What This Bill Does
This bill gives money to states to help improve education for students in grades 5 through 8 (middle grades). The bill requires states to create plans to make sure middle grade students learn challenging material and get support so they are ready for high school and beyond. The bill also funds research to find out what teaching methods work best for middle grade students.
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Who It Affects
- Middle grade students (grades 5-8), especially those struggling academically
- Teachers and school leaders in middle schools
- State education agencies
- Local school districts
- Institutions of higher education that partner with schools
- Nonprofit organizations working on middle grades improvement
- Students with disabilities and English learners in middle grades
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Key Provisions
- States that get grants must use at least 90 percent of the money to give subgrants to local school districts or partnerships to improve low-performing middle grade schools (Sec. 103)
- States must complete a full needs assessment (an examination of current problems) and create a statewide plan to improve student achievement in middle grades, including curriculum alignment and discipline practices (Sec. 103)
- Local school districts getting subgrants must set up an early warning system to identify students at risk of dropping out based on attendance, grades, and behavior, and then provide help for those students (Sec. 104)
- Each eligible school must create a personal academic plan for every student and assign at least one adult to monitor that student's progress (Sec. 104)
- Schools must provide integrated student support services including mental health care and school counseling (Sec. 104)
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, states will receive federal money specifically for improving middle grade education. Schools will be required to identify students at risk of failure earlier and provide them with targeted help. States and schools will need to track more data about student attendance, grades, behavior, and transitions between grade levels. Schools will need to assign adults to create and monitor individual academic plans for every middle grade student. States must develop plans addressing curriculum alignment, teacher preparation, family engagement, and discipline practices in middle grades.
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Important Definitions
- **Middle grades**: Grades 5 through 8 (Sec. 3)
- **Chronic absenteeism**: When a student misses 10 percent or more of school days in a school year (Sec. 3)
- **Eligible school**: An elementary or secondary school with at least 2 successive grades from grades 5-8 where more than 25 percent of students show risk factors like poor attendance, failing grades, or suspensions, OR where more than 50 percent of students do not perform at a proficient level on state academic tests in math or reading (Sec. 3)
- **Eligible entity**: A partnership with at least one local school district plus one of the following: a college or university, an educational service agency, or a nonprofit organization with expertise in middle grades improvement (Sec. 3)
- **English learner**: A student whose primary language is not English (defined by reference to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) (Sec. 3)
- **Evidence-based**: Having scientific research showing a practice works (defined by reference to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) (Sec. 3)
- **Student with a disability**: A student with a disability as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Sec. 3)
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1578
To provide grants to States to ensure that all students in the middle grades
are taught an academically rigorous curriculum with effective supports
so that students complete the middle grades prepared for success in
secondary school and postsecondary endeavors, to improve State and
local educational agency policies and programs relating to the academic
achievement of students in the middle grades, to develop and implement
effective middle grades models for struggling students, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 2023
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself and Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To provide grants to States to ensure that all students in
the middle grades are taught an academically rigorous
curriculum with effective supports so that students com-
plete the middle grades prepared for success in secondary
school and postsecondary endeavors, to improve State
and local educational agency policies and programs relat-
ing to the academic achievement of students in the mid-
dle grades, to develop and implement effective middle
grades models for struggling students, and for other
purposes.
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•HR 1578 IH
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Success in the Middle
4
Act of 2023’’.
5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
6
Congress finds the following:
7
(1) Research shows that Federal funding for
8
students in middle school and high school, particu-
9
larly grades 6 through 12, is significantly lower than
10
funding for elementary and postsecondary students.
11
(2) International comparisons indicate that stu-
12
dents in the United States do not start out behind
13
students of other nations in mathematics and
14
science, but that they fall behind by the end of the
15
middle grades.
16
(3) In reading, 31 percent of students in grade
17
8 read at or above the proficient level on the 2022
18
National Assessment of Educational Progress. Aver-
19
age reading scores were lower at grade 8 for most
20
racial/ethnic groups compared to 2019.
21
(4) In mathematics, 27 percent of students in
22
grade 8 displayed skills at or above the proficient
23
level on the 2022 National Assessment of Edu-
24
cational Progress.
25
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•HR 1578 IH
(5) Evidence demonstrates unfinished learning
1
for the Nation’s students, including students from
2
the middle grades, resulting from the COVID–19
3
pandemic. Black and Hispanic students, in par-
4
ticular, were less likely to have access to the pre-
5
requisites of learning—devices, internet access, and
6
live contact with teachers. Left unaddressed, these
7
opportunity gaps could translate into wider achieve-
8
ment gaps.
9
(6) By grade 6, a student who attends school
10
less than 80 percent of the time, receives unsatisfac-
11
tory marks for mild but sustained misbehavior, or
12
who fails English or mathematics, has only a 10 to
13
20 percent chance of graduating on time. Without
14
effective interventions and proper supports, these
15
students are at risk of subsequent failure in sec-
16
ondary school, or of dropping out.
17
(7) According to Gallup, student engagement is
18
strong at the end of elementary school, with nearly
19
3⁄4 of 5th graders (74%) reporting high levels of en-
20
gagement. But similar surveys have shown a gradual
21
and steady decline in engagement for older students,
22
with approximately 1⁄2 of students in middle school
23
reporting high levels of engagement.
24
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•HR 1578 IH
(8) Student transitions from elementary school
1
to the middle grades and to secondary school are
2
often complicated by poor curriculum alignment, in-
3
adequate counseling services, and unsatisfactory
4
sharing of student performance and academic
5
achievement data between grades.
6
(9) Middle grades improvement strategies
7
should be tailored based on a variety of performance
8
indicators and data, so that—
9
(A) educators can create and implement
10
successful school improvement strategies to ad-
11
dress the needs of the middle grades; and
12
(B) teachers can provide effective instruc-
13
tion and adequate assistance to meet the needs
14
of at-risk students.
15
(10) Middle grade teachers face unique chal-
16
lenges due to the increased individual subject matter
17
focus of the curriculum combined with the physical,
18
intellectual, and emotional changes faced by early
19
adolescents transitioning from elementary school to
20
high school.
21
(11) Combining measures of academic achieve-
22
ment and motivation, social engagement, and self-
23
regulation—the behavioral domains essential for suc-
24
cess across the school and work continuum—pro-
25
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•HR 1578 IH
vides a more holistic picture of students, including
1
their likelihood of enrolling in an institution of high-
2
er education following high school graduation. This
3
information, available in middle school, allows for
4
early identification of and intervention with students
5
who may be less likely to complete secondary school
6
and attend an institution of higher education.
7
(12) Appropriate academic accommodations,
8
age-appropriate discipline, access to assistive tech-
9
nology, and evidence-based interventions must be
10
used with students with disabilities, particularly in
11
the middle grades, as—
12
(A) the dropout rate for learning disabled
13
students is more than twice the dropout rate of
14
all students;
15
(B) nearly half of young adults with learn-
16
ing disabilities have been involved in the justice
17
system; and
18
(C) students with disabilities have a grad-
19
uation rate nearly 20 percentage points lower
20
than the graduation rate for general education
21
students.
22
(13) Local educational agencies and State edu-
23
cational agencies often do not have the capacity to
24
provide support for school improvement strategies.
25
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•HR 1578 IH
Successful models do exist for turning around low-
1
performing middle grades, and Federal support
2
should be provided to increase the capacity to apply
3
promising practices based on evidence from success-
4
ful schools.
5
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
6
In this Act:
7
(1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘edu-
8
cational service agency’’, ‘‘elementary school’’,
9
‘‘English learner’’, ‘‘evidence-based’’, ‘‘local edu-
10
cational agency’’, ‘‘outlying area’’, ‘‘high school’’,
11
‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’
12
have the meanings given the terms in section 8101
13
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
14
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
15
(2)
CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM.—The
term
16
‘‘chronic absenteeism’’ means the percentage of indi-
17
vidual students missing 10 percent, or more, of the
18
days of school in a school year.
19
(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
20
ty’’ means a partnership that includes—
21
(A) not less than 1 eligible local edu-
22
cational agency; and
23
(B) One of the following:
24
(i) An institution of higher education.
25
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•HR 1578 IH
(ii) An educational service agency.
1
(iii) A nonprofit organization with
2
demonstrated expertise in high-quality
3
middle grades intervention.
4
(4) ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—
5
The term ‘‘eligible local educational agency’’ means
6
a local educational agency that serves not less than
7
1 eligible school.
8
(5) ELIGIBLE
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘eligible
9
school’’ means an elementary school or secondary
10
school that contains not less than 2 successive
11
grades of grades 5 through 8 and for which—
12
(A) a high proportion of the middle grades
13
students attending such school will attend a
14
secondary school with a graduation rate of 67
15
percent or less;
16
(B) more than 25 percent of the students
17
who finish grade 6 at such school, or the ear-
18
liest middle grade level at the school, exhibit 1
19
or more of the key risk factors and early risk
20
identification signs, including—
21
(i) student attendance below 90 per-
22
cent;
23
(ii) a failing grade in a mathematics
24
or reading or language arts course;
25
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•HR 1578 IH
(iii) 2 failing grades in any courses;
1
and
2
(iv) out-of-school suspension or other
3
evidence of at-risk behavior; or
4
(C) more than 50 percent of the middle
5
grades students attending such school do not
6
perform at a proficient level on State student
7
academic assessments required under section
8
1111(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary
9
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2))
10
in mathematics or reading or language arts.
11
(6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
12
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
13
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher
14
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
15
(7) MIDDLE
GRADES.—The term ‘‘middle
16
grades’’ means any of grades 5 through 8.
17
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
18
the Secretary of Education.
19
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
20
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the
21
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
22
(10) STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY.—The term
23
‘‘student with a disability’’ means a student who is
24
a child with a disability, as defined in section 602
25
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•HR 1578 IH
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
1
(20 U.S.C. 1401).
2
TITLE I—MIDDLE GRADES
3
IMPROVEMENT
4
SEC. 101. PURPOSES.
5
The purposes of this title are to—
6
(1) develop middle grade students’ social, emo-
7
tional, and academic competencies and deep content
8
knowledge to ensure they are equipped to think criti-
9
cally, solve problems, communicate effectively, col-
10
laborate with others, and be self-directed so that
11
they can enter high school on-track and graduate
12
from high school on time and ready for postsec-
13
ondary and career pathways;
14
(2) provide student and teacher supports for
15
middle grades education, including funding and cur-
16
ricula, that align with the student and teacher sup-
17
ports provided for elementary school and secondary
18
school grades within and across local educational
19
agencies;
20
(3) provide resources to State educational agen-
21
cies and local educational agencies to collaboratively
22
develop and implement middle grade improvement
23
plans in order to deliver evidence-based support and
24
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•HR 1578 IH
technical assistance to schools serving middle grade
1
students;
2
(4) provide resources for schools serving middle
3
grade students to develop positive learning commu-
4
nities where educators and students feel engaged,
5
and share high expectations of student success, as
6
exhibited by mutual respect, fair discipline ap-
7
proaches, and rigorous academic curriculum; and
8
(5) increase the capacity of States and local
9
educational agencies to develop effective, sustainable,
10
and replicable school improvement programs and
11
models and evidence-based or, when available, sci-
12
entifically valid student interventions for implemen-
13
tation by schools serving students in the middle
14
grades.
15
SEC. 102. FORMULA GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL
16
AGENCIES FOR MIDDLE GRADES IMPROVE-
17
MENT.
18
(a) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated
19
under section 107, the Secretary shall make grants under
20
this title for a fiscal year to each State educational agency
21
for which the Secretary has approved an application in
22
an amount equal to the allotment determined for such
23
agency under subsection (c) for such fiscal year.
24
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•HR 1578 IH
(b) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount made
1
available to carry out this title for a fiscal year, the Sec-
2
retary—
3
(1) shall reserve not more than 1 percent for
4
the Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the Bu-
5
reau of Indian Education) and the outlying areas for
6
activities carried out in accordance with this section;
7
(2) shall reserve 1 percent to evaluate the effec-
8
tiveness of this title in achieving the purposes of this
9
title and ensuring that results are peer-reviewed and
10
widely disseminated, which may include hiring an
11
outside evaluator; and
12
(3) shall reserve 2 percent for technical assist-
13
ance and dissemination of best practices in middle
14
grades education to States and local educational
15
agencies.
16
(c) AMOUNT OF STATE ALLOTMENTS.—
17
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
18
graph (2), of the total amount made available to
19
carry out this title for a fiscal year and not reserved
20
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall allot such
21
amount among the States in proportion to the num-
22
ber of children, aged 5 to 17, who reside within the
23
State and are from families with incomes below the
24
poverty level for the most recent fiscal year for
25
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•HR 1578 IH
which satisfactory data are available, compared to
1
the number of such individuals who reside in all
2
such States for that fiscal year, determined in ac-
3
cordance with section 1124(c)(1)(A) of the Elemen-
4
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
5
U.S.C. 6333(c)(1)(A)).
6
(2) MINIMUM
ALLOTMENTS.—No State edu-
7
cational agency shall receive an allotment under t
[Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]