,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #eefh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bh1 #bjbf,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 and ,ms4 ,warren7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,smaller ,class ,sizes for ,students and ,educators ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea terms ,the terms elementary school1 local educational agency1 poverty line1 professional development1 and ,state have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,early elementary grades ,the term early elementary grades means kindergarten through grade #c4 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#d7 ,targeted school ,the term targeted school means a public elementary school served by a local educational agency that is in the highest quartile of all public elementary schools served by the local educational agency based on the number of students enrolled in the school who are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq474 #c4 ,reducing class size in kindergarten through grade #c classrooms 7a7 ,program authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,from amounts made available under subsection 7g71 the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to local educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades4 7#b7 ,duration of grant ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of #e years4 7b7 ,application ,a local educational agency that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require1 including the local educational agency's evidence-based plan to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades that includes the following3 7#a7 ,a description of-- 7,a7 how the local educational agency will reduce the class sizes in the early elementary grades in the targeted schools served by the local educational agency to not more than #ah students per class1 including-- 7i7 the early elementary grade levels that will be supported under the grant2 7ii7 how the agency will take into consideration the needs of subgroups of students 7as defined in section #aaaa7;c77#b7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa7;c77#b7771 grade level1 subject area1 physical facilities1 and workload maximums for educators when determining class size maximums2 and 7iii7 how the local educational agency will determine or define class size2 and 7,b7 the continuum of small class sizes based on grade level the local educational agency will provide for students in the early elementary grades in the targeted schools served by the local educational agency4 7#b7 ,a description of how the local educational agency will recruit1 hire1 prepare1 and retain educators1 including educators from populations underrepresented in the teaching profession 7including by racial1 ethnic1 or linguistic group71 as teachers in the early elementary grades4 7#c7 ,a description of how the local educational agency will provide professional development and training for teachers in the early elementary grades to improve students' academic1 social1 emotional1 and mental health outcomes4 7#d7 ,a description of how the local educational agency will provide educators with sufficient preparation time during the school year for activities such as analyzing student work1 instruction and assessment planning1 or curriculum and instruction-specific professional development4 7#e7 ,a description of how the local educational agency will ensure that any new teachers hired using grant funds meet all applicable ,state certification and licensure requirements4 7#f7 ,in the case of a local educational agency that is using funds available under part ,a of title ,,ii of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ffaa et seq47 for class size reduction1 information regarding the extent to which the funds are being used to reduce class size in the early elementary grades in targeted schools4 7#g7 ,the average class size1 by grade1 in the early elementary grades of the public schools served by the local educational agency at the time the application is submitted and during the prior #b academic years1 and the goals for the class size1 by grade1 in the early elementary grades of the public schools served by the local educational agency4 7c7 ,award basis ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies serving the greatest number or percentage of students who are from families with incomes at or below the poverty line4 7d7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,administrative expenses ,a local educational agency receiving a grant under this section may use not more than #c percent of the grant funds for the administrative expenses of the grant4 7#b7 ,reducing class size 7,a7 ,in general ,a local educational agency shall use not less than #ig percent of the grant funds to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades at targeted schools served by the local educational agency by-- 7i7 recruiting1 hiring1 and supporting fully certified and qualified teachers1 both general education teachers and teachers of children with disabilities1 for the early elementary grades at the targeted schools2 7ii7 obtaining additional space1 or renovating school buildings1 to provide more classroom space1 except that not more than #ae percent of the funds provided under the grant may be used for this purpose2 7iii7 providing professional development for teachers of the early elementary grades at the targeted schools1 except that not more than #ae percent of the funds provided under the grant may be used for this purpose2 and 7iv7 developing feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions1 including through periodically and publicly reporting results of educator support and working conditions feedback4 7,b7 ,highest need ,in carrying out activities under the grant1 the local educational agency shall first prioritize targeted schools that serve the highest percentage of students from families with incomes at or below the poverty line1 and then prioritize such schools with the highest average class sizes in the early elementary grades4 7e7 ,reporting 7#a7 ,annual reports 7,a7 ,local educational agencies ,each local educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the ,state in which the agency is located an annual report on activities carried out under grant1 including progress in reaching the goals in reducing class size described in the application under subsection 7b77#g74 7,b7 ,states ,a ,state that receives a report under subparagraph 7,a7 shall submit such report to the ,secretary4 7#b7 ,evaluation ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,director of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences1 shall conduct an evaluation of the activities carried out under grants awarded under this section1 including an evaluation of-- 7,a7 the progress of the local educational agency in reducing class size in the early elementary grades at the targeted schools served by the local educational agency2 7,b7 student academic achievement in the early elementary grades of the targeted schools receiving support through the local educational agency under the grant where pre- and post-assessment data is available2 7,c7 a climate study of-- 7i7 teachers in such targeted schools that addresses working conditions1 job satisfaction1 and teacher stress2 and 7ii7 students1 and parents of students1 enrolled in such targeted schools2 7,d7 teacher qualifications for newly hired teachers in such targeted schools for class size reduction2 7,e7 targeted professional development and training provided to newly hired teachers in targeted schools for class size reduction2 7,f7 the time added to be used for teachers to collaborate in targeted schools2 7,g7 teacher chronic absenteeism and retention and turnover rates pre- and post-class size reduction efforts2 and 7,h7 rates of student discipline and chronic student absenteeism4 7#c7 ,annual reports by the ,secretary ,by not later than #ij days after the date by which the reports under paragraph 7#a7 are first due1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit a report to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,education and ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives regarding the grants awarded under this section4 7f7 ,supplement1 not supplant ,a local educational agency receiving funds under this section shall use such funds to supplement1 and not supplant1 any other funds available to the local educational agency for the purposes of reducing class size in the early elementary grades4 7g7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #b1jjj1jjj1jjj for the first fiscal year after the date of enactment of this ,act and such sums as are necessary for each succeeding fiscal year4