S. 1094 (113^th): Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013

In general

The State shall—

Alignment of college and career ready standards

Each State plan shall demonstrate the State has adopted college and career ready academic content standards and college and career ready student academic achievement standards aligned with—

Requirements for academic content standards

College and career ready academic content standards shall—

Requirements for student academic achievement standards

College and career ready student academic achievement standards for a subject shall—

shall demonstrate that the State has adopted, by not later than December 31, 2014, statewide academic content standards and student academic achievement standards in science that are aligned with the knowledge and skills needed to be college and career ready, as described in subparagraph (A)(ii); and

may choose to use such standards as part of the State’s accountability system under paragraph (3), if such standards meet the requirements of clauses (ii) through (iv) of subparagraph (A).

In general

The State may, through a documented and validated standards-setting process, adopt alternate academic achievement standards in any subject included in the State's accountability system under paragraph (3) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, if—

Prohibition on any other alternate or modified standards

A State shall not develop, or implement for use, under this part any alternate or modified academic achievement standards for students who are children with disabilities that are not alternate academic achievement standards that meet the requirements of clause (i).

are aligned with the State’s academic content standards in reading or language arts under subparagraph (A) so that achieving English language proficiency, as measured by the State's English language proficiency standards, indicates a sufficient knowledge of English to allow the State to validly and reliably measure the student’s achievement on the State’s reading or language arts student academic achievement standards with no interventions designed to support English learners specifically;

ensure proficiency in English for each of the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing;

identify not less than 4 levels of English proficiency;

address the different proficiency levels of English learners and set high expectations regarding academic achievement and linguistic proficiency for English learners at all levels of proficiency;

are updated, not later than 1 year after the State adopts any new academic content standards in reading or language arts under this paragraph, in order to align the English language proficiency standards with the new content standards; and

support teachers as teachers enhance instruction to support English learners.

Early learning guidelines

In consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, the lead agency designated under section 658D of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), and the State educational agency, the State shall complete a review, and revise or create, as necessary, the State’s early learning guidelines for young children in order to promote developmentally appropriate, high-quality programs. Such guidelines shall—

Early grade standards

In consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, the lead agency designated under section 658D of the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), and the State educational agency, the State shall establish or review and revise, as needed, standards for kindergarten through grade 3 aligned with the college and career ready academic content and student academic achievement standards described in subsection (a)(1)(A) to ensure that such standards—

include statewide assessments in reading or language arts, and mathematics, annually for grades 3 through 8 and not less frequently than once during grades 10 through 12, that—

include statewide assessments in science, not less than once during each of the grade spans of grades 3 through 5, 6 through 9, and 10 through 12, that—

include the English language proficiency assessments and any alternate assessments described in subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and

at the discretion of the State, measure the proficiency of students in the other academic subjects for which the State has adopted academic content standards and student academic achievement standards under paragraph (1)(C).

be the same academic assessments used to measure the achievement of all students, although the individual assessment items administered to a student in order to determine the specific grade level at which a student is performing may vary;

be used only for purposes for which such assessments are valid and reliable, and be consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards;

be used only if the State educational agency provides to the Secretary evidence that the assessments used are of adequate technical quality for each purpose required under this Act and are consistent with the requirements of this section, which evidence the Secretary may make public;

involve multiple up-to-date measures of student academic achievement, including measures that—

provide for—

shall—

notwithstanding clause (v)(II), include the academic assessment (using tests written in English) of reading or language arts of any student who has attended school in the United States (not including Puerto Rico) for 3 or more consecutive school years, except that, if the local educational agency determines, on a case-by-case individual basis, that academic assessments in another language or form would likely yield more accurate and reliable information on what such student knows and can do, the local educational agency may make a determination to assess such student in the appropriate language other than English for a period that does not exceed 2 additional consecutive years, if such student has not yet reached a level of English language proficiency sufficient to yield valid and reliable information on what such student knows and can do on tests (written in English) of reading or language arts;

include students who have attended schools in a local educational agency for a full academic year but have not attended a single school for a full academic year, except the performance of students who have attended more than 1 school in the local educational agency in any academic year shall be used only in determining the progress of the local educational agency;

produce individual student interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports that—

enable results to be disaggregated within the State, local educational agency, and school by gender, each major racial and ethnic group, English proficiency status, migrant status, status as a student with a disability, and economically disadvantaged status, except that disaggregation shall not be required for any subgroup that would include 15 or less students, so as to not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student;

be consistent with widely accepted professional testing standards and objectively measure academic achievement, knowledge, and skills;

enable itemized score analyses to be produced and reported, consistent with clause (ii), to local educational agencies and schools, so that parents, teachers, principals, and administrators can interpret and address the specific academic needs of students as indicated by the students' achievement on assessment items;

produce student achievement and other student data that can be used to inform determinations of individual principal and teacher effectiveness for purposes of evaluation and for determining the needs of principals and teachers for professional development and support;

be administered to not less than 95 percent of all students, and not less than 95 percent of each subgroup of students described in clause (x), who are enrolled in the school; and

in the case of digital assessments or any digital assessment content that is adopted, procured, purchased, or developed for the assessments, incorporate the principles of universal design, as defined in section 3(a) of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3002(a)) and be interoperable and accessible for all students, including students who are children with disabilities.

In general

Each State plan shall demonstrate that local educational agencies in the State will, not later than the beginning of the 2015–2016 school year, provide for the annual assessment of English language proficiency of all English learners in the schools served by the State educational agency.

Requirements

The English language proficiency assessment described in clause (i) shall—

ensures that for each subject, the total number of students in each grade level assessed in such subject using the alternate assessments does not exceed 1 percent of the total number of all students in such grade level in the State who are assessed in such subject;

establishes and monitors implementation of clear and appropriate guidelines for individualized education program teams (as defined in section 614(d)(1)(B) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to apply in determining, on a subject-by-subject basis, when a child’s significant cognitive disability justifies assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards;

ensures that parents of the students whom the State plans to assess using alternate assessments are involved in the decision that their child’s academic achievement will be measured against alternate academic achievement standards, consistent with section 614(d)(1)(A)(i)(VI)(bb) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and are informed whether participation in such assessment may preclude the student from completing the requirements for a regular secondary school diploma, as determined by the State;

provides evidence that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are, to the maximum extent practicable, included in the general curriculum and in assessments aligned with such curriculum, as described in section 601(c)(5)(A) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

certifies, consistent with section 612(a)(16)(A) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the State’s regular academic assessments described in subparagraphs (A), (C), and (D) are universally designed to be accessible to students, including students with sensory, physical, and intellectual disabilities, through the provision of reasonable adaptations and valid and reliable accommodations that produce valid results;

develops, disseminates information about, makes available, and promotes the use of reasonable adaptations and valid and reliable accommodations to increase the number of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities participating in grade-level academic instruction and assessments aligned with grade-level academic standards, and promotes the use of appropriate accommodations to increase the number of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are tested against grade-level academic achievement standards;

takes steps to ensure regular and special education teachers and other appropriate staff know how to administer assessments, including how to make appropriate use of reasonable adaptations and valid and reliable accommodations for such assessments, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities; and

requires separate determinations about whether a student should be assessed using an alternate assessment for each subject assessed.

include, in the State plan under subsection (b), a description of how the State will regularly analyze assessment and accommodations practice and use, and reduce duplicative assessment where appropriate; and

ensure that the local educational agencies report, as required in subsection (d), regarding the assessments required by Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, or policies.

annually measures and reports on the achievement and academic growth of students in all public elementary schools and secondary schools and local educational agencies in the State, in accordance with subparagraph (B);

differentiates all local educational agencies and all schools in the State according to academic achievement and student academic growth, English language proficiency and growth for English learners, and, for high schools, graduation rates, for all students and for each subgroup described in paragraph (2)(B)(x);

expects the continuous improvement of all public schools in the State in the academic achievement and academic growth of all students, including the subgroups of students described in subparagraph (D), and establishes ambitious and achievable annual performance targets in accordance with subparagraph (C);

annually identifies schools that need supports and interventions to prepare college and career ready students;

provides for the improvement, through supports and interventions that address student needs, of all local educational agencies with schools not identified under section 1116(d) that are not meeting performance targets for subgroups described in subparagraph (D);

develops the capacity of local educational agencies and schools to effectively educate their students and continuously improve;

recognizes, and encourages other local educational agencies to replicate, the practices of local educational agencies and schools that are successful in effecting significant student achievement or student academic growth; and

meets the requirements of section 1116.

In general

The State accountability system shall measure student achievement and academic growth toward the college and career ready academic content and student academic achievement standards under paragraph (1) by annually measuring and reporting on, in the aggregate and for each subgroup described in subparagraph (D)—

Categories of students

The State educational agency shall establish not less than 3 categories of students, which shall include the following:

Sufficient academic growth

For purposes of this section, sufficient academic growth for a student means—

In general

Each State shall establish, after requesting and receiving input from the local educational agencies of the State, ambitious and achievable annual performance targets for the State, for local educational agencies in the State, and for public elementary schools and secondary schools, for each subject and grade level assessed under paragraph (2), that—

Performance areas

The performance targets required under this subparagraph shall include targets for—

Baselines

Each State shall use student performance on the State's academic assessments used for purposes of receiving funds under this subpart and subpart 2 for the 2014–2015 school year as the baseline for the performance targets, subject to paragraph (5)(B)(iv) and subsection (b)(3)(C).

Additional measures and performance targets

A State may develop other measures and performance targets to provide school personnel, parents, and community members with information about the effectiveness of schools in closing performance gaps among subgroups and bringing all students to proficiency, except that any such measure shall not classify individuals who have not attained a high school diploma but have earned a recognized equivalent of such diploma as graduating from high school.

beginning upon the date of enactment of the Strengthening America's Schools Act of 2013—

during the transition period, continue all interventions, services, and activities required under section 1116(b), as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of such Act, for schools identified for corrective action under such section 1116(b)(7);

after 2 years of using the assessments described in clause (i)(I), establish a new baseline, as described in paragraph (3)(C), using the new assessment data; and

implement sections 1111 and 1116, as amended by such Act, except that the State shall not be required to identify proficiency gaps, focus schools, or priority schools under subsection(b), (c), or (d) of section 1116 until 2 full school years after the date of enactment of such Act.

if the State funds full-day kindergarten programs but does not provide access to such programs for all children eligible to attend kindergarten in the State, describes how the State plans to increase the number of students in the State who are enrolled in full-day kindergarten and a strategy to implement such a plan; and

if the State provides funding for kindergarten programs but does not fund full-day kindergarten programs, describes how the State plans to establish such programs to extend and strengthen the educational continuum for children entering elementary school;

has established a longitudinal data system that includes all elements described in section 6401(e)(2)(D) of the America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 9871), by the date required under the terms for the allocation received by the State through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund under section 14001 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5, 123 Stat. 279); or

if the State was not subject to any such requirement, that the State will establish such a system by a date approved the Secretary;

assist local educational agencies in implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports in schools served by the local educational agency throughout the whole school;

provide technical assistance and training to local educational agencies to improve and support the development, implementation, and coordination of comprehensive positive behavioral interventions and supports carried out under this Act with activities carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

in coordination with local educational agencies and schools, implement positive, preventative approaches to school discipline to promote a positive school climate for all students and reduce recidivism of re-entering youth offenders and disconnected youth; and

evaluate the effects of providing positive behavioral interventions and supports for all students, including improvement of the learning environment, academic achievement, disciplinary problems such as incidents of suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, and other actions that remove students from instruction, and any other effects the State chooses to evaluate;

assist local educational agencies in implementing early intervening services in schools served by the local educational agency to reduce the need to label children as children with disabilities in order to address the learning and behavioral needs of such children;

provide technical assistance and training to local educational agencies to improve coordination of early intervening services provided under this Act with early intervening services carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and

evaluate the effects of providing early intervening services;

reduce suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, and other disciplinary actions that remove students from instruction;

facilitate, to the extent practicable, the re-entry of juvenile offenders and disconnected youth into their local educational agencies;

in coordination with the State department of corrections or similar agency, ensure re-entering juvenile offenders receive referrals to a local educational agency and provide that, for any juvenile who commits an offense subject to school expulsion and is subsequently committed to a detention center, secure facility, or any other residential placement within the juvenile or adult criminal justice system for such offense, the period of expulsion shall run concurrently with the period of commitment to the detention center, secure facility, or other residential placement; and

in coordination with local educational agencies and schools, provide annual and public reporting on, in the aggregate, in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, school-based arrests, and disciplinary transfers (including placements in alternative schools) in the State;

for the first year following the date of enactment of the Strengthening America's Schools Act of 2013, the State educational agency will provide for the equitable distribution of elementary school teachers, and secondary school teachers, within local educational agencies and the State using data on the percentage and distribution of the categories of teachers described in subparagraph (S) as transitional measures of teacher quality;

for each school year following the first year after such date of enactment, the State educational agency will provide for the equitable distribution of teachers within local educational agencies and the State so that low-income and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by teachers with the lowest ratings in the State professional growth and improvement system; and

beginning not later than 1 year after such date of enactment, and for each subsequent year, the State will report to the Secretary the percentage and distribution of teachers in the State, based on the measures used in the State, for each quartile of schools based on school poverty level, for high-minority schools, and for low-minority schools; and

Teachers who are not classified as highly qualified teachers.

Teachers who are new.

Teachers who have not completed a teacher preparation program.

Teachers who are not teaching in the subject or field for which the teacher is certified or licensed.

Beginning in any year for which data are available from a professional growth and improvement system, and not later than the 2015–2016 school year, teachers with the highest or lowest ratings in the professional growth and improvement system, as data from such system become available, and in no case later than the 2015–2016 school year.

remain in effect for the duration of the State’s participation under this part or 4 years, whichever is shorter; and

be periodically reviewed and revised as necessary by the State educational agency to reflect changes in the State's strategies and programs under this part.

Revised plans

If a State makes significant changes to its plan, such as adopting new State academic content standards, new State student achievement standards, new academic assessments, or improved performance targets under subsection (a), the State shall submit a revised plan to the Secretary.

Review of revised plans

The Secretary shall review the information submitted under clause (i) and may, notwithstanding paragraph (4), approve or disapprove changes to the State plan without undertaking the peer-review or hearing process described in such paragraph.

establish a peer-review process that maximizes collaboration with each State to assist in the review of State plans;

appoint expert individuals to the peer-review process who—

ensure the peer-review process provides timely feedback from the peer-review panel to the States, and that such feedback shall be made publicly available, including through electronic means;

not decline approval of a State plan before—

have the authority to disapprove a State plan for not meeting the requirements of this part, and may deny approval to a State plan under this subsection that was recommended by the peer-review panel by making available written findings of the cause for such disapproval;

approve a State plan not later than 120 days after its submission unless the Secretary determines that the plan does not meet the requirements of this section;

if the Secretary determines that the State plan does not meet the requirements of this subsection and subsection (c), immediately notify the State in writing of such determination and the reasons for such determination; and

not have the authority to require a State, as a condition of approval of the State plan, to include in, or delete from, such plan 1 or more specific elements of the State's academic content standards or to use specific academic assessment instruments or items.

Federal, State, and local programs;

the State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood Education and Care;

the parent and family information and resource centers established under part H of title IV; and

appropriate non-Federal entities (including community-based and philanthropic organizations and court-appointed special advocates);

local educational agencies, including high-need local educational agencies, and high-need schools in the State, such as through parent and family engagement academies and other leadership development strategies; and

institutions of higher education and other organizations with a demonstrated record of success in increasing the engagement of parents and family members in education; and

making the State report card and all local educational agency and school report cards available on a single webpage of the State's website; and

providing a copy of a school's report card to the parents of each student enrolled in the school each year.

Student achievement at each performance level on the State academic assessments that are included in the State's accountability system under subsection (a)(3).

The percentage of students who do not take the State academic assessments.

The most recent 3-year trend in student achievement in each subject area, and for each grade level, for such assessments.

A comparison of the school's student academic assessment data to the State average for each tested subject.

The number and percentage of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take an alternate assessment under subsection (a)(2)(E), by grade and subject.

The number of students who are English learners, and the performance of such students, on the State’s English language proficiency assessments under sub (a)(2)(D), including the students' attainment of, and progress toward, higher levels of English language proficiency.

For each high school—

Beginning not later than the 2015–2016 school year, the evaluation results of teachers and principals as measured by the State's professional growth and improvement system, except that such information shall not provide individually identifiable information on individual teachers and principals.

Discipline data with respect to all students in the school for the disciplinary exclusionary categories described in subparagraphs (A)(v), (D), and (E) of section 618(a)(1) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The percentage of students passing examinations related to coursework acceptable for postsecondary credit at institutions of higher education, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations;

Data regarding pregnant and parenting students in the State, including—

The incidence of school violence, bullying, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, in-school student suspensions, out-of-school student suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, school-based arrests, disciplinary transfers (including placements in alternative schools), and student detentions, for each category.

who are served through the use of early intervening services; and

who, in the preceding 2-year period, received early intervening services and who, after receiving such services, have been identified as eligible for, and receive, special education and related services under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

analyze existing data from State reports required under this Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, and summarize major findings from such reports;

analyze data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and international assessments, including the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey;

identify trends in student achievement, student academic growth, student performance, and high school graduation rates, by analyzing and reporting on the status and performance of subgroups of students, including subgroups based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and the subgroups of children with disabilities and English learners;

compare the performance of students, including the subgroups described in clause (iii), across States and local educational agencies across the United States;

identify and report on promising practices, areas of greatest improvement in student achievement and educational attainment, and other examples worthy of national attention;

identify and report on areas of educational concern that warrant national attention; and

shall include, at a minimum, prekindergarten and full-day kindergarten opportunities for children and opportunities for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course work; and

may include such opportunities as dual enrollment, gifted programming, and other educational programming.

detailing—

assisting parents in selecting among various programs and methods of instruction, if more than 1 program or method is offered by the eligible entity.

is not identified as a priority school under subsection (d); and

is in the 10 percent of such schools with the greatest achievement gaps among the subgroups described in section 1111(a)(3)(D) as compared to the statewide average, as determined by the State academic assessments under section 1111(a)(2); and

is not identified as a priority school under subsection (d); and

is in the 10 percent of such schools with the greatest graduation rate gaps among such subgroups as compared to the statewide averages.

each school served under this part in the State that is in the lowest-achieving 5 percent of elementary schools;

each school served under this part in the State that is in the lowest-achieving 5 percent of secondary schools;

each public high school in the State with a graduation rate of less than 60 percent; and

each school served under this part that has been identified as a focus school under subsection (c) for the 6 preceding consecutive years.

establish a process for selecting an appropriate school improvement strategy for each school described in subparagraph (A) that is served by the local educational agency;

select the school improvement strategy to be used in each such school and the timeline for implementing the selected school improvement strategy in such school;

develop a detailed budget covering the 3-year identification period, including planned expenditures at the school level for activities supporting full and effective implementation of the selected school improvement strategy;

implement a school improvement strategy at the school in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (4);

use appropriate measures to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation;

review and select turnaround partners to assist in implementing school improvement strategies;

align other Federal, State, and local resources with the school improvement strategy;

provide the school with the operational flexibility, including autonomy over staffing, time, and budget, needed to enable full and effective implementation of the selected strategy, including through the modification of practices or policies, if necessary;

collect and use data on an ongoing basis to adjust implementation of the school improvement strategy to improve student achievement;

provide an assurance that the implementation of the selected school improvement strategy addresses the needs of all the subgroups of students described in section 1111(a)(3)(D) in the school;

take steps to sustain successful reforms and practices after the school is no longer identified as a priority school;

provide technical assistance and other support to ensure students graduate from high school college- and career-ready, as determined by the State's academic content standards under section 1111(a)(1), through the effective implementation of the school improvement strategy in the school, which—

establish partnerships with employers, institutions of higher education, service providers, and others to assist in implementing school improvement strategies described in paragraph (4); and

review school discipline and climate data, disaggregated by each subgroup described in section 1111(a)(3)(D), in assessing the needs of the school and, if low-achieving subgroups receive a disproportionate amount of suspensions, expulsions, or other forms of exclusionary discipline, incorporate evidence-based strategies to reduce out-of-classroom punishment and promote student engagement in the school’s improvement plan.

provide staff at the school with ongoing professional development, consistent with the needs analysis described in paragraph (2);

conduct regular evaluations for the teachers and principals at the school that provide specific feedback on areas of strength and in need of improvement;

provide time for collaboration among instructional staff at the school to improve student achievement;

provide instructional staff at the school with timely access to student data to inform instruction and meet the academic needs of individual students, which may include, in elementary school, school readiness data;

collaborate with parents and families, the community, teachers, other school personnel at the school, and representatives of Indian tribes located in the area served by the local educational agency, on the selection and implementation of the strategy;

use data to identify and implement a research-based instructional program that—

in the case of an elementary school with kindergarten entry—

provide ongoing mechanisms for parent and family engagement;

provide appropriate services and evidence-based, integrated supports for students as identified in the school’s needs analysis;

describe, in a report to the State educational agency and made available to the public upon request, how the local educational agency or school will adopt and implement policies or practices to develop, implement, improve, or expand positive behavioral interventions and supports, early intervening services, and school-based mental health programs in accordance with the requirements of clauses (xi) through (xiv);

review and analyze the school's efforts to identify and assist students with poor academic achievement and students who are children with disabilities, and assist the school in developing, implementing, or improving early intervening services that are coordinated with activities carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

review the number of discipline incidents in the school and use that information to assist the school to implement schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports or other early intervening services, or both; and

review and analyze the school's efforts to address mental health needs among students and assist the school in developing or improving school-based mental health programs that are coordinated with activities carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Transformation strategy

A local educational agency implementing a transformation strategy in a school shall—

Turnaround strategy

A local educational agency implementing a turnaround model as a strategy for a school shall—

Whole school reform strategy

A local educational agency implementing a whole school reform strategy for a school shall implement an evidence-based strategy that ensures whole school reform. The strategy shall be undertaken in partnership with an external provider offering a school reform program that is based on at least a moderate level of evidence that the program will have a statistically significant effect on student outcomes, including more than 1 well-designed or well-implemented experimental or quasi-experimental study.

Restart strategy

A local educational agency implementing a restart strategy in a school shall carry out the following:

School closure strategy

A local educational agency implementing a school closure strategy for a school—

Flexibility for certain local educational agencies

Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph—

State flexibility

Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, a State educational agency may, with the approval of the Secretary, establish an alternative State-determined, evidence-based, school improvement strategy that may be used by local educational agencies in the State in addition to the strategies described in subparagraph (B), except that funds provided under this title shall not be used for school vouchers.

In general

In addition to the requirements of subparagraph (A) and the school improvement strategy determined under subparagraph (B) or (C)(ii), a local educational agency shall, not later than 3 months before the first day of the school year following identification as a priority school under paragraph (1), provide all students enrolled in the identified school with the option to transfer to another public school served by the local educational agency that has not been identified under such paragraph, unless such an option is prohibited by State law.

Priority

In providing students the option to transfer to another public school, the local educational agency shall give priority to the lowest-achieving children from low-income families, as determined by the local educational agency for the purposes of allocating funds to schools under section 1113(a)(3).

Treatment

Students who use the option to transfer to another public school shall be enrolled in classes and other activities in the public school to which the students transfer in the same manner as all other children at the public school.

Special rule

A local educational agency shall permit a child who transfers to another public school under this subparagraph to remain in that school until the child has completed the highest grade in such school.

after 2 years of the 3-year period for which a school is identified as a priority school under paragraph (1), the school has met all of the school's performance targets as described in section 1111(a)(3)(A); or

after 2 years of the 3-year period, the State determines, based on the most current data, that the school's rate of improvement is sufficient to enable the school to meet all of the school's performance targets by the end of the 3-year period.

a State educational agency;

a local educational agency that receives funds under this part and serves at least 1 eligible school;

a consortium of such local educational agencies; or

an educational service agency that serves at least 1 local educational agency described in clause (ii).

awarding subgrants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subparagraph (C) for eligible schools; or

if the State chooses and the local educational agency serving an eligible school agrees, directly providing the activities described in subparagraph (C)(ii) to the eligible school and the local educational agency, or arranging for other entities, such as school support teams or educational service agencies, to provide such activities to the school.

Applications

An eligible entity that desires a subgrant under this paragraph shall submit an application to the State at such time, in such manner, and including such information as the State shall require. The application shall include a description of how the eligible entity will carry out the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (4), and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (3), of subsection (d) for each eligible school to be served by the grant.

Demonstration of additional responsibilities

Each eligible entity that desires a subgrant under this paragraph shall demonstrate in its application that the eligible entity has—

Subgrant size

A State shall award subgrants under this paragraph of sufficient size to enable subgrant recipients to fully and effectively implement the selected school improvement strategies.

Subgrant period

Each subgrant awarded under this paragraph shall be for a 5-year period.

Withholding final funding

In order for a State to award subgrant funds to an eligible entity for the final 2 years of the subgrant cycle, the eligible entity shall demonstrate that the schools receiving funds under this paragraph have made significant progress on the leading indicators.

carry out the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (3), and paragraphs (2) and (4), of subsection (d) in an eligible school that has been identified under such subsection as of the date of the grant award, which may include a maximum 1-year planning period; and

carry out activities at the local educational agency level that directly support such implementation, such as—

identifying and disseminating effective school improvement strategies, including in rural areas;

making available targeted technical assistance, including planning and implementation tools; and

expanding the availability of turnaround partners capable of assisting in turning around eligible schools, including in rural areas.

identify schools that are implementing school improvement strategies effectively;

identify effective school improvement strategies; and

collect and disseminate that information to States and local educational agencies in a manner that facilitates replication of effective practices.

parents and family members of participating children;

youth who have graduated from schools that are part of the local educational agency;

as applicable, employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations;

other members of the community who are committed to increasing student academic achievement and improving child development;

to the greatest extent practicable, individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education; and

organizations that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness in assisting students in becoming college and career ready, as determined in accordance with the State academic content standards under section 1111(a)(1).

be designed to foster the engagement of parents and other family members and school instructional and leadership personnel;

be designed to integrate such engagement into the practice of all the local educational agency's schools that are served under this part;

establish parent engagement goals for the local educational agency and such schools; and

establish annual quantifiable performance benchmarks for such goals, which shall require continual progress toward the achievement of such goals.

establish the school’s expectations for, and commitment to support, meaningful, evidence-based, parent and family engagement strategies;

describe the process through which the school will equip parents and family members, with particular attention to economically disadvantaged parents and family members, to—

describe how the local educational agency will provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support and conditions necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement strategies, such as—

provide for not less than 1 school-wide meeting during each academic year, at a convenient time, to which parents and family members of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, in order to—

provide parents with an opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to engage in full partnerships with school instructional and leadership staff of the school in the education of their children;

provide for professional development and other evidence-based support to school instructional and leadership personnel regarding effective parent and family engagement;

to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and strategies with other Federal, State, and local programs;

provide information to school personnel, students, and parents about the school's use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, school-based mental health programs, and the expectations of school personnel, students, and parents in supporting a safe learning environment for all students; and

describe how the local educational agency will coordinate with parent and family information and resource centers established under part H of title IV.

distribute not less than 75 percent of funds reserved under paragraph (1) to schools served under this part; and

use not more than 20 percent of such funds for parent and family engagement activities at the local educational agency level.

enhance student achievement and development through greater engagement with children, such as experiential learning opportunities and internships;

increase opportunities for such organizations and employers to support family engagement activities, including by offering family engagement training and supporting adult education and family literacy programs; and

expand the role of the school as a community resource, such as by using facilities for community events, meetings, career or health fairs, or adult education and family literacy activities.