dents from other populations underrepresented in higher 
education. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘dual enrollment program’’ means an academic pro-
gram through which a secondary school student is 
able simultaneously to earn credit toward a sec-
ondary school diploma and a postsecondary degree 
or credential. 
(2) EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.—The term 
‘‘early college high school’’ means a secondary school 
that provides a course of study that enables a stu-
dent to earn a secondary school diploma and either 
an associate’s degree or one to two years of postsec-
ondary credit toward a postsecondary degree or cre-
dential. 
(3) 
EDUCATIONAL
SERVICE
AGENCY.—The 
term ‘‘educational service agency’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 9101(17) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801(17)). 
(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a local educational agency, which may be 
an educational service agency, in a collaborative 
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partnership with an institution of higher education. 
Such partnership also may include other entities, 
such as a nonprofit organization with experience in 
youth development. 
(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(6) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 9101(26) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801(26)). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(8) LOW-INCOME STUDENT.—The term ‘‘low-in-
come student’’ means a student described in section 
1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; RESERVA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 
2016 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 
years 2017 through 2021. 
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(b) EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS.—The Sec-
retary shall reserve not less than 45 percent of the funds 
appropriated under subsection (a) to support early college 
high schools under section 5. 
(c) DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS.—The Secretary 
shall reserve not less than 45 percent of such funds to 
support dual enrollment programs (other than early col-
lege high schools) under section 5. 
(d) STATE GRANTS.—The Secretary shall reserve 10 
percent of such funds, or $10,000,000, whichever is less, 
for grants to States under section 9. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZED PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to 
award 6-year grants to eligible entities seeking to establish 
a new, or support an existing, early college high school 
or other dual enrollment program in accordance with sec-
tion 6. 
(b) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that grants are of sufficient size to enable grantees to 
carry out all required activities and otherwise meet the 
purposes of this Act, except that a grant under this section 
may not exceed $2,000,000. 
(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall con-
tribute matching funds toward the costs of the early 
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college high school or other dual enrollment program 
to be supported under this section, of which not less 
than half shall be from non-Federal sources, which 
funds shall represent not less than the following: 
(A) Twenty percent of the grant amount 
received in each of the first and second years of 
the grant. 
(B) Thirty percent in each of the third and 
fourth years. 
(C) Forty percent in the fifth year. 
(D) Fifty percent in the sixth year. 
(2) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT
CONTRIB-
UTED.—The Secretary shall allow an eligible entity 
to satisfy the requirement of this subsection through 
in-kind contributions. 
(d) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—An eligible enti-
ty shall use a grant received under this section only to 
supplement funds that would, in the absence of such 
grant, be made available from non-Federal funds for sup-
port of the activities described in the eligible entity’s appli-
cation under section 7, and not to supplant such funds. 
(e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants— 
(1) that propose to establish or support an 
early college high school or other dual enrollment 
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program that will serve a student population of 
which 40 percent or more are students counted 
under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6313(a)(5)); and 
(2) from States that provide assistance to early 
college high schools or other dual enrollment pro-
grams, such as assistance to defray the costs of 
higher education (including costs of tuition, fees, 
and textbooks). 
(f) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that 
grantees are from a representative cross-section of urban, 
suburban, and rural areas. 
SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS. 
(a) MANDATORY
ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity 
shall use grant funds received under section 5 to support 
the activities described in its application under section 7, 
including the following: 
(1) PLANNING YEAR.—In the case of a new 
early college high school or dual enrollment program, 
during the first year of the grant— 
(A) hiring a principal and staff, as appro-
priate; 
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(B) designing the curriculum and sequence 
of courses in collaboration with (at a minimum) 
teachers from the local educational agency and 
faculty from the partner institution of higher 
education; 
(C) informing parents and the community 
about the school or program and opportunities 
to become actively involved in the school or pro-
gram; 
(D) establishing a course articulation proc-
ess for defining and approving courses for sec-
ondary school and postsecondary credit or cre-
dential; 
(E) outreach programs to ensure that sec-
ondary school students and their families are 
aware of the early college high school or dual 
enrollment program; 
(F) liaison activities among partners in the 
eligible entity; and 
(G) coordinating secondary and postsec-
ondary support services, academic calendars, 
and transportation. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD.—During the re-
mainder of the grant period— 
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(A) academic and social support services, 
including counseling; 
(B) liaison activities among partners in the 
eligible entity; 
(C) data collection and use of such data 
for student and instructional improvement and 
program evaluation; 
(D) outreach programs to ensure that sec-
ondary school students and their families are 
aware of the early college high school or dual 
enrollment program; 
(E) professional development, including 
joint professional development for secondary 
school and faculty from the institution of higher 
education; and 
(F) school or program design and planning 
team activities, including curriculum develop-
ment. 
(b) ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity may 
also use grant funds received under section 5 otherwise 
to support the activities described in its application under 
section 7, including— 
(1) purchasing textbooks and equipment that 
support the school or program’s curriculum; 
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(2) developing learning opportunities for stu-
dents that complement classroom experiences, such 
as internships, career-based capstone projects, and 
opportunities provided under chapters 1 and 2 of 
subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.); 
(3) transportation; and 
(4) planning time for secondary school and edu-
cators from an institution of higher education to col-
laborate. 
SEC. 7. APPLICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under section 
5, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and including such 
information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
(b) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—At a minimum, 
the application described in subsection (a) shall include 
a description of— 
(1) the early college high school’s or other dual 
enrollment program’s budget; 
(2) each partner in the eligible entity and its 
experience with early college high schools or other 
dual enrollment programs, key personnel from each 
partner and their responsibilities for the early col-
lege high school or dual enrollment program, and 
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how the eligible entity will work with secondary and 
postsecondary teachers, other public and private en-
tities, community-based organizations, businesses, 
labor organizations, and parents to ensure that stu-
dents will be prepared to succeed in postsecondary 
education and employment, which may include the 
development of an advisory board; 
(3) how the eligible entity will target and re-
cruit at-risk youth, including those at risk of drop-
ping out of school, first generation college students, 
and students from populations described in section 
1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)); 
(4) a system of student supports including, but 
not limited to, small group activities, tutoring, lit-
eracy and numeracy skill development in all aca-
demic disciplines, parental and community outreach 
and engagement, extended learning time, and college 
readiness activities, such as early college academic 
seminars and counseling; 
(5) in the case of an early college high school, 
how a graduation and career plan will be developed, 
consistent with State graduation requirements, for 
each student and reviewed each semester; 
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(6) how parents or guardians of students in the 
early college high school or dually enrolled students 
will be informed of their academic performance and 
progress and, subject to paragraph (5), involved in 
the development of their career and graduation plan; 
(7) coordination that will occur between the in-
stitution of higher education and the local edu-
cational agency, including regarding academic cal-
endars, provision of student services, curriculum de-
velopment, and professional development; 
(8) how the eligible entity will ensure that 
teachers in the early college high school or other 
dual enrollment program receive appropriate profes-
sional development and other supports, including to 
enable them to utilize effective parent and commu-
nity engagement strategies, and help English-lan-
guage learners, students with disabilities, and stu-
dents from diverse cultural backgrounds to succeed; 
(9) learning opportunities for students that 
complement classroom experiences, such as intern-
ships, career-based capstone projects, and opportuni-
ties provided under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 
of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.); 
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(10) how policies, agreements, and courses 
taken will ensure that postsecondary credits earned 
will be transferable to, at a minimum, public institu-
tions of higher education within the State, consistent 
with existing statewide articulation agreements; 
(11) student assessments and other measure-
ments of student achievement including benchmarks 
for student achievement; 
(12) outreach programs to provide elementary 
and secondary school students, especially those in 
middle grades, and their parents, teachers, school 
counselors, and principals information about and 
academic preparation for the early college high 
school or other dual enrollment program; 
(13) how the local educational agency and insti-
tution of higher education will work together, as ap-
propriate, to collect and use data for student and in-
structional improvement and program evaluation; 
(14) how the eligible entity will help students 
meet eligibility criteria for postsecondary courses 
and ensure that students understand how their cred-
its will transfer; and 
(15) how the eligible entity will access and le-
verage additional resources necessary to sustain the 
early college high school or other dual enrollment 
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program after the grant expires, including by engag-
ing businesses and non-profit organizations. 
(c) ASSURANCES.—An eligible entity’s application 
under subsection (a) shall include assurances that— 
(1) in the case of an early college high school, 
the majority of courses offered, including postsec-
ondary courses, will be offered at facilities of the in-
stitution of higher education; 
(2) students will not be required to pay tuition 
or fees for postsecondary courses; 
(3) postsecondary credits earned will be tran-
scribed upon completion of the requisite course 
work; and 
(4) faculty teaching postsecondary courses meet 
the normal standards for faculty established by the 
institution of higher education. 
(d) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the require-
ment of subsection (c)(1) upon a showing that it is im-
practical to apply due to geographic considerations. 
SEC. 8. PEER REVIEW. 
(a) PEER REVIEW
OF APPLICATIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall establish peer review panels to review applica-
tions submitted pursuant to section 7 to advise the Sec-
retary regarding such applications. 
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(b) COMPOSITION OF PEER REVIEW PANELS.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that each peer review panel is not 
comprised wholly of full-time officers or employees of the 
Federal Government and includes, at a minimum— 
(1) experts in the establishment and adminis-
tration of early college high schools or other dual en-
rollment programs from the secondary and postsec-
ondary perspective; 
(2) faculty at institutions of higher education 
and secondary school teachers with expertise in dual 
enrollment; and 
(3) experts in the education of at-risk students. 
SEC. 9. GRANTS TO STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to 
award 5-year grants to State agencies responsible for sec-
ondary or postsecondary education for efforts to support 
or establish early college high schools or other dual enroll-
ment programs. 
(b) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that grants are of sufficient size to enable grantees to 
carry out all required activities. 
(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—A State shall con-
tribute matching funds from non-Federal sources toward 
the costs of carrying out activities under this section, 
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which funds shall represent not less than 50 percent of 
the grant amount. 
(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to States that pro-
vide assistance to early college high schools or other dual 
enrollment programs, such as assistance to defray the 
costs of higher education, such as tuition, fees, and text-
books. 
(e) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this sec-
tion, a State agency shall submit to the Secretary an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and including such 
information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
(f) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—At a minimum, the 
application described in subsection (e) shall include— 
(1) how the State will carry out all of the re-
quired State activities described in subsection (g); 
(2) how the State will identify and eliminate 
barriers to implementing effective early college high 
schools and dual enrollment programs after the 
grant expires, including by engaging businesses and 
non-profit organizations; 
(3) how the State will access and leverage addi-
tional resources necessary to sustain early college 
high schools or other dual enrollment programs; and 
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(4) such other information as the Secretary de-
termines to be appropriate. 
(g) STATE ACTIVITIES.—A State receiving a grant 
under this section shall use such funds for— 
(1) creating outreach programs to ensure that 
secondary school students, their families, and com-
munity members are aware of early college high 
schools and dual enrollment programs in the State; 
(2) planning and implementing a statewide 
strategy for expanding access to early college high 
schools and dual enrollment programs for students 
who are underrepresented in higher education to 
raise statewide rates of secondary school graduation, 
readiness for postsecondary education, and comple-
tion of postsecondary degrees and credentials, with 
a focus on at-risk students, including identifying any 
obstacles to such a strategy under State law or pol-
icy; 
(3) providing technical assistance to early col-
lege high schools and other dual enrollment pro-
grams, such as brokering relationships and agree-
ments that forge a strong partnership between ele-
mentary and secondary and postsecondary partners; 
(4) identifying policies that will improve the ef-
fectiveness and ensure the quality of early college 
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high schools and dual enrollment programs, such as 
access, funding, data and quality assurance, govern-
ance, accountability and alignment policies; 
(5) planning and delivering statewide training 
and peer learning opportunities for school leaders 
and teachers from early college high schools and 
dual enrollment programs, which may include pro-
viding instructional coaches who offer on-site guid-
ance; 
(6) disseminating best practices in early college 
high schools and dual enrollment programs from 
across the State and from other States; and 
(7) facilitating statewide data collection, re-
search and evaluation, and reporting to policymakers 
and other stakeholders. 
SEC. 10. REPORTING AND OVERSIGHT. 
(a) REPORTING BY GRANTEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
uniform guidelines for all grantees concerning infor-
mation such grantees annually shall report to the 
Secretary to demonstrate a grantee’s progress to-
ward achieving the goals of this Act. 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—At a minimum, 
the report described in paragraph (1) shall include, 
for eligible entities receiving funds under section 5, 
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for students participating in the early college high 
school or other dual enrollment program within each 
category 
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)): 
(A) The number of students. 
(B) The percentage of students scoring ad-
vanced, proficient, basic, and below basic on the 
assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)). 
(C) The performance of students on other 
assessments or measurements of achievement. 
(D) The number of secondary school cred-
its earned. 
(E) The number of postsecondary credits 
earned. 
(F) Attendance rate, as appropriate. 
(G) Graduation rate. 
(H) Placement in postsecondary education 
or advanced training, in military service, and in 
employment. 
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(I) A description of the school or pro-
gram’s student, parent, and community out-
reach and engagement. 
(b) REPORTING BY SECRETARY.—The Secretary an-
nually shall compile and analyze the information described 
in subsection (a) and shall submit a report containing such 
analysis to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor of the House of Representatives. The 
report shall include identification of best practices for 
achieving the goals of this Act. 
(c) MONITORING VISITS.—The Secretary’s designee 
shall visit each grantee at least once for the purpose of 
helping the grantee achieve the goals of this Act and to 
monitor the grantee’s progress toward achieving such 
goals. 
(d) NATIONAL
EVALUATION.—Not later than 6 
months after the date on which funds are appropriated 
to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall enter into a con-
tract with an independent organization to perform an eval-
uation of the grants awarded under this Act. Such evalua-
tion shall apply rigorous procedures to obtain valid and 
reliable data concerning participants’ outcomes by social 
and academic characteristics and monitor the progress of 
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students from secondary school to and through postsec-
ondary education. 
(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 
provide technical assistance to eligible entities concerning 
best practices in early college high schools and dual enroll-
ment programs and shall disseminate such best practices 
among eligible entities and State and local educational 
agencies. 
SEC. 11. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 
(a) EMPLOYEES.—Nothing in this Act shall be con-
strued to alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, 
and procedures afforded to the employees of local edu-
cational agencies (including schools) or institutions of 
higher education under Federal, State, or local laws (in-
cluding applicable regulations or court orders) or under 
the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda 
of understanding, or other agreements between such em-
ployees and their employers. 
(b) GRADUATION RATE.—A student who graduates 
from an early college high school supported under this Act 
in the standard number of years for graduation described 
in the eligible entity’s application shall be considered to 
have graduated on time for purposes of section 
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1111(b)(2)(C)(6) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(6)). 
Æ 
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