jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-04-30 00:00:00

Community STEM Learning Act of 2015

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education to award grants to national and regional intermediaries and, through them, subgrants to their community-based affiliates to operate in-school, after school, summer, and weekend programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

A "national intermediary" is a national private nonprofit organization that has: (1) a network comprising community-based affiliates in at least 50 urban communities, (2) expertise in overseeing programs to help middle and secondary school students succeed, and (3) operated in at least 25 states continuously for at least 20 years.

A "regional intermediary" is a private nonprofit community-based organization that has: (1) a network comprising community-based affiliates in a prescribed region, and (2) expertise in extending educational services to middle and secondary school students.

The STEM programs must primarily serve students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM field careers and include project-based learning opportunities and individualized instruction.

Each subgrantee must collaborate with an institution of higher education in providing such services.

The bill requires grantees to direct at least: (1) 50% of their grant to community-based affiliates that are successfully operating STEM programs so that they can expand them to reach more students traditionally underrepresented in STEM field careers, and (2) 25% of their grant to the development of STEM programs by community-based affiliates not currently operating any.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-05-12 00:00:00

Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2015

Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the Department of Education (ED) from providing education funding to any educational agency or institution that allows school personnel to inflict corporal punishment upon a student as a form of punishment or to modify undesirable behavior.

Requires each state to submit a plan to ED, within 18 months of this Act's enactment and every third year thereafter, that describes how the state eliminates the use of corporal punishment in schools and makes school personnel and parents aware of its policies and procedures for doing so.

Authorizes ED to award three-year grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist them in improving school climate and culture by implementing school-wide positive behavior supports.

Requires grant and subgrant funds to be used for professional training, technical assistance, research, and outreach regarding positive behavior supports. Requires LEAs to ensure that private school personnel can participate, on an equitable basis, in activities supported by such funds.

Authorizes ED to allocate funds to the Department of the Interior to carry out such activities with regard to schools operated or funded by such Department.

Directs ED to conduct a national assessment to determine compliance with this Act's requirements and identify best practices regarding positive behavior support professional training programs.

Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act's protections for students.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-05-14 00:00:00

Keep Teachers Teaching Act of 2015

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive, renewable grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), states, and partnerships of LEAs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education for the development and implementation of innovative teacher retention programs that include: (1) professional development; (2) teacher mentoring; (3) advanced certification or credentialing; (4) research, travel, or fellowship opportunities; and (5) pairing teachers with research or industry professionals.

ED must: (1) identify the most promising teacher retention strategies, and (2) make information about those strategies publicly available and easily accessible to states and LEAs.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

Broadening Opportunities Through Education Act

This bill directs the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states that make school attendance compulsory through age 17.

States must use their grant to improve their secondary school programs, such as by:

 establishing or expanding work-based programs that integrate academic and career-based skills; implementing an early warning system that helps high schools and their feeder middle schools identify and assist struggling students; establishing grade and school transition programs and supports; personalizing the school experience and increasing student engagement through service-learning and experiential, work-based, and other learning opportunities; providing extended-learning opportunities by the school day, week, or year; and increasing student supports through activities such as student advisories, counseling, and one-to-one mentoring.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

Student Support Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education to make matching grants of at least $1 million to states for allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs) so that additional school-based mental health and student service providers may be hired, thereby reducing the student-to-provider ratios in elementary and secondary schools to specified minimum levels recommended by the leading counseling, guidance, and mental health organizations.

These minimum ratios are: (1) 1 school counselor for every 250 students, (2) 1 school psychologist for every 1,000 students, and (3) 1 school social worker for every 250 students.

Grants to states and state allocations to LEAs must be made pursuant to specified formulas that take into account a state's and school district's share of children in poverty.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

Enable More Parents to Opt-Out Without Endangering Resources Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to allow a student to opt out, for any reason stated by the student's parent and without any penalty or other consequence, of yearly academic assessments used as the primary means of determining the performance of the state and of each local educational agency and school in enabling all children to meet the state's academic achievement standards.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-06-03 00:00:00

Public School Emergency Relief Act

This bill authorizes a program of emergency impact aid payments to states and, through them, to local educational agencies and Indian schools for each quarter of the 2015-2016 school year to respond to any increase in the enrollment of immigrant children from the corresponding quarter of the 2013-2014 school year.

Payments shall be used to provide services and assistance to schools that enroll immigrant students.

Funds may be used for:

 compensating school personnel, identifying and acquiring curricular material and mobile educational units and leasing sites or spaces, basic instructional services for immigrant students, reasonable transportation costs, health and counseling services, education and support services, and other uses allowed under title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Any payment made on behalf of a disabled immigrant student is to be used for special education and related services.

Emergency impact aid funds that are not obligated during the 2015-2016 school year must be returned to the Department of Education.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-06-04 00:00:00

School Safety Act of 2015 

Amends the the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) authorize appropriations for the matching grant program for school security through FY2020, and (2) authorize such grants to be used for emergency notification and response technologies and the acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-06-12 00:00:00

Getting Involved in Researching, Learning, and Studying of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Act or the GIRLS STEM Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to: (1) encourage the interest of female students in careers requiring science, mathematics, engineering, or technology (STEM) skills; and (2) prepare female students to pursue credentials needed to pursue a career in a STEM field. The Department of Education may provide grants to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to enable elementary and secondary schools to implement the program.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-06-17 00:00:00

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow a state to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards developed under the Common Core State Standards Initiative, any other academic standards common to a significant number of states, or assessments tied to such standards.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to: (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects their education.

LEAs shall also provide: (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their discipline policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level.

The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA discipline policies.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Educator Tax Relief Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, to: (1) allow an inflation adjustment to the amount of such deduction for taxable years beginning after 2014, (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses, and (3) make such deduction permanent. The bill applies to taxable years beginning after 2014.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-07 00:00:00

To Aid Gifted and High-Ability Learners by Empowering the Nation's Teachers Act or the TALENT Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require state assessments of student proficiency to measure individual academic achievement, including above grade level achievement.

States must: (1) assist their local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in providing additional educational assistance to advanced, gifted, and talented students; and (2) report annually a comparison of the performance of students between different LEAs at each level of achievement, disaggregated by specified student subgroups.

LEAs must identify gifted and talented students and support their learning needs and train educators to implement instructional practices that support their education.

The Institute of Education Sciences must: (1) continue research and development activities regarding the education of gifted and talented students; (2) support a National Research and Dissemination Center on the Gifted and Talented; (3) administer demonstration grants that enhance the ability of educators to support gifted and talented students; and (4) ensure that statistical data regarding the education of gifted and talented children is collected, reported, analyzed, and disseminated.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-08 00:00:00

School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education to award renewable grants to high-need local educational agencies to retain or hire additional school social workers.

Grantees may use the funds to reimburse school social workers for expenses they incur in rendering services.

Grant-funded social workers must target their services to the highest-need students.

Grant funds may not be used to supplant other funds used for hiring and retaining school social workers.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-13 00:00:00

Rebuilding America's Schools Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified zone academy bonds issued to finance public school facilities, to: (1) extend the national limitation amount for such bonds through calendar year 2014 and then increase such amount and make it permanent after calendar year 2014, (2) expand the enumerated purposes of such bonds to include the construction of public school facilities in a qualified zone academy, (3) lower the private business contribution requirement for such bonds from 10% to 5% of the proceeds of the bond issue, and (4) designate such bonds as specified tax credit bonds.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-15 00:00:00

Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to: (1) authorize the use of grants to local educational agencies for carrying out child sexual abuse awareness and prevention programs and activities, (2) establish periodic evaluation requirements for such  grant programs and activities, and (3) establish principles of effectiveness applicable to these grant programs and activities as well as to those aimed at reducing the impact of domestic violence on schoolchildren.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-16 00:00:00

Education Stability for Foster Youth Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require a state plan for academic content and achievement standards to describe how the state will ensure the educational stability of children in foster care. Specifically, a state plan must include assurances that: (1) a foster child will remain or be enrolled in the child’s school of origin absent a determination that such enrollment is not in the child’s best interest; (2) if such a determination is made, the child will be immediately enrolled in a new school, which must immediately contact the child’s previous school to obtain relevant records; and (3) the state will designate a point of contact for child welfare agencies, who shall also oversee implementation of the state’s responsibilities under the bill.

Relatedly, a local educational agency (LEA) plan must provide assurances that the LEA will develop and implement procedures governing the provision and funding of transportation services necessary to maintain a foster child’s enrollment in the child’s school of origin.

This bill amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to alter the definition of “homeless children and youths” to no longer include children who are awaiting foster care placement.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-16 00:00:00

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive, three-year grants to states or local educational agencies (LEAs) for the establishment, improvement, and expansion of innovative model programs in world language education for elementary and secondary school students. Of the funds made available for this purpose, at least 75% must be used to expand world language learning in the elementary grades. ED may reserve up to 5% of funds made available for one fiscal year to evaluate the efficacy of assisted programs.

In general, the federal share of the cost of such programs shall be 50% for each fiscal year. However, ED may determine the federal share for any LEA that is determined to have inadequate resources to pay the nonfederal share of program costs.

ED must give special consideration to grant applications describing programs that: (1) include intensive summer programs for professional development of world language teachers; (2) promote sequential learning, two-way language learning, and innovative activities; (3) make effective use of technology; and (4) are carried out through a consortium comprised of the grant recipient and an elementary or secondary school.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

Tackling Excessive Standardized Testing Act of 2015 or the TEST Act of 2015

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to lower the frequency with which students must take the tests used to determine whether they are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward state academic achievement standards in mathematics and reading or language arts. Under current law, students must take such tests in both subjects in each of grades 3 through 8. The bill maintains testing in grades 3 through 8 but authorizes a public school to limit testing: (1) in mathematics, to even-numbered grades or, if the school is at the 15th percentile or above for mathematics in the state or its students are making appropriate progress toward state mathematics achievement standards, to grades 4 and 8 only; and (2) in reading or language arts, to odd-numbered grades or, if the school is at the 15th percentile or above for reading or language arts or its students are making appropriate progress toward state reading or language arts achievement standards, to grades 3 and 7 only.

Limited English proficient students who are in their first 12 months of enrollment in a public school are excluded from the determination as to whether students are making AYP toward state academic achievement standards.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-27 00:00:00

Homeless and Foster Youth Achievement Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require a state to include additional information in its annual state report card. 

Under current law, a state must include data regarding student achievement on state academic assessments, both in the aggregate and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, disability status, migrant status, English proficiency, and status as disadvantaged.  For purposes of a state's annual report card, the bill expands those categories to include homeless status and status as a child in foster care. Graduation rates for secondary school students must be reported by the same categories by which student achievement data is reported.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

Student Agriculture Protection Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of a student farmer gain from the sale or exchange of personal property, including livestock,  produced by such student farmer. The bill defines "student farmer" as an individual who has not attained age 18 and who is enrolled in a program established by Future Farmers of America or in a 4-H club.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

This bill amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to require: (1) states to use grants for safe and drug-free schools to collect and report information on the incidence of bullying and harassment, and (2) local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools to use subgrants to prevent and respond to incidents of bullying and harassment.

Such LEAs or schools must: (1) notify parents and students annually of conduct prohibited in their school discipline policies, which must include policies regarding bullying and harassment; and (2) establish complaint procedures for students and parents to register complaints regarding such conduct.

The bill also expands the Act's definition of violence to include bullying and harassment.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success or the A PLUS Act 

This bill allows each state to receive federal elementary and secondary education funds on a consolidated basis and manage the funds to advance the educational policy of the state. States must submit to the Department of Education a declaration of intent no less than every five years.

Each declaration must be formulated by a combination of specified state officials or by referendum and must list the programs for which consolidated funding is requested. States may use such funds for any educational purpose permitted by state law, but must make certain assurances that they will use fiscal control and fund accounting procedures, abide by federal civil rights laws, advance educational opportunities for the disadvantaged, and use federal funds to supplement rather than supplant state funding.

Each declaration state shall: (1) inform the public about its student achievement assessment system; (2) report annually on student progress toward the state's proficiency standards by specified student groups; and (3) provide for the equitable participation of private school children and teachers in the same manner as provided for under current law.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-18 00:00:00

Fair Access to Education Act of 2015

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify federal student aid eligibility criteria. Specifically, it limits drug offense convictions that bar a student from participating in federal student aid programs.

Under current law, any drug offense conviction involving sale or possession of a controlled substance triggers suspension of federal student aid eligibility for a student who commits the drug offense while enrolled in postsecondary education and receiving federal student aid. This bill excludes from triggering drug offense convictions any misdemeanor offense for marijuana possession that occurred before, on, or after enactment of this bill.

This bill reestablishes federal student aid eligibility for certain students who are ineligible due to a prior conviction for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Topic: Education — Elementary & Secondary
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-10-07 00:00:00

Investing in 21st Century Schools Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified zone academy bonds, to: (1) extend through 2016 the national limitation amount for such bonds, and (2) reduce from 10% to 5% of bond proceeds the required contribution amount for private businesses.