Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act

Bill: 113-hr-10
Sponsor: Rep. Kline, John [R-MN-2]
Introduced: 2014-04-01 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Building construction
Credit and credit markets
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Food assistance and relief
Poverty and welfare assistance
School administration
Student records

Summary:
action_date: 2014-04-01
text: 
Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act - Revises subpart 1 (Charter School Programs) of part B (Public Charter Schools) of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, including by subsuming subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) under subpart 1.
 
Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding grants to state entities (state educational agencies, state charter school boards, Governors, or charter school support organizations) and, through such grantees, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools.
 
Requires grantees to use at least 7% of grant funds to: (1) provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies, and (2) work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process. 
 
Permits the Secretary of Education to waive certain statutory or regulatory requirements if the waiver is requested by a grant applicant and promotes the purpose of the Charter School program without tampering with what is definitionally required of charter schools.
 
Requires the Secretary to award credit enhancement grants to public entities and private nonprofit entities that have the highest-quality applications, after considering the diversity of such applications. (Currently, the Secretary is required to award at least three grants, including at least one to a public entity, one to a private nonprofit entity, and one to a consortium of such entities, provided an application from each merits approval.)
 
Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant.
 
Directs the Secretary to conduct national activities that include:
 
 
 providing state entities with technical assistance in awarding subgrants to charter school developers; 
 
 providing technical assistance to grantees under the credit enhancement and per-pupil facilities aid programs; 
 
 disseminating best practices; 
 
 evaluating the charter school program's impact, including its impact on student achievement; and 
 
 awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers (in states that have not applied for or received a charter school grant) and to charter management organizations to open, replicate, and expand charter schools. 

 
Requires states and local educational agencies to ensure that a student's records are transferred as quickly as possible to a charter school or another public school when the student transfers from one such school to the other.
 
Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2020.

action_date: 2014-04-29
text: 
Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act - (Sec. 4) Revises subpart 1 (Charter School Program) of part B (Public Charter Schools) of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
 
 (Sec. 5) Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding grants to state entities (state educational agencies, state charter school boards, Governors, or charter school support organizations) and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools.
 
 Requires grantees to use at least 7% of grant funds to: (1) provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies, and (2) work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process.
 
 Limits the duration of charter school grants and subgrants to no more than five years. Gives subgrantees no more than 18 months to plan and design their programs. 
 
 Limits grantees to no more than one grant over a five-year period. Limits subgrantees to no more than one subgrant per charter school over a five-year period, unless the subgrantee demonstrates at least three years of improved educational results for students enrolled in the applicable charter school.
 
 Requires the Secretary of Education and each grantee to use a peer review process to review applications for charter school grants and subgrants.
 
 Requires grantees to award subgrants in a manner that ensures, to the extent possible, that subgrants are distributed to different areas and assist charter schools representing a variety of educational approaches.
 
 Permits the Secretary to waive certain statutory or regulatory requirements if the waiver is requested by a grant applicant and promotes the purpose of the Charter School program without tampering with what is definitionally required of charter schools.
 
Directs the Secretary to give priority to grant applicants to the extent that they are from states that: 
 
 
 have a quality authorized public chartering agency that is not a local educational agency (LEA), if the state allows entities other than LEAs to be authorized public chartering agencies; 
 
 do not impose any limitation on the number or percentage of charter schools that may exist or the number or percentage of students that may attend charter schools; 
 
 ensure equitable financing, as compared to traditional public schools, for charter schools and students in a prompt manner; and 
 
 use charter schools and best practices from charter schools to help improve struggling schools and LEAs. 
 
 
Directs the Secretary to give priority to grant applicants also to the extent that they: 
 
 
 partner with an organization experienced in developing management organizations to support charter school development, 
 
 support charter schools that support at-risk students,
 
 authorize all their charter schools to serve as school food authorities, and 
 
 take steps to ensure that all authorizing public chartering agencies implement best practices for charter school authorizing.
 
 
 (Sec. 6) Subsumes subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) of part B of title V under subpart 1. (Under subpart 2, the Secretary awards grants to public entities and private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative means of enhancing credit to finance the acquisition, construction, or renovation of charter schools.)
 
 Requires the Secretary to award credit enhancement grants to applicants that have the highest-quality applications after considering the diversity of such applications. (Currently, the Secretary is required to award at least three grants, including at least one to a public entity, one to a private nonprofit entity, and one to a consortium of such entities, provided an application from each merits approval.)
 
 Prohibits grant recipients from using more than 2.5% (currently, 0.25%) of their grant for administrative costs.
 
 Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant.
 
 Allows states that are required by state law to provide charter schools with access to adequate facility space to qualify for a grant under the program even if they do not have a per-pupil facilities aid program for charter schools specified in state law, provided they agree to use the funds to develop such a program.
 
 (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to conduct national activities that include: 
 
 
 providing state entities with technical assistance in awarding subgrants to charter school developers; 
 
 providing technical assistance to grantees under the credit enhancement and per-pupil facilities aid programs; 
 
 disseminating best practices; 
 
 evaluating the charter school program's impact, including its impact on student achievement; and
 
 awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers (in states that have not applied for or received a charter school grant) and to charter management organizations to open, replicate, and expand charter schools.
 
 
 (Sec. 8) Requires states and LEAs to ensure that a student's records are transferred as quickly as possible to a charter school or another public school when the student transfers from one such school to the other.
 
 (Sec. 9) Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students.
 
 Defines a "charter management organization" as a nonprofit organization that manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized support, operations, and oversight.
 
 (Sec. 10) Reauthorizes appropriations under subpart 1 through FY2020.
 
 Directs the Secretary to use: (1) 12.5% of such funding for credit enhancement grants and the per-pupil facilities aid program, (2) up to 10% of such funding for the Secretary's national activities, and (3) the remaining funds for the charter school grant program.
 

action_date: 2014-05-09
text: 
Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act - (Sec. 4) Revises subpart 1 (Charter School Program) of part B (Public Charter Schools) of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
 
 (Sec. 5) Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding grants to state entities (state educational agencies, state charter school boards, Governors, or charter school support organizations) and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools.
 
 Requires grantees to use at least 7% of grant funds: (1) to provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies, and (2) work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process.
 
Prohibits grantees from reserving more than 3% of the grant funds for administrative costs. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit a report to the Secretary of Education and Congress, within three years of this Act's enactment, examining the appropriateness of that level of authorized funding for administrative costs.
 
 Limits the duration of charter school grants and subgrants to no more than five years. Gives subgrantees no more than 18 months to plan and design their programs. 
 
 Prohibits the Secretary from awarding a charter school grant to a state entity if such award would result in more than one charter school grant being carried out in a state at the same time. Limits subgrantees to no more than one subgrant per charter school over a five-year period, unless the subgrantee demonstrates at least three years of improved educational results for students enrolled in the applicable charter school.
 
 Requires the Secretary and each grantee to use a peer review process to review applications for charter school grants and subgrants.
 
 Requires grantees to award subgrants in a manner that ensures, to the extent possible, that subgrants are distributed to different areas and assist charter schools representing a variety of educational approaches.
 
 Permits the Secretary to waive certain statutory or regulatory requirements if the waiver is requested by a grant applicant and promotes the purpose of the Charter School program without tampering with what is definitionally required of charter schools.
 
Directs the Secretary to give priority to grant applicants to the extent that they are from states that: 
 
 
 have a quality authorized public chartering agency that is not a local educational agency (LEA), if the state allows entities other than LEAs to be authorized public chartering agencies; 
 
 do not impose any limitation on the number or percentage of charter schools that may exist or the number or percentage of students that may attend charter schools; 
 
 ensure equitable financing, as compared to traditional public schools, for charter schools and students in a prompt manner; and 
 
 use charter schools and best practices from charter schools to help improve struggling schools and LEAs. 
 
 
Directs the Secretary to give priority to grant applicants also to the extent that they: 
 
 
 partner with an organization experienced in developing management organizations to support charter school development, 
 
 support charter schools that support at-risk students,
 
 authorize all their charter schools to serve as school food authorities, and 
 
 take steps to ensure that all authorizing public chartering agencies implement best practices for charter school authorizing.
 
 
 (Sec. 6) Subsumes subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) of part B of title V under subpart 1. (Under subpart 2, the Secretary awards grants to public entities and private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative means of enhancing credit to finance the acquisition, construction, or renovation of charter schools.)
 
 Requires the Secretary to award credit enhancement grants to applicants that have the highest-quality applications after considering the diversity of such applications. (Currently, the Secretary is required to award at least three grants, including at least one to a public entity, one to a private nonprofit entity, and one to a consortium of such entities, provided an application from each merits approval.)
 
 Prohibits grant recipients from using more than 2.5% (currently, 0.25%) of their grant for administrative costs.
 
 Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant.
 
 Allows states that are required by state law to provide charter schools with access to adequate facility space to qualify for a grant under the program even if they do not have a per-pupil facilities aid program for charter schools specified in state law, provided they agree to use the funds to develop such a program.
 
 (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to conduct national activities that include: 
 
 
 providing state entities with technical assistance in awarding subgrants to charter school developers; 
 
 providing technical assistance to grantees under the credit enhancement and per-pupil facilities aid programs; 
 
 disseminating best practices; 
 
 evaluating the charter school program's impact, including its impact on student achievement; and
 
 awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers (in states that have not applied for or received a charter school grant) and to charter management organizations to open, replicate, and expand charter schools.
 
 
 (Sec. 8) Requires states and LEAs to ensure that a student's records are transferred as quickly as possible to a charter school or another public school when the student transfers from one such school to the other.
 
 (Sec. 9) Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students.
 
 Defines a "charter management organization" as a nonprofit organization that manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized support, operations, and oversight.
 
 (Sec. 10) Reauthorizes appropriations under subpart 1 through FY2020.
 
 Directs the Secretary to use: (1) 12.5% of such funding for credit enhancement grants and the per-pupil facilities aid program, (2) up to 10% of such funding for the Secretary's national activities, and (3) the remaining funds for the charter school grant program.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-05-12
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 360 - 45 (Roll no. 217).
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 360 - 45 (Roll no. 217).
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. (text of committee amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4023-4028)
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 10.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that, pursuant to clause 6 of Rule XVIII, the unfinished business was the question of adoption of amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Loretta Sanchez amendment No. 12.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Bonamici amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes prevailed. Ms. Bonamici demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bonamici amendment No. 11.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Langevin amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes prevailed. Mr. Langevin demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Langevin amendment No. 10.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Wilson (FL) amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes prevailed. Mr. Kline demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Wilson (FL) amendment No. 9.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Jackson Lee amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes prevailed. Ms. Jackson Lee demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Jackson Lee (TX) amendment No. 8.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: The Chair announced that amendment No. 7 would not be offered.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Messer amendment No. 6.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bass amendment No. 5.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Moore amendment No. 4.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Castor amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes prevailed. Ms. Castor demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Castor (FL) amendment No. 3.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cassidy amendment No. 2.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 576, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kline amendment No. 1.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
action_date: 2014-05-09
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4023-4038, H4038-4046)
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 10 as unfinished business.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: On motion to rise Agreed to by voice vote.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: Mr. Kline moved to rise.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with 90 minutes of general debate on H.R. 10.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: The Speaker designated the Honorable Rob Bishop to act as Chairman of the Committee.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 576 and Rule XVIII.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 10 with 1 hour and 30 minutes of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill.
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 576. (consideration: CR H4001-4009)
action_date: 2014-05-08
text: Rule H. Res. 576 passed House.
action_date: 2014-05-07
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 576 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 10 with 1 hour and 30 minutes of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill.
action_date: 2014-04-29
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 312.
action_date: 2014-04-29
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-423.
action_date: 2014-04-29
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-423.
action_date: 2014-04-08
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 36 - 3.
action_date: 2014-04-08
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2014-04-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2014-04-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-04-01
text: Introduced in House