Resolve, To Establish the Maine Summer Success Program
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1064
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: POULIOT, MILLETT, DAUGHTRY, PIERCE, TIPPING-SPITZ

Legislative Document 
No. 1064 
H.P. 733 
House of Representatives, March 24, 2015 
Resolve, To Establish the Maine Summer Success Program 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative POULIOT of Augusta. 
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and 
Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, PIERCE of Falmouth, TIPPING-SPITZ of 
Orono. 
Sec. 1.  Department of Education to establish the Maine Summer Success 
Program.  Resolved:  That the Department of Education shall develop and establish 
the Maine Summer Success Program, using traditional and alternative teaching methods, 
to ensure that every secondary student has access to a high-quality extended school 
program.  The department shall encourage school districts to implement the Maine 
Summer Success Program in order to address the needs of children who fail to meet 
grade-level proficiency standards.  In developing this program, the department shall: 
1.  Put into place at the end of the freshman year for all Maine public secondary 
school students the use of a suite of tests that determines a student’s knowledge in 
mathematics, reading and writing with the goal of preparing the student to enroll in 
college-level courses.  If a student is not at the correct grade level based on the results of 
the tests, the student is eligible to be part of the Maine Summer Success Program,  a 
district-based summer school program that offers students the opportunity of alternative 
or online coursework; and 
2.  Explore the use of social impact bonds to fund the Maine Summer Success 
Program.  For the purpose of this resolve, "social impact bond" means a performance-
based bond that operates over a fixed period of time in which repayment to an investor is 
contingent upon the achievement of a desired social outcome.  When funds are secured, 
the Department of Education, through a grant application process, shall provide funding 
to cover 90% of the costs of extended school year programs in districts with greater than 
50% student participation in the free and reduced lunch rate program.  Any remaining 
available funds must be provided to districts with greater than 35% free and reduced 
lunch participation rates; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Report.  Resolved:  That the Department of Education shall report on its 
development of the Maine Summer Success Program under section 1 to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 2, 2015.  The Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may submit a bill related to this 
report to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve directs the Department of Education to develop the Maine Summer 
Success Program, which would use the results of a series of tests in order to identify 
students who are not achieving their grade levels of competence and to see who would 
benefit from attendance at such a program.  The department is directed to explore the use 
of social impact bonds to fund the program.  The department is to report its development 
plan to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 2, 
2015.