,i #aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #djac ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,november #af1 #bjae ,mr4 ,honda 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,delaney1 ,ms4 ,edwards1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,mr4 ,fattah1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,hinojosa1 ,ms4 ,lee1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 and ,mr4 ,takano7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,oversight and ,government ,reform1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to create an equitable and excellent education system in the ,united ,states so that every child1 regardless of race1 ethnicity1 social class1 or ,state of residence1 can receive a high-quality1 academically rigorous education in a local public school4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,equity and ,excellence in ,american ,education ,act of #bjae4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to create a public education system in the ,united ,states that has the capacity to deliver an excellent education to every child1 irrespective of race1 ethnicity1 ,english language proficiency1 special needs1 social class1 or ,state of residence4 ,building that capacity on an equitable basis requires our ,nation to make new1 substantial financial investments in the education of our children1 designed-- 7#a7 to overcome the widely varying fiscal and economic capacities to fund education that exist from ,state to ,state and community to community1 which historically have resulted in far too many public schools having insufficient resources to cover the costs of providing their students with a high-quality1 academically rigorous education2 7#b7 to support capacity building at the school level focused on implementing educational practices that have been demonstrated to enhance student achievement2 7#c7 to move away from outdated concepts of school finance that are focused primarily on ,state and local considerations1 such as property valuation per pupil and per pupil foundation levels tied to ,state fiscal capacity1 and to move to an education finance system focused on the actual cost of delivering a high-quality public education to each child based on that child's needs2 7#d7 to ensure all social1 health and other necessary wrap-around services are available in public schools that serve a significant population of children who come from poverty2 and 7#e7 to target new ,federal investments to those schools that serve-- 7,a7 a high percentage of children from poverty or otherwise economically disadvantaged families and communities2 or 7,b7 a high percentage of children who are part of a racial or ethnic minority group or are ,english language learners and who have historically demonstrated an achievement gap in academic performance compared to the performance of non-minority children4 #c4 ,sense of the ,congress ,it is the sense of the ,congress that-- 7#a7 lack of financial capacity has been one of the consistent obstacles to providing the meaningful education opportunity each child in the ,united ,states needs to attain high levels of achievement in rigorous academic programs and build the skills necessary to attend college1 compete in a global economy1 and become a responsible1 productive1 and engaged citizen2 7#b7 this ,act will address that financial shortcoming and help create an education funding system that is sufficient in amount1 equitable in application based on student need1 and predictable and sustainable over time4 #d4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,employment cost index ,the term ,employment ,cost ,index means the ,employment ,cost ,index for total compensation 7not seasonally adjusted7 for civilian workers1 by occupational group and industry1 educational services1 elementary and secondary schools1 published by the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics 7or any successor index thereto74 7#b7 ,enhanced investment ,the term enhanced investment means a year-to-year increase in the average per-pupil expenditure made by a ,state1 after the effective date of this ,act1 in the education of children attending targeted schools who live in that ,state1 that satisfies both of the following requirements3 7,a7 ,the initial amount of such increase in elementary and secondary education funding is at least #bej per pupil more than the amount of total expenditures per pupil from all sources in such targeted schools for the immediately preceding school year 7taking into account the percent increase1 if any1 in the ,employment ,cost ,index in the most recently completed calendar year74 7,b7 ,the entire amount of such enhanced investment comes from ,state funds1 and does not include local or ,federal sources4 7#c7 ,evidence-based cost analysis model ,the term evidence-based cost analysis model means a research-based evaluation of the actual cost of educating all children in a ,state to achieve high academic standards and otherwise create a meaningful educational opportunity1 that-- 7,a7 considers only educational practices1 personnel levels and qualifications1 strategies1 programs and other educational resources that have been demonstrated through evidence-based research to enhance student achievement2 7,b7 adjusts for specific student demographics including poverty1 ,english language proficiency1 minority status1 ethnic status1 and special needs2 and 7,c7 adjusts for the specific expense of providing each of the resources described in subparagraph 7,a7 based on the regional costs in a ,state4 7#d7 ,meaningful educational opportunity ,the term meaningful educational opportunity means the provision of a combination of educational resources1 including programs1 practices1 technology1 physical facilities1 wrap-around services1 instructional materials1 enrichment programs and qualified teaching1 administrative and support personnel1 necessary to ensure each child attending a targeted school receives a rigorous public education of sufficient quality to allow that child to achieve high academic standards and to graduate high school with the skills needed to be college and career ready4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#f7 ,targeted school ,a targeted school is a public elementary school or secondary school that satisfies one of the following requirements3 7,a7 ,twenty percent or more of the students at such school are eligible for free or reduced priced lunch under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act4 7,b7 ,twenty percent or more of the students at such school qualify as limited ,english proficient4 7,c7 ,twenty-five percent or more of the students at such school are racial or ethnic minorities1 ,indian1 or migratory4 7#g7 ,wrap-around services ,the term wrap-around services means any social1 counseling1 health1 nutritional1 and other support services needed by students attending targeted schools4 7#h7 ,,esea terms ,any term that is defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja7 shall have the meaning given the term in such section4 ,i ,,equity ,,and ,,excellence ,,initiative #ajj4 ,authorization of the ,equity and ,excellence ,initiative 7a7 ,authorization ,subject to the availability of appropriations1 the ,secretary shall carry out a grant program1 known as the ,equity and ,excellence ,initiative1 to provide-- 7#a7 an initial grant to each eligible ,state to match the enhanced investment made by such ,state for providing a meaningful educational opportunity for children who attend targeted schools in such ,state2 and 7#b7 subsequent grants to each ,state receiving a grant described in paragraph 7#a71 for the fiscal year following the receipt of such grant and each subsequent fiscal year1 provided such ,state satisfies the maintenance-of-effort requirement under section #ajb4 7b7 ,certification of eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a grant under subsection 7a71 a ,state shall submit to the ,secretary a certification1 prepared by the ,state educational agency of such ,state and signed by the head of such agency1 that-- 7#a7 verifies that the ,state has made an enhanced investment1 or has satisfied the maintenance-of-effort requirement under section #ajb1 for the appropriate fiscal year2 7#b7 identifies the amount of such enhanced investment or maintenance-of-effort requirement1 and provides specific documentation of the calculation of such amount in sufficient detail to permit the verification of such amount by the ,secretary2 7#c7 provides a detailed list of the targeted schools that will receive such enhanced investment or maintenance-of-effort requirement amount1 including-- 7,a7 the basis on which each such school qualifies as a targeted school2 7,b7 the number and demographic composition 7including race1 ethnicity1 gender1 ,english language proficiency1 and low income status7 of the students attending each such school2 and 7,c7 a metric for reviewing how each such school is performing academically1 including performance by demographic categories within such school2 7#d7 includes verification that the entire amount of enhanced investment or maintenance-of-effort requirement comes exclusively from ,state funds1 and does not include any local or ,federal funds2 and 7#e7 includes such other information as the ,secretary may require by regulation4 ,the ,secretary may issue a standard form for use by ,states for certification of eligibility under this subsection1 provided that any such form shall not be more than #aj pages in length4 7c7 ,technical assistance grants ,in addition to the grants described in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall1 subject to the availability of appropriations1 provide the ,state educational agency of each ,state that is awarded an initial grant under subsection 7a77#a7 with a technical assistance grant of #bej1jjj to assist the ,state educational agency in meeting the reporting1 certification1 data collection1 and filing requirements under this title4 ,the ,secretary shall renew such technical assistance grant for each fiscal year for which a ,state is awarded a subsequent grant under subsection 7a77#b74 #aja4 ,grant amounts and distribution 7a7 ,grant amounts 7#a7 ,initial grant ,the amount of the initial grant to a ,state under section #ajj7;a77#a7 shall be equal to the enhanced investment made by such ,state during the previous fiscal year1 multiplied by the number of students at targeted schools that received such enhanced investment amount in such ,state who will be in attendance at such schools during the school year funded by such initial grant4 7#b7 ,subsequent grants ,the amount of a subsequent grant to a ,state under section #ajj7;a77#b7 shall be-- 7,a7 for the fiscal year following the award of an initial grant described in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,state1 an amount equal to-- 7i7 the enhanced investment made by such ,state during the fiscal year preceding the award of the initial grant1 plus 7ii7 the amount of the maintenance-of-effort requirement under section #ajb for the ,state for the fiscal year following the award of the initial grant2 and 7,b7 for each subsequent fiscal year1 an amount equal to-- 7i7 the amount of the subsequent grant awarded to such ,state for the preceding year1 plus 7ii7 the amount of the maintenance-of-effort requirement under section #ajb for the ,state for such year4 7#c7 ,maximum amount 7,a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b71 no grant under section #ajj7;a7 shall exceed the amount necessary to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to every student who attends a targeted school in such ,state 7as determined annually by the ,secretary using an evidence-based cost analysis model74 7,b7 ,reduction ,if1 with respect to any ,state1 it is determined that the amount of a grant under section #ajj7;a7 plus the amount of ,federal and local funding for public education provided to the targeted schools in such ,state for such year exceeds the amount necessary to provide such meaningful educational opportunity1 the amount of the grant under section #ajj7;a7 shall be reduced until the combination of such other funding for public education and the amount of the grant under section #ajj7;a7 does not exceed the cost of providing such meaningful educational opportunity4 7b7 ,distribution ,the ,secretary shall award a grant under section #ajj7;a7 to an eligible ,state not later than #abj days after the ,secretary receives a certification from such ,state in accordance with section #ajj7;b74 ,not later than #cj days after receipt of grant funds under section #ajj7;a71 a ,state shall1 through the ,state educational agency1 distribute to each targeted school located in such ,state a percentage of such grant funds that is equal to the number of students attending such targeted school divided by the total number of students attending all targeted schools in such ,state4 #ajb4 ,maintenance of effort 7a7 ,in general ,beginning with the fiscal year following the first fiscal year for which the ,state receives a grant under section #ajj7;a7 for its targeted schools1 the ,state shall use ,state funds to maintain an investment in an amount equal to such grant amount for its targeted schools1 which amount shall be adjusted on an annual basis by the percentage change in the ,employment ,cost ,index for the most recently completed calendar year4 7b7 ,reduction of other ,federal funds ,if1 in any school year a ,state fails to satisfy the requirement described in subsection 7a7-- 7#a7 the ,secretary may assist the targeted schools in such ,state by awarding a local educational agency a grant under section #bja in an amount that the ,state should have provided under subsection 7a72 and 7#b7 in a case in which the ,secretary of ,education awards such a grant to such ,state1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall reduce other ,federal funding owed to such ,state under any ,federal assistance program 7except for than the ,medicaid program under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq4771 part ,a of title ,,iv and section #aajh7;b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7other than under subsections 7a77#c7 and 7b7 of section #djc of such ,act71 or the special supplemental nutrition program for women1 infants1 and children under section #ag of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff1 on a dollar-for-dollar basis1 and shall provide an accounting thereof to the such ,state4 #ajc4 ,use of grant funds by targeted schools 7a7 ,use of grant funds ,a targeted school shall use any grant funds received under this title to create a meaningful educational opportunity for each student attending such school1 and shall include a combination of one or more of the activities described in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,authorized uses ,grant funds received by a targeted school shall be used for building education capacity by implementing systems-based reforms1 programs or initiatives that have been demonstrated1 in the ,united ,states or abroad1 to enhance student achievement1 learning or critical thinking skills over time4 ,such reforms1 programs or initiatives may include the following3 7#a7 ,enhancing pedagogical skills of extant teaching staff ,to support the crucial role teachers play in creating a meaningful educational opportunity-- 7,a7 induction1 mentoring1 training and other professional development programs for teachers that are based on best practices1 aligned with college and career ready standards1 embedded in daily practice1 and that have evidence-based support2 and 7,b7 collaborative teaching programs across schools and local educational agencies that encourage teachers to work in groups and share effective strategies4 7#b7 ,enhancing instructional capacity ,to provide robust educational resources and programming-- 7,a7 implement extended learning time initiatives pursuant to which the school day or year is extended in conjunction with a plan that incorporates additional substantive learning1 tutoring or enrichment programming demonstrated to correlate to enhanced student learning1 achievement or development of either critical thinking or social_/emotional learning2 7,b7 implement high-quality after-school1 summer1 and vacation programs2 7,c7 implement social_/emotional learning curriculum including all teacher training or professional development necessary for such implementation to be successful2 7,d7 introduce1 supplement or implement fully rigorous academic programming including but not limited to programming needed for effective implementation of the college and career ready standards1 advanced placement1 honors or gifted programs1 and academic tutoring programs1 including but not limited to acquisition of all associated textbooks1 library materials1 computers1 smart-boards1 electronic tablets or similar devices1 lab materials1 virtual resources and other technology1 pedagogical material or instructional supplies1 as well as all professional development necessary for effective implementation thereof2 7,e7 implement effective response to intervention programming using appropriately skilled professional staff to target instructional interventions to children's areas of specific need as soon as those needs become apparent2 7,f7 implement appropriate programs and services for ,english language learners2 7,g7 implement meaningful enrichment programming that includes cultural1 athletic1 academic1 civic1 community service1 and other enrichment activities1 except that a targeted school shall use no more than #e percent of the funds received for enrichment programs outlined in this subparagraph1 unless such targeted school receives a waiver of the preceding limit from the ,secretary2 7,h7 implement appropriate programs and services for students with disabilities that are not funded under other ,state or ,federal programs2 7,i7 implement compensation programs designed to attract and retain highly skilled teachers1 particularly those qualified in the areas of science1 technology and math and instruction of ,english language learners2 7,j7 hire additional1 professional1 qualified1 teaching staff and classroom assistants needed to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade to no more than #ae students1 and class sizes for all grades thereafter to no more than #be students2 7,k7 hire additional nurses1 counselors1 support staff1 certified special education teachers or assistants as required to service the needs of the children attending such targeted school2 7,l7 implement evidence-based1 effective strategies for reducing and preventing children from dropping out of school2 and 7,m7 implement enhanced technology and vocational instruction4 7#c7 ,wrap-around services ,to ensure children are provided with the services necessary to receive a meaningful educational opportunity1 the provision of necessary and appropriate wrap-around services each student attending such school may need through a program implemented by the school1 to the extent feasible1 to help coordinate the delivery of all such needed wrap-around services with high-quality providers of such services1 except that a targeted school shall utilize no more than #e percent of such grant funds to carry out this paragraph1 unless such school receives a waiver from the ,secretary4 7#d7 ,effective leadership ,to support the crucial role effective leadership plays in creating a meaningful educational opportunity and to attract1 develop1 and keep effective principals and other administrators1 providing access to appropriate professional development1 mentoring and training programs and implementing a compensation structure necessary to attract highly qualified professionals1 except that a school may use no more than #e percent of such grant funds to carry out this paragraph1 unless such school receives a waiver from the ,secretary4 7#e7 ,parent engagement ,to encourage involvement of parents and guardians in the education of their children1 implement or enhance effective parent engagement strategies and programs1 including providing parenting education1 after-hours adult education offerings in basic and advanced knowledge and skill areas1 professional development that promotes mutual engagement between schools and families1 adult ,english language learner classes targeted to parents of enrolled students1 crisis counseling and support for families1 and other family-based support services1 provided that a school shall use no more than #aj percent of such grant funds to carry out this paragraph1 unless such school receives a waiver from the ,secretary4 7#f7 ,other uses ,to account for the evolution of the concept of a meaningful educational opportunity1 for purposes not included in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e71 if-- 7,a7 the ,state educational agency makes a written request to the ,secretary for authorization to use grant funds for such purpose2 7,b7 such request involves-- 7i7 implementation of an educational practice not enumerated in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e7 for which there is research-based evidence that such practice enhances student achievement1 learning or critical thinking2 or 7ii7 creation or implementation of a pilot program such ,state educational agency believes will enhance student achievement1 learning or critical thinking2 and 7,c7 the ,secretary approves such request in writing4 #ajd4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,authorization ,for the purpose of carrying out this title1 there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjaf and each of the succeeding fiscal years4 7b7 ,ratable reduction ,if the amount appropriated under subsection 7a7 for a fiscal year is not sufficient to award each participating ,state a grant under this title that is equal to the full amount such ,state is eligible to receive for such year the ,secretary may ratably reduce the amount of each such grant or take other actions necessary to ensure an equitable distribution of such amount4 ,,ii ,,educating ,,every ,,child #bjj4 ,educating ,every ,child ,initiative 7a7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this title is to ensure that every child in the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 receives the meaningful educational opportunity necessary for that child to achieve high academic standards1 regardless of the investment made in that child's education by the ,state or local community in which the child lives2 and 7#b7 develop the numeracy and literacy skills needed to be competitive in a modern economy and to be a contributing1 engaged citizen in a vibrant democracy 7b7 ,authorization ,the ,secretary is authorized to carry out a program1 known as the ,educating ,every ,child ,initiative1 to make annual grants directly to local educational agencies that include targeted schools if the ,secretary determines that the ,state in which that child lives has failed to invest sufficient resources in that ,state's public education system to create a meaningful educational opportunity for all children who attend targeted schools in that ,state4 ,grants the ,secretary makes under this title shall be referred to as ,educating ,every ,child ,grants4 #bja4 ,grant ,terms 7a7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this title1 a local educational agency shall submit to the ,secretary-- 7#a7 a plan for utilization of the grant proceeds1 that shall include only permitted uses described in section #ajc7;b72 and 7#b7 a certification that all targeted schools receiving ,educating ,every ,child ,grants under this title shall utilize such grant funds only for such permitted uses4 7b7 ,use of funds ,a local educational agency receiving such grant under this title shall distribute such funds in the amounts1 and directly to1 the targeted schools designated by the ,secretary4 7c7 ,grant amount ,the maximum amount of a grant under this title shall be that amount that1 when aggregated with all other ,federal1 ,state1 and local funds received by the targeted schools in such local education agency that will receive the funds from such grant1 is sufficient to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to every child who attends such targeted schools 7as determined by the ,secretary using an evidence-based cost analysis model74 7d7 ,minimum investment required ,the ,state in which the targeted schools receiving grants under this title are located shall maintain the minimum investment 7as defined in section #bjb7 in each year such targeted schools receive such grants4 7e7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary shall provide each local educational agency that includes targeted schools receiving grants under this title annual technical assistance grants of #ajj1jjj to support such local educational agency's compliance with the reporting and planning obligations of this title1 in each year the ,secretary makes such grants to targeted schools located in such agency4 #bjb4 ,minimum investment 7a7 ,in general ,for purposes of this title1 the minimum investment of a ,state shall mean the total amount of education funding received by targeted schools in that ,state from ,state and local resources in the complete school year immediately preceding the first year such targeted schools receive a grant under section #ajj7;a71 increased annually thereafter by the ,employment ,cost ,index for the then most recently complete calendar year1 for each year in which targeted schools in that ,state receive such grant4 7b7 ,reduction of funding ,if a ,state fails to satisfy its minimum investment obligation under this title1 then the ,department of the ,treasury shall reduce other ,federal funding owed to that ,state under any ,federal program other than the ,medicaid program under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471 part ,a of title ,,iv and section #aajh7;b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7other than under subsections 7a77#c7 and 7b7 of section #djc of such ,act71 or the special supplemental nutrition program for women1 infants1 and children under section #ag of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff1 on a dollar-for-dollar basis1 and shall provide an accounting thereof to the applicable ,state4 #bjc4 ,authorization of appropriations ,for purposes of carrying out this title1 there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjaf and each of the #e succeeding fiscal years4 ,,iii ,,equitable ,,and ,,sustainable ,,fiscal ,,policy ,,program #cjj4 ,equitable and ,sustainable ,fiscal ,policy 7a7 ,purpose ,recognizing that every ,state has a unique fiscal system1 economy and demographic composition1 the purpose of this title is to-- 7#a7 provide assistance to particular ,states to reform fiscal policies to create adequate ,state capacity to invest sufficiently in ensuring all of the children in the ,state receive a meaningful educational opportunity2 and 7#b7 to assist ,states in reforming their tax policies to comport with the principles of fair1 responsive and stable taxation1 thereby generating the capacity to fund education sufficiently so that all children1 including those attending targeted schools receive a meaningful educational opportunity4 7b7 ,authorization ,the ,secretary is authorized to establish the ,equitable and ,sustainable ,fiscal ,policy ,program 7,,esfp71 to support efforts by ,states to reform ,state fiscal policies to create ,state capacity to invest sufficiently in ensuring all their children receive a meaningful educational opportunity1 by comporting with the principles of fairness1 responsiveness1 and stability required for equitable and sustainable taxation in a modern economy4 #cja4 ,technical assistance grants ,subject to the availability of appropriations1 the ,secretary shall provide technical assistance grants of #a1jjj1jjj to each ,state that submits a complete and accurate application for a grant under this title4 ,the ,governor of a ,state that desires to receive such a grant shall submit a written application to the ,secretary1 that-- 7#a7 outlines the fiscal policy reforms that ,state intends to consider2 7#b7 summarizes that ,state's current education funding system2 7#c7 identifies how it intends to enhance ,state funding of targeted schools to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to children attending such schools2 and 7#d7 delineates how the proceeds of the grant received under this section will be used both to study that ,state's fiscal policy and generate popular support for implementing the necessary tax policy reforms4 #cjb4 ,authorization of appropriations ,for purposes of carrying out this title1 there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjaf and each of the #e succeeding fiscal years4 ,,iv ,,reporting ,,and ,,accountability #djj4 ,annual reports required ,each ,state receiving a grant under title ,i or local educational agency receiving a grant under title ,,ii1 shall file annual reports with the ,secretary within #fj days of the close of the school year in which the grant is received1 regarding the utilization of the proceeds of those grants which1 at a minimum shall specify-- 7#a7 in detail each targeted school receiving any such grant proceeds and the total grant proceeds distributed to each such targeted school2 7#b7 in detail the specific permitted uses described in section #ajb7;b7 for which all grant proceeds were utilized by each targeted school receiving the same2 7#c7 how funding such permitted uses with grant proceeds received under this ,act contributes to or constitutes part of a comprehensive1 strategic plan to enhance the capacity of that ,state's entire educational system to enable it to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to all students--but particularly those students attending targeted schools2 7#d7 the demographic breakdown of each targeted school and the academic performance of the children attending those targeted schools vis-a-vis each other1 the ,state's student body overall1 and the students attending the #e percent of schools with the highest per pupil funding levels in that ,state2 7#e7 the academic performance of racial and ethnic minority students1 ,indians1 and ,english language learners in that ,state overall and as compared to the performance of non-minority students in that ,state2 7#f7 specific programming1 if any1 designed to address any achievement gap that appears in the comparisons required under paragraph 7#e72 7#g7 per-pupil funding levels in that ,state broken down by decile covering-- 7,a7 income levels per district1 7,b7 property values per district1 and 7,c7 targeted schools versus all other schools2 7#h7 professional staffing levels1 teacher qualifications and class sizes by grade level in targeted schools vis-a-vis all other schools in that ,state2 7#i7 attendance rates1 graduation rates and drop-out rates 7using definitions thereof agreed upon in writing by the ,secretary71 percentage of students enrolled in and passing advanced placement courses and tests1 and ,,act scores in targeted schools versus all other ,state schools2 7#aj7 availability of wrap-around services in the targeted schools to meet the need therefor2 and 7#aa7 such other data as the ,secretary may from time to time require via regulation or request in writing4 #dja4 ,development of accountability metrics 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary shall work with the ,state educational agencies and local educational agencies receiving grants under this ,act to develop the following3 7#a7 ,a series of accountability metrics that will allow the ,federal ,government to monitor the performance of the equity and excellence investments it makes under this ,act to ensure those investments are creating a meaningful educational opportunity and ultimately leading to enhanced student achievement4 ,these metrics will be informative in nature1 provide adequate data 7as determined by the ,secretary71 and provide information that will allow the ,department of ,education1 working in collaboration with ,state educational agencies1 local educational agencies receiving grants under this ,act and other stakeholders 7such as but not limited to educators and as appropriate community members and parents7 to develop changes in practice designed to enhance performance and effectively create the desired meaningful educational opportunity4 7#b7 ,a series of mechanisms designed to remediate practices that are not attaining those goals4 ,all enforcement mechanisms implemented by the ,secretary pursuant to regulations it issues to accomplish the goals identified in this section will be designed in a manner that changes practice at the ,state1 local educational agency1 or targeted school level in a manner that creates a meaningful educational opportunity for all children and shall not take resources away from low income1 minority1 ,english language learners1 or other children who attend targeted schools and need resources the most4 7b7 ,enhanced metrics ,evaluations of academic performance shall include multiple measures that-- 7#a7 may include standardized test scores but shall not be based solely on test scores2 7#b7 to the extent test scores are considered1 utilize a growth model of evaluation that tracks the academic performance of each child over time rather than simply comparing test scores by grade level of different annual cohorts of students2 7#c7 shall include an evaluation of drop-out rates utilizing a methodology of which has been approved in writing and in advance by the ,secretary2 7#d7 may include course passage rates and may include-- 7,a7 where available1 district developed assessments that incorporate sound methodology and best practice as determined by the ,secretary2 7,b7 where available1 ,,ap course taking2 7,c7 when appropriate1 portfolio based work2 and 7,d7 when appropriate1 school environment metrics such as1 but not limited to1 reduced incidents of significant student discipline1 development of collaborative educational practices1 and implementation of effective1 well-designed teacher and administrator professional development and induction and mentoring2 7#e7 shall include an evaluation of growth in critical thinking4 ,to the extent standardized tests are utilized to evaluate student achievement1 the ,secretary will work with ,state educational agencies receiving grants under this ,act to ensure such testing provides an accurate measure of student learning and is free of racial1 ethnic1 gender1 income class or other biases2 and 7#f7 shall include an analysis of resources 7fiscal1 facility1 and personnel7 to determine whether the applicable ,state and_/or local educational agency has the capacity to provide a meaningful educational opportunity to each child it serves4 #djb4 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall transmit to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate a report that provides ,national and ,state-level data on the information collected under this ,act and on the progress toward enhancing student achievement in targeted schools and creating an equitable and excellent public education system in the ,united ,states4