S.Amdt. 2136

SA 2136. Mr. MURPHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2089 submitted by Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mrs.
Murray) to the bill S. 1177, to reauthorize the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every child achieves;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 630, between lines 4 and 5, insert the following:

SEC. 5011. PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS.

Title V (20 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.), as amended by section
5001, is further amended by inserting after part I, as added
by section 5010, the following:

``PART J--PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS

``SEC. 5910. SHORT TITLE.

``This part may be cited as the `Promise Neighborhoods Act
of 2015'.

``SEC. 5911. PURPOSE.

``The purpose of this part is to significantly improve the
academic and developmental outcomes of children living in our
Nation's most distressed communities from birth through
college and career entry, including ensuring school
readiness, high school graduation, and college and career
readiness for such children, through the use of data-driven
decisionmaking and access to a community-based continuum of
high-quality services, beginning at birth.

``SEC. 5912. DEFINITIONS.

``In this part:
``(1) Child.--The term `child' means an individual from
birth through age 21.
``(2) College and career readiness.--The term `college and
career readiness' means the level of preparation a student
needs in order to meet the challenging State academic
standards under section 1111(b)(1).
``(3) Community of practice.--The term `community of
practice' means a group of entities that interact regularly
to share best practices to address 1 or more persistent
problems, or improve practice with respect to such problems,
in 1 or more neighborhoods.
``(4) Comprehensive school readiness assessment.--The term
`comprehensive school readiness assessment' means an
objective tool that--
``(A) screens for school readiness across domains,
including language, cognitive, physical, motor, sensory, and
social-emotional domains, and through a developmental
screening; and
``(B) may also include other sources of information, such
as child observations by parents and others, verbal and
written reports, child work samples (for children aged 3 to
5), and health and developmental histories.
``(5) Developmental screening.--The term `developmental
screening' means the use of a standardized tool to identify a
child who may be at risk of a developmental delay or
disorder.
``(6) Expanded learning time.--The term `expanded learning
time' means the activities and programs described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 4201(b)(1).
``(7) Family and community engagement.--The term `family
and community engagement' means the process of engaging
family and community members in education meaningfully and at
all stages of the planning, implementation, and school and
neighborhood improvement process, including, at a minimum--

[[Page S4857]]

``(A) disseminating a clear definition of the neighborhood
to the members of the neighborhood;
``(B) ensuring representative participation by the members
of such neighborhood in the planning and implementation of
the activities of each grant awarded under this part;
``(C) regular engagement by the eligible entity and the
partners of the eligible entity with family members and
community partners;
``(D) the provision of strategies and practices to assist
family and community members in actively supporting student
achievement and child development; and
``(E) collaboration with institutions of higher education,
workforce development centers, and employers to align
expectations and programming with college and career
readiness.
``(8) Family and student supports.--The term `family and
student supports' includes--
``(A) health programs (including both mental health and
physical health services);
``(B) school, public, and child-safety programs;
``(C) programs that improve family stability;
``(D) workforce development programs (including those that
meet local business needs, such as internships and
externships);
``(E) social service programs;
``(F) legal aid programs;
``(G) financial literacy education programs;
``(H) adult education and family literacy programs;
``(I) parent, family, and community engagement programs;
and
``(J) programs that increase access to learning technology
and enhance the digital literacy skills of students.
``(9) Family member.--The term `family member' means a
parent, relative, or other adult who is responsible for the
education, care, and well-being of a child.
``(10) Integrated student supports.--The term `integrated
student supports' means wraparound services, supports, and
community resources, which shall be offered through a site
coordinator for at-risk students, that have been shown by
evidence-based research--
``(A) to increase academic achievement and engagement;
``(B) to support positive child development; and
``(C) to increase student preparedness for success in
college and the workforce.
``(11) Neighborhood.--The term `neighborhood' means a
defined geographical area in which there are multiple signs
of distress, demonstrated by indicators of need, including
poverty, childhood obesity rates, academic failure, and rates
of juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration.
``(12) Pipeline services.--The term `pipeline services'
means a continuum of supports and services for children from
birth through college entry, college success, and career
attainment, including, at a minimum, strategies to address
through services or programs (including integrated student
supports) the following:
``(A) Prenatal education and support for expectant parents.
``(B) High-quality early learning opportunities.
``(C) High-quality schools and out-of-school-time programs
and strategies.
``(D) Support for a child's transition to elementary
school, including the administration of a comprehensive
school readiness assessment.
``(E) Support for a child's transition from elementary
school to middle school, from middle school to high school,
and from high school into and through college and into the
workforce.
``(F) Family and community engagement.
``(G) Family and student supports.
``(H) Activities that support college and career readiness,
including coordination between such activities, such as--
``(i) assistance with college admissions, financial aid,
and scholarship applications, especially for low-income and
low-achieving students; and
``(ii) career preparation services and supports.
``(I) Neighborhood-based support for college-age students
who have attended the schools in the pipeline, or students
who are members of the community, facilitating their
continued connection to the community and success in college
and the workforce.

``SEC. 5913. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

``(a) In General.--
``(1) Program authorized.--From amounts appropriated to
carry out this part, the Secretary shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible entities to implement a
comprehensive, evidence-based continuum of coordinated
services and supports that engages community partners to
improve academic achievement, student development, and
college and career readiness, measured by common outcomes, by
carrying out the activities described in section 5916 in
neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income
individuals and persistently low-achieving schools or schools
with an achievement gap.
``(2) Sufficient size and scope.--Each grant awarded under
this part shall be of sufficient size and scope to allow the
eligible entity to carry out the purpose of this part.
``(b) Duration.--A grant awarded under this part shall be
for a period of not more than 5 years.
``(c) Continued Funding.--Continued funding of a grant
under this part, including a grant renewed under subsection
(b)(2), after the third year of the grant period shall be
contingent on the eligible entity's progress toward meeting
the performance metrics described in section 5918(a).
``(d) Matching Requirement.--
``(1) In general.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant
under this part shall contribute matching funds in an amount
equal to not less than 100 percent of the amount of the
grant. Such matching funds shall come from Federal, State,
local, and private sources.
``(2) Private sources.--The Secretary--
``(A) shall require that a portion of the matching funds
come from private sources; and
``(B) may allow the use of in-kind donations to satisfy the
matching funds requirement.
``(3) Adjustment.--The Secretary may adjust the matching
funds requirement for applicants that demonstrate high need,
including applicants from rural areas or applicant that wish
to provide services on tribal lands.
``(e) Financial Hardship Waiver.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may waive or reduce, on a
case-by-case basis, the matching requirement described in
subsection (d), for a period of 1 year at a time, if the
eligible entity demonstrates significant financial hardship.
``(2) Private sources waiver.--The Secretary may waive or
reduce, on a case-by-case basis, the requirement described in
subsection (d) that a portion of matching funds come from
private sources if the eligible entity demonstrates an
inability to access such funds in the State.

``SEC. 5914. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.

``In this part, the term `eligible entity' means--
``(1) an institution of higher education, as defined in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965;
``(2) an Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined
under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b); or
``(3) not less than 1 nonprofit entity working in
coordination with not less than 1 of the following entities:
``(A) A high-need local educational agency.
``(B) A charter school funded by the Bureau of Indian
Education that is not a local educational agency, except that
such school shall not be the fiscal agent for the eligible
entity partnership.
``(C) An institution of higher education, as defined in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
``(D) The office of a chief elected official of a unit of
local government.
``(E) An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined
under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).

``SEC. 5915. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

``(a) In General.--An eligible entity 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 of Application.--At a minimum, an
application described in subsection (a) shall include the
following:
``(1) A plan to significantly improve the academic outcomes
of children living in a neighborhood that is served by the
eligible entity, by providing pipeline services that address
the needs of children in the neighborhood, as identified by
the needs analysis described in paragraph (4) and supported
by evidence-based practices.
``(2) A description of the neighborhood that the eligible
entity will serve.
``(3) Measurable annual goals for the outcomes of the
grant, including--
``(A) performance goals, in accordance with the metrics
described in section 5918(a), for each year of the grant; and
``(B) projected participation rates and any plans to expand
the number of children served or the neighborhood proposed to
be served by the grant program.
``(4) An analysis of the needs and assets of the
neighborhood identified in paragraph (2), including--
``(A) a description of the process through which the needs
analysis was produced, including a description of how
parents, family, and community members were engaged in such
analysis;
``(B) an analysis of community assets, including programs
already provided from Federal and non-Federal sources,
within, or accessible to, the neighborhood, including, at a
minimum--
``(i) early learning programs, including high-quality child
care, Early Head Start programs, Head Start programs, and
prekindergarten programs;
``(ii) the availability of healthy food options and
opportunities for physical activity;
``(iii) existing family and student supports;
``(iv) locally owned businesses and employers; and
``(v) institutions of higher education;
``(C) evidence of successful collaboration within the
neighborhood;
``(D) the steps that the eligible entity is taking, at the
time of the application, to address the needs identified in
the needs analysis; and
``(E) any barriers the eligible entity, public agencies,
and other community-based organizations have faced in meeting
such needs.
``(5) A description of the data used to identify the
pipeline services to be provided, including data regarding--

[[Page S4858]]

``(A) school readiness;
``(B) academic achievement and college and career
readiness;
``(C) graduation rates;
``(D) health indicators;
``(E) rates of enrollment, remediation, persistence, and
completion at institutions of higher education, as available;
and
``(F) conditions for learning, including school climate
surveys, discipline rates, and student attendance and
incident data.
``(6) A description of the process used to develop the
application, including the involvement of family and
community members.
``(7) An estimate of--
``(A) the number of children, by age, who will be served by
each pipeline service; and
``(B) for each age group, the percentage of children (of
such age group), within the neighborhood, who the eligible
entity proposes to serve, disaggregated by each service, and
the goals for increasing such percentage over time.
``(8) A description of how the pipeline services will
facilitate the coordination of the following activities:
``(A) Providing high-quality early learning opportunities
for children, beginning prenatally and extending through
grade 3, by--
``(i) supporting high-quality early learning opportunities
that provide children with access to programs that support
the cognitive and developmental skills, including social and
emotional skills, needed for success in elementary school;
``(ii) providing for opportunities, through parenting
classes, baby academies, home visits, family and community
engagement, or other evidence-based strategies, for families
and expectant parents to--

``(I) acquire the skills to promote early learning,
development, and health and safety, including learning about
child development and positive discipline strategies (such as
through the use of technology and public media programming);
``(II) learn about the role of families and expectant
parents in their child's education; and
``(III) become informed about educational opportunities for
their children, including differences in quality among early
learning opportunities;

``(iii) ensuring successful transitions between early
learning programs and elementary school, including through
the establishment of memoranda of understanding between early
learning providers and local educational agencies serving
young children and families;
``(iv) ensuring appropriate screening, diagnostic
assessments, and referrals for children with disabilities,
developmental delays, or other special needs, consistent with
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1400 et seq.), where applicable;
``(v) improving the early learning workforce in the
community, including through--

``(I) investments in the recruitment, retention,
distribution, and support of high-quality professionals,
especially those with certification and experience in child
development;
``(II) the provision of high-quality teacher preparation
and professional development; or
``(III) the use of joint professional development for early
learning providers and elementary school teachers and
administrators; and

``(vi) enhancing data systems and data sharing among the
eligible entity, partners, early learning providers, schools,
and local educational agencies operating in the neighborhood.
``(B) Supporting, enhancing, operating, or expanding
rigorous and comprehensive education reforms designed to
significantly improve educational outcomes for children in
early learning programs through grade 12, which may include--
``(i) operating schools or working in close collaboration
with local schools to provide high-quality academic programs,
curricula, and integrated student supports;
``(ii) providing expanded learning time, which may include
the integration and use of arts education in such learning
time; and
``(iii) providing programs and activities that ensure that
students--

``(I) are prepared for the college admissions, scholarship,
and financial aid application processes; and
``(II) graduate college and career ready.

``(C) Supporting access to a healthy lifestyle, which may
include--
``(i) the provision of high-quality and nutritious meals;
``(ii) access to programs that promote physical activity,
physical education, and fitness; and
``(iii) education to promote a healthy lifestyle and
positive body image.
``(D) Providing social, health, and mental health services
and supports, including referrals for essential care and
preventative screenings, for children, family, and community
members, which may include--
``(i) dental services;
``(ii) vision care; and
``(iii) speech, language, and auditory screenings and
referrals.
``(E) Supporting students and family members as the
students transition from early learning programs into
elementary school, from elementary school to middle school,
from middle school to high school, from high school into and
through college and into the workforce, including through
evidence-based strategies to address challenges that students
may face as they transition, such as the following:
``(i) Early college high schools.
``(ii) Dual enrollment programs.
``(iii) Career academies.
``(iv) Counseling and support services.
``(v) Dropout prevention and recovery strategies.
``(vi) Collaboration with the juvenile justice system and
reentry counseling for adjudicated youth.
``(vii) Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate
courses.
``(viii) Teen parent classrooms.
``(ix) Graduation and career coaches.
``(9) A description of the strategies that will be used to
provide pipeline services (including a description of the
process used to identify such strategies and the outcomes
expected and a description of which programs and services
will be provided to children, family members, community
members, and children not attending schools or programs
operated by the eligible entity or its partner providers) to
support the purpose of this part.
``(10) An explanation of the process the eligible entity
will use to establish and maintain family and community
engagement.
``(11) An explanation of how the eligible entity will
continuously evaluate and improve the continuum of high-
quality pipeline services, including--
``(A) a description of the metrics, consistent with section
5918(a), that will be used to inform each component of the
pipeline; and
``(B) the processes for using data to improve instruction,
optimize integrated student supports, provide for continuous
program improvement, and hold staff and partner organizations
accountable.
``(12) An identification of the fiscal agent, which may be
any entity described in section 5914 (not including paragraph
(2) of such section).
``(13) A list of the non-Federal sources of funding that
the eligible entity will secure to comply with the matching
funds requirement described in section 5913(d), in addition
to other programs from which the eligible entity has already
secured funding, including programs funded by the Department
or programs of the Department of Health and Human Services,
the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
Department of Justice, or the Department of Labor.
``(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--An eligible entity, as
part of the application described in this section, shall
submit a preliminary memorandum of understanding, signed by
each partner entity or agency. The preliminary memorandum of
understanding shall describe, at a minimum--
``(1) each partner's financial and programmatic commitment
with respect to the strategies described in the application,
including an identification of the fiscal agent;
``(2) each partner's long-term commitment to providing
pipeline services that, at a minimum, accounts for the cost
of supporting the continuum of supports and services
(including a plan for how to support services and activities
after grant funds are no longer available) and potential
changes in local government;
``(3) each partner's mission and the plan that will govern
the work that the partners do together;
``(4) each partner's long-term commitment to supporting the
continuum of supports and services through data collection,
monitoring, reporting, and sharing; and
``(5) each partner's commitment to ensure sound fiscal
management and controls, including evidence of a system of
supports and personnel.

``SEC. 5916. USE OF FUNDS.

``(a) In General.--Each eligible entity that receives a
grant under this part shall use the grant funds to--
``(1) support planning activities to develop and implement
pipeline services;
``(2) implement the pipeline services, as described in the
application under section 5915; and
``(3) continuously evaluate the success of the program and
improve the program based on data and outcomes.
``(b) Special Rules.--
``(1) Funds for pipeline services.--Each eligible entity
that receives a grant under this part, for the first and
second year of the grant, shall use not less than 50 percent
of the grant funds to carry out the activities described in
subsection (a)(1).
``(2) Operational flexibility.--Each eligible entity that
operates a school in a neighborhood served by a grant program
under this part shall provide such school with the
operational flexibility, including autonomy over staff, time,
and budget, needed to effectively carry out the activities
described in the application under section 5915.
``(3) Limitation on use of funds for early childhood
education programs.--Funds under this part that are used to
improve early childhood education programs shall not be used
to carry out any of the following activities:
``(A) Assessments that provide rewards or sanctions for
individual children or teachers.
``(B) A single assessment that is used as the primary or
sole method for assessing program effectiveness.
``(C) Evaluating children, other than for the purposes of
improving instruction, classroom environment, professional
development, or parent and family engagement, or program
improvement.

``SEC. 5917. REPORT AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.

``(a) Report.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under this part shall prepare

[[Page S4859]]

and submit an annual report to the Secretary, which shall
include--
``(1) information about the number and percentage of
children in the neighborhood who are served by the grant
program, including a description of the number and percentage
of children accessing each support or service offered as part
of the pipeline services;
``(2) information relating to the performance metrics
described in section 5918(a); and
``(3) other indicators that may be required by the
Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Institute
of Education Sciences.
``(b) Publicly Available Data.--Each eligible entity that
receives a grant under this part shall make publicly
available, including through electronic means, the
information described in subsection (a). To the extent
practicable, such information shall be provided in a form and
language accessible to parents and families in the
neighborhood, and such information shall be a part of
statewide longitudinal data systems.

``SEC. 5918. PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION.

``(a) Performance Metrics.--Each eligible entity that
receives a grant under this part shall collect data on
performance indicators of pipeline services and family and
student supports and report the results to the Secretary, who
shall use the results as a consideration in continuing grants
after the third year and in awarding grant renewals. The
indicators shall, at a minimum, include the following:
``(1) Evidence of increasing qualifications for staff in
early care and education programs attended by children in the
neighborhood.
``(2) With respect to the children served by the grant--
``(A) the percentage of children who are ready for
kindergarten, as measured by a comprehensive developmental
screening instrument;
``(B) the percentage of school-age children proficient in
core academic subjects;
``(C) evidence of narrowing student achievement gaps among
the categories described in section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi);
``(D) the percentage of children who are reading at grade
level by the end of grade 3;
``(E) the percentage of children who successfully
transition from grade 8 to grade 9;
``(F) for each school year during the grant period, the
percentage of students in prekindergarten, elementary school,
and secondary school who miss more than 10 percent of school
days for any reason, excused or unexcused, and the number and
percentage of students who are suspended or expelled for any
reason, starting in prekindergarten;
``(G) the percentage of children who graduate with a high
school diploma;
``(H) the percentage of children who enter postsecondary
education and remain after 1 year;
``(I) the percentage of children who are healthy, as
measured by a child-health index that includes cognitive,
nutritional, physical, social, mental-health, and emotional
domains;
``(J) the percentage of children who feel safe, as measured
by a school climate survey;
``(K) rates of student mobility and homelessness;
``(L) opportunities for family members of children to
receive education and job training; and
``(M) the percentage of children who have digital literacy
skills and access to broadband internet and a connected
computing device at home and at school.
``(b) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate the
implementation and impact of the activities funded under this
part, in accordance with section 9601.

``SEC. 5919. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

``From the amounts appropriated to carry out this part for
a fiscal year, in addition to the amounts that may be
reserved in accordance with section 9601, the Secretary may
reserve not more than 8 percent for national activities,
which may include--
``(1) research on the activities carried out under this
part;
``(2) identification and dissemination of best practices,
including through support for a community of practice;
``(3) technical assistance, including assistance relating
to family and community engagement and outreach to potential
partner organizations;
``(4) professional development, including development of
materials related to professional development; and
``(5) other activities consistent with the purpose of this
part.

``SEC. 5920. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
part such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2016 through 2021.''.
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