SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Smaller Schools, Stronger 
Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since World War II, the conventional wisdom among 
        educators has been that larger schools are better than smaller 
        schools, and as a result the number of secondary schools in the 
        United States has declined by 70 percent and the average school 
        size has grown to 5 times the previous average size. According 
        to the Department of Education, 70 percent of high school 
        students in 2000 attended schools with more than 1,000 
        students.
            (2) Over the past few years, educators have begun to 
        question the belief that larger schools are always better. The 
        National Association of Secondary School Principals recently 
        recommended that the high school of the 21st century be much 
        more student-centered and, above all, much more personalized in 
        programs, support services, and intellectual rigor. Underlying 
        this recommendation are the Association's beliefs that students 
        take more interest in school when they have a sense of 
        belonging and that students benefit from a more intimate 
        setting in which their presence is more readily and repeatedly 
        acknowledged.
            (3) The National Association of Secondary School Principals 
        warns that the ``bigness'' of high schools shrouds many young 
        people in what the Association calls ``a cloak of anonymity''. 
        To counteract this effect, the Association recommends that high 
        schools--
                    (A) restructure their layouts and schedules so that 
                students are no longer invisible and able to ``melt 
                into their surroundings'';
                    (B) limit their enrollments to units of not more 
                than 600 students, either by constructing new buildings 
                or by creating schools-within-a-school; and
                    (C) change the relationship between teachers and 
                students by reducing the number of class changes 
                students are required to make each day and by allowing 
                teachers to spend more time with smaller numbers of 
                students.
            (4) Research shows that larger schools tend to stratify 
        students into different tracks, which are often based on 
        children's educational and social backgrounds. The result is 
        inequitable educational outcomes, because at larger schools the 
        gap between the educational achievement of high-achieving and 
        low-achieving students is greater than at smaller schools.
            (5) Research shows that--
                    (A) in smaller, more personalized, and less 
                bureaucratic schools, the gap between high-achieving 
                and low-achieving students is smaller;
                    (B) students in smaller schools perform better in 
                the core subjects of reading, mathematics, history, and 
                science;
                    (C) students in smaller schools are more engaged in 
                their courses;
                    (D) smaller schools have higher attendance rates 
                and higher rates of participation in school activities; 
                and
                    (E) because achievement levels in smaller schools 
                are more equitably distributed, students who come from 
                more disadvantaged economic and educational backgrounds 
                show the greatest achievement gains in smaller schools.
            (6) In 2000, the Bank Street College of Education conducted 
        a study, entitled ``Small Schools: Great Strides'', of more 
        than 150 small schools in Chicago, Illinois. In the study, 
        researchers found the following:
                    (A) Small schools generated measurable benefits 
                (including higher attendance rates, grade point 
                averages, and graduation rates) even among the most 
                academically disadvantaged students.
                    (B) Teachers and parents reported greater 
                satisfaction with small schools.
                    (C) Teachers found that small schools offer a 
                stronger, more collaborative professional learning 
                community and provide opportunities to know students 
                better and to take greater responsibility for their 
                achievement.
                    (D) Parents found that small schools are more 
                accessible, more responsive, and safer.
            (7) According to a recent study of 13,600 schools in 
        Georgia, Montana, Ohio, and Texas--
                    (A) in smaller schools the harmful effects of 
                poverty on student achievement were greatly reduced; 
                and
                    (B) in poorer Texas communities, larger schools had 
                significantly lower test scores than smaller schools.
            (8) Research shows that smaller schools are safer and that 
        students in smaller schools are less likely to join gangs. 
        According to the 1999 report entitled ``Indicators of School 
        Crime and Safety'' issued by the National Center for Education 
        Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics--
                    (A) the number of criminal acts committed at school 
                and number of incidents of school violence were much 
                lower in schools enrolling between 300 to 1,000 
                students than in larger schools regardless of location 
                in urban, suburban, or rural areas; and
                    (B) on the urban fringe, at schools within 
                metropolitan areas but not in the areas' central 
                cities, larger schools experienced as many as 4 times 
                as many incidents of serious violence per 1,000 
                students than smaller schools.
            (9) Many States and local educational agencies are 
        implementing strategies to reduce the size of their schools, 
        including Florida, where in 2000 Governor Jeb Bush signed a 
        school safety bill that required new schools to serve smaller 
        student populations. The legislation limited new high schools 
        to 900 students.

SEC. 3. SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 10105 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 8005) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 10105. SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) School.--The term `school' means an elementary school 
        or a secondary school.
            ``(2) School-within-a-school.--The term `school-within-a-
        school' means a unit within a school that creates a close and 
        consistent academic and administrative relationship between a 
        group of students and a group of teachers such that the unit 
        functions as an individualized smaller school, regardless of 
        how many such schools-within-a-school exist within the larger 
        school.
            ``(3) Smaller learning community.--The term `smaller 
        learning community' means--
                    ``(A) an independent, small school within a single 
                building;
                    ``(B) a school-within-a-school; or
                    ``(C) any other grouping of students, teachers, or 
                administrators that uses effective or innovative 
                strategies to create a more personalized school 
                experience for students to improve student achievement 
                or performance, including but not limited to strategies 
                that make use of--
                            ``(i) career academies or clusters;
                            ``(ii) magnet schools;
                            ``(iii) restructured daily or school-year 
                        schedules; or
                            ``(iv) mentoring systems, such as personal 
                        adult advocates or teacher advisory systems.
    ``(b) Authority To Make Grants.--In accordance with this section, 
the Secretary may--
            ``(1) make grants to local educational agencies to enable 
        such agencies to develop plans to create smaller learning 
        communities; and
            ``(2) make grants to local educational agencies to enable 
        such agencies to implement plans to establish such communities.
    ``(c) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--In accordance with this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall require that each local educational agency 
        seeking 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 require.
            ``(2) Simple, brief application.--In developing 
        applications for the grants described in subsection (b), the 
        Secretary shall develop an application that is simple and brief 
        in form.
            ``(3) Planning grants.--Each application from a local 
        educational agency for a grant under subsection (b)(1) shall 
        include information relating to each of the following:
                    ``(A) The need in the area administered by the 
                local educational agency for 1 or more smaller learning 
                communities.
                    ``(B) The process the local educational agency 
                intends to follow in establishing 1 or more smaller 
                learning communities.
                    ``(C) The steps the local educational agency 
                intends to follow in order to ensure the viability of 
                each smaller learning community to be assisted with the 
                grant.
                    ``(D) For each smaller learning community to be 
                assisted with the grant, the non-Federal resources that 
                will be available to the local educational agency from 
                each of the following:
                            ``(i) Any existing school at which the 
                        smaller learning community will be located.
                            ``(ii) The school district, or area 
                        administered by the local educational agency, 
                        in which the smaller learning community will be 
                        located.
            ``(4) Implementation grants.--Each application from a local 
        educational agency for a grant under subsection (b)(2) shall 
        include information relating to each of the following:
                    ``(A) The strategies and methods the local 
                educational agency intends to use to create each 
                smaller learning community.
                    ``(B) The curriculum and instructional practices, 
                including any particular themes or emphases, to be used 
                in the learning environment.
                    ``(C) The degree of involvement of teachers, and 
                other school personnel, in investigating, designing, 
                implementing, and sustaining each smaller learning 
                community.
                    ``(D) The process to be used for involving 
                students, parents, and other stakeholders in the 
                development and implementation of each smaller learning 
                community.
                    ``(E) Any cooperation or collaboration among 
                community agencies, organizations, businesses, and 
                others to develop or implement a plan to create each 
                smaller learning community.
                    ``(F) The training and professional development 
                activities that will be offered to teachers and others 
involved in the activities for which the grant is sought.
                    ``(G) The goals and objectives of the activities 
                for which the grant is sought, including a description 
                of how such activities will better enable all students 
                to reach challenging State content standards and State 
                student performance standards.
                    ``(H) The methods by which the local educational 
                agency will assess progress in meeting the goals and 
                objectives described in subparagraph (G).
                    ``(I) With respect to any smaller learning 
                community that will be a school-within-a-school, the 
                relationship, including governance and administration, 
                between the smaller learning community and the rest of 
                the school.
                    ``(J) The administrative and managerial 
                relationship between the local educational agency and 
                each smaller learning community, including how such 
                agency intends to ensure the continuity of the smaller 
                learning community and the continuity of student and 
                teacher assignment to such community.
                    ``(K) How the local educational agency intends to 
                coordinate the use of the proceeds of the grant with 
                the use of other funds provided under this Act or under 
                other Federal laws.
                    ``(L) The grade levels or ages of students who will 
                participate in each smaller learning community.
                    ``(M) The method of placing students in each 
                smaller learning community.
    ``(d) Use of Grant Funds.--
            ``(1) Planning grants.--The proceeds of a grant made under 
        subsection (b)(1) may be used for any of the following:
                    ``(A) Study of the feasibility of creating a 
                smaller learning community.
                    ``(B) Study of effective and innovative 
                organizational and instructional strategies for use in 
                1 or more smaller learning communities.
                    ``(C) Research on and development of strategies for 
                creating 1 or more smaller learning communities.
                    ``(D) Research on and development of, for 1 or more 
                smaller learning communities, effective and innovative 
                curriculums and methods of instruction designed to meet 
                high State content standards and State student 
                performance standards.
                    ``(E) Provision of professional development in 
                innovative teaching methods that challenge and engage 
                students to the staff of 1 or more smaller learning 
                communities.
                    ``(F) Development of strategies for the 
                participation in 1 or more smaller learning communities 
                of parents, business representatives, local 
                institutions of higher education, community-based 
                organizations, and other community members, as 
                facilitators of activities that provide professional 
                development for teachers or that provide links between 
                students and their local community.
                    ``(G) Any other reasonable expense, including 
                architectural fees to design or remodel school 
                facilities, but not including the costs directly 
                associated with the renovation of existing facilities 
                or the purchase or construction of new facilities.
            ``(2) Implementation grants.--The proceeds of a grant made 
        under subsection (b)(2) may be used for any of the following:
                    ``(A) Implementing strategies for creating 1 or 
                more smaller learning communities.
                    ``(B) Implementing within 1 or more smaller 
                learning communities effective and innovative 
                curriculums and methods of instruction designed to meet 
                high State content standards and State student 
                performance standards.
                    ``(C) Implementing strategies for the participation 
                in 1 or more smaller learning communities of parents, 
                business representatives, local institutions of higher 
                education, community-based organizations, and other 
                community members, as facilitators of activities that 
                provide professional development for teachers or that 
                provide links between students and their local 
                community.
                    ``(D) Any other reasonable expense, including 
                architectural fees to design or remodel school 
                facilities, but not including the costs directly 
                associated with the renovation of existing facilities 
                or the purchase or construction of new facilities.
    ``(e) Equitable Distribution.--In making grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall ensure that the recipients of grants under 
subsection (b)(1) and the recipients of grants under subsection (b)(2) 
are equitably distributed among urban, suburban, and rural areas of the 
United States.
    ``(f) Report to the Secretary.--The Secretary shall require as a 
condition of receipt of each grant under this section that the grant 
recipient transmit to the Secretary a report on how the proceeds of the 
grant were used.
    ``(g) Additional Authority.--To further assist local educational 
agencies with respect to planning for or implementation of smaller 
learning communities, the Secretary may--
            ``(1) provide technical assistance to such local 
        educational agencies ; and
            ``(2) participate in networking activities.
    ``(h) Secretary's Use of Funds.--In each fiscal year, the Secretary 
may use not more than a total of 5 percent of the amount authorized 
under subsection (j) for--
            ``(1) evaluation of the program authorized by this section;
            ``(2) the provision of technical assistance under 
        subsection (g)(1); and
            ``(3) networking activities under subsection (g)(2).
    ``(i) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a study to--
            ``(1) build on existing research in the smaller learning 
        communities field;
            ``(2) evaluate and compare outcomes at various types of 
        smaller learning communities, including smaller learning 
        communities in urban, suburban, and rural school districts; and
            ``(3) track the effectiveness of smaller learning 
        communities.
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.
Smaller Schools, Stronger Communities Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement plans to create smaller learning communities.
{"src": "billsum_test", "title": "To amend section 10105 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide for a smaller learning communities grant program."}