SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
(1) Students in grades 5 through 8 represent 
58 percent (approximately 15 million) of the Na-
tion’s annual test-takers under the amendments 
made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. 
(2) According to the 2005 National Assessment 
on Educational Progress (NAEP), fewer than one- 
third of the students in 8th grade can read and 
write with proficiency; in mathematics, only 30 per-
cent of students in 8th grade perform at the pro-
ficient level, and nearly one-third score below the 
basic level. 
(3) According to the 2005 NAEP, only 6 per-
cent of students with disabilities in 8th grade scored 
at or above proficiency in reading as compared with 
31 percent for non-disabled students. 
(4) Results from ACT’s EXPLORE assessment 
reflect that only 11 percent of 8th grade students 
are on track to succeed in first-year college English, 
algebra, biology and social science courses. 
(5) 96 percent of 8th grade English language 
learners scored below the proficient level of the read-
ing portion of the 2005 NAEP. 
(6) Sixth-grade students who do not attend 
school regularly, who receive poor behavior marks, or 
who fail mathematics or English have no more than 
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a 10 percent chance of graduating high school on 
time and a 20 percent chance of graduating one year 
late. 
(7) If funds provided under title I of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 were 
distributed on the basis of student populations, mid-
dle schools (representing 23 percent of the Nation’s 
student population) would receive approximately 
$2.92 billion of the current title I allocation. Yet, of 
the $12.7 billion appropriated in FY 2005 for title 
I, only $1.27 billion (10 percent) is allocated to mid-
dle schools by the States. 
(8) Middle school students are optimistic about 
their future with 93 percent believing that there is 
no chance that they will drop out of high school and 
92 percent say that it is likely that they will attend 
college. Yet about one-third of students who enter 
high school do not graduate with their peers, and 
another third graduate but do not have the knowl-
edge and skills to succeed in college. 
(9) 68 percent of middle school students indi-
cate that they have little or no information about 
how to choose high school classes that will prepare 
them for college. 
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(10) Research reflects that the middle school 
period is an important time for early postsecondary 
planning. 
(11) Research also associates the middle school 
years with declines in motivation, self-perception, 
and academic achievement. 
(12) Transitions from elementary to middle 
school and middle school to high school are often 
complicated by poor vertical curriculum alignment, 
inadequate counseling services to help students make 
decisions about course work and co-curricular activi-
ties, and unsatisfactory sharing of student perform-
ance data between schools. 
(13) To stem a dropout rate twice that of stu-
dents without disabilities, students with disabilities 
in the critical middle grades must receive appro-
priate academic accommodations and access to as-
sistive technology, high risk behaviors such as absen-
teeism and course failure must be monitored, and 
problem-solving skills with broad application must be 
taught. 
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TITLE I—MIDDLE SCHOOL 
IMPROVEMENT 
SEC. 101. FORMULA GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL IMPROVE-
MENT. 
(a) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 
under section 106, the Secretary shall make grants under 
this title to each State educational agency for which the 
Secretary has approved an application under subsection 
(f). The amount of grant to each such State educational 
agency for each fiscal year shall equal the allotment for 
such agency determined under subsection (c) for such 
year. 
(b) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount made 
available to carry out this title for a fiscal year, the Sec-
retary— 
(1) shall reserve 1 percent to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of this title in achieving its purposes, in-
cluding hiring an outside evaluator and ensuring 
that results are peer-reviewed and widely dissemi-
nated; and 
(2) shall reserve 5 percent for technical assist-
ance and dissemination of best practice in middle 
grades education to States and local educational 
agencies. 
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(c) AMOUNT OF STATE ALLOTMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the total amount avail-
able for allotments to carry out this title for a fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall allot such amount among 
the States in proportion to the number of children, 
aged 5 to 17, who reside within each State and are 
from families with incomes below the poverty line for 
the most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory 
data are available (determined in accordance with 
paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 1124(a) of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965). 
(2) MINIMUM
ALLOTMENTS.—No State edu-
cational agency shall receive an allotment under this 
subsection that is less than $20,000,000. 
(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, a State educational agency 
shall provide non-Federal matching funds equal to 
not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant. 
(2) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS.—In-kind con-
tributions may be used to meet the requirement of 
paragraph (1) but only to the extent of 10 percent 
of the amount of the grant. 
(e) REALLOTMENT.— 
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(1) FAILURE TO APPLY; APPLICATION NOT AP-
PROVED.—If any State does not apply for an allot-
ment under this title for a fiscal year or if the State 
educational agency’s application is not approved, the 
Secretary shall reallot the amount of the State’s al-
lotment to the remaining States in accordance with 
this section. 
(2) UNUSED
FUNDS.—The Secretary may 
reallot any amount of an allotment to a State if the 
Secretary determines that the State will be unable to 
use such amount within 2 years of such allotment. 
Such reallotments shall be made on the same basis 
as allotments are made under subsection (c). 
(f) APPLICATION.—In order to receive a grant under 
this title, a State educational agency shall submit an appli-
cation to the Secretary (at such time and in such form 
as the Secretary may require) which includes— 
(1) the State middle school improvement plan 
described in section 102(a)(2), and 
(2) such other information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require. 
SEC. 102. STATE PLAN; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. 
(a) MANDATORY ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
title to a State educational agency shall be used— 
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interventions that schools can use to effectively 
intervene. 
(b) PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
title to a State educational agency may be used to 
make competitive grants to eligible entities to carry 
out the following activities: 
(A) Develop and encourage collaborations 
among researchers at institutions of higher edu-
cation, State educational agencies, educational 
service agencies (as defined in section 9101(17) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965), local educational agencies, and 
nonprofit organizations to expand the use of ef-
fective practices in the middle grades and to im-
prove middle grade education. 
(B) Support local educational agencies in 
implementing proven middle grade practices, 
models and programs that are evidence-based 
and demonstrate improved student achievement. 
(C) Create and sustain networks to dis-
seminate high-quality research that relates to 
middle grade education best practices. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For purposes of para-
graph (1), the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any 
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partnership that includes at least 1 local educational 
agency. Such a partnership may include an institu-
tion of higher education, an education service agen-
cy, and any non-profit organization with dem-
onstrated expertise in high quality middle level inter-
ventions. 
SEC. 103. COMPETITIVE SUBGRANTS TO LOCAL EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCIES TO IMPROVE LOW-PER-
FORMING MIDDLE GRADES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency re-
ceiving a grant under this title shall make competitive sub-
grants to eligible local educational agencies. 
(b) PRIORITIES.—In making subgrants under this 
section, a State educational agency shall give priority to 
eligible local educational agencies based on— 
(1) their respective populations of children de-
scribed in section 101(c), and 
(2) their respective populations of children at-
tending eligible schools. 
(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
subgrant under this section, an eligible local edu-
cational agency shall provide non-Federal matching 
funds equal to not less than 15 percent of the 
amount of the subgrant. 
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(2) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS.—In-kind con-
tributions may be used to meet the requirement of 
paragraph (1) but only to the extent of 10 percent 
of the amount of the subgrant. 
(d) APPLICATION.—In order to receive a subgrant 
under this section, an eligible local educational agency 
shall submit an application to the State educational agen-
cy (at such time and in such form as the State educational 
agency may require) which includes— 
(1) the comprehensive schoolwide improvement 
plan described in subsection (e) for each eligible 
school, and 
(2) such other information as such agency may 
reasonably require. 
(e) COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLWIDE IMPROVEMENT 
PLAN.—The comprehensive local middle school improve-
ment plan of an eligible local educational agency shall in-
clude the information described in subsection (b) and de-
scribe how the agency will— 
(1) identify eligible schools; 
(2) ensure that funds go to the highest priority 
eligible schools first; 
(3) use funds to improve the achievement of all 
students, including English language learners and 
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students with disabilities, in eligible schools and 
middle grades; 
(4) implement an early warning data system 
and appropriate interventions; 
(5) increase academic rigor and foster student 
engagement to ensure students are entering high 
school prepared for success in the workplace and in 
a rigorous college-ready curriculum, including a de-
scription of how such readiness will be measured; 
and 
(6) implement a systemic transition plan for all 
students and encourage collaboration between ele-
mentary, middle, and high schools. 
(f) MANDATORY
USES
OF
FUNDS.—Subgrants 
awarded under this section shall be used by eligible local 
educational agencies to develop and implement com-
prehensive, schoolwide improvement plan in eligible 
schools that include the following: 
(1) Align curricula between elementary grades, 
middle grades, and high schools and across all grade 
levels within those schools. 
(2) 
Implement 
evidence-based 
instructional 
strategies and learning environments that meet the 
needs of all students and ensure that school leaders 
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and teachers receive professional development on 
using these strategies. 
(3) Develop and use an effective formative as-
sessment to inform instruction. 
(4) Implement organizational practices and 
school schedules which allow for collaborative leader-
ship, effective teacher teaming, and parent and com-
munity involvement. 
(5) Create a more personalized and engaging 
learning environment for middle grade students by 
developing a personal academic plan for each stu-
dent and assigning at least one adult to help mon-
itor student progress. 
(6) Provide all students with information and 
assistance about the requirements for high school 
graduation, college admission, and career success. 
(7) Utilize data from an early warning data 
system and guidance resources to identify struggling 
students and assist them as they transition from ele-
mentary grade to middle grades and from middle 
grades to high school. 
(8) Implement academic supports and effective 
and coordinated extra help programs to ensure that 
students have a strong foundation in reading, writ-
ing, mathematics, and science skills. 
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