Comprehensive School Improvement and Accountability Act of 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Voluntary State Reform Incentive Grants

Title II: Ensuring that Children Begin School Ready to Learn

Title III: Excellent Principals Challenge Grant

Title IV: Second Chance Programs for Disruptive or Violent

Students

Title V: Teacher Quality and Training

Title VI: Investment in Community-Based Schools and

Community Service

Title VII: Encouraging Public School Choice

Comprehensive School Improvement and Accountability Act of 1999 - Sets forth eligibility requirements for States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to receive assistance under specified titles of this Act and under specified parts, added by this Act, of title XIII (Support and Assistance Programs to Improve Education) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

(Sec. 3) Requires a State educational agency (SEA), consortium of SEAs, or State to: (1) specify to the Secretary of Education how receipt of Federal funds will lead to school improvements, such as increasing student academic achievement, reducing out-of-field teacher placements, increasing teacher retention, and reducing the number of emergency teaching certificates; (2) conduct an annual evaluation to determine whether or not such improvements have occurred; (3) if the improvements have not occurred, specify to the Secretary what steps will be taken in the future to ensure the improvements; and (4) cover administrative expenses of the assisted activities.

Requires LEAs, in order to be eligible for such funds, to: (1) serve low-achieving students as measured by low graduation rates or low scores on assessment exams; (2) have a low teacher retention rate in their schools; (3) have a high rate of out-of-field placement of teachers in their schools; and (4) have a shortage of teachers of mathematics or physical science in their schools.

Title I: Voluntary State Reform Incentive Grants - Directs the Secretary to award grants to SEAs to enable the States to provide for comprehensive school reforms.

(Sec. 101) Requires SEAs to use such funds to award competitive grants to LEAs to provide funds to schools to carry out activities relating to comprehensive school reform, including: (1) professional development and training of teachers, administrators, staff and parents; (2) use of expert technical assistance; (3) instructional materials development and acquisition; and (4) parent and community outreach programs.

Sets forth requirements for: (1) components of a comprehensive school reform program; (2) State and local grant applications; (3) non-Federal matching funds.

Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 to carry out this title. Directs the Secretary to reserve one percent of such funds for each fiscal year for schools that receive funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(Sec. 102) Extends through FY 2004 the authorization of appropriations for ESEA title I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards). Increases the amount of such funding for each fiscal year from FY 2000 through 2004.

Title II: Ensuring that Children Begin School Ready to Learn - Directs the Secretary to make allotments to eligible States to pay for the Federal share of the cost of enabling the States to make grants to local collaboratives for young child assistance activities.

(Sec. 202) Bases such allotment amounts on the relative total numbers of young children in poverty in the eligible States.

Requires a State Governor, in order for a State to be eligible for such an allotment, to establish or designate a State Early Learning Coordinating Board to receive the allotment and make such grants.

(Sec. 203) Requires such State boards to use the Federal allotment and the State contribution to make competitive grants to local collaboratives to carry out young child assistance activities.

Requires local collaboratives to use such grant funds to provide, in their communities, education and supportive services, such as: (1) home visits for parents of young children; (2) services provided through community-based family resource centers for such parents; and (3) collaborative pre-school efforts that link parenting education for such parents to early childhood learning services for young children. Allows local collaboratives to use such funds also for: (1) activities designed to strengthen the quality of child care for young children and expand the supply of high quality child care services for young children; (2) health care services for young children, including immunization, preventive health care screening and education, and expanding health care services in schools, child care facilities, clinics in public housing projects, and mobile dental and vision clinics; (3) services for young children with disabilities; (4) assistance to schools in providing educational and other support services to young children and their parents of young children to be carried out in the community during extended hours when appropriate; and (5) payment for the administrator's salary and expenses.

Allows multiyear grants to successful local collaboratives.

Sets forth eligibility demonstration, grant application, and local share requirements for local collaboratives.

Requires State boards to: (1) ensure that at least 60 percent of the funds made available through each grant is used to provide the specified assistance activities to young children and their parents who reside in school districts in which half or more of the students receive free or reduced price lunches under the National School Lunch Act; and (2) monitor local collaborative activities to ensure compliance with grant requirements.

(Sec. 204) Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004.

Title III: Excellent Principals Challenge Grant - Directs the Secretary to award grants to eligible SEAs or SEA consortia to enable them to award subgrants to LEAs for professional development services for public elementary school and secondary school principals to enhance their leadership skills. Requires criteria for such grant awards to include: (1) the quality of the proposed use of the grant funds; and (2) the educational need of the State or States.

(Sec. 301) Sets forth requirements for SEA or consortium eligibility, applications, and matching funds. Requires grant funds to be used for training and other activities to increase the leadership and other skills of principals. Allows such activities to include ones to: (1) enhance and develop school management and business skills; (2) provide principals with knowledge of effective instructional skills and practices and comprehensive whole-school approaches and programs; (3) improve understanding of the effective uses of educational technology; (4) provide training in effective, fair evaluation of school staff; and (5) improve knowledge of State content and performance standards.

Authorizes the Secretary to develop model national programs to provide such activities to principals. Requires the Secretary to appoint a commission to examine existing professional development programs and to report on the best practices to help principals in multiple education environments across the United States.

Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004.

Title IV: Second Chance Programs for Disruptive or Violent Students - Amends ESEA title XIII (Support and Assistance Programs to Improve Education) to establish a new part E, Second Chance Programs for Disruptive or Violent Students.

(Sec. 401) Directs the Secretary to make grants to SEAs to enable them to provide financial assistance to LEAs for programs or projects designed to meet the educational needs of violent or disruptive students, including the training of school personnel in the education of such students.

Sets forth requirements for: (1) State and local applications; (2) use of funds; (3) local eligibility based on enactment and implementation of a specified type of discipline code; and (3) relative amount of each State grant.

Provides that nothing in such part E shall be construed to: (1) prohibit a funds recipient from serving disruptive or violent students simultaneously with students with similar educational needs, in the same educational settings where appropriate; or (2) restrict or eliminate any protection provided for in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act with respect to students with disabilities.

Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004.

Title V: Teacher Quality and Training - Amends ESEA title XIII to establish a new part F, Increasing Salaries for Teachers.

(Sec. 501) Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible SEAs to enable them to increase the salaries of teachers in elementary schools and secondary schools.

Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible States to provide incentives, such as signing bonuses, to encourage individuals to accept employment as teachers in elementary schools and secondary schools that are served by LEAs that meet specified eligibility requirements under this Act.

Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 to carry out such teacher salary increase and signing bonus grant programs.

(Sec. 502) Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to add a new subpart 9, Scholarships for Future Teachers, to title IV (Student Assistance) part A (Grants to Students in Attendance at Institutions of Higher Education).

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States to award scholarships to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and make a commitment to become State certified teachers for a five-year period in elementary schools or secondary schools served by LEAs that meet specified eligibility requirements.

Requires such scholarships to be awarded for between one and four years during the first four years of study at any institution of higher education eligible to participate in any program assisted under ESEA title IV. Gives the administering SEA discretion to determine the period of the award within such specified limits. Allows a student awarded such a scholarship to attend any institution of higher education.

Sets forth requirements for allocation of grant amounts among States, agreements between the Secretary and participating States, eligibility and selection of scholars, scholarship conditions, recruitment, and information.

Authorizes and makes appropriations to carry out such grants program for scholarships for future teachers.

(Sec. 503) Amends HEA title II (Academic Libraries and Information Services) to revise and extend the authorization of appropriations for such title.

(Sec. 504) Extends through FY 2004 the authorization of appropriations for, and revises, HEA title IV provisions for loan forgiveness and cancellation for teachers under the Federal Stafford loans and the direct loan programs.

(Sec. 505) Includes teacher mentoring programs among authorized uses of teacher quality enhancement grants to States and partnerships.

(Sec. 506) Adds teacher technology training as a focal point or authorized activity under various ESEA title I and II programs, including school improvement, professional development, national teacher training project, local plans for improving teaching and learning, and certain higher education activities.

Title VI: Investment in Community-Based Schools and Community Service - Amends ESEA title X (Programs of National Significance) part I (21st Century Community Learning Centers) (also known as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act) to add to the list of activities from which grant uses must be chosen: (1) mentoring programs; (2) academic assistance; and (3) drug, alcohol, and gang prevention activities. Extends through FY 2004, and increases the amount of, the authorization of appropriations for such Centers programs.

(Sec. 602) Directs the Secretary to award grants to SEAs for programs to help students meet State secondary education graduation requirements relating to community service. Sets forth requirements for use of funds and for matching funds. Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 for such grants program.

Title VII: Expanding National Board Certification Program for Teachers - Directs the Secretary to award grants to States to provide subsidies to elementary and secondary school teachers who enroll in the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 200 through 2004 for such program.

Title VIII: Encouraging Public School Choice - Directs the Secretary to award grants to States to implement statewide public school choice programs, under which elementary and secondary school students who attend a school that meets specified eligibility requirements may enroll in any public school of their choice. Allows such grants to be used also: (1) to improve low-performing school districts that lose students as a result of such program; and (2) for other activities the State determines appropriate. Authorizes and makes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 for such program.