I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2316 
To provide grants to States to ensure that all students in the middle grades 
are taught an academically rigorous curriculum with effective supports 
so that students complete the middle grades prepared for success in 
secondary school and postsecondary endeavors, to improve State and 
district policies and programs relating to the academic achievement of 
students in the middle grades, to develop and implement effective middle 
grades models for struggling students, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2013 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. CONNOLLY, 
Mr. POLIS, and Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force 
A BILL 
To provide grants to States to ensure that all students in 
the middle grades are taught an academically rigorous 
curriculum with effective supports so that students com-
plete the middle grades prepared for success in secondary 
school and postsecondary endeavors, to improve State 
and district policies and programs relating to the aca-
demic achievement of students in the middle grades, 
to develop and implement effective middle grades models 
for struggling students, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Success in the Middle 
Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) International comparisons indicate that stu-
dents in the United States do not start out behind 
students of other nations in mathematics and 
science, but that they fall behind by the end of the 
middle grades. 
(2) Just over one-third of 8th grade students in 
the United States, and only 3 percent of such stu-
dents who are English language learners, can read 
with proficiency, according to the 2011 National As-
sessment on Educational Progress (NAEP). 
(3) In mathematics, just over one-third of stu-
dents in 8th grade show skills at the NAEP pro-
ficient level. The percentage of 8th grade students 
scoring above the basic level was 10 points higher in 
2011 than in 2000, but for 4th grade students, the 
percentage increased 18 points, almost double the 
increase for middle grades students. In 8th grade, 
the gaps between the average mathematics scores of 
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White and Black students and between White and 
Hispanic students were approximately as wide in 
2011 as in 1990. 
(4) Only 13 percent of 8th graders met all of 
the college readiness benchmarks on ACT’s EX-
PLORE assessment, a measure which ACT found 
displays a stronger relationship with college and ca-
reer readiness than any other academic factor 
throughout secondary school. 
(5) Lack of basic skills at the end of middle 
grades has serious implications for students. Stu-
dents who enter secondary school 2 or more years 
behind grade level in mathematics and literacy have 
only a 50 percent chance of progressing on time to 
the 10th grade; those not progressing are at signifi-
cant risk of dropping out of secondary school. 
(6) Middle grades students are hopeful about 
their future, with 93 percent believing that they will 
complete secondary school and 86 percent antici-
pating that they will attend an institution of higher 
education. 
(7) Sixth grade students who do not attend 
school regularly, who are subjected to frequent dis-
ciplinary actions, or who fail mathematics or English 
have less than a 15 percent chance of graduating 
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secondary school on time and a 20 percent chance 
of graduating 1 year late. Without effective interven-
tions and proper supports, these students are at risk 
of subsequent failure in secondary school, or of drop-
ping out. 
(8) Student transitions from elementary school 
to the middle grades and to secondary school are 
often complicated by poor curriculum alignment, in-
adequate counseling services, and unsatisfactory 
sharing of student performance and academic 
achievement data between grades. 
(9) Middle grades improvement strategies 
should be tailored based on a variety of performance 
indicators and data, so that educators can create 
and implement successful school improvement strate-
gies to address the needs of the middle grades, and 
so that teachers can provide effective instruction and 
adequate assistance to meet the needs of at-risk stu-
dents. 
(10) To stem a dropout rate nearly twice that 
of students without disabilities, students with dis-
abilities in the critical middle grades must receive 
appropriate academic accommodations and access to 
assistive technology, high-risk behaviors such as ab-
senteeism and course failure must be monitored, and 
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problem-solving skills with broad application must be 
taught. 
(11) Local educational agencies and State edu-
cational agencies often do not have the capacity to 
provide support for school improvement strategies. 
Successful models do exist for turning around low- 
performing middle grades, and Federal support 
should be provided to increase the capacity to apply 
promising practices based on evidence from success-
ful schools. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘elemen-
tary school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary 
school’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the 
meanings given the terms in section 9101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) 
CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM.—The 
term 
‘‘chronic absenteeism’’ means a student misses— 
(A) 10 percent of the school days per 
school year; or 
(B) not less than 20 school days per school 
year. 
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(3) DIGITAL
LITERACY
SKILLS.—The term 
‘‘digital literacy skills’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 202 of the Museum and Library 
Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101). 
(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a partnership that includes— 
(A) not less than 1 eligible local edu-
cational agency; and 
(B)(i) an institution of higher education; 
(ii) an educational service agency (as de-
fined in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801)); or 
(iii) a nonprofit organization with dem-
onstrated expertise in high-quality middle 
grades intervention. 
(5) ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.— 
The term ‘‘eligible local educational agency’’ means 
a local educational agency that serves not less than 
1 eligible school. 
(6) ELIGIBLE
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘eligible 
school’’ means an elementary or secondary school 
that contains not less than 2 or more successive 
grades beginning with grade 5 and ending with 
grade 8 and for which— 
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(A) a high proportion of the middle grades 
students attending such school go on to attend 
a secondary school with a graduation rate of 
less than 65 percent; 
(B) more than 25 percent of the students 
who finish grade 6 at such school, or the ear-
liest middle grade level at the school, exhibit 1 
or more of the key risk factors and early risk 
identification signs, including— 
(i) student attendance below 90 per-
cent; 
(ii) a failing grade in a mathematics 
or reading or language arts course; 
(iii) 2 failing grades in any courses; 
and 
(iv) out-of-school suspension or other 
evidence of at-risk behavior; or 
(C) more than 50 percent of the middle 
grades students attending such school do not 
perform at a proficient level on State student 
academic assessments required under section 
1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)) 
in mathematics or reading or language arts. 
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(7) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(8) MIDDLE
GRADES.—The term ‘‘middle 
grades’’ means any of grades 5 through 8. 
(9) PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.— 
The term ‘‘principles of scientific research’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 200 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021). 
(10) SCIENTIFICALLY VALID RESEARCH.—The 
term ‘‘scientifically valid research’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 200 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021). 
(11) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Education. 
(12) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
(13) STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY.—The term 
‘‘student with a disability’’ means a student who is 
a child with a disability, as defined in section 602 
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1401). 
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TITLE I—MIDDLE GRADES 
IMPROVEMENT 
SEC. 101. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this title are to— 
(1) improve middle grades student academic 
achievement and prepare students for rigorous sec-
ondary school coursework so that such students will 
graduate from secondary school college and career 
ready; 
(2) ensure that curricula and student supports 
for middle grades education align with the curricula 
and student supports provided for elementary and 
secondary school grades; 
(3) provide resources to State educational agen-
cies and local educational agencies to collaboratively 
develop school improvement plans in order to deliver 
support and technical assistance to schools serving 
students in the middle grades; and 
(4) increase the capacity of States and local 
educational agencies to develop effective, sustainable, 
and replicable school improvement programs and 
models and evidence-based or, when available, sci-
entifically valid student interventions for implemen-
tation by schools serving students in the middle 
grades. 
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SEC. 102. FORMULA GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCIES FOR MIDDLE GRADES IMPROVE-
MENT. 
(a) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 
under section 107, the Secretary shall make grants under 
this title for a fiscal year to each State educational agency 
for which the Secretary has approved an application under 
subsection (f) in an amount equal to the allotment deter-
mined for such agency under subsection (c) for such fiscal 
year. 
(b) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount made 
available to carry out this title for a fiscal year, the Sec-
retary— 
(1) shall reserve not more than 1 percent for 
the Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs) and the outlying areas for 
activities carried out in accordance with this section; 
(2) shall reserve 1 percent to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of this title in achieving the purposes of this 
title and ensuring that results are peer-reviewed and 
widely disseminated, which may include hiring an 
outside evaluator; and 
(3) shall reserve 5 percent for technical assist-
ance and dissemination of best practices in middle 
grades education to States and local educational 
agencies. 
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(c) AMOUNT OF STATE ALLOTMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), of the total amount made available to 
carry out this title for a fiscal year and not reserved 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall allot such 
amount among the States in proportion to the num-
ber of children, aged 5 to 17, who reside within the 
State and are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line for the most recent fiscal year for which 
satisfactory data are available, compared to the 
number of such individuals who reside in all such 
States for that fiscal year, determined in accordance 
with section 1124(c)(1)(A) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6333(c)(1)(A)). 
(2) MINIMUM
ALLOTMENTS.—No State edu-
cational agency shall receive an allotment under this 
subsection for a fiscal year that is less than 1⁄2 of 
1 percent of the amount made available to carry out 
this title for such fiscal year. 
(d) SPECIAL RULE.—For any fiscal year for which 
the funds appropriated to carry out this title are less than 
$500,000,000, the Secretary is authorized to award grants 
to State educational agencies, on a competitive basis, rath-
er than as allotments described in this section, to enable 
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such agencies to award subgrants under section 104 on 
a competitive basis. 
(e) REALLOTMENT.— 
(1) FAILURE TO APPLY; APPLICATION NOT AP-
PROVED.—If any State educational agency does not 
apply for an allotment under this title for a fiscal 
year, or if the application from the State educational 
agency is not approved, the Secretary shall reallot 
the amount of the State’s allotment 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, in such manner, and 
accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require, including a State middle grades im-
provement plan described in section 103(a)(4). 
(g) PEER
REVIEW
AND
SELECTION.—The Sec-
retary— 
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(1) shall establish a peer-review process to as-
sist in the review and approval of proposed State ap-
plications; 
(2) shall appoint individuals to participate in 
the peer-review process who are educators and ex-
perts in identifying, evaluating, and implementing 
effective education programs and practices (includ-
ing in the areas of teaching and learning, edu-
cational standards and assessments, school improve-
ment, rates of suspension and expulsion, and aca-
demic and behavioral supports for middle grades 
students, and in addressing the needs of students 
with disabilities and English language learners in 
the middle grades), which individuals may include 
recognized exemplary middle grades teachers and 
middle grades principals who have been recognized 
at the State or national level for exemplary work or 
contributions to the field; 
(3) shall ensure that States are given the op-
portunity to receive timely feedback, and to interact 
with peer-review panels, in person or via electronic 
communication, on issues that need clarification dur-
ing the peer-review process; 
(4) shall approve a State application submitted 
under this title not later than 120 days after the 
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date of submission of the application unless the Sec-
retary determines that the application does not meet 
the requirements of this title; 
(5) may not decline to approve a State’s appli-
cation before— 
(A) offering the State an opportunity to 
revise the State’s application; 
(B) providing the State with technical as-
sistance in order to submit a successful applica-
tion; and 
(C) providing a hearing to the State; and 
(6) shall direct the Inspector General of the De-
partment of Education to— 
(A) review final determinations reached by 
the Secretary to approve or deny State applica-
tions; 
(B) analyze the consistency of the process 
used by peer-review panels in reviewing and rec-
ommending to the Secretary approval or denial 
of such State applications; and 
(C) report the findings of this review and 
analysis to Congress. 
SEC. 103. STATE PLAN; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. 
(a) MANDATORY ACTIVITIES.— 
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(iii) teacher quality and equitable dis-
tribution; 
(iv) interventions that support learn-
ing in school; 
(v) family and community engagement 
in education; and 
(vi) student and academic support 
services, such as effective school library 
programs and school counseling on the 
transition to secondary school and plan-
ning for entry into postsecondary edu-
cation and the workforce. 
(4) MIDDLE GRADES IMPROVEMENT PLAN.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A State educational 
agency that receives a grant under this title 
shall develop a middle grades improvement plan 
that— 
(i) shall be a statewide plan to im-
prove student academic achievement in the 
middle grades, based on the needs analysis 
described in paragraph (3); and 
(ii) describes what students are re-
quired to know and do to successfully— 
(I) complete the middle grades; 
and 
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(II) make the transition to suc-
ceed in academically rigorous sec-
ondary school coursework and grad-
uate from secondary school college 
and career ready. 
(B) PLAN COMPONENTS.—A middle grades 
improvement plan described in subparagraph 
(A) shall also describe how the State edu-
cational agency will do each of the following: 
(i)(I) Ensure that the curricula and 
assessments for middle grades education 
are aligned with secondary school curricula 
and assessments and prepare students to 
take challenging secondary school courses 
and successfully engage in postsecondary 
education. 
(II) Ensure coordination, where appli-
cable, with the activities carried out 
through grants for P–16 education align-
ment under section 6201(c)(1) of the 
America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 
9871). 
(III) Ensure that the transition from 
elementary school to the middle grades is 
supported through programs that promote 
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successful social, emotional, and cognitive 
development. 
(ii) Ensure that professional develop-
ment is provided to school leaders, teach-
ers, and other school personnel in— 
(I) addressing the needs of di-
verse learners, including students with 
disabilities 
and 
English 
language 
learners; 
(II) using challenging and rel-
evant research-based best practices 
and curricula; and 
(III) using data to inform in-
struction. 
(iii) Identify and disseminate informa-
tion on effective schools and instructional 
strategies for middle grades students based 
on high-quality research. 
(iv) Include specific provisions for stu-
dents most at risk of not graduating from 
secondary school, including English lan-
guage learners and students with disabil-
ities. 
(v) Provide technical assistance to eli-
gible entities to develop and implement 
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their early warning indicator and interven-
tion systems, as described in section 
104(d)(2)(D). 
(vi) Define a set of comprehensive 
school performance indicators that shall be 
used, in addition to the indicators used to 
determine adequate yearly progress, as de-
fined in section 1111(b)(2)(C) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)), to evalu-
ate school performance, and guide the 
school improvement process, such as— 
(I) student attendance and ab-
senteeism; 
(II) earned on-time promotion 
rates from grade to grade; 
(III) percentage of students fail-
ing a mathematics, reading or lan-
guage arts, or science course, or fail-
ing 2 or more of any courses; 
(IV) teacher quality and attend-
ance measures; 
(V) in-school and out-of-school 
suspension or other measurable evi-
dence of at-risk behavior; and 
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(VI) additional indicators pro-
posed by the State educational agen-
cy, and approved by the Secretary 
pursuant to the peer-review process 
described in section 102(g). 
(vii) Ensure that such plan is coordi-
nated with State activities to turn around 
other schools in need of improvement, in-
cluding State activities to improve sec-
ondary schools and elementary schools. 
(viii) Ensure that such plan includes 
specific provisions to improve family and 
community engagement in education in the 
middle grades. 
(b) PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES.—A State educational 
agency that receives a grant under this title may use the 
grant funds to— 
(1) develop and encourage collaborations among 
researchers at institutions of higher education, State 
educational agencies, educational service agencies 
(as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801)), local educational agencies, and nonprofit or-
ganizations with demonstrated expertise in high- 
quality middle grades interventions, to expand the 
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use of effective practices in the middle grades and 
to improve middle grades education; 
(2) support local educational agencies in imple-
menting effective middle grades practices, models, 
and programs that— 
(A) are evidence-based or, when available, 
scientifically valid; and 
(B) lead to improved student academic 
achievement; 
(3) support collaborative communities of middle 
grades teachers, administrators, school librarians, 
and researchers in creating and sustaining informa-
tional databases to disseminate results from rigorous 
research on effective practices and programs for 
middle grades education; and 
(4) increase middle grades student and aca-
demic support services, such as effective school li-
brary programs and school counseling on the transi-
tion to secondary school and planning for entry into 
postsecondary education and the workforce. 
SEC. 104. COMPETITIVE SUBGRANTS TO IMPROVE LOW- 
PERFORMING MIDDLE GRADES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency that 
receives a grant under this title shall make competitive 
subgrants to eligible local educational agencies and eligible 
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entities to enable the eligible local educational agencies 
and eligible entities to improve low-performing middle 
grades in schools served by the agencies or entities. 
(b) PRIORITIES.—In making subgrants under sub-
section (a), a State educational agency shall give priority 
to eligible local educational agencies or eligible entities 
based on— 
(1) the respective populations of children de-
scribed in section 102(c)(1) served by the eligible 
local educational agencies participating in the 
subgrant application process; and 
(2) the respective populations of children served 
by the participating eligible local educational agen-
cies who attend eligible schools. 
(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible local educational 
agency or eligible entity that desires to receive a subgrant 
under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the 
State educational agency at such time, in such manner, 
and accompanied by such information as the State edu-
cational agency may reasonably require, including— 
(1) a comprehensive schoolwide improvement 
plan described in subsection (d); 
(2) a description of how activities described in 
such plan will be coordinated with activities specified 
in plans for schoolwide programs under section 1114 
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of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6314) and school improvement 
plans required under section 1116(b)(3) of such Act 
(20 U.S.C. 6316(b)(3)); and 
(3) a description of how activities described in 
such plan will be complementary to, and coordinated 
with, school improvement activities for elementary 
schools and secondary schools in need of improve-
ment that serve the same students within the par-
ticipating local educational agency. 
(d) COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLWIDE IMPROVEMENT 
PLAN.—An eligible local educational agency or eligible en-
tity that desires to receive a subgrant under subsection 
(a) shall develop a comprehensive schoolwide improvement 
plan for the middle grades that shall— 
(1) include the information described in sub-
section (c)(2); 
(2) describe how the eligible local educational 
agency or eligible entity will— 
(A) identify eligible schools; 
(B) ensure that funds go to the highest 
priority eligible schools first, based on the eligi-
ble schools’ populations of children described in 
section 102(c)(1); 
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(C) use funds to close achievement gaps 
and improve the academic achievement of all 
students, including English language learners 
and students with disabilities, in eligible 
schools; 
(D) implement an early warning indicator 
and intervention system to alert schools when 
students begin to exhibit outcomes or behaviors 
that indicate the student is at increased risk for 
low academic achievement or is unlikely to 
progress to secondary school graduation, and to 
create a system of evidence-based interventions 
to be used by schools to effectively intervene, 
by— 
(i) identifying and analyzing, such as 
through the use of longitudinal data of 
past cohorts of students, the academic and 
behavioral indicators in the middle grades 
that most reliably predict dropping out of 
secondary school, such as attendance, 
chronic absenteeism, behavior measures 
(including suspensions, officer referrals, or 
conduct marks), academic performance in 
core courses, and earned on-time pro-
motion from grade-to-grade; 
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(ii) analyzing student progress and 
performance on the indicators identified 
under clause (i) to guide decisionmaking; 
(iii) analyzing academic indicators to 
determine whether students are on track to 
graduate on time, and developing appro-
priate evidence-based intervention; and 
(iv) identifying or developing a mecha-
nism for regularly collecting and report-
ing— 
(I) student-level data on the indi-
cators identified under clause (i); 
(II) student-level progress and 
performance, as described in clause 
(ii); 
(III) student-level data on the in-
dicators described in clause (iii); and 
(IV) information about the im-
pact of interventions on student out-
comes and progress; 
(E) increase academic rigor and foster stu-
dent engagement to ensure students are enter-
ing secondary school prepared for success in a 
rigorous college- and career-ready curriculum, 
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including a description of how such readiness 
will be measured; 
(F) implement a systemic transition plan 
for all students and encourage collaboration 
among elementary grades, middle grades, and 
secondary school grades to support the success-
ful transition between grades; 
(G) increase community and family en-
gagement in education in the middle grades to 
support student success; and 
(H) provide evidence that the strategies, 
programs, supports, and instructional practices 
proposed under the schoolwide improvement 
plan are new and have not been implemented 
before by the eligible local educational agency 
or eligible entity; and 
(3) provide evidence of an ongoing commitment 
to sustain the plan for a period of not less than 4 
years. 
(e) REVIEW AND SELECTION OF SUBGRANTS.—In 
making subgrants under subsection (a), the State edu-
cational agency shall— 
(1) establish a peer-review process to assist in 
the review and approval of applications under sub-
section (c); and 
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(2) appoint individuals to participate in the 
peer-review process who are educators and experts in 
identifying, evaluating, and implementing effective 
education programs and practices, including— 
(A) experts in areas of teaching and learn-
ing, educational standards and assessments, 
school improvement, in addressing the needs of 
students with disabilities and English language 
learners in the middle grades, and in the aca-
demic and behavioral supports for middle 
grades students; and 
(B) recognized exemplary middle grades 
teachers and principals who have been recog-
nized at the State or national level for exem-
plary work or contributions to the field. 
(f) REVISION
OF SUBGRANTS.—If a State edu-
cational agency, using the peer-review process described 
in subsection (e), determines that an application for a 
grant under subsection (a) does not meet the requirements 
of this title, the State educational agency shall notify the 
eligible local educational agency or eligible entity of such 
determination and the reasons for such determination, and 
offer— 
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(1) the eligible local educational agency or eligi-
ble entity an opportunity to revise and resubmit the 
application; and 
(2) technical assistance to the eligible local edu-
cational agency or eligible entity, by the State edu-
cational agency or a nonprofit organization with 
demonstrated expertise in high-quality middle grades 
interventions, to revise the application. 
(g) MANDATORY USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible local 
educational agency or eligible entity that receives a 
subgrant under subsection (a) shall carry out the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Align the curricula for grades kindergarten 
through 12 for schools within the local educational 
agency to improve transitions from elementary 
grades to middle grades to secondary school grades. 
(2) In each eligible school served by the eligible 
local educational agency receiving or participating in 
the subgrant: 
(A) Align the curricula for all grade levels 
within eligible schools to improve grade to grade 
transitions. 
(B) Implement evidence-based or, when 
available, scientifically valid instructional strate-
gies, programs, and learning environments that 
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meet the needs of all students and ensure that 
school leaders and teachers receive professional 
development on the use of these strategies. 
(C) Ensure that school leaders, teachers, 
pupil service personnel, school librarians, and 
other school staff understand the developmental 
stages of adolescents in the middle grades and 
how to deal with those stages appropriately in 
an educational setting. 
(D) Implement organizational practices 
and school schedules that allow for effective 
leadership, collaborative staff participation, pro-
fessional development, effective teacher instruc-
tional teaming, and parent and community in-
volvement. 
(E) Create a more personalized and engag-
ing learning environment for middle grades stu-
dents by developing a personal academic plan 
for each student and assigning not less than 1 
adult to help monitor student progress. 
(F) Provide all students, and the students’ 
families, with information about, and assistance 
with, the requirements for secondary school 
graduation, admission to an institution of high-
er education, and career success. 
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(G) Utilize data from an early warning in-
dicator and intervention system described in 
subsection (d)(2)(D) to identify struggling stu-
dents and assist the students as the students 
transition from elementary school to middle 
grades to secondary school. 
(H) Implement academic supports, such as 
effective school library programs, and effective 
and coordinated additional assistance programs 
to ensure that students have a strong founda-
tion in reading, writing, mathematics, and 
science skills. 
(I) Implement evidence-based or, when 
available, scientifically valid schoolwide pro-
grams and targeted supports to promote posi-
tive academic outcomes, such as increased at-
tendance rates and the promotion of physical, 
personal, and social development. 
(J) Develop and use effective formative as-
sessments to inform instruction. 
(h) PERMISSIBLE USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible local 
educational agency or eligible entity that receives a 
subgrant under subsection (a) may use the subgrant funds 
to carry out the following: 
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(1) Implement extended learning opportunities 
in core academic areas including more instructional 
time in literacy, mathematics, science, history, and 
civics in addition to opportunities for language in-
struction and understanding other cultures and the 
arts. 
(2) Provide evidence-based professional develop-
ment activities with specific benchmarks to enable 
teachers and other school staff to appropriately 
monitor academic and behavioral progress of, and 
modify curricula and implement accommodations 
and assistive technology services for, students with 
disabilities, consistent with the students’ individual-
ized education programs under section 614(d) of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
U.S.C. 1414(d)). 
(3) Employ and use instructional coaches, in-
cluding literacy, mathematics, and English language 
learner coaches. 
(4) Provide professional development for con-
tent-area teachers and school librarians on working 
effectively with English language learners and stu-
dents with disabilities, as well as professional devel-
opment for English as a second language educators, 
bilingual educators, and special education personnel. 
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(5) Provide professional development in areas 
that support decreasing rates of suspension and ex-
pulsion. 
(6) Encourage and facilitate the sharing of data 
among elementary grades, middle grades, secondary 
school grades, and postsecondary educational institu-
tions. 
(7) Create collaborative study groups composed 
of principals or middle grades teachers, or both, 
among eligible schools within the eligible local edu-
cational agency receiving or participating in the 
subgrant, or between such eligible local educational 
agency and another local educational agency, with a 
focus on developing and sharing methods to increase 
student learning and academic achievement. 
(i) PLANNING SUBGRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the subgrants 
described in subsection (a), a State educational 
agency may (without regard to the preceding provi-
sions of this section) make planning subgrants, and 
provide technical assistance, to eligible local edu-
cational agencies and eligible entities that have not 
received a subgrant under subsection (a) to assist 
the local educational agencies and eligible entities in 
meeting the requirements of subsections (c) and (d). 
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(2) AMOUNT AND DURATION.—Each subgrant 
under this subsection shall be in an amount of not 
more than $100,000 and shall be for a period of not 
more than 1 year in duration. 
SEC. 105. DURATION OF GRANTS; SUPPLEMENT NOT SUP-
PLANT. 
(a) DURATION OF GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), grants under this title and subgrants 
under section 104(a) may not exceed 3 years in du-
ration. 
(2) RENEWALS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Grants and subgrants 
under this title may be renewed in 2-year incre-
ments. 
(B) CONDITIONS.—In order to be eligible 
to have a grant or subgrant renewed under this 
paragraph, the grant or subgrant recipient shall 
demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the granting 
entity, that— 
(i) the recipient has complied with the 
terms of the grant or subgrant, including 
by undertaking all required activities; and 
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(ii) during the period of the grant or 
subgrant, 
there 
has 
been 
significant 
progress in— 
(I) student academic achieve-
ment, as measured by the annual 
measurable objectives established pur-
suant to section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation 
Act 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)); and 
(II) other key risk factors such 
as attendance, rates of chronic absen-
teeism, and on-time promotion. 
(b) FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUP-
PLANT, NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency, 
eligible local educational agency, or eligible entity 
shall use Federal funds received under this title only 
to supplement the funds that would, in the absence 
of such Federal funds, be made available from non- 
Federal sources for the education of pupils partici-
pating in programs assisted under this title, and not 
to supplant such funds. 
(2) SPECIAL RULE.—Nothing in this title shall 
be construed to authorize an officer, employee, or 
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contractor of the Federal Government to mandate, 
direct, limit, or control a State, local educational 
agency, or school’s specific instructional content, 
academic achievement standards and assessments, 
curriculum, or program of instruction. 
SEC. 106. EVALUATION AND REPORTING. 
(a) EVALUATION.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 
the period of the grant, each State receiving a grant under 
this title shall— 
(1) conduct an evaluation of the State’s 
progress regarding the impact of the changes made 
to the policies and practices of the State in accord-
ance with this title, including— 
(A) a description of the specific changes 
made, or in the process of being made, to poli-
cies and practices as a result of the grant; 
(B) a discussion of any barriers hindering 
the identified changes in policies and practices, 
and implementation strategies to overcome such 
barriers; 
(C) evidence of the impact of changes to 
policies and practices on behavior and actions 
at the local educational agency and school level; 
and 
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(D) evidence of the impact of the changes 
to State and local policies and practices on im-
proving measurable learning gains by middle 
grades students; 
(2) use the results of the evaluation conducted 
under paragraph (1) to adjust the policies and prac-
tices of the State as necessary to achieve the pur-
poses of this title; and 
(3) submit the results of the evaluation to the 
Secretary. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make the re-
sults of each State’s evaluation under subsection (a) avail-
able to other States and local educational agencies. 
(c) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REPORTING.—On 
an annual basis, each eligible local educational agency and 
eligible entity receiving a subgrant under section 104(a) 
shall report to the State educational agency and to the 
public on— 
(1) the performance on the school performance 
indicators (as described in section 103(a)(4)(B)(vi)) 
for each eligible school served by the eligible local 
educational agency or eligible entity, in the aggre-
gate and disaggregated by the subgroups described 
in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary 
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and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)); and 
(2) the use of funds by the eligible local edu-
cational agency or eligible entity and each such 
school. 
(d) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REPORTING.—On 
an annual basis, each State educational agency receiving 
grant funds under this title shall report to the Secretary 
and to the public on— 
(1) the performance of eligible schools in the 
State, based on the school performance indicators 
described in section 103(a)(4)(B)(vi), in the aggre-
gate and disaggregated by the subgroups described 
in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)); and 
(2) the use of the funds by each eligible local 
educational agency in the State and by each eligible 
school. 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Every 2 years, the Sec-
retary shall report to the public and to Congress— 
(1) a summary of the State reports under sub-
section (d); and 
(2) the use of funds by each State under this 
title. 
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SEC. 107. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this title $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding 
fiscal years. 
TITLE II—RESEARCH 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
SEC. 201. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to facilitate the genera-
tion, dissemination, and application of research needed to 
identify and implement effective practices that lead to con-
tinual student learning and high academic achievement in 
the middle grades. 
SEC. 202. RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS. 
(a) STUDY ON PROMISING PRACTICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall enter into a contract with the Center for Edu-
cation of the National Academies to study and iden-
tify promising practices for the improvement of mid-
dle grades education. 
(2) CONTENT OF STUDY.—The study described 
in paragraph (1) shall identify promising practices 
currently being implemented for the improvement of 
middle grades education. The study shall be con-
ducted in an open and transparent way that provides 
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interim information to the public about criteria 
being used to identify— 
(A) promising practices; 
(B) the practices that are being consid-
ered; and 
(C) the kind of evidence needed to docu-
ment effectiveness. 
(3) REPORT.—The contract entered into pursu-
ant to this subsection shall require that the Center 
for Education of the National Academies submit to 
the Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives a final report regarding 
the study conducted under this subsection not later 
than 1 year after the date of the commencement of 
the contract. 
(4) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall make 
public and post on the website of the Department of 
Education the findings of the study conducted under 
this subsection. 
(b) SYNTHESIS STUDY OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING 
AND LEARNING IN MIDDLE GRADES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
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shall enter into a contract with the Center for Edu-
cation of the National Academies to review existing 
research on middle grades education, and on factors 
that might lead to increased effectiveness and en-
hanced innovation in middle grades education. 
(2) CONTENT OF STUDY.—The study described 
in paragraph (1) shall review research on education 
programs, practices, and policies, as well as research 
on the cognitive, social, and emotional development 
of children in the middle grades age range, in order 
to provide an enriched understanding of the factors 
that might lead to the development of innovative and 
effective middle grades programs, practices, and 
policies. The study shall focus on— 
(A) the areas of curriculum, instruction, 
and assessment (including additional supports 
for students who are below grade level in read-
ing, writing, mathematics, and science, and the 
identification of students with disabilities) to 
better prepare all students for subsequent suc-
cess in secondary school, postsecondary edu-
cation, and cognitively challenging employment; 
(B) the quality of, and supports for, the 
teacher workforce; 
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(C) aspects of student behavioral and so-
cial development, and of social interactions 
within schools that affect the learning of aca-
demic content; 
(D) the ways in which schools and local 
educational agencies are organized and operated 
that may be linked to student outcomes; 
(E) how development and use of early 
warning indicator and intervention systems can 
reduce risk factors for dropping out of school 
and low academic achievement; and 
(F) identification of areas where further 
research and evaluation may be needed on these 
topics to further the development of effective 
middle grades practices. 
(3) REPORT.—The contract entered into pursu-
ant to this subsection shall require that the Center 
for Education of the National Academies submit to 
the Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives a final report regarding 
the study conducted under this subsection not later 
than 2 years after the date of commencement of the 
contract. 
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(4) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall make 
public and post on the website of the Department of 
Education the findings of the study conducted under 
this subsection. 
(c) OTHER ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall carry 
out each of the following: 
(1) Create a national clearinghouse, in coordi-
nation with entities such as What Works and the 
Doing What Works Clearinghouses, for research in 
best practices in the middle grades and in the ap-
proaches that successfully take those best practices 
to scale in schools and local educational agencies. 
(2) Create a national middle grades database 
accessible to educational researchers, practitioners, 
and policymakers that identifies school, classroom, 
and system-level factors that facilitate or impede 
student academic achievement in the middle grades. 
(3) Require the Institute of Education Sciences 
to develop a strand of field-initiated and scientif-
ically valid research designed to enhance perform-
ance of schools serving middle grades students, and 
of middle grades students who are most at risk of 
educational failure, which may be coordinated with 
the regional educational laboratories established 
under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform 
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Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564), institutions of higher 
education, agencies recognized for their research 
work that has been published in peer-reviewed jour-
nals, and organizations that have such regional edu-
cational laboratories. Such research shall target spe-
cific issues such as— 
(A) effective practices for instruction and 
assessment in mathematics, science, technology, 
and literacy; 
(B) academic interventions for adolescent 
English language learners; 
(C) school improvement programs and 
strategies for closing the academic achievement 
gap and decreasing rates of suspension and ex-
pulsion; 
(D) evidence-based or, when available, sci-
entifically valid professional development plan-
ning targeted to improve pedagogy and student 
academic achievement; 
(E) the effects of increased learning or ex-
tended school time in the middle grades; and 
(F) the effects of decreased class size or 
increased instructional and support staff. 
(4) Strengthen the work of the existing national 
research and development centers under section 
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133(c) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)), as of the date of enact-
ment of this Act, by adding an educational research 
and development center dedicated to addressing— 
(A) curricular, instructional, and assess-
ment issues pertinent to the middle grades 
(such as mathematics, science, technological flu-
ency, the needs of English language learners, 
and students with disabilities); 
(B) comprehensive reforms for low-per-
forming middle grades; and 
(C) other topics pertinent to improving the 
academic achievement of middle grades stu-
dents. 
(5) Provide grants to nonprofit organizations, 
for-profit organizations, institutions of higher edu-
cation, and others to partner with State educational 
agencies and local educational agencies to develop, 
adapt, or replicate effective models for turning 
around low-performing middle grades. 
SEC. 203. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; RESERVA-
TIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this title $100,000,000 for fiscal 
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