What This Bill Does
This bill creates a grant program where the federal government awards money to schools and organizations to start or expand mentoring programs for at-risk middle school students. These programs help students transition from middle school to high school by pairing them with mentors called "success coaches" who guide them academically and help them plan for college or careers.
##
Who It Affects
• At-risk middle school students enrolled in schools participating in the program
• Local educational agencies (school districts) and high-need schools
• Nonprofit, community-based organizations partnering with schools
• Success coaches (mentors who work with students)
• Parents of students in the program
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Key Provisions
• The federal government awards grants to eligible organizations to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs that assist at-risk middle school students with the transition from middle school to high school (Sec. 1441(a))
• Each eligible student is assigned a success coach who creates a personalized plan for success with the student, mentor, school staff, and parents. The plan includes academic goals, personal goals, college goals, and career exploration goals for each academic year (Sec. 1441(c)(1)(A))
• Success coaches must meet with students at least once per month to help them achieve their goals, identify areas needing improvement, and ensure successful transition to high school (Sec. 1441(c)(1)(C))
• Grant recipients must report annually on the number of participating students, their academic achievement, dropout rates, absenteeism, employment, and other outcomes to measure program success (Sec. 1441(e)(1))
• Grants can be awarded for periods of not more than 5 years (Sec. 1441(d))
##
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, schools and organizations serving at-risk middle school students gain access to federal funding to hire success coaches and run mentoring programs. Students in these programs receive structured one-on-one guidance to improve grades, behavior, and transitions to high school. Schools must track and report on whether students improve academically and socially as a result of the program.
##
Important Definitions
• **At-risk student**: Not defined in the bill text
• **Eligible entity**: A local educational agency that receives or is eligible to receive federal funding under an existing education program, or a high-need local educational agency, or a partnership between these schools and a nonprofit community organization (Sec. 1441(g)(1))
• **High-need school**: Not defined in this bill but referenced from another section of federal law (Sec. 1441(g)(4))
• **Middle school**: A nonprofit school, including public charter schools, that serves grades 6-9 as determined under state law (Sec. 1441(g)(5))
• **School-based mentoring**: Mentoring activities closely coordinated with a school that help at-risk students improve academic achievement, attitudes toward school, and reduce disciplinary referrals (Sec. 1441(g)(6))
• **Success coach**: An employee or volunteer from a school or nonprofit organization who has received at least 2 hours of training on mentoring roles and responsibilities and passed background checks including criminal background checks and child abuse record checks (Sec. 1441(g)(7))
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 653
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to award
grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support school-based
mentoring programs to assist at-risk middle school students with the
transition from middle school to high school.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. CARSON (for himself, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr.
CICILLINE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. EVANS, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms.
NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. RASKIN, and Mr. THOMPSON
of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 to award grants to eligible entities to establish,
expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to
assist at-risk middle school students with the transition
from middle school to high school.
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 ‘‘Transition-to-Success
4
Mentoring Act’’.
5
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SEC. 2. TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS MENTORING PROGRAM.
1
(a) TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS
MENTORING
PRO-
2
GRAM.—Part D of title I of the Elementary and Secondary
3
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6421 et seq.) is amend-
4
ed by adding at the end the following:
5
‘‘Subpart 4—Transition-to-Success Mentoring
6
Program
7
‘‘SEC. 1441. TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS MENTORING PRO-
8
GRAM.
9
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award
10
grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support
11
school-based mentoring programs to assist eligible stu-
12
dents with the transition from middle school to high
13
school.
14
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—
15
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under
16
this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli-
17
cation to the Secretary at such time, in such man-
18
ner, and containing such information as the Sec-
19
retary may require.
20
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In selecting grant recipients,
21
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities
22
that—
23
‘‘(A) serve children and youth with the
24
greatest need living in high-poverty, high-crime
25
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•HR 653 IH
areas, or rural areas, or who attend schools
1
with high rates of community violence;
2
‘‘(B) provide eligible students with oppor-
3
tunities for postsecondary education prepara-
4
tion and career development, including—
5
‘‘(i) job training, professional develop-
6
ment, work shadowing, internships, net-
7
working, re´sume´ writing and review, inter-
8
view preparation, transition services for
9
students with disabilities, application as-
10
sistance and visits to institutions of higher
11
education, and leadership development
12
through community service; and
13
‘‘(ii) partnerships with the private sec-
14
tor and local businesses to provide intern-
15
ship and career exploration activities and
16
resources;
17
‘‘(C) seek to provide match lengths be-
18
tween eligible students and success coaches for
19
at least 1 academic year; and
20
‘‘(D) indicate how, and the degree to
21
which, children were consulted and engaged in
22
the development, design, and implementation of
23
the school-based mentoring program.
24
‘‘(c) USES OF FUNDS.—
25
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‘‘(1) REQUIRED USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible
1
entity that receives a grant under this section shall
2
use the grant funds to establish a school-based men-
3
toring program, or to expand or provide technical
4
support to an existing school-based mentoring pro-
5
gram, in all middle schools served by the entity,
6
under which each eligible student is assigned to a
7
success coach who—
8
‘‘(A) creates a plan for success for the stu-
9
dent that—
10
‘‘(i) is created with the student, men-
11
tor, relevant school staff (such as a teacher
12
or school counselor), and parents of the
13
student;
14
‘‘(ii) includes, for each academic year,
15
the student’s academic, personal, college,
16
and career exploration goals, and a strat-
17
egy on how to accomplish such goals;
18
‘‘(iii)
identifies
the
student’s
19
strengths, areas for improvement, and aca-
20
demic progress; and
21
‘‘(iv) includes a plan to educate and
22
support the student’s college or career ex-
23
ploration goals;
24
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(B) enters into a signed, written agree-
1
ment with the parents of the student that de-
2
scribes how the parents should assist the stu-
3
dent in carrying out the plan for success;
4
‘‘(C) meets with the student at least once
5
per month to—
6
‘‘(i) assist the student in achieving the
7
goals under the plan for success;
8
‘‘(ii) identify the student’s academic
9
areas for improvement;
10
‘‘(iii) connect the student with the
11
tools and resources necessary to help im-
12
prove the student’s potential for academic
13
success;
14
‘‘(iv) ensure the student’s successful
15
transition from middle school to high
16
school by identifying opportunities to help
17
the student develop a positive attitude to-
18
ward school, improve classroom behavior,
19
complete coursework, and socialize with
20
peers; and
21
‘‘(v) in the case of a student with be-
22
havioral issues, assist the student in behav-
23
ior management techniques;
24
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(D) at least quarterly, meets with the stu-
1
dent and the parents, teachers, or counselors of
2
the student to—
3
‘‘(i) evaluate the student’s progress in
4
achieving the goals under the plan for the
5
current academic year; and
6
‘‘(ii) revise or establish new goals for
7
the next academic year; and
8
‘‘(E) assists the student in exploring high-
9
er education and career exposure opportunities.
10
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED USES OF FUNDS.—An eligi-
11
ble entity that receives a grant under this section
12
may use such funds to—
13
‘‘(A) develop and carry out regular train-
14
ing for success coaches, including on—
15
‘‘(i) the impact of adverse childhood
16
experiences;
17
‘‘(ii) trauma-informed practices and
18
interventions;
19
‘‘(iii) supporting homeless children
20
and youths;
21
‘‘(iv) supporting children and youth in
22
foster care;
23
‘‘(v) cultural competency;
24
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(vi) meeting all appropriate privacy
1
and confidentiality requirements for stu-
2
dents, including students in foster care;
3
‘‘(vii) working in coordination with a
4
public school system;
5
‘‘(viii) positive youth development and
6
engagement practices; and
7
‘‘(ix) disability inclusion practices to
8
ensure access and participation by students
9
with disabilities;
10
‘‘(B) recruit, screen, match, compensate,
11
and train success coaches, and pay for costs re-
12
lated to success coach and mentee participation
13
in the program;
14
‘‘(C) hire staff to perform or support the
15
objectives of the school-based mentoring pro-
16
gram;
17
‘‘(D) provide inclusive and accessible youth
18
engagement activities, such as—
19
‘‘(i) enrichment field trips to cultural
20
destinations;
21
‘‘(ii) career awareness activities, in-
22
cluding job site visits, informational inter-
23
views, re´sume´ writing, interview prepara-
24
tion, and networking; and
25
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(iii) academic or postsecondary edu-
1
cation preparation activities, including
2
trade or vocational school visits, visits to
3
institutions of higher education, and assist-
4
ance in applying to institutions of higher
5
education;
6
‘‘(E) provide activities or programming
7
with the purpose of engaging and connecting
8
the student to the school community; and
9
‘‘(F) conduct program evaluation, includ-
10
ing by acquiring and analyzing the data de-
11
scribed under subsection (e).
12
‘‘(d) GRANT DURATION.—A grant under this section
13
shall be awarded for a period of not more than 5 years.
14
‘‘(e) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
15
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—An eligible entity
16
receiving a grant under this section shall submit to
17
the Secretary, at the end of each academic year dur-
18
ing the grant period, a report that includes—
19
‘‘(A) the number of students who partici-
20
pated in the school-based mentoring program
21
that was funded in whole or in part with the
22
grant funds under this section;
23
‘‘(B) demographic data on such students;
24
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(C) data on the academic achievement,
1
dropout rates, truancy, absenteeism, outcomes
2
of arrests for violent crime, summer employ-
3
ment, and postsecondary education enrollment
4
of such students;
5
‘‘(D) the number of contact hours between
6
such students and their success coaches;
7
‘‘(E) the number of students with disabil-
8
ities connected to transition services;
9
‘‘(F) data on social-emotional development
10
of students as assessed with a validated social-
11
emotional assessment tool; and
12
‘‘(G) any other information that the Sec-
13
retary may require to evaluate the success of
14
the school-based mentoring program.
15
‘‘(2) SECRETARY.—
16
‘‘(A) INTERIM REPORT.—At the end of the
17
third fiscal year for which funds are made
18
available to carry out this section, the Secretary
19
shall submit to Congress an interim report on
20
the success of the school-based mentoring pro-
21
grams funded under this section that includes
22
the information received under paragraph (1).
23
‘‘(B) FINAL REPORT.—At the end of the
24
fifth fiscal year for which funds are made avail-
25
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•HR 653 IH
able to carry out this section, the Secretary
1
shall submit to Congress a final report on the
2
success of the school-based mentoring programs
3
funded under this section that includes the in-
4
formation received under paragraph (1).
5
‘‘(f) MENTORING
RESOURCES
AND
COMMUNITY
6
SERVICE COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall work with
7
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
8
to—
9
‘‘(1) refer grantees under this section to the
10
National Mentoring Resource Center to obtain re-
11
sources on best practices and research related to
12
mentoring and to request no-cost training and tech-
13
nical assistance; and
14
‘‘(2) provide grantees under this section with
15
information regarding transitional services for eligi-
16
ble students returning from correctional facilities
17
and transition services for students with disabilities.
18
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
19
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
20
tity’ means—
21
‘‘(A) a local educational agency that—
22
‘‘(i) receives, or is eligible to receive,
23
funds under part A of this title; or
24
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•HR 653 IH
‘‘(ii) is a high-need local educational
1
agency; or
2
‘‘(B) a partnership between a local edu-
3
cational agency described in subparagraph (A)
4
and a nonprofit, community-based organization.
5
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE STUDENT.—The term ‘eligible
6
student’ means a student who—
7
‘‘(A) is enrolled in a middle school served
8
by an eligible entity; and
9
‘‘(B) is an at-risk student.
10
‘‘(3) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
11
CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’
12
means a local educational agency that serves at least
13
one high-need school.
14
‘‘(4) HIGH-NEED
SCHOOL.—The term ‘high-
15
need school’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
16
tion 2211(b)(2).
17
‘‘(5) MIDDLE
SCHOOL.—The term ‘middle
18
school’ means a nonprofit institutional day or resi-
19
dential school, including a public charter school, that
20
provides middle school education, as determined
21
under State law, except that the term does not in-
22
clude any education below grade 6 or beyond grade
23
9.
24
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‘‘(6) SCHOOL-BASED
MENTORING.—The term
1
‘school-based mentoring’ means mentoring activities
2
that—
3
‘‘(A) are closely coordinated with a school
4
by involving teachers, counselors, and other
5
school staff who may identify and refer stu-
6
dents for mentoring services; and
7
‘‘(B) assist at-risk students in improving
8
academic achievement and attitudes toward
9
school and reducing disciplinary referrals.
10
‘‘(7) SUCCESS
COACH.—The term ‘success
11
coach’ means an individual who—
12
‘‘(A) is—
13
‘‘(i) an employee or volunteer of a
14
local educational agency in which a men-
15
toring program receiving support under
16
this section is being carried out; or
17
‘‘(ii) a volunteer or employee from a
18
nonprofit, community-based organization
19
that provides volunteers for mentoring pro-
20
grams in secondary schools; and
21
‘‘(B) prior to becoming a success coach—
22
‘‘(i) received training from an eligible
23
entity, which, at a minimum, was 2 hours
24
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•HR 653 IH
in length and covered the roles and respon-
1
sibilities of a success coach; and
2
‘‘(ii) underwent a screening by an eli-
3
gible entity that included—
4
‘‘(I) appropriate job reference
5
checks;
6
‘‘(II) child and domestic abuse
7
record checks; and
8
‘‘(III)
criminal
background
9
checks.’’.
10
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents in
11
section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
12
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by inserting
13
after the item relating to section 1432 the following:
14
‘‘SUBPART 4—TRANSITION-TO
[Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]