.
(B) Students are
engaged and achieving in school.
(C) Students are not chronically absent.
(D) Students are
physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy.
(E) Schools and
neighborhoods are safe and provide a positive climate for learning.
(F) Families and communities are
engaged in the education of their youth as equal partners.
(G) Graduates are
ready for postsecondary education at institutions of higher education and
21st century careers.
(H) Students are
contributing to their communities.
(2)
Needs and
assets assessment
The State strategy shall contain an assessment
of the needs of youth, and of assets within the State that can be
mobilized,
coordinated, and integrated to achieve the State strategy's goals, which
may
include data collected by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and
Family
Statistics.
(3)
State youth plan
The State strategy shall include a description of the
State’s plan to achieve the goals described in paragraph (1) for youth,
including the following:
(A)
Leverage and
integration
A description of how funds received under this Act
will be coordinated and integrated with other Federal and State funds in
order
to achieve the goals developed pursuant to paragraph (1).
(B)
Elimination of
State barriers to coordination and integration
A description of
how funds received under this Act will be used to identify and eliminate
State
barriers to the coordination and integration of programs, initiatives, and
funding streams to achieve the goals developed pursuant to paragraph
(1).
(C)
Community
engagement in academic and developmental needs of youth
A description of the State's plan to
increase community engagement in the academic and developmental needs of
youth.
(D)
Family
engagement in academic and developmental needs of youth
A description of the State's plan to
increase family engagement in the academic and developmental needs of
youth.
(d)
Existing plans,
strategies, and assessments
Existing plans, strategies, needs
assessments, or assets assessments, as of the date of the development and
implementation of the State strategy, may be used to satisfy the
requirements of
this section if such existing plans, strategies, needs assessments, or
assets
assessments include the information required by this section, or can be
modified to do so, and are submitted to the Secretary with such
modifications.
6.
Coordinating
body; State applications
(a)
Coordinating
body
(1)
In
general
In order for a State to be eligible to receive a grant
under this Act, the Governor of the State shall designate or establish a
coordinating body for student learning and development that shall—
(A) administer funds
provided under this Act;
(B) facilitate
communication between the public and the Governor pertaining to issues
impacting youth,
including issues pertaining to service coordination and integration;
(C) identify and
eliminate State barriers to the coordination and integration of programs,
initiatives, and funding streams, and facilitate coordination and
collaboration
among State agencies serving youth;
(D) strengthen the
capacity of State and local organizations to achieve positive outcomes for
youth through training, technical assistance, professional
development, and other means;
(E) assist the
Governor in developing and carrying out the State strategy; and
(F) coordinate the
submission of the State application under subsection (b).
(2)
Designation of
coordinating body
The Governor may designate an existing (as of the date of the determination of eligibility for a
grant under this Act) agency,
Children's Cabinet, prekindergarten through grade 20 (P–20) council,
youth development partnership, or
other organization as the coordinating body for student learning and
development described in paragraph (1) if the agency, cabinet, council,
partnership, or organization—
(A) performs duties
similar to the duties described in paragraph (1); or
(B) if the duties of
the agency, cabinet, council, partnership, or organization can be modified
to
include the duties described in paragraph (1).
(b)
State
application
(1)
In
general
Each State desiring a grant under this Act shall submit
to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing
such information as the Secretary may require.
(2)
Contents
Each
application submitted under this subsection shall include the following:
(A)
State
strategy
A description of how the State will develop the State
strategy.
(B)
Grants to local
consortia
A description of how subgrants to local consortia will
be awarded pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of section 7 and how the
subgrants will facilitate
community planning and effective service coordination, integration, and
provision at the local level to achieve the goals developed by the State
pursuant to section 5(c)(1) within the context of local needs and
priorities.
(C)
Capacity-building
A description of how grant funds received under this Act
will be used to build State and local capacity through training, technical
assistance, and professional development.
(D)
Accountability
for results
A description of the State's plans to adhere to the
accountability and transparency requirements described in section 11(b).
(3)
Revised
application
Each State desiring to renew a grant under this Act
shall submit a revised application to the Secretary every 5 years based on
an
assessment of the activities conducted under this Act.
7.
State use of
funds
(a)
In
general
From the grant funds made available to a State under this
Act for any fiscal year—
(1) the State shall
use not less than 95 percent to award subgrants to local consortia under
subsection (b) or (c);
(2) the State may use
not less than 3 percent for evaluation and capacity-building activities
under this Act,
including training, technical assistance, and professional development;
and
(3) the State may use
not more than 2 percent for the administrative costs of carrying out
responsibilities under this Act.
(b)
Subgrants to
local consortia
(1)
In
general
A State that receives a grant under this Act shall use
the portion of the grant funds described in subsection (a)(1) to award
subgrants to local consortia to enable the local consortia to carry out
the activities described in section 9.
(2)
Duration of
grant
Each subgrant awarded under this subsection shall be for a
period of 5 years and shall be renewable based on progress toward
achieving the targets and goals developed pursuant to section 8(b)(2)(A).
(c)
Planning
subgrants
(1)
In general
Notwithstanding subsection (b), a State that receives a grant under this Act may use a portion of
the grant funds described in subsection (a)(1) to award
planning subgrants to local consortia to enable the local consortia to
develop the
local strategy described in section 8(b).
(2)
Duration
Each planning subgrant under this subsection shall be
for a
duration of—
(A) not more than 6
months and in an amount of not more than $50,000; or
(B) not more than 1
year and in an amount of not more than $100,000.
(d)
Priority
In
awarding subgrants to local consortia under this section, a State shall
give priority to
applications from local consortia that propose—
(1) to serve youth in schools or communities with the highest proportions of students
from low-income families; and
(2) to provide a
comprehensive continuum of services, including not less than 1 service
from
each of not less than 3 categories of services described in paragraphs (3)
through (11) of section 9(b), which proposal—
(A) shall be
submitted by a local consortium comprised of a broad representation of
stakeholders and decisionmakers in the community, including a multitude of
community partners described in section 3(7)(B); or
(B) shall
demonstrate the local consortium's capacity for successful implementation
through a history of
successful collaboration and effectiveness in strengthening outcomes for
youth.
(e)
Allocation to
rural areas
(1)
In
general
A State that receives grant funding under this Act for a
fiscal year shall use the grant funds to award an amount, in the
aggregate, of
subgrant funding under section 7 to rural local consortia in the State
that is
not less than the amount that bears the same relation to the amount of the
grant funding as the amount received by local educational agencies serving
rural local consortia in the State under subpart 2 of part A of title I of
the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.)
for the
preceding fiscal year bears to the amount received by the State under such
subpart for the preceding fiscal year.
(2)
Rural local
consortium
In this subsection, the term rural local
consortium means a local consortium serving an area of the State that
has a locale code of 41, 42, or 43.
(f)
Supplement, not
supplant
A State that receives a grant under this Act shall use
the grant funds to supplement, not supplant, Federal and non-Federal funds
available to support youth services.
8.
Local consortium
application; local youth strategy
(a)
Local
consortium application
(1)
In
general
A local consortium that desires a subgrant under section
7 shall submit an application to the State at such time, in such manner,
and
containing such information as the State may require.
(2)
Contents
An
application submitted under this section shall include—
(A) a description of
the local consortium, including which public or nonprofit entity
participating
in the local consortium shall serve as the fiscal agent for the local
consortium;
(B)
(i) in the case of an application for a subgrant under section 7(b), the local strategy described in
subsection (b); or
(ii) in the case of an application for a subgrant under section 7(c), a proposal regarding how the local
consortium will develop such local strategy; and
(C) a description of
how the local strategy will be coordinated with the local educational
agency
plan required under section 1112 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6312).
(b)
Local
youth strategy
(1)
In
general
The local strategy—
(A) shall be
developed by the local consortium;
(B) shall include the
components described in paragraph (2); and
(C) may include such
other components as the local consortium determines necessary to
strengthen
outcomes for youth.
(2)
Components
The
local strategy components required under paragraph (1)(B) are the
following:
(A)
Local results
framework
Comprehensive, research-based goals and aligned
quantifiable indicators for the goals, with respect to youth, particularly
disadvantaged youth, that shall serve as targets for the year with respect
to
which the local strategy applies. The goals shall include the following:
(i) Youth are
ready for school.
(ii) Students are
engaged and achieving in school.
(iii) Students are not chronically absent.
(iv) Students are
physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy.
(v) Schools and
neighborhoods are safe and provide a positive climate for learning.
(vi) Families and communities are
supportive and engaged in their children’s education.
(vii) Graduates are
ready for postsecondary education at institutions of higher education and
21st century careers.
(viii) Students are
contributing to their communities.
(B)
Assets
assessment
An assessment of potential resources, services, and
opportunities available within or near the community that youth,
their families, and resources in the community may be able to access in
order
to meet the needs identified under subparagraph (C), to help achieve the
goals
and indicators under subparagraph (A), and to support students to achieve
the
challenging State student academic achievement standards adopted under
section 1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 9101(b)) or, if applicable, other academic standards authorized by
a waiver pursuant to the Secretary's authority under section 9401 of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 7861). Such assessment should include the variety
of services that can be integrated—
(i) into a community
school site; and
(ii) through the
presence of specialized instructional support personnel and local
educational
agency liaisons for homeless children and youth designated pursuant to
section
722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)).
(C)
Needs
assessment
An analysis of the comprehensive needs of the students
served by the local consortium, such students' families, and the community
that—
(i) includes input
from students, parents, and community members;
(ii) assesses the
academic, physical, social, emotional, health, mental health, and civic
needs
of students and their families; and
(iii) may impact
students’ ability to meet the challenging State student academic
achievement
standards.
(D)
Service
integration and provision
A plan to coordinate and integrate
services and provide services in order to meet the needs identified under
subparagraph (C) and achieve the results described in subparagraph (A)
based on the aligned quantifiable indicators developed pursuant to such
subparagraph, including—
(i) a
description of the services administered by members of the local
consortium
that are funded through grants provided under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) that will be coordinated as
part
of the subgrant provided under section 7(b); and
(ii) if
applicable, a description of the coordination among services provided by
community-based organizations and services provided by specialized
instructional support personnel employed by the school or the local
educational
agency participating in the local consortium.
(E)
Community
engagement in academic and developmental needs of youth
A plan to increase community engagement
in the academic and developmental needs of youth.
(F)
Family
engagement in academic and developmental needs of youth
A plan to increase family engagement in
the academic and developmental needs of youth.
(3)
Existing plans,
strategies, and assessments
Existing plans, strategies, needs
assessments, or assets assessments (as of the date of the submission of an
application under this section) may be used to satisfy the requirements of
this section if such existing plans, strategies, needs assessments, or
assets
assessments include the information required by this section, or can be
modified to do so, and are submitted to the Secretary with such
modifications.
9.
Local use of
funds
(a)
Mandatory use
of funds
A local consortium that receives a subgrant under
section 7(b) shall use the subgrant funds—
(1) to integrate
multiple private and public services into a comprehensive, coordinated
continuum that meets the holistic needs of youth;
(2) to implement the
comprehensive, coordinated continuum of services described in paragraph
(1)
through research-based services producing quantifiable results that align
with
the local results framework described in section 8(b)(2)(A);
(3) to address the
needs identified in the needs assessment carried out pursuant to section
8(b)(2)(C) by leveraging the assets identified in the assets assessment
carried
out pursuant to section 8(b)(2)(B); and
(4) if applicable, to
coordinate efforts with the specialized instructional support personnel
employed by the school or the local educational agency participating in
the
local consortium.
(b)
Permissible use
of funds
A local consortium that receives a subgrant under
section 7(b) may use the subgrant funds to coordinate, integrate, and
enhance
existing services, and provide new services, in order to provide youth
with research-based, comprehensive services at, or that are connected to,
schools, including—
(1) community-based,
integrated student services;
(2) full-service
community schools;
(3) high-quality
early childhood learning and development, including—
(A) early childhood
education;
(B) programs under
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), including Early Head Start
programs;
(C) early literacy programs;
(D) child care
services;
(E) early
childhood-school transition services;
(F) home
visiting;
(G) parenting
education; and
(H) services for
youth who are young children with special needs;
(4) academic support
services, including—
(A) tutoring;
(B) extended day
or after-school programs, including services provided through 21st Century
Community Learning
Centers under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.);
(C) academic support services for English language learners;
(D) programs for
students and parents to learn together, including opportunities in such
fields
as technology, art, music, and language acquisition;
(E) multiple pathways
toward attaining a high school diploma and preparing students for
postsecondary education at an institution of higher education,
including—
(i) dual enrollment
programs;
(ii) early college
high schools;
(iii) strategies for
preventing at-risk youth from dropping out of high school;
(iv) dropout recovery
strategies, including strategies that award credit based on student
performance
instead of instructional time; and
(v) other activities
that combine rigorous coursework, personalized learning environments,
practical
applications, and comprehensive support services;
(F) summer enrichment
and learning experiences; and
(G) services for
students with disabilities;
(5) health services,
including—
(A) primary health
care;
(B) dental
care;
(C) vision
care;
(D) hearing
care;
(E) mental health
services;
(F) nutrition
services;
(G) health education;
and
(H) developmental and
habilitation services for youth with special needs;
(6) youth
development, including—
(A) mentoring and
other youth development programs, including programs that engage older
adults;
(B) recreation and
physical education;
(C) service learning,
civic education, leadership development, entrepreneurship, and community
service opportunities;
(D) job training,
career counseling, and internship opportunities;
(E) career and
technical education;
(F) postsecondary education
preparation and counseling services; and
(G) positive
behavioral interventions and supports;
(7) social services
for students and families, including—
(A) family support
programs, including housing assistance, counseling, financial education,
crisis
intervention, and related services;
(B) programs that
provide assistance to students who have been truant, suspended, or
expelled;
(C) programs or
efforts intended to identify older youth without a high school diploma and
reengage the youth in school in order to attain a high
school diploma;
(D) strategies that
engage older adults as resources to students and families;
(E) services for homeless students, foster youth, students previously under the custody of a juvenile
justice system, or students who are pregnant or parenting; and
(F) access to, and training on, digital learning, defined for purposes of this paragraph as
instructional practices that—
(i) effectively use technology to strengthen the student learning experience; and
(ii) may include online and formative assessments, instructional resources, online content and courses,
application of technology in the classroom and school building, adaptive
software for students with special needs, learning platforms, or online
professional communities of practice;
(8) parent and adult
education programs, including—
(A) programs that
promote family literacy;
(B) parent and
caregiver leadership and parent and caregiver education activities;
(C) adult education,
including instruction in English as a second language, and job training;
and
(D) citizenship
preparation for individuals choosing to become United States citizens;
(9) juvenile crime
prevention and rehabilitation programs, including—
(A) youth courts,
teen courts, peer juries, and drug courts; and
(B) tribal youth
programs;
(10) specialized
instructional support services, including specialized instructional
support
personnel;
(11) service
coordination staffing that ensures youth receive comprehensive services
to meet the holistic needs of the youth;
(12) training,
technical assistance, and professional development for school-based and
community-based personnel to build capacity and skills to educate English
language learners;
(13) subgrants to
nonprofit and other organizations to implement the requirements and
allowable
services under this section;
(14) reasonable
program administration and planning associated with the activities
required
under this section; and
(15) other services
consistent with this section.
10.
Construction
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded
school
or school district employees under Federal, State, or local laws
(including
applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective
bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements
between
such employees and their employers.
11.
Accountability
and transparency
(a)
Federal
accountability and transparency
(1)
Annual
report
On an annual basis, the Secretary shall report to the
public, Congress, and the President—
(A) the collective
progress made by—
(i) States in
achieving the goals established within the State results frameworks
described
in section 5(c)(1); and
(ii) communities in
achieving the goals established within the local results frameworks
pursuant to
section 8(b)(2)(A);
(B) how funds under
this Act were used by States and local consortia to improve the lives of
youth and families, including—
(i) the
characteristics of the youth and families served by the activities and
services assisted under this Act;
(ii) the services and
supports provided under this Act; and
(iii) outcomes
resulting from the activities and services funded under this Act;
(C) actions taken
pursuant to paragraph (2) regarding misuse or ineffective use of funds;
and
(D) other information
the Secretary determines to be of interest to the public.
(2)
Correction of
deficiencies
If the Secretary determines, based on a review of
State annual reports, State strategies, State data submissions,
evaluations, or
other documentation, that a State or entity that receives funds through a
grant made under this Act makes insufficient progress toward achieving
the goals established within the State results framework pursuant to
section
5(c)(1) within 3 years of receiving a grant under section 4(a), or is
misusing,
ineffectively using, or otherwise not complying with the requirements of
this
Act, the Secretary shall—
(A) notify the State
of the deficiencies that require correction and request that the State
submit a
plan to correct the deficiencies;
(B) negotiate a plan
to correct the deficiencies, and provide appropriate training or technical
assistance designed to assist the State in complying with the requirements
of
this Act; and
(C) in the case of a State that fails to submit or negotiate a plan to correct the deficiencies or
fails to make substantial efforts, within 6 months after the date of the
notification described in subparagraph (A), to correct the deficiencies
and comply
with the requirements of this Act—
(i) terminate the
provision of funds under this Act to the State or entity for the remainder
of
the period of the grant or contract; and
(ii) redistribute the
terminated funding in the manner described in section 4(c).
(3)
Independent
ongoing evaluation
(A)
In
general
The Secretary shall carry out an ongoing evaluation of
the activities conducted under this Act and shall submit the evaluation
results
to Congress and the public in April of 2016 and in July of 2018.
(B)
Rigorous and
independent evaluation
The Secretary shall enter into a contract
with an entity independent of the Department of Education to carry out the
evaluation required under this paragraph. To the extent the Secretary
determines feasible, the evaluation shall include large-scale,
longitudinal,
randomized studies to identify the most effective combinations of academic
and
nonacademic interventions, including interventions administered by
community-based organizations, to achieve improvements in academic and
other
outcomes for students.
(C)
Evaluation
outcomes
(i)
In
general
The evaluation required under this paragraph shall
measure the process of developing and implementing effective partnerships
among
schools, school districts, families, students, and community partners, as
well
as the impact of activities conducted under this Act, which may include
impacts
on the following outcomes:
(I) Student
achievement as measured by assessment data, classroom grades, and other
means
of measuring student performance.
(II) Graduation
rates.
(III) School
readiness.
(IV) Numbers of
detentions, suspensions, and expulsions.
(V) Enrollment in
postsecondary education.
(VI) The degree of
communication between schools and families.
(VII) The degree of
parental participation in school activities.
(VIII) Student
health, including mental health and risk factors at birth.
(IX) Student civic
participation.
(X) Attendance.
(XI) The number of
students and families receiving services.
(XII) Other outcome
areas as determined by the Secretary in consultation with State
educational
agencies, local educational agencies, teacher organizations, secondary
students, and nonprofit organizations providing services to youth.
(ii)
Disaggregation
The
outcomes described in clause (i) shall be reported in the aggregate and
disaggregated by—
(I) each of the categories described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II));
(II) gender; and
(III) family income level.
(b)
State
accountability and transparency
(1)
Annual
report
On an annual basis, each State receiving a grant under this Act shall report to the public
and the Secretary such information as the Secretary may reasonably
require,
including—
(A) progress made
toward achieving—
(i) the
goals established within the State results framework pursuant to section
5(c)(1) disaggregated in the same manner as information is disaggregated
under
subsection (a)(3)(C)(ii); and
(ii) the goals
established within the local results frameworks pursuant to section
8(b)(2)(A);
(B) how funds under
this Act were used by States and local consortia to improve the lives of
youth and families, including—
(i) the
characteristics of the youth and families served by the activities and
services assisted under this Act;
(ii) the services and
supports provided under this Act; and
(iii) outcomes
resulting from the activities and services funded under this Act;
(C) information on
Federal barriers to effective State and local coordination;
(D) the extent of
coordination between State departments and agencies providing youth
services in
place to achieve the goals within the State results framework pursuant to
section 5(c)(1);
(E) the extent to
which the objectives and budgets of State departments and agencies
providing
youth services were consistent with the recommendations of the State
strategy for the preceding year;
(F) the efficiency
and adequacy of State and local programs and policies with respect to
youth services;
(G) actions taken
pursuant to paragraph (2) regarding misuse or ineffective use of funds;
and
(H) other information
the State determines to be of interest to the public.
(2)
Correction of
deficiencies
If the State determines, based on a review of
reports, data submissions, evaluations, or other documentation, that a
local
consortium or organization that receives funds through a subgrant made
under
this Act makes insufficient progress toward achieving the goals
established
within the local results framework pursuant to section 8(b)(2)(A) within 3
years of receiving a subgrant under section 7(b), or is misusing,
ineffectively
using, or otherwise not complying with the requirements of this Act, the
State
shall—
(A) notify the local
consortium of the deficiencies that require correction and request that
the
consortium submit a plan to correct the deficiencies;
(B) negotiate a plan
to correct the deficiencies, and provide appropriate training or technical
assistance designed to assist the local consortium in complying with the
requirements of this Act; and
(C) in the case that
the local consortium fails to submit or negotiate a plan to correct the
deficiencies or fails to make substantial efforts, within 6 months after
the
date of the notification described in subparagraph (A), to correct the
deficiencies and comply with the requirements of this Act, terminate the
provision of funds under this Act to the local consortium or organization
for
the remainder of the period of the subgrant and redistribute the
terminated
funding in a manner determined by the State to be in the best interests of
the
youth in such State in accordance with this Act.
(c)
Local
accountability and transparency
On an annual basis, each local
consortium receiving a subgrant under this Act shall report to the public
and the State such information as the
State may reasonably require, including—
(1) progress made
toward achieving the goals established within the local results framework
pursuant to section 8(b)(2)(A) in the aggregate and disaggregated in the
same manner as information
is disaggregated under subsection (a)(3)(C)(ii);
(2) how funds under
this Act were used by the local consortium and other recipients of
subgrant funds to improve
the lives of youth and families, including—
(A) the
characteristics of the youth and families served by the activities and
services assisted under this Act;
(B) the services and
supports provided under this Act; and
(C) outcomes
resulting from the activities and services funded under this Act;
(3) information on
State barriers to effective local coordination;
(4) the extent of
coordination between local agencies and organizations providing services
to
achieve the goals within the local results framework pursuant to section
8(b)(2)(A); and
(5) other information
the local consortium determines to be of interest to the public.
12.
Authorization
of appropriations
There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $200,000,000 for each
of
fiscal years 2015 through 2019.