2000 
[DOCID: f:s469is.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 469

 To provide assistance to States for the purpose of improving schools 
                  through the use of Assistance Teams.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2001

  Mr. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide assistance to States for the purpose of improving schools 
                  through the use of Assistance Teams.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``School Support and Improvement Act 
of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds--
            (1) The percent of low-performing schools in this country 
        is cause for national concern.
            (2) Low-performing schools may not be in a position, on 
        their own, to make the kinds of changes necessary to turn 
        themselves around and improve student achievement.
            (3) The Federal Government, States, and school districts 
        must collaborate with schools to help them improve to meet the 
        needs of their students.
            (4) Schools must be held accountable for their performance 
        and improvement, but must also be given the tools and resources 
        they need to succeed.

SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.

    Each State educational agency shall reserve 5 percent of the amount 
the State educational agency receives under subpart 2 of part A for 
fiscal years 2002 through 2008, to carry out the State agency's 
responsibilities under sections 1116 and 1117 (20 U.S.C. 6318), 
including carrying out the State educational agency's statewide 
assistance and support for local educational agencies, provided that an 
adequate percentage of that reservation is passed to local educational 
agencies.

SEC. 4. PRIORITY FOR SCHOOL ASSISTANCE TEAMS.

    Sec. 1117 (20 U.S.C. 6318) is amended--
            (1) in section (a) by adding at the end the following--
            ``(3) Priority.--In assigning and placing school assistance 
        teams and providing additional support and technical assistance 
        as described in subsection 1117 (c)(1)(B), a State educational 
        agency shall give priority in assigning the State assistance 
        teams under this paragraph to schools in which the educational 
        performance of the students is farthest from meeting the State 
        standards as determined by the State--
                    ``(A) first, to schools subject to corrective 
                action under section 1116(c)(5);
                    ``(B) second, to schools identified for school 
                improvement under section 1116(c); and
                    ``(C) third, to schools that have failed to make 
                adequate yearly progress under section 1111 for 1 year 
                and where placement of a State assistance team is 
                appropriate and requested by the local education agency 
                or the school.''.
            (2) section 1117(c) is amended to read as follows--
    ``(c) School Assistance Teams.--In order to achieve the purpose 
described in subsection (a), each State--
            ``(1) shall give priority in its use of program improvement 
        funds for the establishment of school assistance teams for 
        assignment to and placement in schools in the State in 
        accordance with 1117(a)(3) and for providing such support as 
        the State educational agency determines to be necessary and 
        available to assure the effectiveness of such teams;
                    ``(A) Composition.--Each school assistance team 
                shall be composed of persons knowledgeable about 
                successful schoolwide projects, school reform, and 
                improving educational opportunities for low-achieving 
                students including--
                            ``(i) teachers;
                            ``(ii) pupil services personnel;
                            ``(iii) parents;
                            ``(iv) distinguished teachers or 
                        principals;
                            ``(v) representatives of institutions of 
                        higher education;
                            ``(vi) regional educational laboratories or 
                        research centers;
                            ``(vii) outside consultant groups; or
                            ``(viii) other individuals as the state 
                        educational agency, in consultation with the 
                        local educational agency, may deem appropriate;
                    ``(B) Functions.--Each school assistance team 
                assigned to a school under this Act shall--
                            ``(i) review and analyze all facets of the 
                        school's operation, including the design and 
                        operation of the instructional program, and 
                        assist the school in developing recommendations 
                        for improving student performance in that 
                        school;
                            ``(ii) collaborate with school staff and 
                        the local educational agency serving the school 
                        in the design, implementation, and monitoring 
                        of a plan that, if fully implemented, can 
                        reasonably be expected to provide student 
                        performance and help the school meet its goals 
                        for improvement, including adequate yearly 
                        progress under section 111(b)(2)(B) of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                        (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(B));
                            ``(iii) evaluate, at least semiannually, 
                        the effectiveness of school personnel assigned 
                        to the school, including identifying 
                        outstanding teachers and principals, and make 
                        findings and recommendations (including the 
                        need for additional resources, professional 
                        development or compensation) to the school, the 
                        local educational agency, and where 
                        appropriate, the State educational agency; and
                            ``(iv) make additional recommendations as 
                        the school implements the plan described in 
                        paragraph (b) to the local educational agency 
                        and the State educational agency concerning 
                        additional assistance and resources that are 
                        needed by the school or the assistance teams;
                    ``(C) Continuation of assistance.--After 1 school 
                year, the school assistance team may recommend that the 
                school support team continue to provide assistance or 
                that the local educational agency or the state 
                educational agency, as appropriate, take alternative 
                actions with regard to the school; and
            ``(2) may provide additional technical assistance and 
        support through such approaches as--
                    ``(A) the designation and use of distinguished 
                teachers and principals, chosen from schools served 
                under this part that have been especially successful in 
                improving academic achievement;
                    ``(B) providing assistance to the local educational 
                agency or school
1ce
 in the implementation of research-
                based comprehensive school reform models;
                    ``(C) a review process designed to increase the 
                capacity of local educational agencies and schools to 
                develop high-quality school improvement plan; and
                    ``(D) other approaches as the state educational 
                agency may deem appropriate.''.
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