zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act or the LEARN Act

Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to develop or improve a comprehensive plan to improve the literacy of children from birth through grade 12.

Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to implement their comprehensive literacy plans for such children through:

 competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or early learning programs for specified activities that support early language and literacy development in children from birth through kindergarten entry; competitive subgrants to LEAs that have the highest numbers or percentages of disadvantaged students and students reading or writing below grade level for specified activities to improve the literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12, including the provision of family literacy services; and additional state activities that include providing technical assistance to subgrantees, coordinating literacy programs and resources throughout the state, disseminating information on promising literacy programs, and enhancing the credentials of literacy instructors. Allots implementation grants to states on the basis of each state's share of disadvantaged students.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) perform a five-year national evaluation of the implementation and effect of the literacy initiatives supported by this Act, and (2) provide technical assistance and information on literacy instruction to educational entities.

Authorizes the Secretary to withhold this Act's funding from states and subgrantees, and states to withhold funding from subgrantees, whose initiatives are not making significant progress in improving student literacy.

Date: 2015-02-10
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Fiscal Fairness Act

Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to condition local educational agency (LEA) receipt of school improvement funds on: (1) an average state and local spending per pupil in each school receiving school improvement funds of at least 97% of such spending per pupil across all of the LEA's schools that are not receiving such funds; and (2) an average state and local spending per pupil in each higher poverty school of at least 97% of such spending per pupil across all lower poverty schools, if the LEA is serving all of its schools under part A.

Allows LEAs to meet such requirement across all schools or among schools serving a particular grade span if they compare schools within no more than three grade spans.

Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Education, in the fourth and fifth years after this Act's enactment, to audit 5 states and 10 LEAs to determine their progress in meeting these requirements.

Requires annual LEA report cards to include certain information on state and local spending per pupil in schools.

Requires states to provide the public with annual up-to-date school-by-school listings of per-pupil state and local spending.

Date: 2015-02-25
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Caring Start Act of 2015

This bill amends the Head Start Act to require that in providing and allocating resources for training and technical assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) give priority consideration to activities that:

 support the implementation of evidence-based trauma-informed practices, age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports, early childhood mental health consultation, and prevention of suspension and expulsion; and increase coordination between Head Start agencies and other programs that serve very young children. Such assistance must also, to the maximum extent practicable, assist Head Start agencies in adopting evidence-based approaches to best identify and serve children whose experiences have elicited a toxic stress response. (Toxic stress response can result from strong or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support.)

HHS shall fund personnel training in:

 evidence-based trauma-informed practices, as well as early childhood mental health consultation and age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports; and helping children who are victims of trauma or toxic stress.

Date: 2015-05-01
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2015

This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create an Office of Specialized Instructional Support within the Department of Education (ED) to improve specialized instructional support services in schools. "Specialized instructional support services" are assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other services provided by qualified professionals as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs.

The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize ED to award competitive matching grants to states to: (1) establish or expand specialized instructional support services and programs at the state level that are designed to provide technical assistance, coordination, and support to specialized instructional support services and programs addressing barriers to learning within local educational agencies and individual schools; and (2) hire and support specialized instructional support services coordinators to provide such assistance, coordination, and support.

References to pupil services and pupil services personnel are replaced with references to specialized instructional support services and specialized instructional support personnel.

Date: 2015-05-15
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies, childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families.

Grants are allotted to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level.

"High-quality prekindergarten programs" are those that serve children three or four years of age and meet criteria concerning: class size; learning environments; teacher qualifications, salaries, and professional development; program monitoring; and accessibility to comprehensive health and support services.

Programs supported by a state must conduct criminal history background checks on employees and applicants for employment with unsupervised access to children.

States may apply to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level.

ED and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall develop a process to: (1) provide Head Start program services to children younger than age four in states or regions that already provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs, or (2) convert programs to serve infants and toddlers.

ED shall award competitive matching grants to states to increase their capacity to offer high-quality prekindergarten programs. States must provide assurances that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs.

The bill amends the Head Start Act to direct HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, to assist them in meeting program performance standards. Such partnerships may serve children through age three.

The bill reauthorizes the programs providing: (1) preschool grants for special education and related services, and (2) early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

The bill expresses the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the value of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.

Date: 2015-05-19
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Expanded Access to Real Learning for our Young Act or the EARLY Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states to carry out full-day prekindergarten programs.

The programs must:

 be located at public schools, if practicable, or otherwise carried out by private or other community providers; permit parents, regardless of income, to voluntary enroll their four-year old children in the programs and do so at no cost if their combined income does not exceed 400% of the poverty line; be full-day programs that run the length of the regular school year; maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom; ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1; be taught by teachers who are paid a salary comparable to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers at the state's public schools; and meet a minimum level of parental engagement set by the state. Grant priority shall be given to states that carry out the programs at public schools.

The federal share of a grant may not exceed 75% of the prekindergarten program's costs.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Reimburse Educators who Pay for Academic Year Supplies Act of 2015 or the REPAY Supplies Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the deduction from gross income (above-the-line deduction) for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and (2) allow such deduction to an individual who is a teacher or aide under a Head Start program for at least 700 hours during a school year.

Date: 2015-06-09
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Taxation
21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education (ED) to provide grants to local educational agencies  to encourage the ongoing development of programs and curricula for girls and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and prepare those students to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers in such fields.

Date: 2015-06-15
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Teacher Loan Repayment Act of 2015

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the financial aid programs for teachers.

Specifically, it terminates the authority of the Department of Education (ED) to: (1) award new grants under the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program and (2) enter new loan forgiveness agreements under the under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program.

The bill authorizes and directs ED to administer a new loan repayment for teachers program. To qualify, a borrower must be a full-time teacher in a low-income school or location and meet other requirements. ED, on behalf of a qualified borrower, makes $250-$400 direct monthly payments on Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan program Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and, in certain circumstances, Consolidation Loans.

To remain eligible for loan repayment, a borrower must continue to be employed in the school or location of initial eligibility.

 The total maximum loan repayment amount is $23,400 over six years. A borrower must repay the remaining principal and interest.

An individual who currently participates in the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program may continue participating in such program or enter the new loan repayment for teachers program.

Date: 2015-07-29
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Restructuring Underutilized Resources for Advancing Learning Act or the RURAL Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit of: (1) $1,000 for teachers in schools in rural or high-poverty areas; (2) $2,000 for such teachers who are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; or (3) $2,000 for eligible school administrators in rural schools.

This bill also amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish the Office of Rural Education Policy to, among other activities: (1) advise the Department of Education (ED) on matters related to the characteristics and needs of rural schools; (2) establish and maintain a clearinghouse for information related to rural schools; and (3) provide technical assistance to support activities related to improving education in rural areas.

ED must prepare, and make publicly available, impact analyses of rules and regulations significantly affecting rural schools.

In addition, the bill: (1) authorizes ED to award competitive grants to eligible partnerships, with dedicated funding for partnerships serving rural schools, to implement and evaluate the results of technology-based learning practices, strategies, tools, or courses; and (2) amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish and authorize through FY2020 a competitive grant program for eligible entities to establish, expand, or improve expanded learning time and after-school programs in rural areas.

The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require ED to provide outreach and technical assistance for grant programs under that Act.

Rural agencies may submit consolidated plans under ESEA for covered programs.

Date: 2015-07-29
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act 





This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to require a state to identify, evaluate, and provide special education and related services to children who have visual or hearing disabilities (or both) and also are, or may be, classified in another disability category. A state must ensure that it has enough qualified personnel to serve children who have such disabilities and that a full continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of disabled children for special education and related services.





The individualized education program for each child that is either (or both) visually or hearing impaired must include specified components and must provide the child with instruction that meets the child's unique learning needs. Similarly, the individualized family service plan for an infant or toddler with a hearing disability must include specified components.





A states' closure of a special school serving deaf or blind children shall count as a reduction of its financial support for special education and related services for purposes of the prohibition against reducing state financial support for such services from one fiscal year to the next.





The bill also: (1) authorizes grants for training special education personnel, to be used in preparing individuals to become qualified teachers and early intervention specialists for children with hearing disabilities; and (2) establishes within the Department of Education the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence to better support students with visual disabilities.

Date: 2015-09-17
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Early Learning Act of 2015

This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to make annual awards from the Early Education Trust Fund, established in this bill, to state pre-kindergarten agencies according to a formula based on pre-kindergarten enrollment in the state. To be eligible for an award, a state must provide assurances that: (1) the award will be used only to support pre-kindergarten programs, (2) the state will not expend less for pre-kindergarten programs in the award period than it did in the previous year, and (3) each resident in the state who is four years old on October 1 of the award year has the opportunity to enroll in a free pre-kindergarten program.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a surtax, equal to 1.5% of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income as exceeds $500,000, to support the fund.

Date: 2015-09-17
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2015

This bill authorizes through FY2021 a competitive grant program for states to establish or expand full-day prekindergarten programs that: (1) permit each three- or four-year old child in the state to be voluntarily enrolled by the child's parent, regardless of income, in the program at the public school in which the child would be enrolled for kindergarten; (2) run the length of the regular school year; and (3) are taught by teachers who possess equivalent or similar qualifications to those of teachers of other grades in the school.

The federal share of such a grant shall not exceed 80% of the costs of carrying out these activities. Grant funds received under the program shall be used to supplement and not supplant other federal early childhood education funds in the state.

Date: 2015-09-24
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
GEAR UP for Counseling

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase requirements for grant recipients under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).

Specifically, it requires state and partnership GEAR UP grantees to also provide academic and mental health counseling services to participating students.

The bill reauthorizes GEAR UP for FY2017-FY2022.

Date: 2015-10-27
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Pre-K for USA Act

This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award high-quality prekindergarten (pre-K) program development grants on a competitive basis to states, local education agencies, or other local government entities.

A grant recipient may use the grant funds to award subgrants to local entities, provided that the entity did not receive pre-K program funding within the same fiscal year.

Grants are nonrenewable and shall be awarded for a period of no more than three years.

Unless granted a financial hardship waiver by ED, a grant recipient shall contribute matching funds equal to at least 20% of the grant amount.

Date: 2015-11-17
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Head Start Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Head Start Act to replace the existing Head Start program with block grants to states and Indian tribes for prekindergarten (pre-K) education.

Instead of providing direct financial assistance to Head Start agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall allot block grant funds for pre-K education among eligible states and Indian tribes in accordance with their relative proportions of children, age five and younger, from low-income households. Grant recipients shall use the grant funds to: (1) award subgrants to eligible entities that provide pre-K education programs; (2) administer such programs; and (3) provide technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, research, and training.

Under current law, HHS is authorized to designate, monitor, and establish standards for Head Start agencies. The bill instead shifts pre-K program oversight and control to states and Indian tribes, which shall have full flexibility to use grant funds to finance the pre-K programs of their choice. In addition, grant recipients may use grant funds to establish portable voucher systems that allow costs to be paid for attendance at private pre-K education programs.

Under current law, federal financial assistance for a Head Start program is generally limited to 80% of total program costs. The bill maintains this limitation by requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 20% of the grant amount.

Date: 2015-11-19
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

100 Years of Women in Congress Act

(Sec. 3) This bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to designate as Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program Grants the current research and extension grants to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with priority given to eligible institutions that carry out continuing programs funded by the Department of Agriculture.

Date: 2016-02-12
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Families Learning and Understanding English Together Act of 2016

This bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to make grants to providers of family literacy services in order to improve the literacy and English skills of limited English proficient individuals who are parents or children in families where each parent is at least age 16 and at least one child is under age 8.

ED shall reserve certain funds to: (1) provide grantees with technical assistance and training, and (2) evaluate and improve the family literacy grant program.

Grantees must meet specified outcome measures.

Date: 2016-02-26
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Providing Resources to Improve Dual Language Education Act of 2016 or the PRIDE Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to award up to five grants to partnerships of local educational agencies, early childhood education programs, and technical assistance providers for the implementation of dual language demonstration programs designed to enhance and assess the biliteracy and bilingualism skills of low-income minority and limited English proficient children from preschool through grade five.

ED shall: (1) contract with an entity that has dual language program experience to provide technical assistance and program evaluation, and (2) disseminate information on best practices implemented under model programs.

Date: 2016-02-26
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)

Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act

(Sec. 3) This bill directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to encourage women and girls to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), pursue careers in aerospace, and further advance the nation's space science and exploration efforts through support of the following initiatives:

 NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS; Aspire to Inspire; and Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research. (Sec. 4) NASA shall submit to Congress a specified plan on how NASA can best facilitate and support both current and retired astronauts, scientists, engineers, and innovators, including early career female astronauts, scientists, engineers, and innovators, to engage with K-12 female STEM students and inspire the next generation of women to consider participating in STEM fields and to pursue careers in aerospace.

Date: 2016-03-16
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2016

 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

 An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both:

 online workshops, mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Local Education Freedom Act of 2016

This bill requires a state to carry out an education voucher program as a condition of receiving federal funds for elementary and secondary education.

Through the program, a parent of an eligible child may enter into an agreement with a state educational agency (SEA) if the child's school receives federal funds on the condition of implementing a federal mandate with which the parent disagrees. An SEA shall: (1) provide an education savings account to each eligible child whose parent enters into such an agreement, and (2) disburse to each account an amount equal to the state's average per-pupil expenditure.

The funds in an education savings account may be used only for:

 tuition and fees for a qualifying provider; textbooks, supplemental materials, and supplies; specified examination fees; transportation; a contribution to a qualified tuition program or specified education savings account; and other education expenses approved by the SEA. A "qualifying provider" is an SEA-approved entity that complies with specified requirements and is: (1) a public or nonpublic school; (2) a home school, provided that the eligible child was enrolled in a public school during the previous academic year; (3) a tutoring facility; (4) a provider of distance learning or specialized instructional support services; or (5) an institution of higher education.

In general, a qualified provider may not discriminate against program participants or applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex. However, the prohibition on sex discrimination shall not apply to religiously affiliated providers to the extent that such application is inconsistent with the provider's religious tenets or beliefs.

Date: 2016-06-16
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Keep Students in School Act of 2016

This bill establishes a grant program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall assist local educational agencies in carrying out one or more of the following activities:

 establishing an attendance program; funding after-school programs and recreational activities; establishing a teacher training and development program that focuses on issues relating to racial inequality and poverty; if applicable, making a zero tolerance policy more compatible with the goals of student retention and engagement; establishing a student absence policy with respect to at-risk children; collaborating with local agencies and social workers to address issues facing at-risk children; providing parents of at-risk children with resources and support; establishing or expanding a mentoring program; or providing schools with licensed social workers. ED shall provide technical assistance to grantees upon request.

In addition, ED shall establish a task force to develop a comprehensive work plan to address the hardships that disadvantaged youth may face in attending school and attaining academic success. The task force shall: (1) coordinate interagency efforts to address such hardships, (2) assess the effectiveness of federal programs aimed at addressing those hardships, and (3) develop a plan that implements improvements to such federal programs and incorporates positive youth development practices.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Innovations to Recruit and Retain Excellent Teachers Act

This bill establishes a teacher support grant program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award grants to educational agencies on a competitive basis. If funds for the program are authorized above a specified amount with respect to a given fiscal year, ED shall also award grants on a formula basis.

A grantee that is a state education agency (SEA) shall use the grant funds to: (1) make subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), (2) provide technical assistance, (3) reduce bureaucratic barriers, and (4) conduct program evaluation.

In awarding subgrants, an SEA must give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve a high proportion of low-income students, (2) have either a teacher shortage or a high proportion of schools identified for support and improvement, and (3) demonstrate the capacity to carry out program activities.

An LEA shall use grant or subgrant funds to carry out a teacher support program in the elementary and secondary schools that it serves. The program must strengthen teaching careers by: (1) collaboratively reforming and improving compensation structures, (2) creating opportunities for personalized professional learning and enhancement for teachers, (3) creating leadership pathways, (4) using strategies such as innovative scheduling to support teacher improvement, and (5) implementing teacher-led initiatives. In addition, the program must carry out specified activities to strengthen teacher selection or induction.

The bill establishes requirements for grant applications, program evaluation, and reporting.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2015 or the PRE-K Act

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to enhance or improve state-funded preschool programs to states that: (1) have curricula aligned with state early learning standards; (2) use nationally-established, or better, best practices for class size and teacher-to-student ratios; (3) require each teacher to have at least an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field; (4) require such programs to operate for at least a full academic year; and (5) have a plan for meeting the requirement, within five years of receiving such grant, that teachers have at least a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or have such degree in a related field, but have also completed specialized training in early childhood education.

Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive process for awarding grants to other states that demonstrate that they will meet such requirements within two fiscal years.

Prohibits state grantees from reducing their preschool or child care expenditures.

Requires states to give priority, in using grant funds, to preschool programs in communities with high concentrations of impoverished children.

 Includes among grant uses: (1) increasing the qualifications of, and benefits provided to, teachers, teacher aides, and program directors; (2) decreasing class size and improving teacher-to-student ratios; (3) providing certain comprehensive services that support healthy child development; (4) extending program duration; (5) improving program monitoring and learning environments; and (6) providing classroom supplies or equipment.

Reserves funds for competitive grants to Indians for their preschool programs.

Date: 2015-01-29
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Promise Neighborhoods Authorization Act of 2015

Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a new part D, entitled "the Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2015."

Directs the Secretary, under subpart 1 (Promise Neighborhood Partnership Grants), to award renewable, competitive, matching grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs), Indian tribes or tribal organizations, or nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive continuum of coordinated services and supports that engage community partners in improving the academic achievement, health and social development, and college and career readiness of children who live in distressed neighborhoods with persistently low-achieving schools or schools with an achievement gap.

Directs the Secretary, under subpart 2 (Promise School Grants), to award renewable, competitive, matching grants to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) that partner with nonprofit organizations or IHEs, and to Indian schools that partner with nonprofit organizations or IHEs, to implement school-centered strategies and integrated student supports that leverage community partnerships to improve student achievement and development in schools with high concentrations of low-income children. Gives priority to applicants that propose to: (1) include significant investments in high-quality early learning programs, and (2) give schools the operational flexibility to carry out grant activities.

Requires part D grantees to evaluate their programs continuously and improve them based on data and outcomes. Directs the Secretary to use certain performance metrics to determine the eligibility of part D grantees for continued funding and renewal of their grant. Directs the Secretary to evaluate this part's grant programs and disseminate research on best practices for improving the academic and developmental outcomes of children living in our most distressed communities.

Date: 2015-02-12
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Every Child Counts Act

Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to establish alternate academic achievement standards and assessments for students who have the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Requires the alternate standards to meet certain conditions, including that they:

 are aligned with the state's challenging academic content and achievement standards; provide access to the general curriculum for the grade in which the student is enrolled; and establish, at a minimum, two levels of achievement (on-target and advanced) that indicate that a student meets or exceeds the state's proficient level of academic achievement; and establish, at a minimum, a third level of achievement (catch-up) that provides information about a student's progress toward proficiency. Requires each state using alternate assessments to ensure that: (1) not more than 1% of the total number of all students in each grade level in the state who are assessed in a subject are assessed using the alternate assessments, (2) the state's regular academic assessments remain accessible to all students, and (3) the alternate assessments are peer reviewed and based on the best available evidence.

Allows each state to count students who are determined to be proficient using such alternate assessments in its determination of the percentage of the state's students who are meeting or exceeding the state's academic content and achievement standards.

Requires states' annual report cards to: (1) include the number and percentage of disabled students who take the alternate assessments; and (2) break that information down by grade, subject matter, and disability type.

Date: 2015-02-12
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Empowering Parents and Students Through Information Act

Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require each state that elects to use alternate academic achievement standards for students that have the most significant cognitive disabilities to:

 establish and monitor the implementation of clear and appropriate guidelines for individualized education program (IEP) teams to apply in determining, on an annual and subject-by-subject basis, when a child's significant cognitive disability justifies assessment using alternate standards; ensure that the parents of students the state plans to assess using alternate assessments are involved in, and provide informed consent to, the decision to apply such alternate standards; provide evidence that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are making progress in the general curriculum for the grade in which the students are enrolled and in assessments aligned with that curriculum; develop and promote the use of reasonable accommodations to increase the number of such students participating in grade-level academic instruction and assessments aligned with grade-level academic standards; promote the use of such accommodations to increase the number of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are tested against grade-level academic achievement standards; ensure that general and special education teachers and other appropriate staff know how to administer assessments for disabled students; require separate annual determinations about whether a student should be assessed using an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards for each subject assessed; and ensure that students who take such alternate assessments are not precluded from attempting to complete the state requirements for a regular secondary school diploma. Prohibits states from using any student's IEP in the state accountability system.

Requires states' annual report cards to: (1) include the number and percentage of disabled students who take the alternate assessments; and (2) break that information down by grade and subject matter and by the disability categories described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Date: 2015-02-12
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Continuum of Learning Act of 2015

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to coordinate school improvement and professional development activities with early childhood development and education programs.

Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to require states to create or revise early learning guidelines for preschool age children and early learning standards for children in kindergarten through grade three.

Requires the guidelines and standards to be developmentally appropriate and cover all domains of child development and learning.

Requires states to encourage local educational agencies (LEAs) and elementary schools to use school improvement funds to offer early childhood education programs from birth to school entry.

Requires LEAs to: (1) ensure, to the extent feasible, starting with the 2017-2018 school year, that teachers placed in the early elementary school grades have a specialized early childhood education teaching license, credential, or endorsement; and (2) work with early childhood education programs to establish a continuity of curricular objectives and developmental expectations that support children's transition to school.

Limits the use of child assessments for children from birth through grade two.

Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to require states to incorporate knowledge regarding early childhood development and learning into teacher and principal certification or licensing requirements.

Requires professional development activities to include: (1) training in early child development and learning, and (2) joint training for elementary school staff and early childhood education program staff.

Date: 2015-03-03
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Prepare All Kids Act of 2015

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to establish a Prekindergarten Incentive Fund from which matching grants shall be awarded to states and, through them, subgrants to qualified prekindergarten providers to establish, expand, or enhance voluntary high quality full-day prekindergarten programs serving children ages three through five.

Directs state grantees to set aside: (1) at least 15% of their grant for quality early childhood development programs for children from birth through age three, and (2) at least 10% of their grant to extend the hours of early childhood development programs to create extended day and year programs.

Requires prekindergarten subgrantees to: (1) maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom; and (2) ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1.

Prohibits the use of program funds for assessments of children in prekindergarten or early childhood development programs if: (1) the assessments are used to reward or sanction individual children, teachers, programs, or schools; or (2) a single assessment is used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness.

Date: 2015-03-03
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
College Options for DREAMers Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow Dreamer students to receive federal financial aid for higher education.

A "Dreamer student" is an individual who was under age 16 upon entering this country, has provided a list of secondary schools the individual attended in this country, and, in this country:

 has earned a high school diploma or the equivalent, is scheduled to complete the requirements for a high school diploma or equivalent before the next academic year begins, has acquired a degree from an institution of higher education, has successfully completed at least two years of a program for a baccalaureate or higher degree, is a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or has served honorably in the uniformed services for at least four years. The Department of Education must provide for a hardship exception to the age and secondary school list requirements.

States are allowed to offer unlawful aliens postsecondary benefits on the basis of their residence in the state (e.g., in-state tuition).

Date: 2015-04-22
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
STEM Gateways Act

This bill directs the Department of Education to award competitive grants for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) elementary and secondary school programs that:

 encourage interest in the STEM fields; motivate engagement in the STEM fields by providing relevant hands-on learning opportunities; support classroom success in the STEM disciplines; support STEM workforce training and career preparation for secondary school students; or improve the access of secondary school students to STEM career and continuing education opportunities.

Date: 2015-05-04
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies, childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families.

Grants are allotted to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level.

"High-quality prekindergarten programs" are those that serve children three or four years of age and meet criteria concerning: class size; learning environments; teacher qualifications, salaries, and professional development; program monitoring; and accessibility to comprehensive health and support services.

States may apply to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level.

ED and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall develop a process to: (1) provide Head Start program services to children younger than age four in states or regions that already provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs, or (2) convert programs to serve infants and toddlers.

ED shall award competitive matching grants to states to increase their capacity to offer high-quality prekindergarten programs. States must provide assurances that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs.

The bill amends the Head Start Act to direct HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, to assist them in meeting program performance standards. Such partnerships may serve children through age three.

The bill reauthorizes the programs providing: (1) preschool grants for special education and related services, and (2) early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

The bill expresses the sense of the Senate concerning the value of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.

Date: 2015-05-19
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
AmeriCorps School Turnaround Act of 2015

This bill authorizes a grant program to enable elementary schools, secondary schools, or specified entities that serve low-performing schools to: (1) improve the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students, and (2) select national service participants and engage such participants in school turnaround projects.

An entity that receives a grant under the program must use the grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities: (1) improving the quality and frequency of individualized learning time, (2) increasing individualized learning time or extended learning programs, (3) providing college and career readiness guidance and assistance, (4) accelerating reading and mathematics knowledge and skills, or (5) carrying out school-wide activities to increase graduation rates or address nonacademic factors impacting student achievement.

Date: 2015-07-07
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Disaggregating Student Outcomes by Disability Category Act

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require annual state report cards to disaggregate, by type of disability (such as blindness), data regarding the educational outcomes of students with disabilities.

Date: 2015-07-09
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Head Start Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Head Start Act to replace the existing Head Start program with block grants to states and Indian tribes for prekindergarten (pre-K) education.

Instead of providing direct financial assistance to Head Start agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall allot block grant funds for pre-K education among eligible states and Indian tribes in accordance with their relative proportions of children, age five and younger, from low-income households. Grant recipients shall use the grant funds to: (1) award subgrants to eligible entities that provide pre-K education programs; (2) administer such programs; and (3) provide technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, research, and training.

Under current law, HHS is authorized to designate, monitor, and establish standards for Head Start agencies. The bill instead shifts pre-K program oversight and control to states and Indian tribes, which shall have full flexibility to use grant funds to finance the pre-K programs of their choice. In addition, grant recipients may use grant funds to establish portable voucher systems that allow costs to be paid for attendance at private pre-K education programs.

Under current law, federal financial assistance for a Head Start program is generally limited to 80% of total program costs. The bill maintains this limitation by requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 20% of the grant amount.

Date: 2015-11-17
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education