,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #egh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ad1 #bjac ,mrs4 ,hagan introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to improve outcomes for students in persistently low-performing schools1 to create a culture of recognizing1 rewarding1 and replicating educational excellence1 to authorize school turnaround grants1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,school ,turnaround and ,rewards ,act of #bjac or the ,,star ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are to-- 7#a7 significantly improve outcomes for students in persistently low-performing schools by-- 7,a7 building the capacity of ,state educational agencies and local educational agencies to improve student academic achievement in low-performing and persistently low-performing schools2 7,b7 supporting ,states and local educational agencies in implementing school intervention models2 and 7,c7 targeting ,state and local supports and strategies on the persistently lowest-performing schools in each ,state2 and 7#b7 create a culture of recognizing1 rewarding1 and replicating educational excellence in every ,state by-- 7,a7 providing financial and other incentives and rewards to schools that are identified as ,reward ,schools2 and 7,b7 supporting ,state educational agency efforts to identify1 collect1 and disseminate effective practices for increasing student academic achievement used by ,reward ,schools4 ,i ,blue ribbon schools #aja4 ,blue ribbon schools 7a7 ,in general ,section #aaag of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcag7 is amended to read as follows3 #aaag4 ,blue ribbon schools 7a7 ,program purpose ,it is the purpose of this section to assist ,states and local educational agencies in identifying and rewarding high-performing public schools4 7b7 ,blue ribbon schools 7#a7 ,identification of blue ribbon schools ,each ,state receiving a grant under this part may-- 7,a7 define the category of blue ribbon schools1 consistent with paragraph 7#b71 for the ,state as part of its ,state plan in section #aaaa7;b72 and 7,b7 identify1 for each school year1 the schools in the ,state that are blue ribbon schools for such year4 7#b7 ,blue ribbon school criteria 7,a7 ,in general ,if a ,state elects to carry out this subsection1 the ,state's blue ribbon schools shall consist of the top #e percent of the ,state's public elementary schools and secondary schools1 as designated by the ,state based on-- 7i7 the percentage of students who are on track to college and career readiness1 as defined by the ,secretary1 for ,english or language arts1 and mathematics2 7ii7 in the case of high schools1 the school's graduation rates2 7iii7 the performance of each subgroup of students1 as defined by the ,secretary2 7iv7 student growth1 as defined by the ,secretary2 and 7v7 school gains4 7,b7 ,noneligibility for blue ribbon status ,a school identified under section #aaaf7;b7 for a year shall not be eligible for blue ribbon school status for the same year4 7c7 ,rewards for blue ribbon schools 7#a7 ,in general ,each ,state that defines and identifies blue ribbon schools under subsection 7b77#a7 for a school year may-- 7,a7 provide each blue ribbon school in the ,state with increased autonomy over the school's budget1 staffing1 and time2 7,b7 allow each blue ribbon school to have flexibility in the use of any funds provided to the school under this ,act for any purpose allowed under this ,act 7notwithstanding any other provision of this ,act71 as long as such use is consistent with the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd1 title ,,ix of the ,education ,amendments of #aigb1 section #ejd of the ,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc1 the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja71 and part ,b of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act2 and 7,c7 reserve not more than 4#e percent of the funds allotted to the ,state under subpart #b and use such reserved amounts to distribute rewards1 on a competitive basis1 to local educational agencies that serve #a or more blue ribbon schools identified under subsection 7b7 that receive funds under subpart #b to enable the local educational agencies to provide awards to such blue ribbon schools that receive funds under such subpart4 7#b7 ,use of rewards ,as a condition of receiving an award from a local educational agency under this subsection1 a blue ribbon school shall agree to use the award funds to-- 7,a7 improve student achievement2 and 7,b7 provide technical assistance to the lowest-achieving schools in the ,state that have characteristics similar to the blue ribbon school4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #cjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjad and such sums as may be necessary for each of the #e succeeding fiscal years4 4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents in section #b of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife is amended by striking the item relating to section #aaag and inserting the following3 ,sec4 #aaag4 ,blue ribbon schools4 4 ,,ii ,school turnaround #bja4 ,school turnaround ,section #aaaf of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaf7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7i7 ,persistently low-,achieving schools 7#a7 ,lowest-achieving schools in the ,state 7,a7 ,in general ,each ,state receiving a grant under this part shall1 beginning in the #bjac-bjad school year and every year thereafter1 determine the lowest-achieving schools in the ,state1 which shall include-- 7i7 the lowest-achieving #e percent of public high schools1 and the lowest-achieving #e percent of public elementary schools and secondary schools that are not high schools1 in the ,state1 based on-- 7,i7 student performance on the ,state academic assessments in reading or language arts1 and mathematics1 including student absolute performance2 7,,ii7 in the case of high schools1 graduation rates2 and 7,,iii7 if the ,state so chooses-- 7aa7 schoolwide gains2 and 7bb7 absolute student performance2 and 7ii7 the public high schools in the ,state that have less than a #fj-percent graduation rate4 7,b7 ,data rule ,in identifying the lowest-achieving schools under this paragraph1 a ,state shall-- 7i7 use data for the most recent year for which data are available2 or 7ii7 average data for the most recent #b- to #c-year period for which data are available4 7,c7 ,parental notification ,each year1 a ,state shall provide timely notification to all parents of students enrolled in each school identified under subparagraph 7,a7 that the school is one of the ,state's lowest-achieving schools for such year4 7,d7 ,list of targeted low-achieving schools ,each year1 the ,state shall-- 7i7 compile a list of the schools identified under subparagraph 7,a7 that-- 7,i7 receive assistance under this part2 7,,ii7 are public high schools for which not less than #ej percent of each school's students are from low-income families1 as determined by the local educational agency under section #aaac2 or 7,,iii7 are public high schools that have less than a #fj-percent graduation rate2 7ii7 submit the list described in clause 7i7 to the ,secretary2 7iii7 distribute the list described in clause 7i7 to the local educational agencies1 elementary schools1 and secondary schools in the ,state2 and 7iv7 make such list publicly available1 including through the ,internet4 7#b7 ,identification as persistently low-achieving 7,a7 ,identification ,for the #bjac-bjad school year1 each ,state receiving a grant under this part shall identify each school included on the list under paragraph 7#a77;,d77i7 for the preceding school year as a persistently low-achieving school4 ,for the #bjad-bjae school year1 and each subsequent school year1 each such ,state shall identify each school that has been included on the list under such paragraph for the #b preceding consecutive school years as a persistently low-achieving school4 7,b7 #e-year period ,a school that is identified by the ,state under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be a persistently low-achieving school for the #e-year period following the school's identification1 except as provided in paragraph 7#f74 7#c7 ,state waiver ,if a ,state determines that all schools that would otherwise be considered to be in the lowest-achieving #e percent of schools under paragraph 7#a77;,a77i7 are actually performing at a satisfactory level of performance based on the measures used by the ,state to identify persistently low-achieving schools1 the ,state may apply to the ,secretary to waive the requirements of this subsection4 7#d7 ,needs analysis ,each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part shall conduct a data-driven needs analysis1 which may involve an external partner with expertise in conducting such needs analysis1 of each school identified under paragraph 7#b7 by the ,state to determine the most appropriate school improvement strategies to improve student performance4 ,such needs analysis shall include-- 7,a7 a diagnostic review of data related to students and instructional staff2 7,b7 an analysis of the school governance1 curriculum1 instruction1 student supports1 conditions for learning1 and parent and family engagement practices relative to the needs of the student population2 and 7,c7 the resources1 which may include community-based supports and early childhood education and care1 available at the school1 local educational agency1 and community levels to meet student needs and support improved student achievement and outcomes and the implementation of any school improvement strategy4 7#e7 ,state and local responsibilities 7,a7 ,state responsibilities ,each ,state receiving a grant under this part shall ensure that a local educational agency receiving assistance carries out the requirements of subparagraph 7,b7 for each persistently low-achieving school in the ,state4 7,b7 ,local educational agency responsibilities ,each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part shall1 consistent with the ,state's accountability system under section #aaaa1 for each school identified under paragraph 7#b7 that it serves-- 7i7 establish a process for selecting an appropriate school improvement strategy for the school that uses information from the needs analysis under paragraph 7#d72 7ii7 select the school improvement strategy to be used in each identified school and the timeline for implementing the selected school improvement strategy in such school2 7iii7 develop a detailed budget covering the #e-year identification period1 including planned expenditures at the school level for activities supporting full and effective implementation of the selected school improvement strategy2 7iv7 implement a school improvement strategy at the school in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 7#f72 7v7 use appropriate measures to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation2 7vi7 review and select turnaround partners to assist in implementing school improvement strategies2 7vii7 align other ,federal1 ,state1 and local resources with the school improvement strategy2 7viii7 provide the school with the operational flexibility1 including autonomy over staffing1 time1 and budget1 needed to enable full and effective implementation of the selected strategy1 including through the modification of practices or policies1 if necessary2 7ix7 collect and use data on an ongoing basis to adjust implementation of the school improvement strategy to improve student achievement2 7x7 provide an assurance that the implementation of the selected school improvement strategy addresses the needs of all the subgroups of students2 7xi7 take steps to sustain successful reforms and practices after the school is no longer identified under paragraph 7#b72 and 7xii7 provide technical assistance and other support to ensure effective implementation of the school improvement strategy in the school1 which may include assistance in-- 7,i7 data collection and analysis2 7,,ii7 recruiting and retaining staff2 7,,iii7 teacher and principal evaluation2 7,,iv7 professional development2 7,v7 parent and family engagement2 7,,vi7 coordination of services with early childhood education and care providers2 7,,vii7 coordination of services to address students' social1 emotional1 and health needs2 and 7,,viii7 monitoring the implementation of the school improvement strategy selected under paragraph 7#f74 7,c7 ,state as local educational agency ,a ,state may take over a persistently low-achieving school and act as the local educational agency for purposes of this subsection1 if permitted under ,state law4 7#f7 ,school improvement strategies 7,a7 ,required activities for all school improvement strategies ,a local educational agency implementing any strategies under this paragraph for a school shall-- 7i7 provide staff at the school with ongoing professional development1 consistent with the needs analysis described in paragraph 7#d72 7ii7 conduct regular evaluations for the teachers and principals at the school that provide specific feedback on areas of strength and in need of improvement2 7iii7 provide time for collaboration among instructional staff at the school to improve student achievement2 7iv7 provide instructional staff at the school with timely access to student data to inform instruction and meet the academic needs of individual students1 which may include1 in elementary school1 school readiness data2 7v7 collaborate with parents1 the community1 teachers1 and other school personnel at the school on the selection and implementation of the strategy2 7vi7 use data to identify and implement a research-based instructional program that-- 7,i7 analyzes student progress and performance and develops appropriate interventions for students who are not making adequate progress2 and 7,,ii7 provides differentiated instruction and related instructional supports2 7vii7 in the case of an elementary school with kindergarten entry1 consider the issue of school readiness in such school by-- 7,i7 examining factors that contribute to school readiness as part of the needs analysis conducted under paragraph 7#d72 and 7,,ii7 if school readiness is identified in the needs analysis as an area in need of improvement-- 7aa7 coordinating with appropriate early childhood programs1 such as programs under the ,child ,care ,development and ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij1 the ,head ,start ,act1 prekindergarten programs1 and other similar ,federal1 ,state1 and local programs1 in order to align instruction to better prepare students for elementary school2 and 7bb7 developing a plan to improve or expand early childhood options which may include the use of funds under this part for such purposes2 7viii7 provide ongoing mechanisms for parent and family engagement2 and 7ix7 provide appropriate services and supports for students as identified in the school's needs analysis4 7,b7 ,strategies ,a local educational agency shall identify a school improvement strategy for a school from among the following strategies3 7i7 ,transformation model ,a transformation model is one in which the local educational agency-- 7,i7 if the principal has led the school for #b or more years1 replaces the principal with a new principal who has demonstrated effectiveness in turning around a low-performing school2 7,,ii7 uses rigorous1 transparent1 and equitable evaluation systems to-- 7aa7 identify and reward school leaders1 teachers1 and other staff who1 in implementing the model1 increase student achievement and1 if applicable1 high school graduation rates2 and 7bb7 identify and remove school leaders1 teachers1 and other staff who1 after ample opportunities have been provided for such individuals to improve their professional practice-- 7,,aa7 do not increase student achievement2 7,,bb7 if applicable1 do not increase high school graduation rates2 and 7,,cc7 have not demonstrated effectiveness according to the local educational agency's evaluation system2 7,,iii7 provides staff with ongoing1 high-quality1 job-embedded professional development that is aligned with the school's instructional program and evaluation system and facilitates effective teaching and learning1 and supports the implementation of school-reform strategies2 7,,iv7 implements strategies1 such as financial incentives1 increased opportunities for promotion and career growth1 and more flexible work conditions that are designed to recruit1 place1 and retain staff with the skills necessary to meet the needs of the students in the school2 7,v7 uses data to identify and implement a research-based instructional program that-- 7aa7 is aligned with ,state challenging academic content standards and challenging student academic achievement standards2 and 7bb7 has proven to raise student academic achievement by not less than #aj percent in #a year2 7,,vi7 establishes schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time1 which may include offering full-day kindergarten or a high-quality preschool program or using a longer school day1 week1 or year that increases the total number of school hours for the school year at a school by not fewer than #cjj hours to significantly increase the total number of school hours to include additional time for-- 7aa7 instruction in core academic subjects1 instructions in such core academic subjects as1 ,english1 reading or language arts1 mathematics1 science1 foreign languages1 civics and government1 economics1 arts1 history1 and geography2 and 7bb7 instruction in other subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education1 such as physical education1 service learning1 and experiential and work-based learning opportunities that are provided by partnering1 as appropriate1 with other organizations2 7,,vii7 promotes the continuous use of student data to provide instruction that meets the academic needs of individual students1 which may include1 in elementary school1 individual students' levels of school readiness2 7,,viii7 establishes schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time1 which may include expanding the school program to offer full-day kindergarten or a high-quality preschool program2 7,,ix7 provides ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement2 7,x7 gives the school sufficient operational flexibility in programming1 staffing1 budgeting1 and scheduling to fully implement a comprehensive strategy designed to substantially improve student achievement and1 if applicable1 increase the graduation rate2 7,,xi7 ensures that the school receives ongoing1 intensive technical assistance and related support from the local educational agency1 the ,state educational agency1 or a designated external lead partner organization2 and 7,,xii7 provides appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services and supports for students and1 at the discretion of the local educational agency1 uses not more than #aj percent of the funds available for such school under this part to provide services to meet those needs4 7ii7 ,restart model ,a restart model is one in which the local educational agency-- 7,i7 converts a school or closes and reopens the school-- 7aa7 under a charter school operator1 a charter management organization1 or an education management organization2 or 7bb7 as an autonomous or redesigned school2 7,,ii7 implements a rigorous review process to select such a charter school operator1 charter management organization1 or education management organization1 as applicable1 which includes an assurance from such operator or organization that it will make significant changes in the leadership and staffing of the school2 and 7,,iii7 enrolls in the school1 within the grades it serves1 any former student who wishes to attend the school4 7iii7 ,school closure ,a school closure model is one in which the local educational agency-- 7,i7 closes a school and enrolls the students who attended such school in other public schools served by the local educational agency that are higher performing1 provided the other schools are within reasonable proximity to the closed school2 and 7,,ii7 provides information1 in a timely fashion1 in the appropriate language1 and prior to closing the school1 to children who attended such closed school and their parents1 about high-quality educational options and transition and support services4 7iv7 ,turnaround model ,a turnaround model is one in which the local educational agency-- 7,i7 if the principal has led the school for #b or more years1 replaces the principal with a new principal who has demonstrated effectiveness in turning around a low-performing school2 7,,ii7 gives the new principal sufficient operational flexibility 7including over staffing1 the school day and school calendar1 and budgeting7 to fully implement a comprehensive approach to improve student outcomes2 7,,iii7 using comprehensive evaluation systems1 including the use of student achievement data to measure the effectiveness of staff who can work within the turnaround environment to meet the needs of students-- 7aa7 screens all existing staff and retains not more than #ej percent of such staff2 and 7bb7 requires the principal to justify personnel decisions1 such as hiring1 dismissal1 and providing rewards1 based on results of such evaluations2 7,,iv7 provides staff with ongoing1 high-quality1 job-embedded professional development that is aligned with the school's instructional program1 facilitates effective teaching and learning1 and supports the implementation of school-reform strategies2 7,v7 adopts a new governance structure for the school1 which may include requiring the school to report to a new turnaround office in the local educational agency or ,state educational agency1 hire a turnaround leader who reports directly to the ,superintendent or ,chief ,academic ,officer1 or enter into a multi-year agreement with the local educational agency or ,state educational agency to obtain added flexibility in exchange for greater accountability2 7,,vi7 uses data to identify and implement a research-based instructional program and promotes the continuous use of data to evaluate school improvement strategies and to inform the differentiated instruction in order to meet the academic needs of individual students2 7,,vii7 encourages the use of extended learning time partnerships2 7,,viii7 establishes schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time1 which may include offering full-day kindergarten or a high-quality preschool program or using a longer school day1 week1 or year that increases the total number of school hours for the school year at a school by not fewer than #cjj hours to significantly increase the total number of school hours to include additional time for-- 7aa7 instruction in such core academic subjects as ,english1 reading or language arts1 mathematics1 science1 foreign languages1 civics and government1 economics1 arts1 history1 and geography2 7bb7 instruction in other subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education1 such as physical education1 service learning1 and experiential and work-based learning opportunities that are provided by partnering1 as appropriate1 with other organizations2 and 7cc7 teachers to collaborate1 plan1 and engage in professional development within and across grades and subjects2 7,,ix7 provides ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement2 7,x7 provides appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services and supports for students2 and 7,,xi7 may include any of the strategies described in clause 7i74 7,c7 ,using funds for comprehensive services ,to address issues ,in implementing any of the school intervention models described in subparagraph 7,b71 the local educational agency-- 7i7 shall identify and address issues that may contribute to low academic achievement in those schools2 and 7ii7 may use funds under this subsection to provide comprehensive services to address those issues and meet the full range of student needs4 7#g7 ,reservation and allotments ,from the total amount appropriated under paragraph 7#h71 the ,secretary may reserve not more than #aj percent to carry out activities of national significance1 such as-- 7,a7 building ,state and local educational agency turnaround capacity1 including through technical assistance and support1 identification and dissemination of best practices1 and facilitating the creation and operation of communities of practice2 7,b7 supporting the use of school quality review teams by making grants to ,state educational agencies1 consortia of such agencies1 or partnerships of ,state educational agencies or ,state consortia and public or private nonprofit organizations to develop and implement school quality review teams that review and provide support and technical assistance to local educational agencies and schools for activities such as expanded learning time2 7,c7 identifying and disseminating effective rural turnaround practices1 making available targeted technical assistance1 and expanding the availability and capacity of turnaround partners that operate in rural areas2 7,d7 identifying schools and school improvement partners that are effectively implementing school intervention models and other effective strategies to improve schools1 and making information on those schools available to ,state educational agencies1 local educational agencies1 and schools in a manner that facilitates replication of effective practices2 and 7,e7 other activities designed to support ,state and local efforts to turn around persistently low-performing schools4 7#h7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection #fjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjad and such sums as may be necessary for each of the #e succeeding fiscal years4 4