Family and Community Endeavor Schools Act

Summary: Family and Community Endeavor Schools Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to local entities for programs to improve the overall academic and social development of at-risk children in eligible communities. 
Requires the assisted local entities to institute a collaborative structure that trains and coordinates efforts of teachers, administrators, social workers, guidance counselors, parents, and school volunteers to provide concurrent social services for at-risk students at selected public schools in eligible communities. Allows such entities to develop various programs to serve the comprehensive needs of students, including:  (1) homework assistance and afterschool educational, social, and athletic activities; (2) nutrition services; (3) mentoring; (4) family counseling; and (5) parental training. 
Directs the Secretary to establish a peer review panel to recommend an illustrative model and an evaluation design for such programs. 
Authorizes appropriations for this Act out of specified amounts from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund.

SECTION. 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Family and Community Endeavor 
Schools Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) children in areas with high incidences of poverty are 
        more likely to be exposed to problems created by economic 
        depreciation, poor housing, overwhelming family 
        responsibilities, inadequate parental educational background or 
        parental substance abuse and are at risk of failure;
            (2) students from poor families are 3 times more likely to 
        drop out of school than students from more advantaged homes;
            (3) without social intervention, at-risk children are often 
        unable to improve academic performance;
            (4) schools are accessible, central resources in every 
        community where social and educational services can be 
        coordinated and disseminated to at-risk children and their 
        families;
            (5) schools are most effective at serving a community when 
        the people of the community are involved in school management 
        and help design activities to fulfill the needs of children in 
        the community; and
            (6) many schools have successfully improved the academic 
        performance and social development of at-risk children by 
        instituting an organizational and management plan that 
        incorporates parental involvement in school management and 
        incorporates mental health and social intervention services in 
        the daily academic curriculum.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to improve the overall 
development of at-risk children who reside in eligible communities as 
defined in section 12.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

    The Secretary may award grants on a competitive basis to eligible 
local entities to pay for the Federal share of assisting eligible 
communities to develop and carry out programs in accordance with this 
Act. No local entity shall receive a grant of less than $250,000 in a 
fiscal year. Amounts made available through such grants shall remain 
available until expended.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Improvement Programs.--A local entity that receives funds under 
this Act shall develop or expand programs that are designed to improve 
academic and social development by instituting a collaborative 
structure that trains and coordinates the efforts of teachers, 
administrators, social workers, guidance counselors, parents, and 
school volunteers to provide concurrent social services for at-risk 
students at selected public schools in eligible communities.
    (b) Optional Activities.--A local entity that receives funds under 
this Act may develop a variety of programs to serve the comprehensive 
needs of students, including--
            (1) homework assistance and after-school programs, 
        including educational, social, and athletic activities;
            (2) nutrition services;
            (3) mentoring programs;
            (4) family counseling; and
            (5) parental training programs.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY IDENTIFICATION.

    The Secretary through regulation shall define the criteria 
necessary to qualify as an eligible community as defined in section 
12(3).

SEC. 6. GRANT ELIGIBILITY.

    To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a local 
entity shall--
            (1) identify an eligible community to be assisted;
            (2) develop a community planning process that includes--
                    (A) parents and family members;
                    (B) local school officials;
                    (C) teachers employed at schools within the 
                eligible community;
                    (D) public housing resident organization members, 
                where applicable; and
                    (E) public and private nonprofit organizations that 
                provide education, child protective services or other 
                human services to low-income, at-risk children and 
                their families; and
            (3) develop a concentrated strategy for implementation of 
        the community planning process developed under paragraph (2) 
        that targets clusters of at-risk children in the eligible 
        community.

SEC. 7. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Application Required.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this Act, a local entity shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information, as 
the Secretary may reasonably require, and obtain approval of such 
application.
    (b) Contents of Application.--Each application submitted under 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) contain a comprehensive plan for the program that is 
        designed to improve the academic and social development of at-
        risk children in schools in the eligible community;
            (2) provide evidence of support for accomplishing the 
        objectives of such plan from--
                    (A) community leaders;
                    (B) a school district;
                    (C) local officials; and
                    (D) other organizations that the local entity 
                determines to be appropriate;
            (3) provide an assurance that the local entity will use 
        grant funds received under this section to implement the 
        program requirements listed in section 4;
            (4) include an estimate of the number of children in the 
        eligible community expected to be served under the program;
            (5) provide an assurance that the local entity will comply 
        with any evaluation requested under section 11, any research 
        effort authorized under Federal law, and any investigation by 
        the Secretary;
            (6) provide an assurance that the local entity shall 
        prepare and submit to the Secretary an annual report regarding 
        any program conducted under this Act;
            (7) provide an assurance that funds made available under 
        this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other 
        Federal funds that would otherwise be available for activities 
        funded under this Act; and
            (8) provide an assurance that the local entity will 
        maintain separate accounting records for the program.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants to carry out programs under this 
Act, the Secretary shall give priority to local entities which submit 
applications that demonstrate the greatest effort in generating local 
support for the programs.

SEC. 8. PEER REVIEW PANEL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a peer review 
panel not to exceed 8 members that shall be comprised of individuals 
with demonstrated experience in designing and implementing programs to 
improve the academic and social development of at-risk children.
    (b) Functions.--Such panel shall make recommendations to the 
Secretary regarding--
            (1) an illustrative model that effectively achieves the 
        program requirements indicated in section 4 and a process 
        whereby local entities can request such model; and
            (2) a design for the evaluation of programs assisted under 
        this section.

SEC. 9. INVESTIGATIONS AND INSPECTIONS.

    The Secretary may conduct such investigations and inspections as 
may be necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 10. FEDERAL SHARE.

    (a) Payments.--The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, pay to each local entity having an application approved 
under section 7 the Federal share of the costs of developing and 
carrying out programs referred to in section 4.
    (b) Federal Share.--The Federal share of such costs shall be 70 
percent.
    (c) Non-Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--The non-Federal share of such costs may be 
        in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including personnel, 
        plant, equipment, and services.
            (2) Special rule.--Not less than 15 percent of the non-
        Federal share of such costs shall be provided from private or 
        nonprofit sources.

SEC. 11. EVALUATION.

    The Secretary shall require a thorough evaluation of the programs 
assisted under this Act, which shall include an assessment of the 
academic and social achievement of children assisted with funds 
provided under this Act.

SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Department of Education;
            (2) the term ``local entity'' means--
                    (A) a local educational agency, or
                    (B) a community-based organization as defined in 
                section 1471(3) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965;
            (3) the term ``eligible community'' means an area which 
        meets criteria with respect to significant poverty and 
        significant violent crime, and such additional criteria, as the 
        Secretary may by regulation require; and
            (4) the term ``public school'' means a public elementary 
        school as defined in section 1201(t) of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(t)), and a public secondary school, 
        as defined in section 1201(d) of such Act.

SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated out of the Violent Crime 
Reduction Trust Fund established under section 1115 of title 31, United 
States Code, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995, 1996, 1997, 
1998, and 1999 to carry out this Act.