To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program to fund additional school social workers and retain school social workers already employed in high-need local educational agencies.

Summary: School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award renewable grants to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) to retain or hire additional school social workers.

Permits grantees to use the funds to reimburse school social workers for expenses they incur in rendering services.

Requires grant-funded social workers to target their services to the highest-need students.

Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to high-need LEAs in applying for such grants.

Prohibits the grant funds from being used to supplant other federal, state, or local funds used for hiring and retaining school social workers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``School Social Workers Improving 
Student Success Act''.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS GRANTS.

    Subpart 2 of part D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding after section 5421 (20 
U.S.C. 7245) the following new section:

``SEC. 5422. GRANTS FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.

    ``(a) Grants Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants to high-
        need local educational agencies to enable such agencies to 
        retain school social workers employed by such agencies or to 
        hire additional school social workers.
            ``(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
        be awarded for a period not to exceed 4 years.
            ``(3) Supplementation of funds.--Funds made available under 
        this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, 
        other Federal, State, or local funds used for hiring and 
        retaining school social workers.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) A local educational agency receiving a grant under 
        this section shall use the grant to retain school social 
        workers employed by such agencies or to hire additional school 
        social workers providing services described in subsection 
        (d)(2).
            ``(2) A local educational agency receiving a grant under 
        this section may use such grant for any of the following 
        purposes:
                    ``(A) To reimburse school social workers for travel 
                expenses incurred during home visits and other school-
                related trips.
                    ``(B) To reimburse school social workers for any 
                additional expenses incurred in rendering the services 
                described in subsection (d)(2).
    ``(c) Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a high-need local educational agency shall submit 
        to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
        and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
        reasonably require.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted for a grant 
        under this section shall contain a description of the duties 
        and responsibilities of school social workers providing 
        services to students through such grant in accordance with 
        subsection (d).
    ``(d) Duties and Responsibilities of School Social Worker.--Any 
school social worker providing services to students through a grant 
funded under this section shall--
            ``(1) identify the highest-need students (as such term is 
        defined by the Secretary) in each school such social worker 
        serves and target services provided at the school to such 
        students; and
            ``(2) provide to students in each school in which a school 
        social worker serves, social work services, including--
                    ``(A) counseling and crisis intervention;
                    ``(B) case management activities to coordinate the 
                delivery of and access to the appropriate social work 
                services to highest-need students;
                    ``(C) addressing of social, emotional, and mental 
                health needs to ensure better school participation and 
                better outcomes;
                    ``(D) providing assistance to teachers to design 
                behavioral interventions;
                    ``(E) working with students, families, schools, and 
                communities to promote attendance and address the 
                causes of poor attendance, such as homelessness, lack 
                of transportation, illness, phobia, or parents who have 
                negative impressions of school;
                    ``(F) home visits to meet the family of students in 
                need of social work services in the home environment;
                    ``(G) connecting students and families to the 
                social welfare, child welfare, and community resource 
                systems;
                    ``(H) other services the Secretary determines are 
                necessary to carry out this section.
    ``(e) Grant Renewal.--
            ``(1) In general.--Grants awarded under this section may be 
        renewed for additional periods having the same duration as the 
        original grant period.
            ``(2) Continuing eligibility.--To be eligible for renewal 
        under this paragraph of a grant, a high-need local educational 
        agency shall submit to the Secretary, for each renewal, a 
        report on the progress of such recipient in retaining and 
        hiring school social workers. Such report shall include a 
        description of--
                    ``(A) a description of the staffing expansion of 
                school social workers funded through the grant received 
                under this section; and
                    ``(B) a description of the work such social workers 
                performed to target high-need populations (as 
                determined by the Secretary).
    ``(f) Technical Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
        assistance to high-need local educational agencies, including 
        such agencies that do not have adequate staff, in applying for 
        grants under this section.
            ``(2) Extension of application period.--The Secretary shall 
        extend any application period for a grant under this section 
        for any high-need local educational agency that--
                    ``(A) submits to the Secretary a written 
                notification of the intent to apply for a grant under 
                this section before requesting technical assistance 
                under paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) after submitting the notification under 
                subparagraph (A) requests such technical assistance.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `high-need local educational agency' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 2102(3)(A).
            ``(2) The term `school social worker' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 5421(e).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2012 through 2016.''.