A bill to encourage the use of research-proven programs in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Summary: Proven Programs for the Future of Education Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide that in all competitive grants awarded by the Department of Education to states or local educational agencies (LEAs) or by states to LEAs under the Act, 10% of the competitive preference points may be awarded to states and LEAs that propose to use research-proven programs, if appropriate.

Requires reading instruction under the Reading First program to be research-proven or, at a minimum, meet the current requirement that it be scientifically-based.

Defines "research-proven reading programs" as those that are deemed to be such programs by a Department of Education review panel and are evaluated in at least two studies, both of which meet specified minimum criteria that require the use of control groups.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Proven Programs for the Future of 
Education Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
        TITLE I--RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAMS AND COMPETITIVE GRANTS

Sec. 101. Research-proven programs and competitive grants.
           TITLE II--RESEARCH-PROVEN REFORM IN READING FIRST

Sec. 201. Purposes.
Sec. 202. Formula grants to state educational agencies.
Sec. 203. State formula grant applications.
Sec. 204. Information dissemination.
Sec. 205. Definitions.
            TITLE III--DEFINITION OF RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAM

Sec. 301. Definition of research-proven program.

        TITLE I--RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAMS AND COMPETITIVE GRANTS

SEC. 101. RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAMS AND COMPETITIVE GRANTS.

    Title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                   ``PART G--RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAMS

``SEC. 9701. RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAMS AND COMPETITIVE GRANTS.

    ``In all competitive grants that are awarded by the Department to a 
State educational agency or a local educational agency or by a State 
educational agency to a local educational agency under this Act, 
competitive preference points equal to 10 percent of the total number 
of points awarded may be awarded to a State educational agency or local 
educational agency if such State educational agency or local 
educational agency proposes in the grant application to use research-
proven programs, when appropriate.''.

           TITLE II--RESEARCH-PROVEN REFORM IN READING FIRST

SEC. 201. PURPOSES.

    Section 1201(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6361(1)) is amended by inserting ``research-proven 
reading programs, or, at a minimum, are'' after ``that are''.

SEC. 202. FORMULA GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

    Section 1202 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6362) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
                following:
                    ``(C) Preference.--In making subgrants to eligible 
                local educational agencies, a State educational agency 
                shall award competitive preference points equal to 10 
                percent of the total number of points if applicants 
                propose to use research-proven reading programs.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (7)(A)(ii), by striking ``learning 
                system or program of reading instruction'' and 
                inserting ``research-proven reading program, or, at a 
                minimum, a program''; and
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(I), by inserting ``that 
                are research-proven reading programs, or, at a minimum, 
                are'' before ``based on''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)(i), by inserting 
                        ``that are research-proven reading programs, 
                        or, at a minimum, are'' after ``instruction''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting 
                        ``research-proven reading programs, or, at a 
                        minimum, programs of'' after ``clause (i),''.

SEC. 203. STATE FORMULA GRANT APPLICATIONS.

    Section 1203 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6363) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(4)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                ``instructional materials, programs, strategies, and 
                approaches,'' and inserting ``research-proven reading 
                programs, or, at a minimum, programs'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by inserting 
                ``research-proven reading programs, or, at a minimum, 
                programs'' after ``(ii)''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``research-
                proven reading programs, or, at a minimum,'' after 
                ``will use'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(2)(B)--
                    (A) in clause (ii)--
                            (i) by striking ``to individuals who teach 
                        reading to children and adults'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``on research-proven 
                        reading programs, or, at a minimum, programs'' 
                        before ``based on''; and
                            (iii) by inserting ``to individuals who 
                        teach reading to children and adults'' after 
                        ``research''; and
                    (B) in clause (iii)--
                            (i) by striking ``to other instructional 
                        staff'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``on research-proven 
                        reading programs, or, at a minimum, programs'' 
                        before ``based on''; and
                            (iii) by inserting ``to other instructional 
                        staff'' after ``research''; and
            (3) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(E), by inserting ``research-
                proven reading programs, or, at a minimum, programs 
                based on'' after ``tutors and''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``a 
                        research-proven reading program, or, at a 
                        minimum, a program'' after ``that is''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``on 
                        research-proven reading programs, or, at a 
                        minimum, programs'' after ``instruction''.

SEC. 204. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.

    Section 1207(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6367(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), insert ``research-proven reading 
        programs, or, at a minimum,'' after ``information on''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), insert ``of research-proven reading 
        programs, or, at a minimum,'' after ``instruction''.

SEC. 205. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 1208 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6368) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7), as paragraphs 
        (7) and (8), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) Research-proven reading program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `research-proven 
                reading program' means a program that is determined to 
                be a qualified program pursuant to subparagraph (B) and 
                that is evaluated in not less than 2 studies, both of 
                which studies meet the following minimum criteria:
                            ``(i) The program was compared to a control 
                        group using alternative or traditional methods.
                            ``(ii) The study duration was not less than 
                        12 weeks.
                            ``(iii) Program and control schools were 
                        equivalent at pretest in reading achievement 
                        (within 0.5 standard deviations). Analyses of 
                        posttest differences were adjusted for pretest 
                        differences.
                            ``(iv) The reading posttest measures used 
                        to compare program and control groups is a 
                        valid standardized or criterion-referenced test 
                        of reading, such as a State accountability 
                        test, and is not inherent to the program. For 
                        example, tests made by the program authors, or 
                        tests of content not studied by control 
                        students, do not qualify.
                            ``(v) The sample size of each study is not 
                        less than 5 classes or 125 students per 
                        treatment (10 classes or 250 students overall). 
                        Multiple smaller studies may be combined to 
                        reach this sample size collectively.
                            ``(vi) The median difference between 
                        program and control students across all 
                        qualifying studies is not less than 20 percent 
                        of student-level standard deviation, in favor 
                        of the program students.
                    ``(B) Review.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Department shall 
                        constitute a review panel to review scientific 
                        reviews of reading evaluations and determine 
                        which programs qualify as qualified research-
                        proven reading programs.
                            ``(ii) Panel members.--Review panel members 
                        shall have expertise in scientific research 
                        review and in scientifically based reading 
                        research but may not have financial or personal 
                        connection with the authors or publishers of 
                        any programs.
                            ``(iii) Panel meetings.--Review panel 
                        meetings shall be open to the public and 
                        minutes shall be made available to the 
                        public.''.

            TITLE III--DEFINITION OF RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAM

SEC. 301. DEFINITION OF RESEARCH-PROVEN PROGRAM.

    Section 9101 Note: This is the correct section reference, not 1901. 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (37) through (43) as 
        paragraphs (38) through (44), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section (36) the following:
            ``(37) Research-proven program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `research-proven 
                program' means a program that is determined to be a 
                qualified program pursuant to subparagraph (B) and that 
                is evaluated in not less than 2 studies, both of which 
                studies meet the following minimum criteria:
                            ``(i) The program was compared to a control 
                        group using alternative or traditional methods.
                            ``(ii) The study duration was not less than 
                        12 weeks.
                            ``(iii) Program and control schools were 
                        equivalent at pretest in achievement (within 
                        0.5 standard deviations). Analyses of posttest 
                        differences are adjusted for pretest 
                        differences.
                            ``(iv) The posttest measures used to 
                        compare program and control groups is a valid 
                        standardized or criterion-referenced test, such 
                        as a State accountability test, and is not 
                        inherent to the program. For example, tests 
                        made by the program authors, or tests of 
                        content not studied by control students, do not 
                        qualify.
                            ``(v) The sample size of each study is not 
                        less than 5 classes or 125 students per 
                        treatment (10 classes or 250 students overall). 
                        Multiple smaller studies may be combined to 
                        reach this sample size collectively.
                            ``(vi) The median difference between 
                        program and control students across all 
                        qualifying studies is not less than 20 percent 
                        of student-level standard deviation, in favor 
                        of the program students.
                    ``(B) Review.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Department shall 
                        constitute a review panel to review scientific 
                        reviews of program evaluations and determine 
                        which programs qualify as research-proven 
                        programs.
                            ``(ii) Panel members.--Panel members shall 
                        have expertise in scientific research review 
                        but may not have financial or personal 
                        connection with the authors or publishers of 
                        any programs.
                            ``(iii) Panel meetings.--Panel meetings 
                        shall be open to the public and minutes shall 
                        be made available to the public.''.