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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 696 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 696

  To increase the number and percentage of students who graduate from 
high school college and career ready with the ability to use knowledge 
 to solve complex problems, think critically, communicate effectively, 
 collaborate with others, and develop academic mindsets, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 2015

Ms. Baldwin (for herself and Mr. Kaine) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To increase the number and percentage of students who graduate from 
high school college and career ready with the ability to use knowledge 
 to solve complex problems, think critically, communicate effectively, 
 collaborate with others, and develop academic mindsets, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Next Generation High Schools Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to promote and support the 
comprehensive school redesign of the high school experience to ensure 
all students served by an eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this Act, particularly those students who are traditionally 
underserved, are provided with challenging, engaging, and relevant 
academic, career-related experiences that fully prepare them for 
postsecondary education and careers and to--
            (1) increase the number and percentage of students who 
        graduate from high school college and career ready with the 
        ability to use knowledge to solve complex problems, think 
        critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with others, 
        and develop academic mindsets;
            (2) provide students with opportunities to earn college-
        level credit and postsecondary credentials while in high 
        school, such as early college and dual enrollment;
            (3) increase student readiness to pursue postsecondary 
        degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, 
        particularly for student groups historically underrepresented 
        in these fields;
            (4) support the provision and sequencing of coursework that 
        integrates rigorous academics with career-based learning and 
        real world workplace experiences in an effort to provide 
        students with increased opportunities to have career related 
        experiences, develop career-related competencies, and earn 
        industry-recognized credentials;
            (5) increase access to student-centered learning 
        opportunities, including competency-based learning models, that 
        lead to all students graduating college and career ready with 
        the competencies described in paragraph (1) to succeed in the 
        21st century;
            (6) increase postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and 
        completion;
            (7) reduce the need for remediation at the postsecondary 
        level; and
            (8) create innovative supports that can be replicated in 
        other schools and local educational agencies.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms 
        used in this Act have the meanings given the terms in section 
        9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Advanced placement or international baccalaureate 
        course.--The term ``Advanced Placement or International 
        Baccalaureate course'' means--
                    (A) a course of postsecondary-level instruction 
                provided to middle school or secondary school students, 
                terminating in an Advanced Placement or International 
                Baccalaureate examination; or
                    (B) another highly rigorous, evidence based, 
                postsecondary preparatory program terminating in--
                            (i) an examination or sequence of courses 
                        that are widely accepted for credit at 
                        institutions of higher education; or
                            (ii) another examination or sequence of 
                        courses approved by the Secretary.
            (3) Applied learning.--The term ``applied learning'' means 
        a strategy that engages students in opportunities to apply 
        rigorous academic content aligned with college-level 
        expectations to real world experience, through such means as 
        project-based learning, work-based learning, or service 
        learning, and develops students' cognitive competencies and 
        pertinent employability skills.
            (4) Attrition.--The term ``attrition'' means the reduction 
        in a school's student population as a result of transfers or 
        dropouts and includes students who have been enrolled for a 
        minimum of 3 weeks within the academic year.
            (5) Chronically absent.--The term ``chronically absent'', 
        when used with respect to a student--
                    (A) means a student who misses at least 10 percent 
                of the school days at a school; and
                    (B) does not include any school days a student 
                misses due to an in-school or out-of-school suspension, 
                or for which a student was not enrolled at such school.
            (6) Competency-based learning model.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``competency-based 
                learning model'' means an education model in which 
                students advance academically based upon multiple 
                demonstrations of competence in defined content-
                specific concepts and higher order skills, such as 
                critical thinking and problem solving.
                    (B) Requirements.--In a competency-based learning 
                model the following applies:
                            (i) Competencies include explicit, 
                        measurable, and transferable learning 
                        objectives.
                            (ii) Assessment is used to identify gaps in 
                        a student's knowledge and to provide frequent 
                        and meaningful feedback on the student's 
                        progression toward filling such gaps and moving 
                        on to higher levels of knowledge.
                            (iii) Each student receives timely, 
                        differentiated support based on the student's 
                        individual learning needs.
                            (iv) Student agency is emphasized through 
                        transparency of goals and gaps in knowledge, 
                        and multiple means to fulfill those gaps.
            (7) Effective secondary school reform model.--The term 
        ``effective secondary school reform model'' means an evidence-
        based model with demonstrated effectiveness serving diverse 
        student populations across multiple geographic regions with 
        respect to such indicators as improving academic achievement, 
        reducing attrition, and increasing postsecondary enrollment, 
        persistence, and completion rates of struggling students or 
        dropouts.
            (8) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        local educational agency, charter school, or a consortium of 
        local educational agencies--
                    (A) in partnership with--
                            (i) 1 or more institutions of higher 
                        education;
                            (ii) 1 or more community-based partners, 
                        such as a nonprofit organization, community-
                        based organization, State or local government 
                        agency, business, or an industry-related 
                        organization; and
                            (iii) a qualified intermediary; and
                    (B) that may be in partnership with 1 or more 
                external partners.
            (9) Eligible high school.--The term ``eligible high 
        school'' means a high school that--
                    (A) serves a student population of which not less 
                than 65 percent are from low-income families as 
                determined by the local educational agency under 
                section 1113 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313);
                    (B) has a graduation rate at or below 67 percent, 
                except in the case of a high school that, at the time 
                of applying for the grant under this Act, is a new high 
                school, as determined by the Secretary;
                    (C) does not receive grant funds under section 
                1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)); and
                    (D) is identified as low performing based on the 
                State's accountability system, except in the case of a 
                high school that, at the time of applying for the grant 
                under this Act, is a new high school, as determined by 
                the Secretary.
            (10) Evidence-based model.--The term ``evidence-based 
        model'' means a school reform model activity that is based on 
        research findings or reasonable hypotheses, including related 
        research or theories in education.
            (11) External partner.--The term ``external partner'' means 
        an entity with a demonstrated record of success in implementing 
        an effective secondary school reform model, or in providing 
        academic or integrated support services.
            (12) Feeder middle school.--The term ``feeder middle 
        school'' means an elementary school or secondary school from 
        which a significant number of students go on to attend an 
        eligible secondary school.
            (13) Feeder pattern.--The term ``feeder pattern'' means an 
        accurate estimate of the number of students in low-income 
        families in a secondary school that is calculated by applying 
        the average percentage of students in low-income families of 
        the elementary school attendance areas as calculated under 
        section 1113(a)(5)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)(A)) that feed into the 
        secondary school to the number of students enrolled in high 
        school.
            (14) High school.--The term ``high school'' means a 
        secondary school that grants a diploma, as defined by the 
        State, and includes, at least grade 12.
            (15) Industry-recognized credential.--The term ``industry-
        recognized credential'' means an industry-recognized credential 
        that--
                    (A) is demonstrated to be of high quality by the 
                institution offering the program;
                    (B) meets the current, as of the date of the 
                determination, or projected needs of a local or 
                regional workforce for recruitment, screening, hiring, 
                retention, or advancement purposes--
                            (i) as determined by the State in which the 
                        program is located, in consultation with 
                        business entities; or
                            (ii) as demonstrated by the institution 
                        offering the program leading to the credential; 
                        and
                    (C) is, where applicable, endorsed by a nationally 
                recognized trade association or organization 
                representing a significant part of the industry or 
                sector.
            (16) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (17) Mobility rate.--The term ``mobility rate'' means the 
        rate at which students transfer from one secondary school to 
        another secondary school due to a change in primary residence.
            (18) Postsecondary enrollment.--The term ``postsecondary 
        enrollment'' means, of the students who graduate from secondary 
        school with a regular high school diploma consistent with 
        section 200.19(b)(1)(i) of title 34, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, the number and percentage of such students who 
        enroll in a institution of higher education within 16 months of 
        receiving the diploma.
            (19) Postsecondary credit-accumulation.--The term 
        ``postsecondary credit-accumulation'' means, of the students 
        who graduate from secondary school with a regular high school 
        diploma consistent with section 200.19(b)(1)(i) of title 34, 
        Code of Federal Regulations, and who enroll in an institution 
        of higher education not later than 16 months after receiving 
        the diploma, the number and percentage of such students who 
        complete at least the equivalent of 1 academic year of college 
        credit applicable to a postsecondary degree not later than 2 
        years after enrollment in an institution of higher education.
            (20) Qualified intermediary.--The term ``qualified 
        intermediary'' means an entity that has--
                    (A) a demonstrated record of working on grant-
                related high school redesign activities; and
                    (B) expertise in building and sustaining 
                partnerships with entities such as employers, schools, 
                community-based organizations, institutions of higher 
                education, social service organizations, economic 
                development organizations, and workforce systems to 
                broker services, resources, and supports to youth and 
                the organizations and systems that are designed to 
                serve youth (including connecting employers to 
                classrooms, designing and implementing contextualized 
                pathways to postsecondary education and careers, 
                developing curricula, delivering professional 
                development, and connecting students to internships and 
                other work-based learning opportunities).
            (21) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (22) Struggling student.--The term ``struggling student'' 
        means a student who is at an increased risk for low academic 
        achievement and is unlikely to graduate secondary school within 
        4 years, college and career ready, or a student who has dropped 
        out of middle school or high school.
            (23) Student-centered learning approaches.--The term 
        ``student-centered learning approaches'' means instruction and 
        curriculum that--
                    (A) are personalized and competency based or 
                mastery oriented;
                    (B) take place anytime and anywhere;
                    (C) enable students to have supports to take 
                increased responsibility over their education and 
                develop self-regulation skills; and
                    (D) are designed to foster the skills, 
                dispositions, and knowledge students need to succeed in 
                college, career, and citizenship, and the competencies 
                described in section 2(1).
            (24) Transfer rate.--The term ``transfer rate'' means the 
        rate at which students transfer from one high school to another 
        high school, or from one high school to another education 
        setting, for a reason other than due to a change in primary 
        residence, as verified through written documentation by the 
        local educational agency serving the student at the time of the 
        transfer.

SEC. 4. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
eligible entities to implement comprehensive high school redesign 
strategies for the purpose of transforming the high school experience 
in order to provide students with challenging, engaging, and relevant 
academic and career-related learning opportunities that are aligned 
with rigorous, challenging academic content that prepares them to 
transition to postsecondary education and careers, including 
opportunities to earn postsecondary course credit, and which may focus 
on STEM-related courses and careers.
    (b) Reservation of Funds.--
            (1) Bureau of indian education.--The Secretary shall 
        reserve one-half of 1 percent of the total amount appropriated 
        to carry out this Act for a fiscal year for the Bureau of 
        Indian Education, which shall be awarded, on a competitive 
        basis, by the Bureau of Indian Education for activities 
        consistent with the purposes of the program.
            (2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall reserve not 
        more than 2.5 percent of the total amount appropriated to carry 
        out this Act for a fiscal year for national activities, 
        including evaluation, dissemination of best practices, and 
        technical assistance.
    (c) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--From the total amount of funds 
        appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal year and not 
        reserved under subsection (b), the Secretary shall award 
        grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities, based on 
        the quality of the applications submitted.
            (2) Grant duration.--Grants awarded under this section 
        shall be for a period of 5 years, conditional after 3 years on 
        satisfactory progress on the leading performance indicators 
        described in subsection (d)(2)(J)(i), as determined by the 
        Secretary, and renewable for 3 additional 1-year periods, based 
        on satisfactory progress on the core indicators described in 
        subsection (d)(2)(J)(ii).
            (3) Planning grants.--The Secretary may--
                    (A) allow eligible entities to utilize funds 
                provided under this section for planning purposes for 
                not more than 1 year after receiving the grant; and
                    (B) withhold subsequent allocations of grant funds 
                if the Secretary determines an eligible entity plan to 
                be insufficient to effectively achieve the purposes of 
                this Act.
            (4) Annual report.--Each eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an 
        annual report including data on the entity's progress on the 
        performance indicators described in subsection (d)(2)(J).
            (5) Equity assurances.--To receive a grant under this 
        section, an eligible entity shall demonstrate its commitment to 
        the core equity assurance areas, including, for each local 
        educational agency included in an eligible entity, an assurance 
        that the local educational agency has implemented the following 
        policies:
                    (A) Low-income families in secondary schools.--For 
                measuring the number of students in low-income families 
                in secondary schools, the local educational agency 
                shall use the same measure of poverty, which shall be 
                the calculation producing the greater of the results 
                from among the following 2 calculations:
                            (i) The calculation described under section 
                        1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)).
                            (ii) A feeder pattern, if applicable.
                    (B) Title i allocation to high schools.--Each such 
                local educational agency--
                            (i) shall allocate funds received under 
                        section 1113(a) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)), in 
                        excess of the highest allocation received by 
                        such local educational agency for the 5 fiscal 
                        years prior to the date of enactment of this 
                        Act, to eligible high schools until such fiscal 
                        year as high schools served by the local 
                        educational agency receive proportional funding 
                        under subpart 2 of part A of title I of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                        (20 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.); and
                            (ii) after proportional funding is achieved 
                        under subpart 2 of part A of title I of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                        (20 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.), shall allocate funds 
                        under this Act in such a way as to at least 
                        maintain such proportional funding to eligible 
                        high schools served by the agency.
                    (C) Equitable discipline policies.--Each such local 
                educational agency shall implement policies and 
                strategies to improve school climate, including 
                effective and equitably applied discipline policies, 
                which shall be informed, in part, by data reported as 
                part of the Office of Civil Rights Data Collection.
                    (D) Proportional funding.--In this paragraph, the 
                term ``proportional funding'' means the percentage of a 
                local educational agency's allocation under subpart 2 
                of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.) is at 
                least equal to the percentage of low-income students 
                eligible to attend high schools served by the local 
                educational agency.
    (d) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that desires a grant 
        under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as the Secretary may reasonably require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall include, at a minimum, a description of the 
        following:
                    (A) How the eligible entity will use funds awarded 
                under this section to carry out the evidenced-based 
                activities described in subsections (e) and (f) to 
                provide all students with personalized learning 
                experiences and engage students equitably in applied 
                learning and student-centered learning approaches.
                    (B) The responsibilities to be carried out by each 
                member of the eligible entity and additional external 
                partners or qualified intermediaries, including a 
                description of their record of success in secondary 
                school reform.
                    (C) How the eligible entity will sustain the 
                activities proposed, including the availability of 
                funds from non-Federal sources and coordination with 
                other Federal, State, and local funds.
                    (D) The comprehensive needs analysis and capacity 
                assessment conducted of the eligible entity and 
                eligible high schools that will be served under the 
                grant. The needs analysis and capacity assessment shall 
                include the following:
                            (i) An examination of each high school's 
                        data in the aggregate, and disaggregated, and 
                        cross-tabulated by each of the subgroups of 
                        students described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) 
                        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
                        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(1)(C)(i)), on the 
                        following:
                                    (I) Graduation rates and 
                                characteristics of those students who 
                                are not graduating, including such 
                                students' attendance, behavior, 
                                expulsion rates, suspension rates, 
                                course performance, credit accumulation 
                                rates, on-track to graduate rates, 
                                transfer rates, and mobility rates.
                                    (II) Rates of dropout recovery (re-
                                entry) into programs leading to 
                                secondary and postsecondary success.
                                    (III) Rates of postsecondary 
                                enrollment, remediation, and, if 
                                available, persistence and completion.
                                    (IV) The percentage of students who 
                                are 2 or more years over-aged or under-
                                credited for their grade level.
                                    (V) The percentage of students who 
                                are 1 or more years over-aged or under-
                                credited for their grade level.
                            (ii) An examination of each eligible high 
                        school and feeder middle school's data in the 
                        aggregate, and disaggregated by each of the 
                        subgroups of students described in section 
                        1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and 
                        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        6311(h)(1)(C)(i)), as applicable, on the 
                        following:
                                    (I) Student academic achievement, 
                                including the percentage of students 
                                who have on-time credit accumulation at 
                                the end of each grade, and student 
                                progression, as applicable, and the 
                                percent of students failing a core, 
                                credit-bearing, reading or language 
                                arts, science, or mathematics course, 
                                or failing 2 or more of any courses.
                                    (II) Annual, average attendance 
                                rates.
                                    (III) Percentage of students who 
                                are chronically absent.
                                    (IV) Annual rates of expulsions, 
                                suspensions (including in-school and 
                                out-of-school suspensions), school 
                                violence, harassment, and bullying, as 
                                defined under State or local laws or 
                                policies.
                                    (V) Annual, average credit 
                                accumulation.
                                    (VI) Annual mobility, transfer, and 
                                attrition rates.
                                    (VII) Annual, average enrollment in 
                                and completion of advanced coursework, 
                                including participation in rigorous 
                                career and technical and STEM 
                                specialized and advanced courses and 
                                opportunities to earn postsecondary 
                                credit while in high school such as 
                                through dual enrollment, early college 
                                high school, and Advanced Placement or 
                                International Baccalaureate courses.
                                    (VIII) Curriculum alignment with 
                                college and career ready standards 
                                across all grade levels, including 
                                alignment with requirements to pursue 
                                STEM-related courses in postsecondary 
                                education.
                                    (IX) The percentage of students 
                                participating in career and technical 
                                education coursework that is aligned to 
                                standards for career and technical 
                                education.
                                    (X) The nonacademic barriers that 
                                impact student achievement and the 
                                availability of support services to 
                                address such barriers.
                                    (XI) The number and percentage of 
                                students who do not transition from 
                                grade 8 to grade 9 and who have not 
                                transferred to and enrolled in a school 
                                outside of the local educational agency 
                                within the State or outside of the 
                                State.
                            (iii) An examination and description of 
                        each eligible high school's capacity to 
                        implement the school reform activities under 
                        subsection (e)(3), including--
                                    (I) the capacity and experience 
                                levels of administrative, 
                                instructional, and non-instructional 
                                staff, including the extent to which 
                                teachers assigned to a core academic 
                                subject are fully certified in the 
                                subject area in which they are assigned 
                                and teacher and leader ratings based on 
                                the State teacher and leader evaluation 
                                and improvement system;
                                    (II) the budget, including how 
                                Federal, State, and local funds are 
                                being spent and can be more efficiently 
                                utilized;
                                    (III) opportunities to extend or 
                                restructure the school day, week, or 
                                year;
                                    (IV) policies of the local 
                                educational agency related to seat-time 
                                requirements; and
                                    (V) the technical assistance, 
                                additional resources, and staff 
                                necessary to implement the activities 
                                identified in subsection (e).
                            (iv) An assessment of community-based 
                        resources, including--
                                    (I) identification of community-
                                based resources;
                                    (II) opportunities to extend 
                                learning opportunities that are 
                                available to students through 
                                partnerships with relevant community-
                                based organizations and employers, 
                                including those with experience in 
                                STEM-related fields; and
                                    (III) a description of roles and 
                                responsibilities of each entity within 
                                the eligible entity.
                            (v) An assessment of the external partner 
                        capacity to provide technical assistance and 
                        resources to implement the activities described 
                        in subsection (e).
                    (E) The rationale for the model or strategies 
                chosen, to be implemented under subsection (e), 
                including how it will effectively address the needs 
                identified through the needs analysis.
                    (F) A plan to ensure that the eligible entity will 
                not track students into specific career themes or job 
                placements and that the opportunities provided to 
                students are of comparable rigor.
                    (G) A plan to use current regional labor market 
                information and engage employers and community-based 
                organizations in the development of work-related 
                learning opportunities, particularly those in STEM-
                related fields, and other curriculum revisions under 
                subsection (e).
                    (H) A plan to address the needs of students with 
                disabilities, English language learners, and struggling 
                students in the redesign activities under subsection 
                (e).
                    (I) A description of the policies and strategies 
                that will be implemented to improve school climate, 
                including effective and equitable discipline policies, 
                which shall be informed, in part, by data reported as 
                part of the Office of Civil Rights Data Collection.
                    (J) The performance indicators and targets the 
                eligible entity will use to assess the effectiveness of 
                the activities implemented under this section, 
                including--
                            (i) leading indicators, which may include--
                                    (I) annual, average attendance 
                                rates;
                                    (II) percentage of students who are 
                                chronically absent;
                                    (III) rates, including 
                                disproportionality, of expulsions, 
                                suspensions, school violence, 
                                harassment, and bullying (as defined 
                                under State or local laws or policies);
                                    (IV) annual student mobility rates;
                                    (V) annual student transfer rates; 
                                and
                                    (VI) annual attrition rates;
                            (ii) core indicators, which may include--
                                    (I) graduation rates (as defined 
                                under section 200.19(b)(1)(i) of title 
                                34, Code of Federal Regulations);
                                    (II) dropout recovery (re-entry) 
                                rates;
                                    (III) percentage of students who 
                                have on-time credit accumulation at the 
                                end of each grade, and whom are on 
                                track to graduate within the standard 
                                number of years, and the percentage of 
                                students failing a core subject course;
                                    (IV) percentage of students who 
                                successfully transitioned from 8th to 
                                9th grade;
                                    (V) student achievement data, 
                                including the percentage of students 
                                performing at a proficient level on 
                                State student academic assessments 
                                required under section 1111(b)(3) of 
                                the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)); and
                                    (VI) percentage of students, 
                                including subgroups of students 
                                described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) 
                                of the Elementary and Secondary 
                                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                                6311(h)(1)(C)(i)), and traditionally 
                                under-represented in the STEM-related 
                                field, participating in STEM-related 
                                coursework or STEM-related work-based 
                                learning opportunities; and
                            (iii) indicators of college and career 
                        readiness such as--
                                    (I) percentage of students 
                                successfully completing rigorous 
                                postsecondary education courses while 
                                attending secondary school, such as 
                                Advanced Placement or International 
                                Baccalaureate courses;
                                    (II) percentage of students 
                                performing at or above the college-
                                readiness benchmark on the SATs, or 
                                ACT;
                                    (III) the number and percentage of 
                                students enrolling in and who attain 
                                State and local adjusted levels of 
                                performance, as described in section 
                                113(b) of the Carl D. Perkins Career 
                                and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
                                U.S.C. 2323(b)), and reported by the 
                                State in a manner consistent with 
                                section 113(c) of such Act;
                                    (IV) rates of workplace experience 
                                and other indicators of the acquisition 
                                of employability skills, including the 
                                number and percentage of students 
                                earning an industry-recognized 
                                credential;
                                    (V) the number and percentage of 
                                students completing a registered 
                                apprenticeship program, as defined in 
                                section 171 of the Workforce Innovation 
                                and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3226); 
                                and
                                    (VI) rates of enrollment, 
                                remediation, persistence, and 
                                completion of postsecondary education.
    (e) Required Uses of Funds.--
            (1) Districtwide required uses of funds.--An eligible 
        entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the 
        grant funds to--
                    (A) develop and implement partnerships to help 
                schools prepare students to apply academic concepts to 
                real world challenges;
                    (B) implement an early warning indicator system in 
                eligible high schools, and, where applicable, feeder 
                middle schools, to identify struggling students and 
                create a system of evidence-based and linguistically 
                and culturally relevant interventions, by--
                            (i) identifying and analyzing the academic 
                        risk factors that most reliably predict 
                        dropouts by using longitudinal data of past 
                        cohorts of students;
                            (ii) identifying specific indicators of 
                        student progress and performance, such as 
                        attendance, including the percentage of 
                        students who are chronically absent, academic 
                        performance in core courses, and postsecondary 
                        credit-accumulation, to guide decisionmaking;
                            (iii) identifying or developing a mechanism 
                        for regularly collecting and analyzing data 
                        about the impact of interventions on the 
                        indicators of student progress and performance;
                            (iv) analyzing academic indicators to 
                        determine whether students are on track to 
                        graduate secondary school in the standard 
                        numbers of years; and
                            (v) identifying and implementing strategies 
                        for pairing academic support with integrated 
                        student services and case-managed interventions 
                        for students requiring intensive supports, 
                        which may include partnerships with other 
                        external partners;
                    (C) provide support and credit recovery 
                opportunities for struggling students, including those 
                who are overaged and undercredited, at secondary 
                schools served by the eligible entity or other 
                appropriate settings by offering activities, such as--
                            (i) the development of a personalized 
                        learning plan;
                            (ii) a flexible school schedule;
                            (iii) competency-based learning models, 
                        accelerated learning models, and performance-
                        based assessments;
                            (iv) the provision of support services;
                            (v) dual enrollment opportunities;
                            (vi) preparation for and transitioning into 
                        postsecondary education; and
                            (vii) work-related learning opportunities;
                    (D) provide dropout recovery or reentry programs to 
                high schools that are designed to encourage and support 
                dropouts returning to an educational system, program, 
                or institution following an extended absence in order 
                to graduate college and career ready;
                    (E) provide evidence-based middle school to high 
                school transition programs and supports, including 
                through curricula alignment and early high school 
                programs that allow students to earn high school credit 
                in middle school; and
                    (F) provide school leaders, instructional staff, 
                non-instructional staff, students, and families with 
                high-quality, easily accessible, and timely 
                information, beginning in grade nine, about--
                            (i) secondary school graduation 
                        requirements;
                            (ii) postsecondary education application 
                        processes;
                            (iii) postsecondary admissions processes 
                        and requirements, including requirements for 
                        pursuing postsecondary degrees in STEM-related 
                        subjects;
                            (iv) public financial aid and other 
                        available private scholarship and grant aid 
                        opportunities;
                            (v) regional and national labor market 
                        information, including information about 
                        national and local STEM-related career 
                        opportunities; and
                            (vi) other programs and services for 
                        increasing rates of college access and success 
                        for students from low-income families and other 
                        traditionally underserved students.
            (2) Required use of funds in feeder middle schools.--An 
        eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall 
        use the grant funds in feeder middle schools to improve the 
        academic achievement of their students and prepare them to 
        graduate on track to college and career readiness by--
                    (A) using early warning indicator and intervention 
                systems described in paragraph (1)(B);
                    (B) creating a personalized learning environment;
                    (C) providing students with the prerequisite 
                coursework necessary to prepare students for 
                participation in rigorous and advanced coursework at 
                the high school level, including in STEM-related areas 
                of coursework;
                    (D) implementing organizational practices and 
                school schedules that allow for collaborative staff 
                participation, which may include professional learning 
                communities, team teaching, and common instructional 
                planning time;
                    (E) implementing high-quality, evidence-based, and 
                ongoing professional development for teachers and 
                school leaders, providing increased opportunities for 
                collaboration, and providing curriculum coaches or 
                instructional leaders to--
                            (i) implement the activities funded under 
                        this Act;
                            (ii) strengthen content knowledge and 
                        instructional strategies;
                            (iii) develop instructional strategies to 
                        support literacy across disciplines; and
                            (iv) develop caring, consistent 
                        relationships between students and staff that 
                        communicate high expectations for student 
                        learning and behavior;
                    (F) providing professional development and support 
                for specialized instructional support personnel; and
                    (G) providing school leaders, instructional staff, 
                noninstructional staff, students, and families with 
                high-quality, easily accessible, and timely information 
                about--
                            (i) secondary school graduation 
                        requirements;
                            (ii) postsecondary applications and 
                        admissions processes and requirements, 
                        including requirements for pursuing 
                        postsecondary degrees in STEM-related subjects;
                            (iii) public financial aid and other 
                        available private scholarship and grant aid 
                        opportunities;
                            (iv) regional and national labor market 
                        information, including information about 
                        national and local STEM-related career 
                        opportunities; and
                            (v) other programs and services for 
                        increasing rates of college access and success 
                        for students from low-income families.
            (3) Required use of funds in eligible high schools.--An 
        eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall 
        use the grant funds in eligible high schools to implement a 
        comprehensive approach that will--
                    (A) personalize the school experience--
                            (i) through the continuous and timely use 
                        of student data (such as from formative, 
                        interim, and summative assessments) to inform 
                        and differentiate instruction in order to meet 
                        the academic needs of individual students;
                            (ii) by providing a personalized sequence 
                        of instructional content and skill development 
                        informed by the student's academic interests 
                        and learning styles that is designed to enable 
                        the student to achieve the student's individual 
                        goals and ensure the student can graduate on 
                        time and college and career ready, which may 
                        include the use of personalized learning plans; 
                        and
                            (iii) by implementing strategies that 
                        develop caring, consistent relationships 
                        between students and adults that communicate 
                        high expectations for student learning and 
                        behavior;
                    (B) increase student engagement by providing 
                applied learning opportunities and student-centered 
                learning;
                    (C) provide school leaders with autonomy through a 
                flexible budget and staffing authority;
                    (D) implement ongoing high-quality, job-embedded, 
                evidence-based professional development for teachers 
                and school leaders, provide increased opportunities for 
                collaboration and leadership, which may include 
                professional learning communities, and may include 
                providing curriculum coaches or instructional leaders 
                to--
                            (i) implement the activities funded under 
                        this Act;
                            (ii) strengthen content knowledge and 
                        instructional strategies, including those 
                        strategies needed to provide postsecondary-
                        level course content in secondary school and 
                        work-related learning opportunities;
                            (iii) develop instructional strategies to 
                        support literacy across disciplines; and
                            (iv) strengthen relationships among 
                        students and staff;
                    (E) increase student access to teachers certified 
                in the subject area they are assigned to teach;
                    (F) provide professional development and support 
                for specialized instructional support personnel;
                    (G) improve access to rigorous courses, including 
                providing all students with pathways to earn not less 
                than 12 postsecondary credits while in high school, 
                which may include--
                            (i) redesigning academic content and 
                        instructional practices to align high school 
                        coursework with criteria associated with 
                        admission to postsecondary education and 
                        success in such postsecondary education in 
                        credit-bearing courses and employer 
                        expectations;
                            (ii) increasing rigor by providing each 
                        student with the opportunity to earn 
                        postsecondary credit while in high school, 
                        particularly in STEM-related subjects, such as 
                        through dual enrollment or early college high 
                        school; or
                            (iii) implementing competency-based 
                        learning models;
                    (H) provide college and career pathways through 
                such activities as--
                            (i) implementing a college and career ready 
                        curriculum that integrates rigorous academics, 
                        early college and dual enrollment 
                        opportunities, career and technical education, 
                        and experiential learning for high school 
                        students in high-skill, high-demand industries 
                        in collaboration with local and regional 
                        employers, including in STEM-related subject 
                        areas, and work-based learning experiences;
                            (ii) providing dual enrollment 
                        opportunities with college credit-bearing 
                        courses, including accelerated certificate 
                        programs with community colleges or other 
                        recognized postsecondary credentials and 
                        including dual enrollment opportunities for 
                        secondary school students who are 2 or more 
                        years over-age or under-credited and those who 
                        have dropped out of school; or
                            (iii) designing curricula and sequences of 
                        courses, including in STEM-related subjects, in 
                        collaboration with teachers from the eligible 
                        high school and faculty from the partner 
                        institution of higher education so that 
                        students may simultaneously earn credits toward 
                        a high school diploma and earn an associate 
                        degree or at least 12 transferable 
                        postsecondary education credits toward a 
                        postsecondary degree at no cost to students or 
                        their families;
                    (I) strengthen the transition between high school 
                and postsecondary education, which may begin in middle 
                school, through such activities as--
                            (i) providing comprehensive and timely 
                        academic and career counseling, which includes 
                        ensuring low student-to-counselor ratios, that 
                        addresses both college and career planning 
                        needs and allow students to make informed 
                        decisions about academic and career options, 
                        including the use of current labor-market 
                        information for students, families, and staff;
                            (ii) providing high-quality college and 
                        career exploration opportunities including 
                        college campus visits, work-related learning 
                        opportunities, particularly in in-demand 
                        industry sectors or occupations, as defined in 
                        section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
                        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102);
                            (iii) coordinating secondary and 
                        postsecondary support services, and academic 
                        calendars to allow students to visit and take 
                        courses at the institutions of higher 
                        education; and
                            (iv) providing academic and support 
                        services, including financial aid counseling 
                        for postsecondary education;
                    (J) make more strategic use of learning time, which 
                may include restructuring the school day, extending the 
                school day, week, or year, or providing related 
                opportunities through after school programming;
                    (K) utilize technology effectively to achieve the 
                purposes of this Act; and
                    (L) provide integrated support services to address 
                the social, emotional, health, and behavioral needs of 
                students that influence academic achievement.
    (f) Allowable Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section may use the grant funds to improve parent and 
family engagement in the educational achievement of students and 
dropouts to ensure that they are, or become, on track to college and 
career readiness, which may include--
            (1) leveraging community-based services and resources to 
        support students, dropouts, and their families;
            (2) providing information to assist parents and families in 
        navigating the public school system and postsecondary planning;
            (3) providing or modernizing equipment and materials needed 
        to implement high-quality, career-related instruction and 
        science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction 
        to assist in the implementation of activities required under 
        subsection (e);
            (4) providing after school or extended learning 
        opportunities, by extending the school day, week, or year to 
        increase the total number of school hours to include additional 
        time for instruction in academic subjects and enrichment 
        activities that contribute to a well-rounded education and 
        includes credit-bearing opportunities;
            (5) increasing student supports through activities such as 
        student advisories, school counseling opportunities, and one-
        to-one mentoring; and
            (6) creating smaller learning communities.
    (g) Supplement Not Supplant.--An eligible entity shall use Federal 
funds received under this section only to supplement the funds that 
would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be made available from 
other Federal and non-Federal sources for the activities described in 
this section, and not to supplant such funds.
    (h) Sustainability.--An eligible entity shall demonstrate--
            (1) how the use of existing Federal, State, and local 
        resources, such as funds made available under the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
        2301 et seq.) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
        (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) may be coordinated with such grant; 
        and
            (2) how the members of the eligible entity will identify 
        and secure resources to ensure program sustainability after the 
        expiration of such grant.
    (i) Data Collection and Evaluation.--
            (1) Collection of data.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this Act shall collect and report annually to the 
        Secretary such information on the results of the activities 
        assisted under the grant as the Secretary may reasonably 
        require, including--
                    (A) the number and percentage of students, in the 
                aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup of 
                students, as described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 6311(h)(1)(C)(i)), who are served by the 
                eligible entity under this Act and who--
                            (i) graduate from high school with a 
                        regular high school diploma within 4 years;
                            (ii) graduate from high school with a 
                        regular high school diploma within 5 years;
                            (iii) graduate from high school with a 
                        regular high school diploma within 6 years;
                            (iv) are on-track to graduate from high 
                        school college and career ready within the 
                        standard number of years;
                            (v) earn credit toward a postsecondary 
                        credential, including the number of credits;
                            (vi) earn a recognized postsecondary 
                        credential, as defined in section 3 of the 
                        Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
                        U.S.C. 3102);
                            (vii) enroll in postsecondary education;
                            (viii) need remediation at the 
                        postsecondary level;
                            (ix) complete at least the equivalent of 1 
                        academic year of postsecondary credit 
                        applicable to a postsecondary degree not later 
                        than 2 years after enrollment in an institution 
                        of higher education; and
                            (x) complete postsecondary education;
                    (B) information consistent with the additional 
                indicators of success proposed by the eligible entity 
                in the grant application; and
                    (C) other information the Secretary may require as 
                necessary for the evaluation described in paragraph 
                (3).
            (2) Reporting of data.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this Act shall disaggregate the information 
        required under paragraph (1) in the same manner as information 
        is disaggregated under section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6311(h)(1)(C)(i)).
            (3) Evaluation.--
                    (A) In general.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
                grant under this Act shall, immediately after the 
                receipt of grant funds, enter into a contract with an 
                outside evaluator to enable the evaluator to conduct--
                            (i) an evaluation of the effects of the 
                        grant after the third year of implementation of 
                        the grant, including the performance indicators 
                        described in paragraph (1); and
                            (ii) an evaluation of the effects on the 
                        grant after the final year of the grant period, 
                        including the performance indicators described 
                        in paragraph (1).
                    (B) Distribution.--Upon completion of an evaluation 
                described in subparagraph (A), the eligible entity 
                shall submit a copy of the evaluation to the Secretary 
                in a timely manner.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$300,000,000 for fiscal year 2016 and for each of the succeeding 5 
fiscal years.
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