I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 416 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to strength-
en accountability of authorized public chartering agencies and reduce 
charter school authorizing misconduct. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 10, 2017 
Mrs. LAWRENCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to strengthen accountability of authorized public 
chartering agencies and reduce charter school authorizing 
misconduct. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Raising Accountability 
to Improve School Excellence Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZING. 
Section 4303 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221b) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)(xii)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end 
of subclause (I); and 
(II) by inserting at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(III) In the case of any State 
entity, a description of how the State 
entity will ensure that the State’s sys-
tem of technical assistance and over-
sight, as described in subclause (I), 
will provide oversight of authorizing 
activity for each authorized public 
chartering agency that is an institu-
tion of higher education;’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C)— 
(I) by redesignating subclauses 
(III) through (VI) as subclauses (IV) 
through (VII), respectively; and 
(II) by inserting after subclause 
(II), the following: 
‘‘(II) a description of how the eli-
gible applicant will, prior to entering 
into a contract with an authorized 
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public chartering agency, review the 
agency’s previous authorizing activity, 
including the number of approvals, re-
newals, and revocations of charter 
schools with which the agency has 
been involved;’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)(E)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
clause (ii); and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) ensuring that the authorized 
public chartering agency carries out au-
thorizing activity in a manner that ensures 
high-quality student learning, as deter-
mined according to annual performance 
data described in clause (i); and 
‘‘(v) in the case of the poor perform-
ance of the schools authorized by an au-
thorized public chartering agency with re-
spect to the assessments, reviews, or re-
quirements under clauses (i) through (iv), 
provisionally revoking the authorized public 
chartering agency’s ability to approve char-
ter schools, including a plan to revoke au-
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thorizing authority to do so, in the case of 
continued poor performance;’’; and 
(2) in subsection (g)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (D)(iii); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (E); and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) the number of times the State entity 
applied under subsection (f) to receive a grant 
under this section and did not receive such 
grant.’’. 
Æ 
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