AmeriCorps School Turnaround Act of 2015

Summary: AmeriCorps School Turnaround Act of 2015 This bill authorizes a grant program to enable elementary schools, secondary schools, or specified entities that serve low-performing schools to: (1) improve the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students, and (2) select national service participants and engage such participants in school turnaround projects.  An entity that receives a grant under the program must use the grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities: (1) improving the quality and frequency of individualized learning time, (2) increasing individualized learning time or extended learning programs, (3) providing college and career readiness guidance and assistance, (4) accelerating reading and mathematics knowledge and skills, or (5) carrying out school-wide activities to increase graduation rates or address nonacademic factors impacting student achievement.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``AmeriCorps School Turnaround Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Students are most successful when they have personal, 
        attentive support.
            (2) Turning schools around requires collaboration among 
        teachers, administrators, counselors, business leaders, the 
        philanthropic sector, and community members.
            (3) National service provides valuable support to 
        elementary schools and secondary schools and has a record for 
        improving student academic achievement.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) strengthen and accelerate interventions in the lowest-
        performing elementary schools and secondary schools;
            (2) provide financial support to eligible entities that 
        serve low-performing schools;
            (3) significantly improve outcomes for students in 
        persistently low-performing schools by--
                    (A) providing opportunities for academic 
                enrichment;
                    (B) extending learning time; and
                    (C) providing individual support for students; and
            (4) improve high school graduation rates and college 
        readiness for the most disadvantaged students.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL TURNAROUND PROGRAM.

    In this Act:
            (1) Chief executive officer.--The term ``Chief Executive 
        Officer'' means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation 
        for National and Community Service appointed under section 193 
        of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12651c).
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) an elementary school or secondary school; or
                    (B) any of the following entities that serve low-
                performing schools:
                            (i) Public or private nonprofit 
                        organizations, including faith-based and other 
                        community organizations.
                            (ii) Local educational agencies.
                            (iii) Institutions of higher education.
                            (iv) Government entities within States.
                            (v) Indian Tribes.
                            (vi) Labor organizations.
            (3) Low-performing school.--The term ``low-performing 
        school'' means an elementary school or secondary school that is 
        identified under section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316).
            (4) National service participant.--The term ``national 
        service participant'' means an individual described under part 
        III of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12591 et seq.).
            (5) School turnaround corps project.--The term ``School 
        Turnaround Corps project'' means a project carried out by an 
        eligible entity that is a permissible use of funds for a grant 
        under this Act.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT FOR SCHOOL TURNAROUND GRANTS.

    (a) Interagency Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--The Chief Executive Officer shall enter 
        into an interagency agreement with the Secretary similar to an 
        interagency agreement described in section 121(b)(1) of the 
        National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12571(b)(1)) regarding the grant program described in section 
        5, except that funds appropriated under this Act may be used as 
        if for the purposes for which funds may be provided through 
        grants under section 121(a) of the National and Community 
        Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(a)).
            (2) Amendment to the ncsa.--Section 121(b) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 12571(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) School turnaround grant interagency agreement.--
        Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Corporation shall enter into 
        an interagency agreement similar to an interagency agreement 
        described in paragraph (1) with the Secretary of Education 
        under this subsection regarding the school turnaround grant 
        program described in section 5 of the AmeriCorps School 
        Turnaround Act of 2015.''.
    (b) Approved National Service Positions.--
            (1) In general.--The Chief Executive Officer shall approve 
        positions for School Turnaround Corps projects as approved 
        national service positions in accordance with subtitle C of 
        title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12571 et seq.).
            (2) Distribution of assistance and approved positions 
        unaffected.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect 
        the distribution of assistance or approved national service 
        positions under section 129 of the National and Community 
        Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12581).
    (c) Treatment of Funds Appropriated.--
            (1) National service trust.--For purposes of section 
        145(a)(1) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12601(a)(1)), a portion of the funds appropriated under 
        this Act, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer based on 
        the number of participants selected for School Turnaround Corps 
        projects, shall be treated as funds made available to carry out 
        subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act 
        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.).
            (2) Investment of trust funds.--For purposes of subsection 
        (b) of section 145 of the National and Community Service Act of 
        1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601), a portion of the funds appropriated 
        under this Act, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer 
        based on the number of participants selected for School 
        Turnaround Corps projects, shall be treated as if appropriated 
        to the Trust established under such section.
            (3) Reserve account.--For purposes of section 
        149(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the National and Community Service Act of 
        1990 (42 U.S.C. 12606(b)(1)(B)(ii)), a portion of the funds 
        appropriated under this Act, as determined by the Chief 
        Executive Officer based on the number of participants selected 
        for School Turnaround Corps projects, shall be treated as funds 
        appropriated for the fiscal year involved under section 501 of 
        the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12681) and made available to carry out subtitle C or D of title 
        I of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 12601 et 
        seq.).
            (4) Audits.--For purposes of section 149(c) of the National 
        and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12606(c)), funds 
        appropriated under this Act shall be treated as appropriated 
        funds for approved national service positions.

SEC. 5. SCHOOL TURNAROUND GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--From amounts made available under this Act after 
the reservation described in subsection (b), the Chief Executive 
Officer, in consultation with the Secretary, shall award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable such eligible 
entities--
            (1) to improve the academic achievement of elementary 
        school and secondary school students; and
            (2) to select national service participants and engage such 
        participants' in School Turnaround Corps projects.
    (b) Amounts Reserved.--The Chief Executive Officer shall reserve 
not less than 1 percent, and not more than 2 percent, of the amount 
appropriated to carry out this Act for each fiscal year to award grants 
under this Act to Indian tribes and organizations serving tribal 
populations.
    (c) Priority.--In making grants under this Act, the Chief Executive 
Officer, in consultation with the Secretary--
            (1) shall give priority to eligible entities that will 
        serve significant populations of low-income students; and
            (2) may give priority to eligible entities that--
                    (A) are located in low-income communities;
                    (B) will serve communities with significant 
                populations of families with limited English 
                proficiency;
                    (C) will place national service participants in 
                urban or rural areas; or
                    (D) will increase the ability of educators to 
                provide appropriate services and coordinate activities 
                with State and local systems providing services under 
                part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
                Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.) for children with 
                developmental delays or disabilities, including such 
                children in the child welfare system of the State.
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under this section shall use the funds made available through 
        the grant to carry out 1 or more of the activities described in 
        paragraphs (2) through (6), and shall engage national service 
        participants to carry out such activities.
            (2) Increasing high-quality, individualized learning 
        time.--Improving the quality and frequency of individualized 
        learning time provided to elementary school and secondary 
        school students by providing individualized support, which may 
        include increasing postsecondary education enrollment rates 
        through postsecondary education preparation counseling 
        assistance, including assistance with completing the Free 
        Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and applications 
        for institutions of higher education, and educating students 
        and their families about financial literacy for postsecondary 
        education.
            (3) Out-of-school and extended learning programs.--
        Increasing personalized, out-of-school and extended learning 
        programs provided to elementary school and secondary school 
        students by engaging national service participants to serve 
        as--
                    (A) tutors who provide individualized, academic 
                support outside of the standard school day; and
                    (B) family resource mentors who connect the 
                student, family, and school in an open conversation 
                about the student's academic situation.
            (4) College and career readiness and graduation coaches.--
        The provision of individual graduation, postsecondary 
        education, and career preparation guidance and assistance by 
        college or career planing advisors.
            (5) Schoolwide activities.--Carrying out schoolwide 
        activities, including--
                    (A) establishing a school culture and environment 
                that improves school safety, attendance, and discipline 
                and addressing other non-academic factors that impact 
                student achievement, such as students' social, 
                emotional, and health needs; and
                    (B) carrying out activities to increase graduation 
                rates, such as early warning systems, credit-recovery 
                programs, and re-engagement strategies.
            (6) Accelerating reading and mathematics knowledge and 
        skills.--The provision of activities to accelerate students' 
        acquisition of reading and mathematics knowledge and skills.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.

    (a) In General.--As a condition on receipt of any funds for a 
program under this Act, each grantee shall agree to submit an annual 
report at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
the Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with the Secretary, may 
require.
    (b) Content.--At a minimum, each annual report under this 
subsection shall describe--
            (1) the degree to which progress has been made toward 
        meeting the annual benchmarks and long-term goals and 
        objectives described in the grant recipient's application; and
            (2) demographic data about low-performing schools, 
        including the number of low-income and minority students, 
        served in each program.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2016, and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.