Graduation for All Act

Bill: 111-hr-4122
Sponsor: Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-7]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Minority education
Research administration and funding
Research and development
School administration
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Graduation for All Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve student academic achievement, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness in high schools whose graduation rates are at or below 65% and in underperforming middle schools that send more than one-half of their students to such high schools.
 
Requires grantees to provide each school with: (1) an Early Warning System that helps the school identify and implement tiered academic, social, and behavioral student interventions, including differentiated instruction; (2) one of four Models of Success tailored to its analysis of the school's needs; and (3) certain other supportive services.
 
Lists the Models of Success as: (1) a transformational model, that provides on-site professional development and career-ladder opportunities for teachers; (2) a turnaround model, that replaces ineffective principals and teachers and reassigns teachers that are not teaching in their area of expertise; (3) a restart model, that closes the school and reopens it with new leadership, staff, and instructional programs; and (4) a close-down model, that closes the school and re-enrolls students in higher-achieving schools.
 
Directs the Secretary to contract with an outside evaluator to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of this program and disseminate best practices in improving student achievement.
 
Fast Track to College Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary to award matching grants to LEAs and schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that partner with institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish, or support existing, early college high schools or dual enrollment programs that allow high school students to earn postsecondary credits without paying postsecondary tuition or fees.
 
Gives grant priority to applicants that are receiving a grant under this Act's first grant program and will serve areas experiencing severe economic distress.
 
Directs the Secretary to arrange for an independent evaluation of this grant program, and provide LEAs with information and technical assistance concerning best practices in early college high schools and dual enrollment programs.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) enter into contracts with the Center for Education of the National Academies to conduct and review existing research on middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse for research in best practices in middle grades, and a middle grades database that identifies factors that facilitate or impede student achievement; (3) require the the Institute of Education Sciences to develop a strand of field-initiated research aimed at enhancing the performance of disadvantaged middle school students; (4) create a research and development center dedicated to middle grades education; and (5) award grants to IHEs and other organizations that partner with states and LEAs to turn around low-performing middle grades.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-01-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in House