I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1436
To assist local communities in the renewal of their public schools.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 24, 1997
Mr. CLAY (for himself, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE,
Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. FATTAH, Mr.
HINOJOSA, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. FORD, Mr.
KUCINICH, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. WATERS, Mr.
HILLIARD, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. RANGEL, Mr.
STOKES, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. CARSON, Mrs. CLAY-
TON, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DIXON, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. MEEK of Flor-
ida, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RUSH, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. WYNN,
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN) introduced the follow-
ing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To assist local communities in the renewal of their public
schools.
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 ‘‘Public Schools Re-
newal and Improvement Act of 1997’’.
and secondary school population will grow by 10 per-
cent by the year 2005, and over the next 10 years,
schools will need more than 2,000,000 additional
teachers to meet the demands of such expected en-
rollments.
(6) Almost 7 of 10 Americans support in-
creased Federal assistance to our Nation’s public
schools, and that support crosses all boundaries, in-
cluding cities, towns, and rural areas.
(7) When Federal investment in public schools
and children has increased, test scores have im-
proved, and high school graduation rates and college
enrollments have increased.
(8) The Federal Government should encourage
communities that demonstrate a strong commitment
to restore and reform their public schools.
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to assist
local communities that are taking the initiative—
(1) to overcome adverse conditions in their pub-
lic schools;
(2) to revitalize their public schools in accord-
ance with local plans to achieve higher academic
standards and safer and improved learning environ-
ments; and
(3) to ensure that every community public
school provides a quality education for all students.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) CONSORTIUM.—The term ‘‘consortium’’
means a local schools consortium as defined in para-
graph (2).
(2) LOCAL SCHOOLS CONSORTIUM.—The term
‘‘local schools consortium’’ means the local edu-
cational agency in collaboration with a group com-
posed of affected parents, students, and representa-
tives of teachers, school employees and administra-
tors, local business and community leaders and rep-
resentative of local higher education group working
or residing within the boundary of a local edu-
cational agency.
(3) PARENT.—The term ‘‘parent’’ includes any
of the following:
(A) A grandparent.
(B) A legal guardian.
(C) Any other person standing in loco
parentis.
(3) PLAN.—The term ‘‘plan’’ means a 3-year
public schools renewal and improvement plan de-
scribed in section 5.
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Is-
lands, Guam, and American Samoa.
SEC. 4. PROCEDURE FOR DECLARATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—A request for a declaration by the
President that a ‘‘public schools renewal effort is under-
way’’ shall be made by a local schools consortium.
(b) REQUEST.—The local education agency shall sub-
mit the request to the Governor of the State who shall,
with or without comment, forward such request to the
President not more than 30 days after the Governor’s re-
ceipt of such request. Such request shall—
(1) include the plan;
(2) describe the nature and amount of State
and local resources which have been or will be com-
mitted to the renewal and improvement of the public
schools; and
(3) certify that State or local government obli-
gations and expenditures will comply with all appli-
cable matching requirements established pursuant to
this Act.
(c) DECLARATION.—Based on a request made under
this Act, the President, in consultation with the Secretary,
may declare that a ‘‘public schools renewal effort is under-
way’’ in such community and authorize the Department
of Education and other Federal agencies to provide assist-
ance under this Act.
(d) PROGRESS REPORTS.—The consortium shall—
(1) amend such request annually to include ad-
ditional initiatives and approaches undertaken by
the local educational agency to improve the academic
effectiveness and safety of its public school system.
(2) submit annual performance reports to the
Secretary which shall describe progress in achieving
the goals of the plan.
SEC. 5. ELEMENTS OF RENEWAL AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—As part of its request to the Presi-
dent, and in order to receive assistance under this section,
a consortium shall submit a plan that includes the ele-
ments described in subsections (b) and (c).
(b) ADVERSE CONDITIONS.—The plan shall specify
the existence of any of the following factors:
(1)(A) A substantial percentage of students in
the affected public schools have been performing well
below the national average, or below other bench-
marks, including State developed benchmarks in
such basic skills as reading, math, and science, con-
sistent with Goals 2000 and title I of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; or
(B) a substantial percentage of such students
are failing to complete high school.
(2) Some or all of such schools are overcrowded
or have physical plant conditions that threaten the
health, safety, and learning environment of the
schools’ populations.
(3) There is a substantial shortage of certified
teachers, teaching materials, and technology train-
ing.
(4) Some or all of the schools are located where
crime and safety problems interfere with the schools’
ability to educate students to high academic stand-
ards.
(c) ASSURANCES.—The plan shall also include assur-
ances from the local educational agency that—
(1) the plan was developed by the local schools
consortium after extensive public discussion with
State education officials, affected parents, students,
teachers and representatives of teachers and school
employees, administrators, higher education officials,
other educators, and business and community lead-
ers;
(2) describe how the consortium will use re-
sources to meet the types of reforms described in
section 7;
(3) provide effective opportunities for profes-
sional development of public school teachers, school
staff, principals, and school administrators;
(4) provide for greater parental involvement in
school affairs;
(5) focus substantially on successful and contin-
uous improvement in the basic academic perform-
ance of the students in the public schools;
(6) address the unique responsibilities of all
stake holders in the public school system, including
students, parents, teachers, school administrators,
other educators, governmental officials, and business
and community leaders, for the effectiveness of the
public school system especially with respect to the
schools targeted for greatest assistance;
(7) provide for regular objective evaluation of
the effectiveness of the plan;
(8) the agency will give priority to public
schools that need the most assistance in improving
overcrowding, physical problems and other health
and safety concerns, readiness for telecommuni-
cations equipment, and teacher training and the pool
of certified teachers;
(9) ensure that funds received under this Act
shall be used to supplement, not supplant other non-
Federal funds;
(10) certify that the combined fiscal effort per
student or the aggregate expenditures within the
State with respect to the provision of free public
education for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year
for which the request for a declaration is made was
not less than 90 percent of such combined fiscal ef-
fort or aggregate expenditures for the second fiscal
year preceding the fiscal year for which the request
for a declaration is made; and
(11) will address other major issues which the
local schools consortium determines are critical to
renewal of its public schools.
SEC. 6. ALLOWABLE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—To provide assistance under this
Act, the President may—
(1) direct the Department of Education, with or
without reimbursement, to use the authority and the
resources granted to it under Federal law (including
personnel, educational equipment and supplies, fa-
cilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory serv-
ices) in support of State and local assistance efforts;
(2) direct any other Federal agency to provide
assistance as described in paragraph (1);
(3) coordinate such assistance provided by Fed-
eral agencies; and
(4) provide technical assistance and advisory
assistance to the affected local educational agency.
(b) DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE FUNDS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—At the direction of the
President, the Secretary shall distribute funds and
resources provided pursuant to a declaration under
this Act to local educational agencies selected for as-
sistance under this Act.
(2) EXISTING
PROCEDURES.—The Secretary
shall determine the best method of distributing
funds under this Act through personnel and existing
procedures that are used to distribute funds under
other elementary and secondary education programs.
(c) PROHIBITION.—No provision of this Act shall be
construed to authorize any action or conduct prohibited
under the General Education Provisions Act.
SEC. 7. USE OF ASSISTANCE.
Assistance provided pursuant to this Act may be used
only to carry out a plan, and to effectuate the following
and similar types of public school reforms:
(1) STUDENT-TARGETED RESOURCES.—
(A) Increasing and improving high-quality
early childhood educational opportunities.
(B) Providing comprehensive parent train-
ing so that parents better prepare children be-
fore they reach school age.
(C) Establishing intensive truancy preven-
tion and dropout prevention programs.
(D) Establishing alternative public schools
and programs for troubled students and drop-
outs, and establishing other public school learn-
ing ‘‘safety nets’’.
(E) Enhancing assistance for students with
special needs (including limited English pro-
ficient students, English as a second language,
and students with disabilities).
(2) CLASSROOM
FOCUSED
SCHOOL
DEVELOP-
MENT.—
(A) Establishing teacher and principal
academies to assist in training and professional
development.
(B) Establishing effective training links for
students with area colleges and universities.
(C) Establishing career ladders for teach-
ers and school employees.
(D) Establishing teacher mentor programs.
(E) Establishing recruitment programs at
area colleges and universities to recruit and
train college students for the teaching profes-
sion.
(F) Establishing stronger links between
schools and law enforcement and juvenile jus-
tice authority.
(G) Establishing stronger links between
schools and parents concerning safe classrooms
and effective classroom activities and learning.
(H) Establishing parent and community
patrols in and around schools to assist safe
schools and passage to schools.
(I) Implementing research-based promising
educational practices and promoting exemplary
school recognition programs.
(J) Expanding the time students spend on
school-based learning activities and in extra-
curricular activities.
(3) ACCOUNTABILITY REFORMS.—
(A) Establishing high learning standards
and meaningful assessments of whether stand-
ards are being met.
(B) Monitoring school progress and deter-
mining how to more effectively use school sys-
tem resources.
(C) Establishing performance criteria for
teachers and principals through such entities as
joint school board and union staff improvement
committees.
(D) Establishing promotion and gradua-
tion requirements for students, including re-
quirements for reading, mathematics, and
science performance.
(E) Providing for strong accountability
and corrective action from a continuum of op-
tions, consistent with State law and title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965.
SEC. 8. DURATION OF ASSISTANCE.
Assistance under this Act may be provided for each
of fiscal years 1998 through 2000.
SEC. 9. REPORT.
Not later than March 31, 2000, the Secretary shall
submit a report to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate as-
sessing the effectiveness of this Act in assisting recipient
local schools consortia in carrying out their plans submit-
ted under this Act.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; MATCHING
REQUIREMENT.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this Act—
(1) for fiscal year 1998, $250,000,000; and
(2) for fiscal year 1999, $500,000,000; and
(3) for fiscal year 2000, such sums as may be
necessary.
(b) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Federal funds expended or
obligated under this Act shall be matched (in an
amount equal to such amount so expended or obli-
gated) from State or local funds.
(2) OTHER
FEDERAL
RESOURCES.—The Sec-
retary shall, by regulation and in consultation with
the heads of other Federal agencies, establish
matching requirements for other Federal resources
provided under this Act.