Teacher:In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Teacher: Now, understand the problem? Solve this instance: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''National Student Dropout Prevention
and Recovery Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Lowering the student dropout rate is one of the most
significant challenges facing educators today. Students must
stay in school in order to receive the education they need to
succeed in the new economy and contribute fully to American
society.
(2) The ability of local educational agencies to lower the
student dropout rate has been inhibited by the lack of focus at
the Federal level and the limited availability of appropriate
dropout prevention-focused curriculum, instruction,
professional development, and administrative support services.
(3) According to the National Dropout Prevention Network,
it is at the local and community level where school
improvements and change occur that will eventually have an
impact on the graduation rate of students. The focus of these
efforts should be concentrated on the most successful
strategies that research has identified as having an impact on
increasing the graduation rate. These strategies encompass--
(A) systemic renewal;
(B) community collaboration;
(C) professional development;
(D) family involvement;
(E) early childhood education;
(F) reading and writing programs;
(G) individualized instruction;
(H) instructional technologies;
(I) mentoring and tutoring;
(J) service learning;
(K) learning styles and multiple intelligences;
(L) violence prevention and conflict resolution;
(M) career education and workforce readiness;
(N) out-of-school experiences; and
(O) alternative public schooling.
(4) The National Dropout Prevention Network has found that
the strategies described in paragraph (3) have been successful
in all school levels from K-12 in rural, suburban, or urban
centers. When schools or school districts develop a program
improvement plan that encompasses most or all of these
strategies, positive outcomes will result.
(5) It is necessary to develop a number of model dropout
prevention programs to fully develop the effective strategies
listed above into comprehensive dropout prevention programs.
These model programs should be used as examples by schools
across the country that wish to implement similar programs.
Subsequently, a nationwide dropout prevention program, in order
to be effective, should be based on these model programs.
(6) Dropout prevention and recovery programs which are
proven to be successful in lowering dropout rates need to be
disseminated to school and community leaders willing to adapt
and support these innovative programs in their schools and
community.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAMS.

Part C of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7261 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

''PART C--SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAMS

''Subpart 1--Model School Dropout Prevention Grant Program

''SEC. 5311. AUTHORIZATION.

''(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention
and Program Completion shall award grants to public elementary schools,
middle schools, and secondary schools that have established and are
carrying out school dropout prevention programs to provide those
schools with additional resources to develop such programs further,
develop methods to assist other schools to implement similar programs,
and provide for research on the effects of such programs on the student
populations of the schools involved.
''(b) Duration.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be awarded for
a period of not more than 5 years. A school that desires to continue to
receive funding for the purposes described in subsection (a) shall
apply for a grant under the national school dropout prevention grant
program under subpart 2.

''SEC. 5312. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.

''A school that receives a grant under section 5311 shall use
amounts under the grant to establish and carry out, or further develop,
school dropout prevention programs, intervention programs, and recovery
programs, including as many of the following activities as possible:
systemic renewal, community and family participation, professional
development, early childhood education, reading and writing programs,
alternative public schooling, individualized instruction, use of
instructional technologies, mentoring and tutoring, service learning,
instruction that recognizes that students learn in different ways
(commonly referred to as 'learning styles instruction'), violence
prevention and conflict resolution, career education and workforce
readiness, out-of-school experiences, and a comprehensive plan for
dropout prevention.

''SEC. 5313. APPLICATION; SELECTION OF SCHOOLS; FISCAL AGENT.

''(a) Application.--
''(1) In general.--Each school desiring a grant under
section 5311 shall submit an application, after review by the
local educational agency of the school, to the Director at such
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as
the Director may require.
''(2) Contents.--A school desiring a grant under section
5311 shall submit an application, through the local educational
agency of the school under paragraph (1), that contains a
description of the current dropout prevention program of the
school.
''(b) Selection of Schools.--
''(1) Limitation.--The Director may award grants to not
more than 20 schools under section 5311. Such schools shall
have demonstrated success in establishing and carrying out
activities described in section 5312.
''(2) Allocation.--Grants awarded under section 5311 shall
be allocated among schools that meet the following
requirements:
''(A) 4 elementary schools that have established
and are carrying out early childhood education
programs.
''(B) 4 secondary schools that have established and
are carrying out academic intervention programs and
mediation programs.
''(C) 4 secondary schools that have established and
are carrying out intervention programs and recovery
programs.
''(D) 4 schools (either elementary, middle, or
secondary) that are located in rural school districts
and that have demonstrated success in establishing and
carrying out 12 or more of the activities described in
section 5312.
''(E) 4 schools (either elementary, middle, or
secondary) that are located in urban school districts
and that have demonstrated success in establishing and
carrying out all of the activities described in section
5312.
''(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under section 5311, the
Director shall give priority to schools that have demonstrated
success in establishing and carrying out the highest number of
activities described in section 5312.
''(c) Fiscal Agent.--The local educational agency of the school
shall act as the fiscal agent for the school and shall accept and
administer the grant awarded to the school under section 5311, except
that all funds shall be expended at the school level.

''Subpart 2--National School Dropout Prevention Grant Program

''SEC. 5321. AUTHORIZATION.

''(a) In General.--Beginning in the third year of the Model School
Dropout Prevention Grant Program under subpart 1, the Director of the
Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion shall award grants
to public elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools to
enable the schools to implement, or further carry out, effective,
sustainable, and coordinated school dropout prevention programs.
''(b) Duration.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be awarded for
a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 5 years.

''SEC. 5322. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.

''A school that receives a grant under section 5321 shall use
amounts under the grant to establish and carry out, or further develop,
school dropout prevention programs, intervention programs, and recovery
programs, including as many of the following activities as possible:
systemic renewal, community and family participation, professional
development, early childhood education, reading and writing programs,
alternative public schooling, individualized instruction, use of
instructional technologies, mentoring and tutoring, service learning,
instruction that recognizes that students learn in different ways
(commonly referred to as 'learning styles instruction'), violence
prevention and conflict resolution, career education and workforce
readiness, out-of-school experiences, and a comprehensive plan for
dropout prevention.

''SEC. 5323. APPLICATION; SELECTION OF SCHOOLS; FISCAL AGENT.

''(a) Application.--Each school desiring a grant under section 5321
shall submit an application, after review by the local educational
agency of the school, to the Director at such time, in such manner, and
accompanied by such information as the Director may require.
''(b) Selection of Schools.--The Director shall establish clear and
specific selection criteria for awarding grants to schools under
section 5321, including the number of grants to award and the type of
schools to be awarded grants. Such criteria shall be based on school
dropout rates and other relevant factors, such as the quality of the
existing or proposed dropout prevention program, the number of students
who are dropouts, the number of students who are eligible to receive
free or reduced price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act, the number of students who are below their grade
level in basic skills, the number of students who are involved in
family court or the juvenile justice system, and the number of students
who are teen mothers.
''(c) Fiscal Agent.--The local educational agency of the school
shall act as the fiscal agent for the school and shall accept and
administer the grant awarded to the school under section 5321, except
that all funds shall be expended at the school level.

''Subpart 3--Additional Requirements for Model and National Dropout
Prevention Grant Program

''SEC. 5331. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES.

''Each school that receives a grant under section 5311 or 5321, or
the local educational agency of the school, shall provide information
and technical assistance, including presentations, document-sharing,
and joint staff development, to other schools within their school
district and to other schools in their State that are desiring to
receive grants under section 5311 or 5321, as the case may be.

''SEC. 5332. SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE CALCULATION.

''For purposes of calculating a school dropout rate under subparts
1 and 2, a school shall use--
''(1) the annual event school dropout rate for students
leaving a school in a single year determined in accordance with
the National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of
Data, if available;
''(2) the standard method used by the State agency; or
''(3) in other cases, a standard method for calculating the
school dropout rate as determined by the Director.

''SEC. 5333. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

''(a) Reporting.--In order to receive funding under subpart 1 or 2
for a fiscal year after the first fiscal year a school receives funding
under subpart 1 or 2, as the case may be, the school shall provide, on
an annual basis, to the Director a report regarding the status of the
implementation of activities funded under subpart 1 or 2 and
certification of progress from the eligible entity whose strategies the
school is implementing.
''(b) Accountability.--On the basis of the reports submitted under
subsection (a), the Director shall evaluate the effect of the
activities assisted under subpart 1 or 2, as the case may be, on school
dropout prevention compared to a control group, to the extent
practicable.

''Subpart 4--National Clearinghouse on Effective School Dropout
Prevention

''SEC. 5341. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE.

''Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this part,
the Director shall establish a national clearinghouse on effective
school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs.
The clearinghouse shall be established through a competitive grant or
contract awarded to an organization with a demonstrated capacity to
provide technical assistance and disseminate information in the area of
school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs.
The clearinghouse shall--
''(1) collect and disseminate to educators, parents, and
policymakers information on research, effective programs, best
practices, and available Federal resources with respect to
school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry
programs, including dissemination by an electronically
accessible database, a worldwide Web site, and a national
journal;
''(2) provide technical assistance regarding securing
resources with respect to, and designing and implementing,
effective and comprehensive school dropout prevention,
intervention programs, and reentry programs; and
''(3) provide professional development opportunities
through workshops, seminars, and institutes for educators and
program providers responsible for planning, implementing, and
evaluating comprehensive school dropout prevention,
intervention programs, and recovery programs.

''Subpart 5--Definitions; Authorization of Appropriations

''SEC. 5351. DEFINITIONS.

''In this part:
''(1) Director.--The term 'Director' means the Director of
the Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion
established under section 218 of the General Education
Provisions Act.
''(2) Intervention programs.--The term 'intervention
programs' means programs or strategies that are designed to
improve academic or personal problems of students that
negatively affect the students' performance or ability to
remain in school and graduate from school with a diploma.
''(3) Prevention programs.--The term 'prevention programs'
means programs that anticipate, forestall, or relate to
cognitive, social, or personal problems of students before such
problems impair a student's ability to perform in school.
''(4) Recovery programs.--The term 'recovery programs'
means programs or strategies designed to offer another
schooling option to an individual who has dropped out of
school.
''(5) School dropout.--The term 'school dropout' has the
meaning given the term in section 4(17) of the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act of 1994.

''SEC. 5352. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

''(a) Subpart 1.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out subpart 1 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001 and
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
''(b) Subpart 2.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out subpart 2 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003 and
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
''(c) Subpart 4.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out subpart 4 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001 and
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF DROPOUT PREVENTION AND PROGRAM COMPLETION.

(a) Establishment.--Title II of the Department of Education
Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following:

''office of dropout prevention and program completion

''Sec. 218. (a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department of
Education an Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion
(hereafter in this section referred to as the 'Office'), to be
administered by the Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and
Program Completion. The Director of the Office shall report directly to
the Under Secretary of Education and shall perform such additional
functions as the Under Secretary may prescribe.
''(b) Duties.--The Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and
Program Completion (hereafter in this section referred to as the
'Director'), through the Office, shall--
''(1) help coordinate Federal, State, and local efforts to
lower school dropout rates and increase program completion by
elementary, middle, and secondary school students;
''(2) recommend Federal policies, objectives, and
priorities to lower school dropout rates and increase program
completion;
''(3) oversee the implementation of subparts 1 and 2 of
part C of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965;
''(4) annually prepare and submit to Congress and the
Secretary a national report describing efforts and recommended
actions regarding school dropout prevention and program
completion;
''(5) recommend action to the Secretary and the President,
as appropriate, regarding school dropout prevention and program
completion; and
''(6) consult with and assist State and local governments
regarding school dropout prevention and program completion.
''(c) Scope of Duties.--The scope of the Director's duties under
subsection (b) shall include examination of all Federal and non-Federal
efforts related to--
''(1) promoting program completion for children attending
elementary, middle, or secondary school;
''(2) programs to obtain a secondary school diploma or its
recognized equivalent (including general equivalency diploma
(GED) programs); and
''(3) reentry programs for individuals aged 12 to 24 who
are out of school.
''(d) Detailing.--In carrying out the Director's duties under this
section, the Director may request the head of any Federal department or
agency to detail personnel who are engaged in school dropout prevention
activities to another Federal department or agency in order to
implement the National School Dropout Prevention Strategy.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents of the Department
of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 217 the following new
item:

''Sec. 218. Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion.''.
Student:
Requires the Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion (established by this Act in the Department of Education) to carry out provisions for: (1) a model school dropout prevention grant program; (2) a national school dropout prevention grant program; and (3) a national clearinghouse on effective school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs.
Authorizes appropriations for such part C programs.
Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish an Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion, to be administered by a Director who shall report directly to the Under Secretary of Education. Sets forth the Director's duties and their scope.