[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 729 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 729
To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 2, 2021
Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Jones, Ms. Adams, Ms. Clarke of
New York, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Horsford, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Evans,
Mr. Morelle, Ms. Meng, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Ryan,
Mr. Payne, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Delgado, Ms. Lee of California, Ms.
Bonamici, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Carson, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Kilmer,
Mr. Rush, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Foster, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Suozzi, Mr.
Hastings, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Gallego, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Vela, Ms. Sanchez, Mr.
Kildee, Ms. Stevens, Ms. Ross, Ms. Wild, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Courtney,
Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Sablan,
Mrs. Luria, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Auchincloss, Ms. Omar, Ms.
Dean, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Ms.
Newman, Mr. DeFazio, and Ms. Craig) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for other purposes.
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 ``Strength in Diversity Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to support the development,
implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategies to address
the effects of racial isolation or concentrated poverty by increasing
diversity, including racial diversity and socioeconomic diversity, in
covered schools.
SEC. 3. RESERVATION FOR NATIONAL AND STATE ACTIVITIES.
(a) National Activities.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 5
percent of the amounts made available under section 10 for a fiscal
year to carry out activities of national significance relating to this
Act, which may include--
(1) research, development, data collection, monitoring,
technical assistance, evaluation, or dissemination activities;
and
(2) the development and maintenance of best practices for
recipients of grants under section 4 and other experts in the
field of school diversity.
(b) State Activities.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 10
percent of the amounts made available under section 10 for a fiscal
year for planning grants and implementation grants made to State
educational agencies under section 4.
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) Authorization.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts made available under
section 10 and not reserved under section 3 for a fiscal year,
the Secretary shall award grants in accordance with subsection
(b) to eligible entities to develop or implement plans to
improve diversity and reduce or eliminate racial or
socioeconomic isolation in covered schools.
(2) Types of grants.--The Secretary may, in any fiscal
year, award--
(A) planning grants to carry out the activities
described in section 6(a);
(B) implementation grants to carry out the
activities described in section 6(b); or
(C) both such planning grants and implementation
grants.
(b) Award Basis.--
(1) Criteria for evaluating applications.--The Secretary
shall award grants under this section on a competitive basis,
based on--
(A) the quality of the application submitted by an
eligible entity under section 5;
(B) the likelihood, as determined by the Secretary,
that the eligible entity will use the grant to improve
student outcomes or outcomes on other performance
measures described in section 7; and
(C) the likelihood that the grant will lead to a
meaningful reduction in racial and economic isolation
for children in covered schools.
(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to the following eligible
entities:
(A) First, to an eligible entity that submitted an
application for a grant under the Opening Doors,
Expanding Opportunities program described in the notice
published by the Department of Education in the Federal
Register on December 14, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 90343 et
seq.).
(B) Second, to an eligible entity that proposes, in
an application submitted under section 5, to use the
grant to support a program that addresses racial
isolation.
(C) Third, to an eligible entity that proposes, in
an application submitted under section 5, to use the
grant to support a program that extends beyond one
local educational agency, such as an inter-district or
regional program.
(D) Fourth, to an eligible entity that demonstrates
meaningful coordination with local housing agencies to
increase access to schools that have a
disproportionately low number of low-income students.
(c) Duration of Grants.--
(1) Planning grant.--A planning grant awarded under this
section shall be for a period of not more than 1 year.
(2) Implementation grant.--An implementation grant awarded
under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3
years, except that the Secretary may extend an implementation
grant for an additional 2-year period if the eligible entity
receiving the grant demonstrates to the Secretary that the
eligible entity is making significant progress, as determined
by the Secretary, on the program performance measures described
in section 7.
SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.
In order to receive a grant under section 4, an eligible entity
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such
manner as the Secretary may require. Such application shall include--
(1) a description of the program for which the eligible
entity is seeking a grant, including--
(A) how the eligible entity proposes to use the
grant to improve the academic and life outcomes of
students in racial or socioeconomic isolation in
covered schools by supporting interventions that
increase diversity for students in such covered
schools;
(B) in the case of an implementation grant, the
implementation grant plan described in section 6(b)(1);
and
(C) evidence, or if such evidence is not available,
a rationale based on current research, regarding how
the program will increase diversity;
(2) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to use any
of the grant to benefit covered schools that are racially
isolated, a description of how the eligible entity will
identify and define racial isolation;
(3) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to use any
portion of the grant to benefit high-poverty covered schools, a
description of how the eligible entity will identify and define
income level and socioeconomic status;
(4) a description of the plan of the eligible entity for
continuing the program after the grant period ends;
(5) a description of how the eligible entity will assess,
monitor, and evaluate the impact of the activities funded under
the grant on student achievement and student enrollment
diversity;
(6) an assurance that the eligible entity has conducted, or
will conduct, robust parent and community engagement, while
planning for and implementing the program, such as through--
(A) consultation with appropriate officials from
Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations approved by the
Tribes located in the area served by the eligible
entity;
(B) consultation with other community entities,
including local housing or transportation authorities;
(C) public hearings or other open forums to inform
the development of any formal strategy to increase
diversity; and
(D) outreach to parents and students, in a language
that parents and students can understand, and
consultation with students and families in the targeted
district or region that is designed to ensure
participation in the planning and development of any
formal strategy to increase diversity;
(7) an estimate of the number of students that the eligible
entity plans to serve under the program and the number of
students to be served through additional expansion of the
program after the grant period ends;
(8) an assurance that the eligible entity will--
(A) cooperate with the Secretary in evaluating the
program, including any evaluation that might require
data and information from multiple recipients of grants
under section 4; and
(B) engage in the best practices developed under
section 3(2);
(9) an assurance that, to the extent possible, the eligible
entity has considered the potential implications of the grant
activities on the demographics and student enrollment of nearby
covered schools not included in the activities of the grant;
(10) in the case of an eligible entity applying for an
implementation grant, a description of how the eligible entity
will--
(A) implement, replicate, or expand a strategy
based on a strong or moderate level of evidence (as
described in subclause (I) or (II) of section
8101(21)(A)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i))); or
(B) test a promising strategy to increase diversity
in covered schools;
(11) in the case of an application by a consortium of local
educational agencies, a specification of which agency is the
lead applicant, and how the grant funds will be divided among
the school districts served by such consortium; and
(12) in the case of an application by a State education
agency, a demonstration that the agency has procedures in
place--
(A) to assess and prevent the redrawing of school
district lines in a manner that increases racial or
socioeconomic isolation;
(B) to assess the segregation impacts of new school
construction proposals and to prioritize school
construction funding that will foreseeably increase
racial and economic integration; and
(C) to include progress toward reduction of racial
and economic isolation as a factor in its State plan
under section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311).
SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS.
(a) Planning Grants.--Each eligible entity that receives a planning
grant under section 4 shall use the grant to support students in
covered schools through the following activities:
(1) Completing a comprehensive assessment of, with respect
to the geographic area served by such eligible entity--
(A) the educational outcomes and racial and
socioeconomic stratification of children attending
covered schools;
(B) an analysis of the location and capacity of
program and school facilities and the adequacy of local
or regional transportation infrastructure; and
(C) teacher diversity in covered schools, and plans
for expanding teacher diversity.
(2) Developing and implementing a robust family, student,
and community engagement plan, including, where feasible,
public hearings or other open forums that would precede and
inform the development of a formal strategy to improve
diversity in covered schools.
(3) Developing options, including timelines and cost
estimates, for improving diversity in covered schools, such as
weighted lotteries, revised feeder patterns, school boundary
redesign, or regional coordination.
(4) Developing an implementation plan based on community
preferences among the options developed under paragraph (3).
(5) Building the capacity to collect and analyze data that
provide information for transparency, continuous improvement,
and evaluation.
(6) Developing an implementation plan to comply with a
court-ordered school desegregation plan.
(7) Engaging in best practices developed under section
3(2).
(8) If applicable, developing an implementation plan to
replace entrance exams or other competitive application
procedures with methods of student assignment to promote racial
and socioeconomic diversity.
(b) Implementation Grants.--
(1) Implementation grant plan.--Each eligible entity that
receives an implementation grant under section 4 shall
implement a high-quality plan to support students in covered
schools that includes--
(A) a comprehensive set of strategies designed to
improve academic outcomes for all students,
particularly students of color and low-income students,
by increasing diversity in covered schools;
(B) evidence of strong family and community support
for such strategies, including evidence that the
eligible entity has engaged in meaningful family and
community outreach activities;
(C) goals to increase diversity in covered schools
over the course of the grant period;
(D) collection and analysis of data to provide
transparency and support continuous improvement
throughout the grant period; and
(E) a rigorous method of evaluation of the
effectiveness of the program.
(2) Implementation grant activities.--Each eligible entity
that receives an implementation grant under section 4 may use
the grant to carry out one or more of the following activities:
(A) Recruiting, hiring, or training additional
teachers, administrators, school counselors, and other
instructional and support staff in new, expanded, or
restructured covered schools, or other professional
development activities for staff and administrators.
(B) Investing in specialized academic programs or
facilities designed to encourage inter-district school
attendance patterns.
(C) Developing or initiating a transportation plan
for bringing students to and from covered schools, if
such transportation is sustainable beyond the grant
period and does not represent a significant portion of
the grant received by an eligible entity under section
4.
(D) Developing innovative and equitable school
assignment plans.
(E) Carrying out innovative activities designed to
increase racial and socioeconomic school diversity and
engagement between children from different racial,
economic, and cultural backgrounds.
(F) Creating or improving systems and partnerships
to create a one-stop enrollment process for students
with multiple public school options, including making
school information and data more accessible and easy to
understand, in order to ensure access to low poverty or
high-performing schools for low-income children and to
promote racial and socioeconomic diversity.
SEC. 7. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
The Secretary shall establish performance measures for the programs
and activities carried out through a grant under section 4. These
measures, at a minimum, shall track the progress of each eligible
entity in--
(1) improving academic and other developmental or
noncognitive outcomes for each subgroup described in section
1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)) that is served by the
eligible entity on measures, including, as applicable, by--
(A) increasing school readiness;
(B) increasing student achievement and decreasing
achievement gaps;
(C) increasing high school graduation rates;
(D) increasing readiness for postsecondary
education and careers;
(E) improving access to mental health and social-
emotional learning;
(F) reducing school discipline rates; and
(G) any other indicator the Secretary or eligible
entity may identify; and
(2) increasing diversity and decreasing racial or
socioeconomic isolation in covered schools.
SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORTS.
An eligible entity that receives a grant under section 4 shall
submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may require, an annual report that includes--
(1) a description of the efforts of the eligible entity to
increase inclusivity;
(2) information on the progress of the eligible entity with
respect to the performance measures described in section 7;
(3) the data supporting such progress;
(4) a description of how the eligible entity will continue
to make improvements toward increasing diversity and decreasing
racial or socioeconomic isolation in covered schools and
sustaining inclusion; and
(5) information on the progress of regional programs on
reducing racial and socioeconomic isolation in covered schools,
if applicable.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021 and each of the 5
succeeding fiscal years.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered school.--The term ``covered school'' means--
(A) a publicly-funded early childhood education
program;
(B) a public elementary school; or
(C) a public secondary school.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
State educational agency, a local educational agency, a
consortium of such agencies, an educational service agency, or
regional educational agency that at the time of the application
of such eligible entity has significant achievement gaps and
socioeconomic or racial segregation within or between the
school districts served by such entity.
(3) ESEA terms.--The terms ``educational service agency'',
``elementary school'', ``local educational agency'',
``secondary school'', ``Secretary'', and ``State educational
agency'' have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(4) Publicly-funded early childhood education program.--The
term ``publicly-funded early childhood education program''
means an early childhood education program (as defined in
section 103(8) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1003(8)) that receives State or Federal funds.
<all>