Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-37
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Administrative remedies
Department of Education
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: 

Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015

 
Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require states to adopt student achievement standards that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation.
 
Requires each state school improvement plan to ensure that the state's public school system enables students to meet those standards by providing them with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. 
 
Includes among the core resources for learning:
 
 
high-quality instructional teams;
 
rigorous academic standards and curricula that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation;
 
equitable and instructionally appropriate class sizes;
 
up-to-date instructional materials, technology, and supplies;
 
effective school library programs;
 
school facilities and technology, including physically and environmentally sound school buildings and well-equipped instructional spaces;
 
specialized instruction support teams providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs; and 
 
effective programs to engage families and the community in education.
 
 
Prohibits states that fail to make progress toward eliminating inequities in access to the core resources for learning for two or more consecutive years from receiving funds under any competitive grant program authorized by the ESEA.
 
Requires the annual report cards publicly disseminated by states and their local educational agencies (LEAs) to include information on the performance of LEAs and schools in providing students with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning.
 
Requires states to identify any of their LEAs as needing improvement if they: (1) fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress toward state academic content and achievement standards, or (2) have received a waiver of the ESEA's statutory or regulatory requirements from the Secretary of Education. 
 
Requires states to: (1) identify any inequities in access to the core resources of learning in schools served by an LEA that has been identified as needing improvement, and (2) work with the LEA to address those inequities.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from waiving this Act's requirements for accountability in providing students with access to the core resources for learning.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S19-20)
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate