(12) While the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) includes 
a strong focus on identifying low-performing schools, 
America still needs a comprehensive strategy to sup-
port and improve chronically low-performing schools 
and districts. School improvement strategies should 
be tailored based on a variety of indicators and data, 
so that educators can create and implement success-
ful school improvement strategies to address the 
needs of the individual schools. 
(13) Most districts and State educational agen-
cies do not necessarily have the capacity or infra-
structure to guide, support, and fund school im-
provement strategies where they are needed, but 
good models for turning around low-performing high 
schools do exist. Federal support should be used to 
build this capacity based on evidence from successful 
high schools. 
(14) If the Nation is to maintain and increase 
its competitiveness in the global economy, it must in-
vest in a systemic approach to improving its high 
schools so that every child graduates prepared for 
success. 
SEC. 102. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this title are to— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:28 Jul 03, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2928.IH
H2928
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(1) improve high school student academic 
achievement and graduation rates; 
(2) help States develop a high school improve-
ment system to deliver support and technical assist-
ance to high-priority high schools; 
(3) ensure students graduate from high school 
with the education and skills necessary to compete 
in a global economy; and 
(4) help build the capacity to develop and im-
plement research-based, sustainable, and replicable 
high school improvement models and interventions 
for high-priority high schools that engage the whole 
community. 
SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS.—The term 
‘‘adequate yearly progress’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 1111(b)(2)(B) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(B)). 
(2) 
AVERAGED
FRESHMEN
GRADUATION 
RATE.—The term ‘‘averaged freshmen graduation 
rate’’ means the estimate of the percentage of high 
school students who graduate on time by dividing 
the number of graduates with regular diplomas by 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:28 Jul 03, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2928.IH
H2928
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
the estimated size of the incoming freshman class 4 
years earlier, expressed as a percentage, as cal-
culated and reported by the National Center for 
Education Statistics. 
(3) LOW-INCOME LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘‘low-income local educational agen-
cy’’ means a local educational agency in which not 
less than 15 percent of the students served by such 
agency are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line. 
(4) MIDDLE
GRADES.—The term ‘‘middle 
grades’’ means grades 6 through 8. 
(5) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 
means the poverty line described in section 673 of 
the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
9902), applicable to a family of the size involved. 
(6) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘‘technical assistance provider’’ means a non-
profit entity with a proven track record of signifi-
cantly improving student achievement and outcomes 
in high-priority high schools. 
SEC. 104. GRANTS AUTHORIZED. 
The Secretary is authorized to make grants to State 
educational agencies with applications approved under sec-
tion 109 to establish or expand a differentiated high school 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:28 Jul 03, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2928.IH
H2928
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS