HR 1649 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to reduce the size of core curriculum classes in public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

March 19, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. MEEK of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and LaborCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to reduce the size of core curriculum classes in public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.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 ‘High-Quality Education Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings- The Congress finds as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Tennessee’s wide-ranging and research-intensive STAR project began in the mid-1980’s when the Tennessee legislature funded an initial 4-year study seeking to compare achievements for early grade students who would be assigned randomly to a standard-sized class, a standard-sized class with a teacher aide, or a class with reduced size. Several new analyses of the Tennessee STAR program show that reducing class size has both immediate and long-term benefits.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Research shows that the benefits of participating in small classes increase from year to year, both in the early grades when classes are small and in subsequent years when students are placed in larger classes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Further, follow-up studies of the same students show that high-school students who were in small classes in first through third grades beginning in 1985 were less likely to be held back a year or suspended compared with their peers from larger classes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The students from small classes were found to be making better grades in high school and taking more advanced courses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) The State of Wisconsin passed legislation in 1995 to phase in reduction of classes to 15 students in low-wealth schools. A January 2003 study of that program, called SAGE, revealed that average test scores in smaller first grade classes increased 12 to 14 percent more than scores of students in regular classes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Research further shows that at the end of fifth grade, students who were in small classes in first through third grades were about half a school year (5 months) ahead of students from larger classes in all core subjects--reading, language arts, math, and science.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) In 1999, the Department of Education reported that studies have consistently identified a positive relationship between reduced class size and improved student performance. The National Assessment on Educational Progress, the Economic Policy Institute, RAND, the Educational Testing Service, the American Institute of Research, and many other respected organizations have reached similar conclusions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) In smaller classes, teachers spend more time on instruction and less time on discipline problems, reporting that they know their students better, know where each child is in the learning process, and can provide more individualized instruction.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) Smaller classes lead to better identification of students who need special help, increased student participation and engagement, improved student behavior, and reduced retention of students in the same grade.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) Outcomes associated with small classes are the foundation of safe schools: improved student behavior and human relations skills, increased participation in schooling and school-sanctioned events, increased sense of community in small classes, and generally improved school climate where students, teachers, and parents feel more comfortable.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to assist States to proactively attempt to lower class size in order to provide students and teachers with an educational environment more conducive to optimal student performance.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. CLASS SIZE REDUCTION MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Grants- The Secretary of Education may make grants to eligible entities to reduce the size of core curriculum classes in public elementary and secondary schools.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Eligible Entity Defined- In this section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means any State, or any local educational agency in a State that is not a grantee under this section, that meets the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The State or local educational agency has in effect a class size reduction program that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) applies to all public elementary and secondary schools served by the State or local educational agency, respectively; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) may be targeted to specific school populations based on need, socioeconomic factors, or school-age population.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The State or local educational agency has funding in its annual budget specifically allocated for the program described in paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The average core curriculum class size at schools served by the State or local educational agency--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in kindergarten through third grade, is greater than 18 students;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in fourth through eighth grade, is greater than 22 students; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in ninth through twelfth grade, is greater than 25 students.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Use of Funds- The Secretary may not make a grant under this section unless the grantee agrees to use the grant for the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Constructing new classroom space.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Hiring additional teachers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Purchasing portable structures to replace administrative offices converted into classroom space.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Restrictions- The Secretary may not make a grant under this section unless the grantee agrees that funds received under the grant will not be used for any of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) To pay any long-term financing obligations such as bonding.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) To pay any administrative costs or fees.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Priority- In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary may give priority to eligible entities that serve schools in which--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) more than 17 percent of the students older than 4 and younger than 18 years of age are from families with incomes below the poverty line; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the average core curriculum class size is higher, particularly in the primary grades, than the average core curriculum class size at schools served by other grant applicants for the fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Matching Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may not make a grant under this section unless the grantee agrees to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward the costs of the activities under the grant in an amount that is not less than $2 for each $1 provided by the Secretary in the grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED- Non-Federal contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the amount of such non-Federal contributions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Application-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) SUBMISSION- To seek a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) CONTENTS- An application for a grant under this section shall include the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Certification of the average core curriculum class size at schools served by the eligible entity for each of the grade ranges that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) are described in subsection (b)(3); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) will be served by the entity’s class size reduction program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Certification of the eligible entity’s actual and expected expenditures for the entity’s class size reduction program for the fiscal year involved.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) A description of the eligible entity’s class size reduction program and the program’s goals.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) A description of how the eligible entity intends to use funds received under the grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) In the case of an eligible entity that has already received a grant under this section, the entity’s progress in achieving the goals of its class size reduction program, particularly relative to high poverty areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) DEADLINE- The Secretary shall establish a deadline for the submission of applications for a grant under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(h) Other Definitions- In this section:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The term ‘average core curriculum class size’ means the number that is--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) equal to the sum of the number of students in each core curriculum class (including for each school term and period of instruction) divided by the total number of such classes; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) is based on the ratio of physical class rooms to students, irrespective of the ratio of teachers to students.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The term ‘core curriculum class’ means a class in any of the following subjects:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Mathematics.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Science.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Reading, language arts, or English, including English for speakers of other languages.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) Social studies, including history, civics, political science, government, geography, and economics.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) Foreign language.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The terms ‘local educational agency’ and ‘poverty line’ have the meanings given those terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) The term ‘State’ includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, any other territory or possession of the United States, and any Indian tribe (as that term is defined in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) Funding-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) BIANNUAL PAYMENTS- The Secretary shall make payments to each grantee under this section on a biannual basis.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) LIMITATION- For any fiscal year, the Secretary may not make a payment to any grantee under this section in an amount that exceeds the lesser of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) An amount that is 20 percent of the total amount appropriated to carry out this section for the fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) $200,000,000.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink