S 3326 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to local educational agencies to improve college access.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

July 24 (legislative day, July 23), 2008CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to local educational agencies to improve college access.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Pathways to College Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) An educated workforce is crucial to the success of the United States economy. Access to higher education for all students is critical to maintaining an educated workforce. More than 80 percent of the 23,000,000 jobs that will be created in the next 10 years will require postsecondary education. Only 36 percent of all 18- to 24-year olds are currently enrolled in postsecondary education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Workers with bachelor’s degrees earn on average $17,000 more annually than workers with only high school diplomas. Workers who earn bachelor’s degrees can be expected to earn $1,000,000 more over a lifetime than those who only finished high school.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The ACT recommends that schools--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) provide student guidance to engage students in college and career awareness; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) ensure that students enroll in a rigorous curriculum to prepare for postsecondary education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The Department of Education reports that the average student-to-counselor ratio in high schools is 315:1. This falls far above the ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association, which is 250:1. While school counselors at private schools spend an average of 58 percent of their time on postsecondary education counseling, counselors in public schools spend an average of 25 percent of their time on postsecondary education counseling.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) While just 57 percent of students from the lowest income quartile enroll in college, 87 percent of students from the top income quartile enroll. Of students who were in eighth grade in 2000, only 20 percent of the lowest-income students are projected to attain a bachelor’s degree by 2012, compared to 68 percent of the highest income group, according to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in 2006.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) A recent report by the Consortium on Chicago School Research found that only 41 percent of Chicago public school students who aspire to go to college took the steps necessary to apply to and enroll in a 4-year institution of higher education. The report also reveals that only 1/3 of Chicago students who want to attend a 4-year institution of higher education enroll in a school that matches their qualifications. Even among students qualified to attend a selective college, 29 percent enrolled in a community college or did not enroll at all.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) The Consortium found that many Chicago public school students do not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, even though students who apply for Federal financial aid are 50 percent more likely to enroll in college. Sixty-five percent of public secondary school counselors at low-income schools believe that students and parents are discouraged from considering college as an option due to lack of knowledge about financial aid.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) Low-income and first-generation families often overestimate the cost of tuition and underestimate available aid; students from these backgrounds have access to fewer college application resources and financial aid resources than other groups, and are less likely to fulfill their postsecondary plans as a result.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) College preparation intervention programs can double the college-going rates for at-risk youth, can expand students’ educational aspirations, and can boost college enrollment and graduation rates.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Definitions- In this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ESEA DEFINITIONS- The terms ‘local educational agency’ and ‘Secretary’ have the meanings given the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term ‘eligible local educational agency’ means a local educational agency in which a majority of the secondary schools served by the agency are high-need secondary schools.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) HIGH-NEED SECONDARY SCHOOL- The term ‘high-need secondary school’ means a secondary school in which not less than 50 percent of the students enrolled in the school are--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) eligible for a school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) eligible to be counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)); orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in families eligible for assistance under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Competitive Grants to Eligible Local Educational Agencies- The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies to carry out the activities described in this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Duration- Grants awarded under this section shall be 5 years in duration.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Distribution- In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the grants are distributed among the different geographic regions of the United States, and among eligible local educational agencies serving urban and rural areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Applications-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Each eligible local educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) CONTENTS- Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a description of the program to be carried out with grant funds and--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) a description of the secondary school population to be targeted by the program, the particular college-access needs of such population, and the resources available for meeting such needs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) an outline of the objectives of the program, including goals for increasing the number of college applications submitted by each student, increasing Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion rates, and increasing school-wide college enrollment rates across the local educational agency;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) a description of the local educational agency’s plan to work cooperatively with programs funded under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq. and 1070a-21 et seq.), including the extent to which the agency commits to sharing facilities, providing access to students, and developing compatible record-keeping systems;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) a description of the activities, services, and training to be provided by the program, including a plan to provide structure and support for all students in the college search, planning, and application process;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) a description of the methods to be used to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) an assurance that grant funds will be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local funds available to carry out activities of the type carried out under the grant;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) an explanation of the method used for calculating college enrollment rates for each secondary school served by the eligible local educational agency that is based on externally verified data, and, when possible, aligned with existing State or local methods; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) a plan to make the program sustainable over time, including the use of matching funds from non-Federal sources.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) METHOD OF CALCULATING ENROLLMENT RATES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) IN GENERAL- A method included in an application under paragraph (2)(G)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) shall, at a minimum, track students’ first-time enrollment in institutions of higher education; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) may track progress toward completion of a postsecondary degree.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) DEVELOPMENT IN CONJUNCTION- An eligible local educational agency may develop a method pursuant to paragraph (2)(G) in conjunction with an existing public or private entity that currently maintains such a method.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Special Consideration- In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications from eligible local educational agencies serving schools with the highest percentages of poverty.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- An eligible local educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall develop and implement, or expand, a program to increase the number of low-income students who enroll in postsecondary educational institutions, including institutions with competitive admissions criteria.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) REQUIRED USE OF FUNDS- Each program funded under this section shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) provide professional development to secondary school teachers and counselors in postsecondary education advising;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) ensure that each student has not less than 1 meeting, not later than the first semester of the first year of secondary school, with a school counselor, college access personnel (including personnel involved in programs funded under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq. and 1070a-21 et seq.)), trained teacher, or other professional or organization, such as a community-based organization, approved by the school, to discuss postsecondary options, outline postsecondary goals, and create a plan to achieve those goals;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) provide information to all students enrolled in the secondary schools served by the eligible local educational agency and parents beginning in the first year of secondary school on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) the economic and social benefits of higher education;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) college expenses, including information about expenses by institutional type, differences between sticker price and net price, and expenses beyond tuition;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) paying for college, including the availability, eligibility, and variety of financial aid; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iv) the forms and processes associated with applying for financial aid; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) ensure that each secondary school served by the eligible local educational agency develops a comprehensive, school-wide plan of action to strengthen the college-going culture within the school.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) ALLOWABLE USE OF FUNDS- Each program funded under this section may--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) establish mandatory postsecondary planning classes for secondary school seniors to assist the seniors in the college preparation and application process;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) hire and train postsecondary coaches with expertise in the college-going process;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) increase the number of counselors who specialize in the college-going process serving students;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) train student leaders to assist in the creation of a college-going culture in their schools;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) provide opportunities for students to explore postsecondary opportunities outside of the school setting, such as college fairs, career fairs, college tours, workplace visits, or other similar activities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) assist students with test preparation, college applications, Federal financial aid applications, and scholarship applications;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) establish partnerships with programs funded under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq. and 1070a-21 et seq.)), and with community and nonprofit organizations to increase college-going rates at secondary schools served by the eligible local educational agency;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) provide long-term postsecondary follow up with graduates of the secondary schools served by the eligible local educational agencies, including increasing alumni involvement in mentoring and advising roles within the secondary school;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) create and maintain a postsecondary access center in the school setting that provides information on colleges and universities, career opportunities, and financial aid options and provide a setting in which professionals working in programs funded under chapters 1 and 2 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq. and 1070a-21 et seq.)), can meet with students;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(J) deliver college and career planning curriculum as a stand-alone course, or embedded in other classes, for all students in secondary school; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(K) increase parent involvement in preparing for postsecondary opportunities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(h) Supplement, Not Supplant- Funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds available to carry out the activities described in this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) Technical Assistance- The Secretary, directly or through contracting through a full and open process with 1 or more organizations that have demonstrated experience providing technical assistance to raise school-wide college enrollment rates in local educational agencies in not less than 3 States, shall provide technical assistance to grantees in carrying out this section. The technical assistance shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) provide assistance in the calculation and analysis of college-going rates for all grant recipients;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) provide semi-annual analysis to each grant recipient recommending best practices based on a comparison of the recipient’s data with that of secondary schools with similar demographics; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) provide annual best practices conferences for all grant recipients.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(j) Evaluation and Reporting Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) MEASURE ENROLLMENT AND TRACK DATA- Each eligible local educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) measure externally verified school-wide college enrollment; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) track data that leads to increased college going, including college applications sent and Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms filed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) EVALUATIONS BY GRANTEES- Each eligible local educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) conduct periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of the activities carried out under the grant toward increasing school-wide college-going rates;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) use such evaluations to refine and improve activities conducted with the grant and the performance measures for such activities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) make the results of such evaluations publicly available, including by providing public notice of such availability.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) REPORT- Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the results of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the evaluations conducted under paragraph (2); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) an evaluation conducted by the Secretary to analyze the effectiveness and efficacy of the activities conducted with grants under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink