§ 1161a — Project Grad

(a) The purposes of this section are— (1) to provide support and assistance to programs implementing integrated education reform services in order to improve secondary school graduation, postsecondary program attendance, and postsecondary completion rates for low-income students; and (2) to promote the establishment of new programs to implement such integrated education reform services. (b) In this section: (1) The term “low-income student” means a student who is determined by a local educational agency to be from a low-income family using the measures described in section 6313(a)(5) of this title. (2) The term “feeder pattern” means a secondary school and the elementary schools and middle schools that channel students into that secondary school. (c) From the amount appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary is authorized to award a five-year contract to Project GRAD USA (referred to in this section as the “contractor”), a nonprofit education organization that has as its primary purpose the improvement of secondary school graduation and postsecondary attendance and completion rates for low-income students. Such contract shall be used to carry out the requirements of subsection (d) and to implement and sustain integrated education reform services through subcontractor activities described in subsection (e)(3) at existing Project GRAD program sites and to promote the expansion to new sites. (d) The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the contractor that requires that the contractor shall— (1) enter into subcontracts with nonprofit educational organizations that serve a substantial number or percentage of low-income students (referred to in this subsection as “subcontractors”), under which the subcontractors agree to implement the Project GRAD programs described in subsection (e) and provide matching funds for such programs; (2) directly carry out— (A) activities to implement and sustain the literacy, mathematics, classroom management, social service, and postsecondary access programs further described in subsection (e)(3); (B) activities to build the organizational and management capacity of the subcontractors to effectively implement and sustain the programs; (C) activities for the purpose of improving and expanding the programs, including activities— (i) to further articulate a program for one or more grade levels and across grade levels; (ii) to tailor a program for a particular target audience; and (iii) to provide tighter integration across programs; (D) activities for the purpose of implementing new Project GRAD program sites; (E) activities for the purpose of promoting greater public awareness of integrated education reform services to improve secondary school graduation and postsecondary attendance rates for low-income students; and (F) other activities directly related to improving secondary school graduation and postsecondary attendance and completion rates for low-income students; and (3) use contract funds available under this section to pay— (A) the amount determined under subsection (f); and (B) costs associated with carrying out the activities and providing the services, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection. (1) The subcontractor programs referred to in this subsection shall be known as Project GRAD programs. (2) Each subcontractor shall implement a Project GRAD program and shall, with the agreement of the contractor— (A) identify or establish not less than one feeder pattern of public schools; and (B) provide the integrated educational reform services described in paragraph (3) at each identified feeder pattern. (3) The services provided through a Project GRAD program may include— (A) research-based programs in reading, mathematics, and classroom management; (B) campus-based social services programs, including a systematic approach to increase family and community involvement in the schools served by the Project GRAD program; (C) a postsecondary access program that includes— (i) providing postsecondary scholarships for students who meet established criteria; (ii) proven approaches for increasing student and family postsecondary awareness; and (iii) assistance for students in applying for higher education financial aid; and (D) such other services identified by the contractor as necessary to increase secondary school graduation and postsecondary attendance and completion rates. (f) Of the funds made available to carry out this section, not more than five percent of such funds, or $4,000,000, whichever is less, shall be used by the contractor to pay for administration of the contract. (1) The contractor shall provide to each subcontractor an average of $200 for each student served by the subcontractor in the Project GRAD program, adjusted to take into consideration— (A) the resources or funds available in the area where the subcontractor will implement the Project GRAD program; and (B) the need for the Project GRAD program in such area to improve student outcomes, including reading and mathematics achievement, secondary school graduation, and postsecondary attendance and completion rates. (2) Each subcontractor shall provide funds for the Project GRAD program in an amount that is equal to the amount received by the subcontractor from the contractor. Such matching funds may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated. (3) The contractor may waive, in whole or in part, the requirement of paragraph (2) for a subcontractor, if the subcontractor— (A) demonstrates that the subcontractor would not otherwise be able to participate in the program; and (B) enters into an agreement with the contractor with respect to the amount to which the waiver will apply. (1) The Secretary shall select an independent entity to evaluate, every three years, the performance of students who participate in a Project GRAD program under this section. The evaluation shall— (A) be conducted using a rigorous research design for determining the effectiveness of the Project GRAD programs funded under this section; and (B) compare reading and mathematics achievement, secondary school graduation, and postsecondary attendance and completion rates of students who participate in a Project GRAD program funded under this section with those indicators for students of similar backgrounds who do not participate in such program. (2) The contractor shall require each subcontractor to prepare an in-depth report of the results and the use of funds of each Project GRAD program funded under this section that includes— (A) data on the reading and mathematics achievement of students involved in the Project GRAD program; (B) data on secondary school graduation and postsecondary attendance and completion rates; and (C) such financial reporting as required by the Secretary to review the effectiveness and efficiency of the program. (3) Copies of any evaluation or report prepared under this subsection shall be made available to— (A) the Secretary; and (B) the authorizing committees. (i) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years.