Raising Achievement through Improving Supplemental Education Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1009
Sponsor: Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL]
Introduced: 2007-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Compensatory education
Conflict of interests
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Nonprofit organizations
Parent-school relationships
Performance measurement
School buildings
School districts
School-age child care
Secondary education
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: 
Raising Achievement through Improving Supplemental Education Act of 2007 or the RAISE Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct local educational agencies (LEAs) to make supplemental educational services (SES) (after-school tutoring programs) available to eligible children attending schools identified as needing improvement because of their having failed, for two consecutive years, to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) pursuant to state academic performance standards. (Currently such services are required only after an additional year of failing to meet such standards.)
 
Makes low-performing children from such schools who are not from low-income families eligible for SES and gives them priority, in the case of insufficient funding, over children who are poor but not low-performing.
 
Requires LEAs to: (1) create a streamlined SES notification, registration, and provider selection process designed to increase the number of eligible children receiving such services and the information available to parents and SES providers; (2) grant approved providers access to school facilities that is equivalent to access provided to other after-school and extracurricular programs; and (3) enter into a written agreement with the parents' chosen provider, within a specified period, requiring such provider to render services within 20 days after the LEA and provider receive the child's contact information.
 
Requires states to: (1) provide advance notice to LEAs of their SES duties; (2) make a downloadable SES application form available to LEAs and parents; (3) evaluate providers in a valid and reliable manner that considers student achievement and parent satisfaction; (4) safeguard against conflicts of interest and underperformance when LEAs provide SES themselves; and (5) prohibit LEAs from reprogramming SES funds when there is inadequate parental notification or unsatisfied demand for services.
 
Prohibits the offering, by providers, of selection incentives to parents and eligible children.
 
Allows states to shift to nonprofit organizations, under a contract or cooperative agreement, performance of the SES responsibilities of LEAs that face conflicts of interest or are unreliable.
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a model program coordinating the provision of SES with 21st century community learning centers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4055-4056)
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate