Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide for State accountability in the provision of access to the core resources for learning, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015 2. State and school district accountability (a) In general Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. (1) in section 1111— (A) in subsection (b)— (i) in paragraph (1)— (I) in subparagraph (A), by inserting that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation and challenging student academic achievement standards (II) in subparagraph (D)(i)— (aa) in subclause (II), by striking and (bb) by adding at the end the following: (IV) lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation; and ; and (ii) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following: (L) State accountability in the provision of access to the core resources for learning (i) In general Each State plan shall demonstrate that the State has developed an accountability system that ensures that the State’s public school system provides all students within the State an education that enables the students to succeed from the earliest grades, and graduate from high school ready for college, career, and citizenship, through— (I) the provision of fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning; (II) the provision of educational services in local educational agencies that receive funds under this part; and (III) compliance with any final Federal or State court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the State’s public school system. (ii) Core resources for learning For purposes of this Act, the core resources for learning are the resources and student supports necessary to provide all students the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation. Such resources shall include the following: (I) High-quality instructional teams, including licensed, cre­den­tialed, and profession-ready teachers, principals, school librarians, counselors, and education support personnel. (II) Rigorous academic standards and curricula that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation, including the extent to which each local educational agency provides access to such standards and curricula in a manner that is accessible to all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. (III) Equitable and in­struc­tion­al­ly appropriate class sizes. (IV) Up-to-date instructional materials, technology, and supplies, including textbooks, computers, mobile devices, and access to broadband. (V) Effective school library programs. (VI) School facilities and technology, including physically and environmentally sound school buildings and well-equipped instructional spa­ces, including laboratories and libraries. (VII) Specialized instruction support teams, including school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, and other qualified professionals involved in providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services (including related services as that term is defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs. (VIII) Effective programs for family and community engagement in education. (iii) Reporting Each State desiring to receive a grant under this part shall annually report to the Secretary how the State is meeting the requirements for providing equitable access to the core resources for learning as required in clause (i) and any areas of inequitable access, plans to address such inequities, and progress toward eliminating such inequities. (iv) Accountability and remediation A State that fails to make progress toward eliminating inequities in access to the core resources for learning as required in clause (i) identified for 2 or more consecutive years shall not be eligible to receive funds under any competitive grant program authorized under this Act. ; and (B) in subsection (h)— (i) in paragraph (1)(C)(vii), by striking information on the performance of local educational agencies in the State regarding making adequate yearly progress, including the number and names of each school identified for school improvement under section 1116 information on the performance of local educational agencies in the State in providing fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning and the number and names of each school and each agency identified for improvement under section 1116 or under the terms of any waiver granted under section 9401 (ii) in paragraph (2)(B)— (I) in clause (i)— (aa) in subclause (I), by striking and (bb) by adding at the end the following: (III) information that shows how students served by the local educational agency are provided access to the core resources for learning compared to students in the State as a whole; and ; (II) in clause (ii)— (aa) in subclause (I), by striking and (bb) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (cc) by adding at the end the following: (III) information that shows how the school’s students are provided access to the core resources for learning compared to students in the local educational agency and the State as a whole. ; (iii) in paragraph (4)— (I) in subparagraph (F), by striking and (II) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (III) by adding at the end the following: (H) the number and names of each local educational agency identified for improvement under section 1116 or under the terms of any waiver granted under section 9401, the reason each such agency was so identified, and the measures taken to address the achievement problems of each such agency. ; (2) in section 1116(c), by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: (3) Identification of local educational agency for improvement (A) In general A State shall identify for improvement— (i) any local educational agency that, for 2 consecutive years, including the period immediately prior to the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, failed to make adequate yearly progress as defined in the State's plan under section 1111(b)(2); or (ii) any local educational identified under the terms of a waiver granted under section 9401. (B) Intervention in local educational agencies identified for improvement With respect to each local educational agency identified for improvement by a State under this section or under the terms of any waiver granted under section 9401, the State— (i) shall identify any inequities in access to the core resources for learning in the schools served by the agency; and (ii) in partnership with such agency, shall develop and implement a plan to address identified inequities in access to the core resources for learning. . (b) Restrictions on waivers Section 9401(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7861(c) (1) in paragraph (9)(C), by striking or (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or (3) by adding at the end the following: (11) accountability for the provision of the core resources for learning. .

Summary: Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015 Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require states to adopt student achievement standards that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation. Requires each state school improvement plan to ensure that the state's public school system enables students to meet those standards by providing them with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Includes among the core resources for learning: high-quality instructional teams; rigorous academic standards and curricula that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation; equitable and instructionally appropriate class sizes; up-to-date instructional materials, technology, and supplies; effective school library programs; school facilities and technology, including physically and environmentally sound school buildings and well-equipped instructional spaces; specialized instruction support teams providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs; and effective programs to engage families and the community in education. Prohibits states that fail to make progress toward eliminating inequities in access to the core resources for learning for two or more consecutive years from receiving funds under any competitive grant program authorized by the ESEA. Requires the annual report cards publicly disseminated by states and their local educational agencies (LEAs) to include information on the performance of LEAs and schools in providing students with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Requires states to identify any of their LEAs as needing improvement if they: (1) fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress toward state academic content and achievement standards, or (2) have received a waiver of the ESEA's statutory or regulatory requirements from the Secretary of Education. Requires states to: (1) identify any inequities in access to the core resources of learning in schools served by an LEA that has been identified as needing improvement, and (2) work with the LEA to address those inequities. Prohibits the Secretary from waiving this Act's requirements for accountability in providing students with access to the core resources for learning.