article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS; AND PURPOSES. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Mentor Schools Act''. (b) Findings.--The Congress finds that-- (1) while low-income students have made significant gains with respect to educational achievement and attainment, considerable gaps still persist for these students in comparison to those from more affluent socio-economic backgrounds; (2) our Nation has a compelling interest in assuring that all children receive a high quality education; (3) new methods and experiments to revitalize the educational achievement of, and opportunities for, low-income individuals must be a part of any comprehensive solution to the problems in our Nation's educational system; (4) successful educational alternatives should be widely implemented to better the education of low-income individuals; (5) preliminary research shows that same gender schools produce promising academic and behavioral improvements in both sexes for low-income, educationally disadvantaged students; (6) extensive data on same gender schools are needed to determine whether same gender schools are closely tailored to achieving the compelling government interest in assuring that all children are educated to the best of their ability; (7) in recent years efforts to experiment with same gender schools have been inhibited by lawsuits and threats of lawsuits by private groups as well as governmental entities; and (8) same gender schools are a legal educational alternative to coeducational schools and are not prohibited under the regulations under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), as such regulations were in effect on the day preceding the date of enactment of this Act, so long as-- (A) comparable courses, services and facilities are available to students of each sex; and (B) the same policies and criteria for admission to such schools are used for both sexes. (c) Purposes.--It is the purpose of this Act-- (1) to award grants to local educational agencies for the establishment of same gender schools for low-income students; (2) to determine whether same gender schools make a difference in the educational achievement and opportunities of low-income, educationally disadvantaged individuals; (3) to improve academic achievement and persistence in school; and (4) to involve parents in the educational options and choices of their children. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Act-- (1) the term ``evaluating agency'' means any academic institution, consortium of professionals, or private or nonprofit organization, with demonstrated experience in conducting evaluations, that is not an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government; (2) the term ``mentor school'' means a public elementary school or secondary school, or consortium of such schools, that-- (A)(i) in the case of a public elementary school or secondary school, receives funds under this Act; or (ii) in the case of a consortium of such schools, all of which receive funds under this Act; (B) develops a plan for, and provides access to-- (i) a school for boys; (ii) a school for girls; and (iii) a coeducational school; (C) gives parents the option of choosing to send their child to each school described in subparagraph (B); (D) admits students on the basis of a lottery, if more students apply for admission to a school described in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (B) that can be accommodated; (E) operates, as part of the educational program of a school described in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (B), a one-to-one mentoring program that-- (i) involves members from the community served by such school as volunteer mentors; (ii) pairs an adult member of such community with a student of the same gender as such member; and (iii) involves the collaboration of one or more community groups with experience in mentoring or other relationship development activities; and (F) operates in pursuit of improving achievement among all children based on a specific set of educational objectives determined by the local educational agency applying for a grant under this part, in conjunction with the mentor school advisory board established under section 3(d), and agreed to by the Secretary; (3) the term ``mentor school advisory board'' means an advisory board established in accordance with section 3(d); and (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Education. SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. (a) Authority.-- (1) In general.--From amounts made available under section 7, the Secretary is authorized to award grants to not more than 100 local educational agencies for the planning and operation of one or more mentor schools. (2) Eligible local educational agencies.--The Secretary shall only award a grant under paragraph (1) to a local educational agency that-- (A) receives funds under section 1124A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6334); and (B) is among the 20 percent of local educational agencies receiving funds under section 1124A (20 U.S.C. 6334) of such Act in the State that have the highest number of children described in section 1124(c) (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)) of such Act. (b) Grant Periods.--Each grant under subsection (a) may be awarded for a period of not more than 5 years, of which a local educational agency may use not more than 1 year for planning and program development for a mentor school. (c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant under this Act to support a particular mentor school. (d) Mentor School Advisory Board.--Each local educational agency receiving a grant under this Act shall establish a mentor school advisory board. Such advisory board shall be composed of school administrators, parents, teachers, local government officials and volunteers involved with a mentor school. Such advisory board shall assist the local educational agency in developing the application for assistance under section 4 and serve as an advisory board in the functioning of the mentor school. (e) Alternative Teaching Certificates.--Each local educational agency operating a mentor school under this Act is encouraged to employ teachers with alternative teaching certificates, including participants in the program assisted under section 1151 of title 10, United States Code (Troops to Teachers Program). SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS. (a) Applications Required.--Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. (b) Application Contents.--Each application described in subsection (a) shall include-- (1) a description of the educational program to be implemented by the proposed mentor school, including-- (A) the grade levels or ages of children to be served; and (B) the curriculum and instructional practices to be used; (2) a description of the objectives of the local educational agency for the mentor school and a description of how such agency intends to monitor and study the progress of children participating in the mentor school; (3) a description of how the local educational agency intends to include in the mentor school administrators, teaching personnel, and role models from the private sector; (4) a description of how school administrators, parents, teachers, local government and volunteers will be involved in the design and implementation of the mentor school; (5) a description of the one-to-one mentoring program required by section 2(2)(E); (6) a description of how the local educational agency or the State, as appropriate, will provide for continued operation of the mentor school once the Federal grant has expired, if such agency determines that such school is successful; (7) a description of how the grant funds will be used; (8) a description of how students in attendance at the mentor school, or in the community served by such school, will be-- (A) informed about such school; and (B) informed about the fact that admission to a school described in section 2(2)(B) is completely voluntary; (9) a description of how grant funds provided under this Act will be used in conjunction with funds provided to the local educational agency under any other program administered by the Secretary; (10) an assurance that the local educational agency will annually provide the Secretary such information as the Secretary may require to determine if the mentor school is making satisfactory progress toward achieving the objectives described in paragraph (2); (11) an assurance that the local educational agency will cooperate with the Secretary in evaluating the program authorized by this Act; (12) an assurance that resources provided under this Act shall be used equally for schools for boys and for schools for girls; (13) an assurance that the activities assisted under this Act will not have an adverse affect, on either sex, that is caused by-- (A) the quality of facilities for boys and for girls; (B) the nature of the curriculum for boys and for girls; (C) program activities for boys and for girls; and (D) instruction for boys and for girls; and (14) such other information and assurances as the Secretary may require. SEC. 5. SELECTION OF GRANTEES. The Secretary shall award grants under this Act on the basis of the quality of the applications submitted under section 4, taking into consideration such factors as-- (1) the quality of the proposed curriculum and instructional practices for the mentor school; (2) the organizational structure and management of the mentor school; (3) the quality of the plan for assessing the progress made by students served by a mentor school over the period of the grant; (4) the extent of community support for the application; (5) the likelihood that the mentor school will meet the objectives of such school and improve educational results for students; and (6) the assurances submitted pursuant to section 4(b)(13). SEC. 6. EVALUATION. (a) In General.--From the amount appropriated under section 7 for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available to the Comptroller General 1 percent of such amount to enable the Comptroller General to enter into a contract with an evaluating agency for the evaluation of the mentor schools program under this Act. Such evaluation shall measure the academic competence and social development of students attending mentor schools, including school attendance levels, student achievement levels, drop out rates, college admissions, incidences of teenage pregnancy, and incidences of incarceration. (b) Report.--The evaluating agency entering into the contract described in subsection (a) shall submit a report to the Congress not later than September 30, 2002, regarding the results of the evaluation conducted in accordance with such subsection. SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated $300,000,000 for fiscal year 1996 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 to carry out this Act. (b) Availability.--Funds appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
summary: Mentor Schools Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to not more than 100 eligible local educational agencies for the planning and operation of one or more mentor schools. Prohibits the Secretary from awarding more than one such grant to support a particular mentor school. Requires each local educational agency receiving such a grant to establish a mentor school advisory board. Encourages each local educational agency operating such a mentor school to employ teachers with alternative teaching certificates, including participants in the Troops to Teachers Program. Sets forth requirements for: (1) applications; (2) selection of grantees; and (3) non-Federal evaluating agencies' evaluations and reports (in contract with the Comptroller General). Authorizes appropriations.