zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Supporting State Systems of Early Learning Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive, matching Quality Pathways grants to states that demonstrate the greatest progress toward establishing a high-quality system of early learning that includes: (1) state early learning standards; (2) preservice and ongoing training for staff; (3) the systematic review, rating, and monitoring of early learning programs for ameliorative purposes; (4) parental involvement; (5) health, disability, and family support services and referrals for participating children; (6) an early learning data system; and (7) a process for evaluating children's school readiness and ensuring their effective transition to the public school system. Requires the grant to be used to further such progress and move more disadvantaged children into higher quality programs. Permits grantees to apply to the Secretary to reserve up to 25% of their grant to expand disadvantaged children's access to the highest quality early learning programs offering full-day, full-year services. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive Development grants to states that were not awarded a Pathways grant, but commit to developing a high-quality system of early learning that includes the components listed above. Directs the Secretary to establish indicators to measure state progress in meeting grant objectives, and states to establish Secretary-approved benchmarks for success that are based on those indicators. Requires the Secretary to use certain reserved funds to: (1) establish a competitive grant demonstration program for Native American school readiness programs; (2) provide technical assistance to states to help them qualify for, apply for, and maintain this Act's grants; and (3) support the Institute of Education Sciences' research into, and evaluation of, this Act's grant-related activities.

Date: 2011-03-03
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, on an ongoing basis, to: (1) collect and report certain information on bullying and harassment by youth in their elementary and secondary schools and communities; (2) conduct, and report the results of, a needs assessment for bullying and harassment prevention programs; and (3) provide technical assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in their efforts to thwart bullying and harassment. Requires LEAs to: (1) include clear prohibitions against bullying and harassment within their discipline policies; (2) establish and monitor performance indicators for incidents of bullying and harassment; and (3) establish grievance procedures students, parents, and educators can use to redress such conduct. Directs LEAs to notify parents, students, and educators annually on: (1) the bullying and harassment prohibited by their discipline policies, (2) the numbers and nature of bullying and harassment incidents for each of their schools, and (3) grievance procedures for redressing such conduct. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) the Commissioner for Education Statistics to collect data, that are subject to independent review, to determine the incidence and prevalence of bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools in this country.

Date: 2011-03-08
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Achievement Through Prevention Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to allow states, local educational agencies, and schools to use school improvement funds to implement schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports and early intervening services and coordinate them with similar activities carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (Early intervening services are a set of coordinated services for students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.) Amends part D of title I of the ESEA to require states that receive funds for the education of neglected or delinquent children or youth to use positive behavioral interventions and supports and early intervening services to improve such students' academic performance and reduce their need for discipline.

Date: 2011-03-10
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise the Small, Rural School Achievement program, which gives rural local educational agencies (LEAs) federal formula grants and greater flexibility in the use of state educational funds. Limits eligibility to LEAs whose schools are all designated with a school locale code of Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural, unless located in an area the state defines as rural. Raises federal grant limits when funds available to implement the program equal or exceed $100 million. Alters LEA eligibility for federal funds under the Rural and Low-Income School program by requiring that: (1) at least 40% of the children ages 5 through 17 that LEAs serve be eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) all of their schools be designated with a school locale code of Distant Town, Remote Town, Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural.

Date: 2011-03-14
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) consortia composed of one or more local educational agencies (LEAs) and one or more community-based, nonprofit, or other public or private entities to assist public elementary or secondary schools to function as full-service community schools; and (2) state collaboratives to support the development of full-service community school programs. Requires such schools to: (1) participate in community-based efforts to coordinate and integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-based organizations and public and private partnerships; and (2) provide access to such services to students, families, and the community. Gives local grant priority to consortia that: (1) will serve at least one full-service community school eligible for a schoolwide program under the Act, or include an LEA serving only small or rural schools; and (2) will be connected to a consortium comprising a broad representation of stakeholders or one that has a history of effectiveness. Establishes a Full-Service Community Schools Advisory Committee.

Date: 2011-03-15
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Supporting Community Schools Act of 2011 - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize local educational agencies (LEAs) to use school improvement funds to transform schools identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or restructuring into community schools. (Schools are identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or restructuring when they fail to make adequate yearly progress [AYP] toward state academic performance standards.) Defines a "community school" as a public elementary or secondary school that partners with community-based entities, both public and private, to address students' academic, health, and developmental needs while also serving as a community center that provides or hosts relevant community services. Requires such schools to be based on research into successful practices in: (1) improving student achievement or growth, (2) closing achievement gaps between groups of students, and (3) increasing student attendance and graduation rates. Authorizes LEAs to use funds under part D (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk) of title I of the ESEA to fund a community school coordinator who will support their community schools.

Date: 2011-03-17
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Charter School Quality Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to add to the criteria the Secretary of Education is to consider when deciding whether to give a state priority in the receipt of public charter school grants. Favors states that ensure that public charter schools are held to the student performance standards set forth in their performance contracts, and: (1) have a statewide authorized public chartering agency; (2) work with authorized public chartering agencies to streamline data collection and reporting; (3) ensure that those agencies follow high-quality standards that reflect best practices; (4) have a transparent process for accrediting, training, or evaluating those agencies; and/or (5) make student achievement a primary factor in decisions to approve, renew, or revoke school charters. Directs the Secretary, when assessing a state's grant application, to consider the rigor of the process it establishes to ensure that subgrants are awarded only to high-quality applicants that are likely to create high-performing charter schools. Directs the Secretary to award grants to successful public charter schools, high-quality public chartering agencies, and experienced nonprofit organizations to: (1) disseminate information about successful innovations in education; or (2) assist other schools, chartering agencies, charter support organizations, and nonprofit organizations in utilizing such innovations. Requires public charter schools to: (1) conduct an annual, independent, and timely financial audit that is filed with their chartering agency; (2) have a written, legally-binding performance contract or charter with an authorized public chartering agency in their state; and (3) be governed by a board that is independent from the chartering agency and has autonomy over decisions. Requires authorized public chartering agencies or authorizers to use student performance and growth at the whole school level and for certain student subgroups as a primary factor in assessing public charter schools and determining whether to renew or revoke their charters.

Date: 2011-03-30
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Repeal the CLASS Entitlement Act - Repeals provisions of the Public Health Service Act enacted under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (entitled the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act or the CLASS Act) which establish a national, voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and supports in order to provide individuals with functional limitations with tools that will allow them to maintain their personal and financial independence and live in the community. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal provisions providing appropriations for the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information through FY2015.

Date: 2011-04-04
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Health
Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leaders, Learning, And Results Act or STELLAR Student Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require each state receiving school improvement funds to: (1) define teacher and principal effectiveness and establish performance ratings; (2) demonstrate that it has developed a model teacher and principal evaluation program; (3) demonstrate that each of its local educational agencies (LEAs) has adopted a teacher and principal evaluation program; (4) demonstrate that each LEA is seeking input from teachers and principals in making annual improvements to such program; and (5) review, report on, and assist LEAs in improving such evaluation programs. Requires teacher evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth, (2) include observations of the teacher's classroom performance, (3) rate teachers using at least four performance categories, and (4) provide results that are comparable for all teachers in grade levels and subject areas across the state and within the teacher's LEA. Requires principal evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth; (2) factor in their school's graduation rates; (3) assess the principal's success in recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining effective teachers; (4) assess the principal's leadership abilities through observations and other relevant data; (5) factor in student attendance rates; (6) rate principals using at least four performance categories; and (7) provide results that are comparable across all principals within the LEA. Requires states to take steps to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by teachers rated as less than effective. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a clearinghouse to share best practices relating to teacher and principal evaluation. Requires states and LEAs to report the number and percentage of teachers and principals in each performance rating at: (1) the state, LEA, and school level; and (2) their LEAs and schools that have the highest and lowest poverty rates or the highest and lowest percentages of minority students. Directs the Secretary to recognize each LEA that has innovative, high-quality, and effective teacher or principal evaluation programs that lead to professional development and improved student performance.

Date: 2011-04-07
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2015 the qualified school construction bond program and the national limitation amounts for bonds issued under the qualified zone academy bond (QZAB) program, (2) allow the issuer of a QZAB to receive a direct payment in lieu of the tax credit for interest payments with respect to such bonds, and (3) permit private entities to waive the 10% matching requirement for QZABs.

Date: 2011-04-12
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Taxation
Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to reauthorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 for the safe routes to school program. Revises program requirements to specify children kindergarten through 12th grade as the ones to be benefited by the program. Revises criteria used to determine state apportionment of program funds. Includes projects for other nonmotorized modes of transportation besides walking and bicycling as noninfrastructure-related projects. Authorizes states to set-aside up to 10% of apportioned funds for infrastructure improvements that create safe routes to bus stops located outside of the vicinity of schools. Requires each state that receives an apportionment to carry out an assessment of the economic and geographical distribution of funding to ensure that low-income schools are adequately able to access such funds. Defines "low-income school" to mean a school in which 65% or more of students qualify for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Requires each state receiving an apportionment for a fiscal year to use a sufficient amount of it to fund a full-time position of coordinator for the state safe routes to school program. Prescribes requirements for the treatment of noninfrastructure and infrastructure projects. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) develop and implement a comprehensive plan for evaluating the effectiveness of safe routes to school, and (2) make grants to an experienced national nonprofit organization to operate a national safe routes to school clearinghouse.

Date: 2011-04-12
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Lead Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award a competitive grant to a partnership between a nonprofit organization and an institution of higher education (IHE) to establish a school leadership academy that develops and provides evidence-based leadership training to school leaders (turnaround leaders) and their supporting mentors (turnaround mentors) to transform and improve turnaround schools. Defines "turnaround schools" as schools that are subject to corrective action or restructuring under the ESEA or are secondary schools that have a graduation rate below 60%. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to partnerships between or among a nonprofit organization, IHE, or a nonprofit organization and an IHE, and state or local educational agencies to establish school leadership centers of excellence, after the initial cohort of turnaround leaders and mentors have been trained by the school leadership academy. Directs such centers to: (1) adopt and adapt the leadership training program developed by the school leadership academy so that such program is informed, on an ongoing basis, by evidence regarding effective school leadership and meets the needs of the local educational agencies they serve; and (2) work with the school leadership academy to best train and support program participants. Requires leadership training participants at the academy and the centers of excellence to receive a stipend for participating and agree to serve for at least four years at turnaround schools. Requires the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to support: (1) research on identifying the skills and conditions necessary for school leaders to improve turnaround schools, and (2) evaluations of this Act's programs and activities.

Date: 2011-04-13
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act or A PLUS Act - Allows each state to enter into a five-year performance agreement with the Secretary of Education permitting it to receive federal funds on a consolidated basis that would otherwise be directed toward specific programs furthering the stated purpose of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires each agreement to be approved by a combination of specified state parties, and list the programs for which consolidated funding is requested. Allows states to use such funds for any educational purpose permitted by state law, but requires them to make certain assurances that they will use fiscal control and fund accounting procedures, abide by federal civil rights laws, and advance educational opportunities for the disadvantaged. Allows amendments to the scope of performance agreements. Requires each agreement state to: (1) maintain an accountability system measuring annual student progress toward state proficiency standards, (2) disseminate annually student performance data disaggregated by specified student groups, and (3) keep aggregate spending on elementary and secondary education at no less than 90% of such spending for the school year coinciding with this Act's enactment. Limits administrative expenses. Requires the inclusion of private schools and teachers in activities funded on a consolidated basis. Directs the Secretary to evaluate each performance agreement midway through its execution. Allows the Secretary to terminate an agreement whose terms are not met for three consecutive school years.

Date: 2011-04-14
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Success in the Middle Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, based on their proportion of poor children aged 5 to 17, to: (1) implement state middle grades needs analyses and, on the basis of such analyses, improvement plans that describe what students must master to complete successfully the middle grades and succeed in academically rigorous secondary school coursework; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education, educational service agencies, or educational nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive middle school improvement plan for each eligible school. Favors LEAs, or partnerships that include LEAs, that serve high proportions of poor children and children attending eligible schools. Defines "eligible schools" as those where: (1) a high proportion of middle grade students matriculate to secondary schools with graduation rates below 65%; (2) more than 25% of the students who finish grade six, or the school's earliest middle grade level, exhibit key risk factors for failure; and (3) a majority of middle grade students are not rated proficient on required state assessments in mathematics, reading, or language arts. Permits states to make subgrants to LEAs and partnerships that did not receive a competitive subgrant to assist them in applying for competitive subgrants and developing comprehensive middle school improvement plans. Provides the Secretary with funding to: (1) contract for studies that identify promising practices for, and review existing research to identify factors that might lead to, the improvement of middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse in best middle grade educational practices and a national database identifying factors that facilitate or impede middle grade student achievement; (3) require certain educational field research designed to enhance the performance of middle grade schools and students; (4) create a research and development center that addresses topics pertinent to the middle grades; and (5) provide grants to entities that partner with states and LEAs to develop, adapt, or replicate effective models for turning around low-performing middle grades.

Date: 2011-04-14
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Race to the Top Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement reforms and innovations designed to improve educational outcomes significantly for all students and reduce achievement gaps significantly among specified student subgroups. Requires each grant applicant to have a comprehensive and coherent plan for doing so that includes, if applicable: (1) improving the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders and promoting their equitable distribution; (2) strengthening the use of data to improve education; (3) implementing internationally benchmarked, college- and career-ready elementary and secondary academic standards; (4) turning around its lowest-performing schools; (5) supporting, or coordinating with, early learning programs for high-need children from birth through third grade; and (6) creating or maintaining successful conditions for high-performing charter schools and other innovative, autonomous public schools. Requires each grantee to establish performance measures that track its progress in implementing its plan, and improving educational outcomes for students and specified student subgroups. Gives grant priority to LEAs with the highest number or percentages of impoverished children and those that serve rural schools. Requires each state grantee to use at least 50% of its grant for subgrants to LEAs that participate in its plan. Allows LEAs to receive a grant and subgrant for the same fiscal year.

Date: 2011-04-14
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Investing in Innovation for Education Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), educational service agencies, and nonprofit organizations to support the school innovation efforts of public schools and LEAs. Requires at least 25% of the grant funds to be awarded for projects in rural areas. Requires each grant applicant to demonstrate that it has partnered with at least one private, nonprofit, or community-based organization that will provide matching funds. Allows the Secretary to waive the matching funds requirement upon a showing of exceptional circumstances. Requires each grant to be used to address at least one of the following areas of school innovation: (1) improving the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders and promoting their equitable distribution, (2) strengthening the use of data to improve education, (3) providing high-quality instruction that is based on rigorous standards and measuring students' proficiency using high-quality assessments that are aligned to those standards, (4) turning around the lowest-performing schools, and (5) any other area of school innovation the Secretary chooses. Directs the Secretary to establish performance measures for tracking each grantee's progress in: (1) improving the academic performance of public elementary and secondary school students, and specified subgroups of those students; and (2) implementing its project in rural schools, as applicable. Requires grantees to use grant funds to develop or expand strategies to improve high-need students' showing on those performance measures.

Date: 2011-05-05
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
School Building Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to allocate funds to states for competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for school repair, renovation, and construction. Reserves 1% of the grant funds for assistance to outlying areas and Indian schools. Requires each state, in awarding such grants to LEAs, to consider: (1) the percentage of poor children each LEA serves; (2) the condition of their public schools or need for additional schools; (3) the extent to which they will comply with certain green building standards; (4) their fiscal capacity to cover repairs, renovations, and construction without such a grant; and (5) the likelihood that they will maintain repaired, renovated, or newly constructed schools in good condition. Requires each state to award high-need and rural LEAs, in the aggregate, at least the same proportion of this Act's LEA funds for the state that they received of total LEA school improvement funds for the state under part A of Title I of the ESEA. Directs each state to reserve a portion of their allocation for a state-level database of public school facility inventory, condition, design, and utilization. Requires the National Center for Education Statistics to study the condition of public elementary and secondary schools, including an analysis of trends in spending for their repair, renovation, and construction. Directs the Secretary to provide for the establishment of a clearinghouse of information on the best educational practices from nursery school through higher education, and the latest research regarding the construction, improvement, and maintenance of safe, healthy, and high-performance public schools.

Date: 2011-05-05
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Family Engagement in Education Act of 2011 - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize states to reserve school improvement funds to: (1) award grants to nonprofit organizations that partner with local educational agencies (LEAs) or schools to establish and operate Local Family Engagement Centers that assist families in becoming engaged in their childrens' education, (2) establish a State Family Engagement Coordinating Council to coordinate and integrate family engagement activities across the education spectrum, and (3) develop and implement a statewide family engagement in education plan. Requires each state school improvement plan to include a plan for strengthening family engagement in education. Requires each LEA and school receiving school improvement funds to develop policies and practices for family engagement in education that meet specified principles and standards. Increases the percentage of school improvement funds that LEAs must reserve for family engagement activities. Requires states and correctional facilities to work with family members and aftercare providers in developing educational services and transition plans for youth following their stay in state and local institutions for neglected or delinquent youth. Requires states to use part of their grant under part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to train teachers and principals to effectively engage families in their children's education. Replaces a Fund for the Improvement of Education program under title V of the ESEA that provided for the establishment of parental information and resource centers with a new program that awards matching grants to statewide nonprofit organizations to establish Statewide Family Engagement Centers that provide comprehensive training, technical assistance, and capacity building to states, LEAs, and organizations that support family-school partnerships to assist them in developing and implementing family engagement programs. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish Local Family Engagement Centers and a national Indian Family Engagement Coordinating Council for Indian schools. Requires the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to develop recommended metrics on family engagement in education for states and LEAs, and make recommendations on the integration of those metrics into state accountability and longitudinal data systems. Directs the Secretary to conduct research on effective family engagement in education. Requires that there be established in the Department of Education dedicated staff, including a Director, for family and community engagement.

Date: 2011-05-10
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Secondary School Reentry Act of 2011 - Amends part H (School Dropout Prevention) of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to make consortia of local educational agencies (LEAs) eligible to receive school dropout prevention grants and subgrants. Requires LEAs that receive a subgrant under part H to use at least 30% of the funds to implement reentry programs that assist school dropouts in returning to the educational system to obtain a secondary school diploma. Requires the reentry programs to be implemented through a partnership between a state, an LEA or consortium of LEAs, and at least one of the following: (1) a community-based organization, (2) an institution of higher education, (3) a local government agency, (4) a business group, (5) a community or national service program, (6) a qualified intermediary, or (7) other education provider. Sets forth reentry program requirements that include providing dropouts with outreach services and participants with: (1) a reenrollment counselor; (2) a rigorous, interdisciplinary education that is aligned to state standards; (3) internships, work experience, or service-learning that gives them secondary or postsecondary school credits; and (4) targeted support services. Directs the Secretary of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of reentry programs. Requires states to include certain student dropout and reentry information in their annual report cards under part A of title I of the ESEA. Amends part D of title I of the ESEA to require states to work with LEAs in developing and implementing school reentry programs for neglected, delinquent, and at-risk youth.

Date: 2011-05-18
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
High School Data Transparency Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to collect the following information annually from each coeducational secondary school that receives federal financial assistance and that has an interscholastic athletic program: (1) the number, gender, and race or ethnicity of students that attended the school; and (2) for each team that competed in athletic competition, the number, gender, and race or ethnicity of participants, the total expenditures, the number, gender, and employment status of trainers, medical personnel, and coaches, the number of competitions, and postseason record. Requires such schools to: (1) make such information available to students and potential students, upon request, and to the public by October 15 of each school year; (2) ensure that all students at the school are informed of their right to request such information; and (3) annually provide such information to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that such information is posted on the Department of Education's website, (2) notify all secondary schools regarding the availability of the information, and (3) issue guidance on how to collect and report the information required under this Act.

Date: 2011-06-23
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Secondary School Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive, matching, five-year grants to high-need local educational agencies that partner with public or private nonprofit organizations to assist schools in implementing innovative secondary school reform strategies. Requires grantees to use up to 25% of their grant funds to: (1) implement an early warning indicator and intervention system to identify and assist struggling middle and secondary school students; (2) provide support and credit recovery opportunities for struggling secondary school students; (3) establish secondary school dropout recovery or reentry programs; (4) establish grade and school transition programs and supports from kindergarten through high school graduation; and (5) keep school staff, students, and families apprised of certain education requirements, processes, and opportunities. Requires grantees to use at least 75% of their grant funds on certain efforts to: (1) reform secondary schools that have a graduation rate below 75% and they identify as needing improvement, and (2) improve the academic performance of students who attend middle schools that feed a majority of their students to those secondary schools. Requires those secondary school reforms to include: (1) personalized learning environments attuned to the needs of each student; (2) student engagement through service, experiential, and work-based learning; (3) flexible budget and hiring authority for school leaders; (4) training and collaborative opportunities for school staff; (5) improved curriculum and instruction; (6) an individual graduation plan for each student; and (7) Graduation Promise Academies, Career Academies, or Early College Schools which represent specified strategies that have proven effective in preparing students for graduation, college, and a career.

Date: 2011-06-30
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
After School for America's Children Act - Amends the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and afterschool programs to improve their academic performance.) Requires the Centers to provide: (1) students with activities that are targeted to their academic needs and aligned with the instruction they receive during the school day, and (2) students' families with opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children's education. Includes Indian tribes or organizations among the local public or private entities that are eligible for grants from states to establish the Centers. Requires states to use at least 93% (currently 95%) of their allotment from the Secretary of Education to provide grants to those entities. Allows states to use up to 5% (currently, 3%) of their allotment for certain state activities. Requires states to: (1) award grants to local entities that serve students who primarily attend schools that are eligible for schoolwide programs under part A of title I of the ESEA, and (2) favor applicants that propose to serve students that have not achieved proficiency in accordance with state academic achievement standards. Requires states to use a rigorous peer review process in reviewing grant applications. Allows states to renew a grant under part B based on the grantee's performance during the original grant period. Prohibits the Secretary or states from giving funding priority to applicants that propose to use the funds to extend the regular school day. Includes among the activities grants may fund: (1) core academic subject education activities, including those that allow students to recover or attain credits; (2) literacy education programs; (3) programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle; (4) services for the disabled; (5) cultural programs; and (6) programs that build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and support innovative STEM teaching methods. Reauthorizes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program through FY2017.

Date: 2011-07-14
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Ready Schools Act of 2011 - Amends part A of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require local educational agencies to describe how they will assist each of their elementary schools that receive school improvement funds in conducting a ready school needs review at least once every three years. Requires schools to use that review in developing and implementing policies and procedures that create a school environment and classroom practices that: (1) help each child reach state and grade level expectations, including state academic content and achievement standards; and (2) support successful transitions for children. Requires the review to assess a school's needs for: (1) developmentally appropriate curricula, classroom materials, teaching practices, instructional assessments, and accommodations; (2) services and supports for disabled and limited English proficient children; (3) family and community engagement policies and practices; (4) building and maintaining a school climate that supports positive development and learning; (5) school staff leadership and support; and (6) outreach to, and collaboration with, early childhood education and service providers.

Date: 2011-07-28
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Stop Abuse for Every Teen Act or SAFE Teen Act - Amends title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include dating violence prevention among the drug and violence prevention efforts funded under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program. Authorizes local educational agencies (LEAs) to use program funds for peer support groups that provide an emotionally safe and confidential setting for youth to learn and practice healthy relationship skills under the supervision of school personnel or community organizations specializing in domestic and sexual violence prevention. Allows perpetrators of dating violence to participate in such groups, but not in the same groups as victims of such violence. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to use program funds to: (1) develop and disseminate innovative and high-quality healthy relationship skill-building programs as a way to reduce unhealthy or abusive teen relationships; and (2) disseminate information on dating violence education and prevention, and data on the incidence of dating violence in the school environment and relevant behavioral indicators of exposure to violence. Directs the Secretary to collect and publicly disseminate data on the incidence of dating violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, and relevant behavioral indicators of exposure to such types of violence, among individuals aged 11 through 19. Requires states to provide technical assistance to LEAs and schools in their efforts to prevent and appropriately respond to incidents of dating violence. Authorizes the Secretary to use program funds to establish a Teen Dating Violence Prevention Innovation Fund to replicate, refine, and test model strategies and projects directed to youth to prevent and respond to dating violence.

Date: 2011-07-28
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Schools Utilizing Comprehensive and Community Engagement for Success Act or Success Act - Amends part A of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require local educational agencies (LEAs) to work with public and private state and local entities to provide children and families with services that are integrated with services from specialized instructional support personnel and LEA homeless liaisons to address the academic and nonacademic factors that affect student achievement. Amends title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovation Programs) of the ESEA to establish a Parent and Community Outreach and Engagement program. Directs the Secretary of Education to award formula grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to: (1) LEAs to assist their public elementary and secondary schools to hire and maintain Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators; and (2) community-based organizations or institutions of higher education that work in partnership with public schools to connect integrated services and comprehensive supports to students and families to enhance students' social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Requires Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators to: (1) build relationships, bridge gaps, and create partnerships among school staff, families, and community members; and (2) provide support and resources to increase family and community engagement in schools. Requires Coordinators to be supervised and evaluated by the principal or headmaster of the school and evaluated annually by a committee composed of school personnel, parents, and at least one community partner. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a nonprofit organization that has effective and extensive experience in providing integrated student supports to: (1) provide technical assistance and training to this Act's grantees and subgrantees; and (2) establish a national clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information on effective parent, family, and community engagement practices and programs.

Date: 2011-08-01
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Early Intervention for Graduation Success Authorization Act of 2011 - Amends the School Dropout Prevention program under part H of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Replaces the existing grant program with a program awarding competitive, renewable, five-year early intervention grants to states and, through them, subgrants to partnerships between local educational agencies (LEAs) and early childhood education providers that serve a high percentage of students who bear the risk factors for dropping out of school. Requires state grantees to: (1) create and periodically update a research-based Statewide Graduation Success Plan addressing the factors associated with the risk of not graduating from high school; (2) provide technical assistance to subgrantees; and (3) implement a Statewide Dropout Early Warning System to identify and direct effective services to children, from birth through elementary school, who are at risk of not graduating from high school. Permits states to use grant funds to: (1) provide tuition assistance to students who agree to teach in an early childhood education program, (2) increase and monitor the quality of early childhood education, (3) design and implement a progression of aligned performance standards across all domains of learning from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, and (4) expand access to high-quality early childhood education for children most at risk of low proficiency in school. Requires subgrantees to: (1) use the Statewide Dropout Early Warning System to implement research-based, individualized interventions for at-risk students; (2) develop and implement individual learning plans for each at-risk early childhood or elementary school student; (3) provide teacher training; (4) integrate community and family support services; and (5) foster students' high expectations and improve their chances for academic success. Reauthorizes the program through FY2017.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education
Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act - Amends part B (Public Charter Schools) of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise subpart 1 (Charter School Programs) and subsume subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) under subpart 1. (Under subpart 2 the Secretary of Education awards grants to public entities and private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative means of enhancing credit to finance the acquisition, construction, or renovation of charter schools.) Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding competitive grants to states, authorized public chartering agencies, and local educational agencies (LEAs) and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Requires such grantees to use 10% of the grant funds to provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies, and work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process. Makes authorized public chartering agencies, LEAs, and charter management organizations eligible to receive competitive grants to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools themselves. Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant. Directs the Secretary to conduct certain national activities that include awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers to open, replicate, and expand charter schools in states that have not received, or are nearing the end of, a grant for that purpose. Reauthorizes appropriations under subpart 1 through FY2017.

Date: 2011-09-15
Topic: Education (Elementary & Secondary)
Subject: Education