No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the purpose of the Act to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategies to address the effects of racial isolation or concentrated poverty by increasing diversity, including racial diversity and socioeconomic diversity, in covered schools.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve not more than 5% of amounts appropriated under section 9 for a fiscal year for national activities of significance relating to the Act (e.g., research, data collection, technical assistance, evaluation, dissemination, and development of best practices for school diversity grant recipients and experts). The section further authorizes the Secretary to reserve not more than 10% of such amounts for planning and implementation grants to state educational agencies under section 4.
This section authorizes the Secretary to award competitive planning grants (not more than 2 years) or implementation grants (not more than 3 years, extendable by one additional 2-year period upon demonstration of significant progress on specified performance measures) to eligible entities to develop or implement plans to improve diversity and reduce or eliminate racial or socioeconomic isolation in covered schools. Grants are awarded based on (1) application quality, (2) likelihood of improving student outcomes or other performance measures, and (3) likelihood of meaningfully reducing such isolation. Priority is given first to programs addressing racial isolation, second to inter-district or regional programs, and third to those coordinating with local housing agencies and transportation departments to increase access to schools with disproportionately low numbers of low-income students.
This section requires an eligible entity to submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as required, to receive a grant under section 4. The application must include (1) a description of the proposed program to improve outcomes for students in racial or socioeconomic isolation through diversity-increasing interventions, including an implementation plan (for implementation grants) and evidence or research-based rationale; (2) a definition of racial isolation, if applicable; (3) a definition of income level and socioeconomic status, if applicable; (4) a plan to continue the program post-grant; (5) a description of assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of impacts on achievement, enrollment diversity, and teacher diversity; (6) assurances of robust parent and community engagement (e.g., Tribal consultation, public hearings, multilingual outreach); (7) estimates of students served during and after the grant; (8) assurances of cooperation in program evaluation and adherence to best practices under section 3(a)(2); (9) consideration of impacts on demographics of nearby covered schools; (10) for implementation grants, a description of implementing or expanding an evidence-based strategy (strong or moderate evidence under ESEA section 8101(21)(A)(i)) or testing a promising strategy; (11) for consortia of local educational agencies, specification of the lead applicant and fund allocation; and (12) for State educational agencies, a demonstration of procedures to (A) assess and prevent district line changes increasing isolation, (B) evaluate segregation impacts of new school construction and prioritize integrative funding, and (C) include progress reducing isolation in reports under ESEA section 1111(h) (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)).
This section specifies the required uses of planning grants received under section 4 to improve racial and socioeconomic diversity in covered schools (i.e., elementary and secondary public schools). Specifically, recipients must (1) complete comprehensive assessments of educational outcomes, stratification, facilities, transportation, and teacher diversity; (2) develop and implement family, student, and community engagement plans; (3) develop diversity-improvement options such as weighted lotteries, revised feeder patterns, or boundary redesign; (4) create an implementation plan based on community preferences; (5) build data collection and analysis capacity; (6) develop plans to comply with court-ordered desegregation; (7) engage in best practices from section 3(a)(2); and (8) if applicable, replace entrance exams with diversity-promoting assignment methods. This section further requires recipients of implementation grants to carry out a high-quality plan that includes diversity strategies to improve academic outcomes (particularly for students of color and low-income students), evidence of family and community support, diversity goals (including for teachers), data analysis for transparency and improvement, and rigorous evaluation. Grant funds may be used for (1) recruiting, hiring, training, or professional development for teachers and staff; (2) specialized programs or facilities to encourage inter-district attendance; (3) sustainable transportation plans; (4) innovative school assignment plans; (5) activities to increase diversity and cross-cultural engagement; (6) one-stop enrollment systems and accessible school information; or (7) increasing teacher diversity.
This section requires the Secretary to establish performance measures for programs and activities carried out through grants under section 4. These measures, at a minimum, must track each eligible entity's progress in (1) improving academic and other developmental or noncognitive outcomes for each subgroup described in section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (i.e., all students and historically underserved student subgroups such as major racial and ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, and English learners) served by the entity, including by increasing school readiness; increasing student achievement and decreasing achievement gaps; increasing high school graduation rates; increasing readiness for postsecondary education and careers; improving access to mental health and social-emotional learning; reducing school discipline rates; and any other indicator identified by the Secretary or eligible entity; and (2) increasing diversity and decreasing racial or socioeconomic isolation in covered schools.
This section requires an eligible entity receiving a grant under section 4 to submit an annual report to the Secretary that includes (1) a description of the entity's efforts to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity; (2) information on the entity's progress with respect to the performance measures described in section 7; (3) data supporting such progress; (4) a description of how the entity will continue to make improvements toward increasing diversity, decreasing racial or socioeconomic isolation in covered schools, and sustaining inclusion; and (5) information on the progress of regional programs on reducing such isolation, if applicable.
This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including "(1) covered school," meaning a publicly funded early childhood education program, public elementary school, or public secondary school; "(2) eligible entity," meaning a state educational agency, local educational agency, consortium of such agencies, educational service agency, or regional educational agency that has significant achievement gaps and socioeconomic or racial segregation within or between the school districts it serves at the time of application; "(3) ESEA terms," adopting specified definitions from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and "(4) publicly funded early childhood education program," meaning an early childhood education program (as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965) that receives state or federal funds.
This section prohibits any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States from exercising direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system under this Act.