2000
[DOCID: f:s371is.txt]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 371
To establish and expand child opportunity zone family centers in public
elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 15, 2001
Mr. Reed introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish and expand child opportunity zone family centers in public
elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CHILD OPPORTUNITY ZONE FAMILY CENTERS.
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 8001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Part L--Child Opportunity Zone Family Centers
``SEC. 10995A. SHORT TITLE.
``This part may be cited as the `Child Opportunity Zone Family
Center Act of 2001'.
``SEC. 10995B. PURPOSE.
``The purpose of this part is to encourage eligible partnerships to
establish or expand child opportunity zone family centers in public
elementary schools and secondary schools in order to provide
comprehensive support services for children and their families, and to
improve the children's educational, health, mental health, and social
outcomes.
``SEC. 10995C. DEFINITIONS.
``In this part:
``(1) Child opportunity zone family center.--The term
`child opportunity zone family center' means a school-based or
school-linked community service center that provides and links
children and their families with comprehensive information,
support, services, and activities to improve the education,
health, mental health, safety, and economic well-being of the
children and their families.
``(2) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible
partnership' means a partnership--
``(A) that contains--
``(i) at least 1 public elementary school
or secondary school that--
``(I) receives assistance under
title I and for which a measure of
poverty determination is made under
section 1113(a)(5) with respect to a
minimum of 40 percent of the children
in the school; and
``(II) demonstrates parent
involvement and parent support for the
partnership's activities;
``(ii) a local educational agency;
``(iii) a public agency, other than a local
educational agency, such as a local or State
department of health, mental health, or social
services; and
``(iv) a nonprofit community-based
organization, providing health, mental health,
or social services;
``(v) a local child care resource and
referral agency; and
``(vi) a local organization representing
parents; and
``(B) that may contain--
``(i) an institution of higher education;
and
``(ii) other public or private nonprofit
entities with experience in providing services
to disadvantaged families.
``SEC. 10995D. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award, on a competitive basis,
grants to eligible partnerships to pay for the Federal share of the
cost of establishing and expanding child opportunity zone family
centers.
``(b) Duration.--The Secretary shall award grants under this
section for periods of 5 years.
``SEC. 10995E. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.
``Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this part shall
use the grant funds--
``(1) in accordance with the needs assessment described in
section 10995F(b)(1), to provide or link children and their
families with information, support, activities, or services in
core areas such as education, child care, before- and after-
school care and enrichment programs, health services, mental
health services, family support, nutrition, literacy services,
parenting skills, and drop-out prevention;
``(2) to provide intensive, high-quality, research-based
programs that--
``(A) provide violence prevention education for
families and developmentally appropriate instructional
services to children (including children below the age
of compulsory school attendance); and
``(B) provide effective strategies for nurturing
and supporting the emotional, social, and cognitive
growth of children; and
``(3) to provide training, information, and support to
families to enable the families to participate effectively in
their children's education, and to help their children meet
challenging standards, including assisting families to--
``(A) understand the applicable accountability
systems, including State and local content standards,
performance standards, and assessments, their
children's educational performance in comparison to the
standards, and the steps the school is taking to
address the children's needs and to help the children
meet the standards; and
``(B) communicate effectively with personnel
responsible for providing educational services to the
families' children, and to participate in the
development and implementation of school-parent
compacts, parent involvement policies, and school
plans.
``SEC. 10995F. APPLICATIONS.
``(a) In General.--Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under
this part shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(b) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to subsection
(a) shall--
``(1) include a needs assessment, including a description
of how the partnership will ensure that the activities to be
assisted under this part will be tailored to meet the specific
needs of the children and families to be served;
``(2) describe arrangements that have been formalized
between the participating public elementary school or secondary
school, and other partnership members;
``(3) describe how the partnership will effectively
coordinate with the centers under section 1118 and utilize
Federal, State, and local sources of funding that provide
assistance to families and their children;
``(4) describe the partnership's plan to--
``(A) develop and carry out the activities assisted
under this part with extensive participation of
parents, administrators, teachers, pupil services
personnel, social and human service agencies, and
community organizations and leaders; and
``(B) coordinate the activities assisted under this
106b
part with the education reform efforts of the
participating public elementary school or secondary
school, and the participating local educational agency;
``(5) describe how the partnership will ensure that
underserved populations such as families of students with
limited English proficiency, or families of students with
disabilities, are effectively involved, informed, and assisted;
``(6) describe how the partnership will collect and analyze
data, and will utilize specific performance measures and
indicators to--
``(A) determine the impact of activities assisted
under this part as described in section 10995I(a); and
``(B) improve the activities assisted under this
part; and
``(7) describe how the partnership will protect the privacy
of families and their children participating in the activities
assisted under this part.
``SEC. 10995G. FEDERAL SHARE.
``The Federal share of the cost of establishing and expanding child
opportunity zone family centers--
``(1) for the first year for which an eligible partnership
receives assistance under this part shall not exceed 90
percent;
``(2) for the second such year, shall not exceed 80
percent;
``(3) for the third such year, shall not exceed 70 percent;
``(4) for the fourth such year, shall not exceed 60
percent; and
``(5) for the fifth such year, shall not exceed 50 percent.
``SEC. 10995H. FUNDING.
``(a) Continuation of Funding.--Each eligible partnership that
receives a grant under this part shall, after the third year for which
the partnership receives funds through the grant, be eligible to
continue to receive the funds if the Secretary determines that the
partnership has made significant progress in meeting the performance
measures used for the partnership's local evaluation under section
10995I(a).
``(b) Limitation on Use of Funds To Offset Other Programs.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds received
under a grant under this part may be used to pay for expenses related
to any other Federal program, including treating such funds as an
offset against such a Federal program.
``SEC. 10995I. EVALUATIONS AND REPORTS.
``(a) Local Evaluations.--Each partnership receiving funds under
this part shall conduct annual evaluations and submit to the Secretary
reports containing the results of the evaluations. The reports shall
include the results of the partnership's performance assessment
effectiveness in reaching and meeting the needs of families and
children served under this part, including performance measures
demonstrating--
``(1) improvements in areas such as student achievement,
family participation in schools, and access to health care,
mental health care, child care, and family support services,
resulting from activities assisted under this part; and
``(2) reductions in such areas as violence among youth,
truancy, suspension, and dropout rates, resulting from
activities assisted under this part.
``(b) National Evaluations.--The Secretary shall reserve not more
than 3 percent of the amount appropriated under this part to carry out
a national evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities assisted
under this part. Such evaluation shall be completed not later than 3
years after the date of enactment of the Child Opportunity Zone Family
Center Act of 2001, and every year thereafter and shall be submitted to
Congress.
``(c) Exemplary Activities.--The Secretary shall broadly
disseminate information on exemplary activities developed under this
part.
``SEC. 10995J. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2005.''.
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