To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to award grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist at-risk middle school students with the transition from middle school to high school.

Summary: Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act - Amends title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to reauthorize appropriations under part H (School Dropout Prevention).

Establishes a transition-to-success mentoring program under part H of the ESEA requiring the Secretary of Education to award five-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships between LEAs and community-based nonprofit organizations to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist at-risk students in transitioning from middle to high school.

Requires grantees to assign to each at-risk student in his or her middle school a success coach who: (1) creates a plan of success for the student; (2) enters into an agreement with the student's parents regarding their role in implementing such plan; (3) meets with the student at least once a month to assess and assist the student's progress; (4) meets at least quarterly with the student and the student's parents, teachers, or counselors to evaluate the student's progress and revise or establish new goals for the next academic year; and (5) serves as the student's advocate between the student's parents and teachers.

Authorizes the use of grant funds to train success coaches and cover the cost of any materials they use under the mentoring program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transition-to-Success Mentoring 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS MENTORING PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1803 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6553) is 
amended to read as follows: ``There are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this part $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and such sums 
as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.''.
    (b) Transition-to-Success Mentoring Program.--Part H of title I of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 6551 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

          ``Subpart 3--Transition-to-Success Mentoring Program

``SEC. 1831. TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS MENTORING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out this 
section, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to 
establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist 
eligible students with the transition from middle school to high 
school.
    ``(b) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, an 
eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(c) Uses of Funds.--
            ``(1) Required uses of funds.--An eligible entity that 
        receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
        to establish a mentoring program, or expand or support an 
        existing mentoring program, in all middle schools served by the 
        entity, under which each eligible student enrolled in such 
        schools is assigned to a success coach who--
                    ``(A) creates a plan for success for the student 
                that--
                            ``(i) is reviewed with the student and 
                        teachers and parents of the student;
                            ``(ii) includes, for each academic year, 
                        the student's academic, personal, and career 
                        exploration goals, and a strategy on how to 
                        accomplish such goals; and
                            ``(iii) identifies the student's strengths, 
                        weaknesses, and academic progress;
                    ``(B) enters into a signed, written agreement with 
                the parents of the student that describes how the 
                parents should assist the student in carrying out the 
                plan for success;
                    ``(C) meets with the student at least once per 
                month to--
                            ``(i) assist the student in achieving the 
                        goals under the plan for success;
                            ``(ii) identify the student's academic 
                        areas of weaknesses, provide the student with 
                        the tools necessary to develop the student's 
                        potential for academic excellence, and ensure 
                        the student's successful transition from middle 
                        school to high school; and
                            ``(iii) in the case of a student with 
                        behavioral issues, assist the student in 
                        behavior management techniques;
                    ``(D) at least quarterly, meets with the student 
                and the parents, teachers, or counselors of the student 
                to--
                            ``(i) evaluate the student's progress in 
                        achieving the goals under the plan for the 
                        current academic year; and
                            ``(ii) revise or establish new goals for 
                        the next academic year; and
                    ``(E) serves as the student's advocate between the 
                teachers and parents of the student to ensure that the 
                teachers and parents understand the student's plan.
            ``(2) Authorized uses of funds.--An eligible entity that 
        receives a grant under this section may use such funds to--
                    ``(A) develop and carry out a training program for 
                success coaches; and
                    ``(B) cover the cost of any materials used by 
                success coaches under the mentoring program.
    ``(d) Grant Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded 
for a period of 5 years.
    ``(e) Reporting Requirements.--
            ``(1) Eligible entities.--An eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, at the 
        end of each academic year during the grant period, a report 
        that includes--
                    ``(A) the number of students who participated in 
                the school-based mentoring program that was funded in 
                whole or in part with the grant funds under this 
                section;
                    ``(B) data on the academic achievement of such 
                students;
                    ``(C) the number of contact hours between such 
                students and their success coaches; and
                    ``(D) any other information that the Secretary may 
                require to evaluate the success of the school-based 
                mentoring program.
            ``(2) Secretary.--
                    ``(A) Interim report.--At the end of the third 
                fiscal year for which funds are made available to carry 
                out this section, the Secretary shall submit to 
                Congress an interim report on the success of the 
                school-based mentoring programs funded under this 
                section that includes the information received under 
                paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Final report.--At the end of the fifth fiscal 
                year for which funds are made available to carry out 
                this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
                final report on the success of the school-based 
                mentoring programs funded under this section that 
                includes the information received under paragraph (1).
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) At-risk student.--The term `at-risk student' means a 
        student who has been identified as a student who has below a 
        2.0 grade point average or the equivalent and who may--
                    ``(A) be at-risk of academic failure;
                    ``(B) be dropping out of school;
                    ``(C) have a drug or alcohol problem;
                    ``(D) be pregnant or a parent;
                    ``(E) have come into contact with the juvenile 
                justice system in the past;
                    ``(F) have limited English proficiency;
                    ``(G) be a gang member;
                    ``(H) have dropped out of school in the past; or
                    ``(I) have a high absenteeism rate at school.
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a local educational agency that--
                            ``(i) receives, or is eligible to receive, 
                        funds under part A of title I; or
                            ``(ii) is a high-need local educational 
                        agency; or
                    ``(B) a partnership between a local educational 
                agency described in subparagraph (A) and a nonprofit, 
                community-based organization.
            ``(3) Eligible student.--The term `eligible student' means 
        a student who--
                    ``(A) is enrolled in a middle school served by an 
                eligible entity; and
                    ``(B) is an at-risk student.
            ``(4) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
        need local educational agency' has the meaning given to the 
        term in section 2102(3)(A).
            ``(5) Middle school.--The term `middle school' means a 
        nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a 
        public charter school, that provides middle school education, 
        as determined under State law, except that the term does not 
        include any education below grade 6 or beyond grade 9.
            ``(6) School-based mentoring.--The term `school-based 
        mentoring' refers to mentoring activities that--
                    ``(A) are closely coordinated with a school by 
                involving teachers, counselors, and other school staff 
                who may identify and refer students for mentoring 
                services; and
                    ``(B) assist at-risk students in improving academic 
                achievement, reducing disciplinary referrals, and 
                increasing positive regard for school.
            ``(7) Success coach.--The term `success coach' means an 
        individual who--
                    ``(A) is--
                            ``(i) an employee of a local educational 
                        agency in which a mentoring program receiving 
                        support under this section is being carried 
                        out; or
                            ``(ii) a volunteer from a nonprofit, 
                        community-based organization that provides 
                        volunteers for mentoring programs in secondary 
                        schools; and
                    ``(B) prior to becoming a success coach--
                            ``(i) received training and support in 
                        mentoring from an eligible entity; and
                            ``(ii) underwent a screening by an eligible 
                        entity that included--
                                    ``(I) appropriate job reference 
                                checks;
                                    ``(II) child and domestic abuse 
                                record checks; and
                                    ``(III) criminal background 
                                checks.''.